Attic-to-Koine

From: Edward Hobbs (EHOBBS@wellesley.edu)
Date: Thu Oct 19 1995 - 11:28:13 EDT


John DeMersseman has asked a good question, a recommendation for "a good
text made for students going from Attic to Koine". He is a third semester
student of Attic Greek.
        The answer is that I don't think there is such a book, at least
not in English and in print. I was long ago in your shoes, with the
University of Chicago offering only Classical Greek, and having to
move into Hellenistic Greek on my own; and for 15 years I have been teaching
students to read the New Testament who are in exactly your shoes, having
had a minimum of three semesters of Classical Greek.
        Blass-Debrunner's grammar (in English, trans. bu Funk who somewhat
"edited" it) is of course aimed at you, who have had classical Greek--which
is why it is difficult for those who have not had the Attic first. BUT,
it is not a textbook, and I think you are really wanting that. Maybe
Carl Conrad has had some experience like mine, and has located something.
But I suspect the best solution is to get a good "intermediate"-type
grammar, and do your best with that. I know that Carlton Winbery and
Bill Mounce (both on this List) have done books that would help you
in this regard, in each case easier to use than Blass-Debrunner (but not
aimed at your specific needs, sorry!).
        Of course, the good news is that you can just forget about some
things which are disappearing, like the dual, and mostly the optative
(though it still shows up occasionally, sometimes most delightfully).
And finding that Attic's -tt- has given way to the -ss- of other
dialects can be mastered in about ten seconds!

Edward Hobbs



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