Πάσι καὶ πάσαις!

Earlier we promised to talk about the undeniable advantages of Rouse’s textbook (despite the many years that have passed since its publication).

🟧 First, its brevity is immediately appealing: most texts do not exceed 300 words, which means reading and close analysis (alongside grammar explanations or other activities) can easily fit into a single class session. The drawback is only that these texts are less “narrative” (compared, for instance, with Ἀθήναζε): they don’t form a full-fledged “novel in Ancient Greek” the way Ἀθήναζε does.

🟧 Second, from the very first chapters one notices an abundance of particles which—no less than participles—constitute the bloodstream of Ancient Greek. Alongside the simpler and more common μέν, δέ, ἆρα, γὰρ, and οὖν, Rouse also makes full use of others, for example: δή, μήν, μέντοι, δήπου…

🟧 Third, Rouse does not shy away from specialized vocabulary either. If we compare the vocabulary of Ἀθήναζε with Rouse, we find in the latter—besides words that overlap with Ἀθήναζε—distinctly “unique” items such as: ἀκρόδρυα (δένδρα), κλάδος, πόα, σταφυλή, σκόροδον, ῥάφανος, κρόμμυον, κύαμος… The same applies to household vocabulary, where Rouse is no less rich: οἴκισκος, δωμάτιον, πρόδομος, αὐλή, στεγή, τοῖχος… Of course, sometimes (as with the vegetable names above) this abundance can feel misplaced for a beginner: here the teacher’s role matters, differentiating—so to speak—“essential” vocabulary from what is secondary. Yet from the standpoint of Rouse’s attempt to immerse the reader in everyday Greek life, even in detail, and thereby prepare them, for example, for Aristophanes (whose comprehension is impossible without such details), we should certainly count this unique vocabulary among the textbook’s strengths.

🟧 In fact—and this is the fourth point—specialized and unique vocabulary is not a problem at all, since Rouse published, as a supplement to his course, an exhaustive dictionary, which we too use (among other sources) when compiling the “mini-dictionaries” for each chapter in our Learning section.

🟧 Finally, fifth, a lexicographical-grammatical note: in chapters IVθ–IVμ the numerals are presented excellently, whereas in most other textbooks they are pushed into the background. These are not artistic texts but essentially enumerative ones—yet all the more useful, because by listening to them in our app you can, as they say, drill Greek numerals straight into the subcortex of your brain. 😁✅

This is only a small part of what makes Rouse so wonderful—just as Ἀθήναζε and other coursebooks are wonderful. We invite you to find even more diamonds on your own, and may our app be your faithful companion along the way.

ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκροῶ! — AKRO