Customer Reviews

A New Short Guide to the Accentuation of Ancient Greek (BCP Advanced Greek & Latin Language)

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It possible to read ancient Greek with a minimal knowledge of accents, but I like Probert's list of reasons for knowing them properly which he introduces with, "...but for those who are embarking on the learning of the Greek accents and need to explain to their friends what has got into them, here are some excuses." The book is designed for those who have a fair knowledge of Greek but do not know the accents well. It is very clearly printed (unlike some recently published texts with Greek script) and is a very useful book. It is a workbook rather than a reference work, but for ordinary students like me it also a valuable reference as well (in spite of Probert's comment to the contary).

The introduction for this books states that it's not for beginners learning Greek but for those who already know Greek but have no mastery of the accentuation. This statement by the author does this title a great disservice. I am a first year undergraduate using the JACT Reading Greek program and this book has been of more assistance than any of the various books including the JACT text and support guide with regards to explanations of accentuation.

The explanations are simple and straight forward with extensive cross referencing within the title and for other titles and journals on the topic. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand greek accentuation.

I completely agree with the previous reviewers about the usefulness of this book. It's not for the beginner, but for those interested in the intricacies of accenting Ancient Greek, it is very informative and thorough. I do have a couple of additional comments, however. First, the typeset is crisp and clear, which is not always the case with reprints. And second, the book includes answers to all the exercises, which is very important to those who are learning on their own. Highly recommended!