AUTHOR’S NOTE ON USING THIS TEXT

      This text is intended for the intermediate student who still has not mastered classical Greek but has a basic knowledge of the language. Essentially, I have written the text that I wish I had had access to when I was making the transition from first year textbook to unadapted texts. Since the level of preparation varies so extremely from student to student at the intermediate stage, I have attempted to write a comprehensive work that students of different backgrounds and abilities will find useful. The goal was to be complete; indeed, it may be too complete for some people’s taste. However, I would prefer to error on the side of too much information rather than too little. I have found with my students at this stage that repetition is what they need to cement concepts and vocabulary. I do not assume that the student has a “basic vocabulary” that I can omit; hence, every word is included in the vocabulary lists. The same with grammar and syntax – I make no assumption that students will know what any word is or how any construction works. I attempt to explain them all. Although subjects or main verbs may be considered painfully obvious to those with extensive experience reading Greek, even basic points such as these can frustrate the beginning student who may or may not easily recognize their syntactical significance. I also see no reason for me to assume that a student is going to read the text in its entirety from the first sentence; one may skip around and isolate the section on old age or Thrasymachus’ definition of justice. Hence, I repeat many explanations and this may seem wearisome to those who already are comfortable with Greek. The notes are for beginners at all levels, not for those who already understand Greek.

      My advice for the student using this text is to approach each sentence methodically. First, read it out loud. Second, read through the vocabulary and isolate words which you do not know. If your ability is on the high intermediate side, attempt to read the entire sentence without accessing the notes. Do not stop half way but plow through the entire sentence. Then, if there is a part of the sentence that is causing difficulty, isolate that part of the sentence and use the notes to clear it up. If your ability is lower intermediate, you may wish to read through all the notes to preview the upcoming constructions before attempting to read the sentence. Each grammar point is referenced to Smyth’s Greek Grammar. If the student wishes to read more on any point or see further examples, they should stop and reference that grammar book. Finally, write out your own translation in the space provided under each sentence. Your final translation should be in good, idiomatic English. Then, repeat with the next sentence.

      Classical Greek is a deep and rich language that has the flexibility to express the philosophical ideas that Plato pursued. Do not get discouraged if you do not get all the nuances right away. Reading Greek is like playing a musical instrument – it takes time and practice to master it. If you persevere and read Book 1 in its totality, you will notice a dramatic leap in your proficiency.