[B-Greek] Non-NT Koine Greek and earlier works

Chris Larimer clarimer at hotmail.com
Thu May 22 11:07:56 EDT 2003


----- Original Message -----
From: "B J BOLAND" <berean at onetel.net.uk>
To: "Chris Larimer" <chris.larimer at pcusa.org>

> Could please advise where these other dialects are discussed in depth,
> especially during the period 300BC to 1000AD.
> Many thanks
> Brian J Boland

Happily.  The Byzantines were there own best grammarians producing a number
of texts that survive to this day.  The best ancient text comes from
Apollonius Dyscollus who wrote _Syntax_ which was preserved in Latin as
_Appollonii Dyscoli de Constructione  libri quattuor_.   Probably the most
modern translation of which comes to us from Fred Householder (Amsterdam:
Benjamins, 1981).  In the same vein, we find John Glykys' _PERI ORQWTETOS
SYNTACEOS_ (normally found under the Latin: Joannis Glyccae Patriarchae
Constantinopoli opus de vera syntaxeos ratione); although he writes in the
1300s, he still treats older forms.  Perhaps someone who subscribes to the
journal _Byzantinische Zeitschrift_ could produce a more complete
bibliography.

As for Septuagintal Greek, see F. C.Conybeare and George William Joseph
Stock's two collaborations (_A Grammar of Septuagint Greek_. Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 1980  and  _Grammar of Septuagint Greek With Selected
Readings, Vocabularies, and Updated Indexes_. S.l.: Hendrickson, 1995.).
The former is available online in its 1905 release at
http://ccel.org/c/conybeare/greekgrammar/. For facsimiles of the originals,
Deissmann's work is available through ATLA.   Henry Snyder Gehman's _Lexicon
of Septuagint Greek_ (1956?) is normally cheaper than BAGD and it is
obviously much more focused.  For electronically accessible texts see
http://students.cua.edu/16kalvesmaki/LXX/index.htm. Beyond the Septuagint,
however, my experience is rather limited in terms of pre-NT Greek.  For
years I have had it on my "to-do list" to read through a good classical
grammar but have failed to have time to do so.

Treating all periods, the six volume _Grammatici Graeci_ is also invaluable;
it's edited by B. G. Teubner and put out by Olms, 1965.  More accessible to
modern readers is Charles Buck's 1927 _Greek Dialects_, however it has been
largely superseded.  Still, for its compactness it is hard to beat. Online,
we find Herbert Weir Smyth's  _A Greek Grammar for Colleges_ at
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=1999.04.0007.  It's a bit
thick to work through, but the price is unsurpassed!

I hope all of this helps.

Chris Larimer



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