I want to learn to read the Greek classics. I already know 5 languages, so feel comfortable teaching myself. Anyone who has taken such a course, what is a good dictionary to have on hand or source book to learn the grammar? I have tried looking at college course lists, but they never list these, only the books to read in Greek.
OvidsNose
Favorite Answer
THE lexicon is Liddell & Scott from Oxford Press.
Liddell (accented like "little") was Alice's (of Alice in Wonderland fame) father.
It comes in three sizes: the Little Liddell, the Middle Liddell, and the Big Liddell.
Go for the Middle Liddell (officially "An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon").
For Grammars, the two main ones are Goodwin's and Smyth's.
I would recommend Goodwin. But Smyth is good to have as a second opinion.
I would also highly recommend Marinone & Guala's "Complete Handbook of Greek Verbs."
Greek verbs can be tough (e.g. you add an "e-" at the beginning for past tenses and if the root word began with a vowel, the first vowel changes. So if you come across a verb in your reading that begins with an eta (long e), the root word may have begun with an "a", an "e", or an eta, and it can take some time to figure out the word you are even looking to look up.) I picked up my copy at Schoenhof's in Harvard Sq., Cambridge, MA., but I'm sure you can find it online- it's a life/time saver.
If you are looking for a great introductory text, try Benner's "Selections from Homer's Iliad" (Irvington Publishers, NY). Its notes are geared for a new student.
kornreich
Greek Mythology: Hesiods Theogony, Homers Illiad or The Odessey. Pagan ideals: e book of Shadows by ability of Phyllis W Curott Buddhism: The Tibetan e book of the living and absence of existence, The Tibetan artwork of living, Tibetan Buddhism by ability of Stephen Hodge.