RLS010 Reading Ancient Greek Texts

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jana Steklá, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Steklá, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
( RLS002 Greek Grammar II || KR002 Greek Grammar II ) && KR010 Reading Ancient Greek Texts
Knowledge of Ancient Greek grammar is required to the extent of approx. 2 semesters of major or 3 semesters of minor (all declensions, pronouns, prepositional, futural and aorist stem, subjunctive).
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course aims to consolidate and extend knowledge of ancient Greek grammar and lexis, gain practice in translating from Greek, and introduce a specific coherent original text set in a broader literary, cultural and linguistic context. The course is taught each semester, and a different author is read each time so as to achieve a variety of genres and languages. Therefore, the course may be taken repeatedly. The instructor may also select a text according to student preference (historical, legal, philosophical texts and poetry).
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student:
- will be aware of the problems and pitfalls of translation from classical Greek;
- will have a solid overview of verbal and nominal morphology;
- with the help of the dictionary, will be able to understand the original text;
- will understand the basic syntax;
- will know the literary and linguistic background of the selected author's work;
- will be able to distinguish between philological and functional translation.
Syllabus
  • Each term, there is another author of a different period to be read, of another literary genre.
  • 1. literary-historical introduction, introduction of the author and his works
  • 2.–13. commented reading of the text
Literature
    required literature
  • NIEDERLE, Jindřich, Václav NIEDERLE and Ladislav VARCL. Mluvnice řeckého jazyka. 2. vyd. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1974, 288 s. info
  • LIDDELL, H. G. and R. SCOTT. A Greek-English Dictionary. Oxford, 1951. info
    recommended literature
  • MUCHNOVÁ, Dagmar. Syntax klasické řečtiny. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2004, 183 s. ISBN 8024607603. info
    not specified
  • SMYTH, Herbert Weir. Greek Grammar. Harvard University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-674-36250-0. info
  • CANFORA, Luciano. Dějiny řecké literatury. Translated by Dagmar Bartoňková. 1. vyd. Praha: KLP-Koniasch Latin Press, 2001, 893 s. ISBN 8085917696. info
  • HORROCKS, G. A History of the Language and its Speakers. London - New York, 1997. info
Teaching methods
Reading, morphological and syntactic analysis of the text, explanation of unknown grammar, and training of functional translation. Home preparation is required, consisting of the translation of the text, the search for vocabulary, and the identification of more complicated shapes.
Assessment methods
Attendance at seminars and homework are required. Credits are awarded for active class attendance; the ability to adequately translate will be checked through an oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught: every week.
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