[B-Greek] Off Topic- Homeric Vocabulary

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Fri Jul 31 20:41:05 EDT 2009


--- On Fri, 7/31/09, Will Dilbeck wrote:


<Hello,

I recently picked up the Illiad (Loeb edition) from 
a used book store and I
would like to begin trying to read a little bit
of it. I was wondering if
anyone knew of a list (preferably online) of 
Homeric vocabulary.>
 

Hi Will,
 
Your question is not Off Topic because an argument
 can be made that for NT Greek learners, the best thing
 to read outside the Greek NT is Homer.  I’m not sure
 how strong the argument is.  Clyde Pharr argued thus,
 but of course he wrote a book on Homeric Greek.
 Let me briefly make the argument and then I will 
answer your question.
 
First, I have to revise the argument just a bit.
The best Greek to read outside the NT for NT
 Greek learners is clearly the Apostolic Fathers.
The vocabulary is basically the same, the syntax 
varies from easy to complex, and there is some pretty
good literature in there: 2 Clement, Epistle to Dignetus, 
Ignatius on a good day.  Plus it quotes the LXX a lot
and has the earliest quotations of the NT.  Michael Holmes
has a great edition.  If you are going to read anything outside
of the NT, it doesn’t make sense to read anything before
you first read this stuff.  So, the argument is that Homer is the
 best Greek to read outside of the NT besides the Apostolic Fathers.
 
Now, before I make the argument, I know what you are
going to say. Homer is more helpful to NT Greek learners
than Plato?  Look, Plato has a strong case.  If you think Plato
will help your NT Greek better than anything else, I will have
a hard time arguing against you.  The vocabulary of say the
Apology will be very familiar to NT Greek learners.  The tough
syntax of Plato will help you deal with any tough Greek NT syntax.
There’s lots of Plato to choose from and many helpful editions
and free on-line stuff.  There may be greater thinkers than Plato
and there may be greater writers than Plato, but there has never
been anyone who is a greater thinker AND a greater writer than Plato.  Whitehead said all Western Philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato.  You’ve taken the trouble to learn NT Greek.  How the heck can you
 NOT read Plato first of all?  So really my argument will be that the
 best Greek for NT learners to read outside the Greek NT and the
 Apostolic Fathers is either Plato or Homer.
 
I can almost hear you screaming at your computer,
what about the LXX?  Unless you are a Marcionite,
I assume that if you know NT Greek, you have some
interest in the Old Testament.  The LXX is the easiest
thing to read in Greek.  You are going to read Paul
and not Paul’s Bible?  Of course, what I am arguing
is that that outside of the Apostolic Fathers the most
helpful Greek to read for NT Greek learners is either
Plato or Homer, not counting stuff originally composed 
in Hebrew.
 
I’ve found that the best way to argue that it makes sense
 to go from the Greek NT to Homer is to avoid sarcasm.
 Don’t say stuff like, “Hey, in case you did not have
enough fun memorizing hundreds of forms, here’s a
few dozen new ones you will have to learn before
you can read Homer.”  Avoid pointing out that with
 elision you are going to have to recognize endings
 that aren’t there any more.  Don’t mention that Homer
 has more words that are not found in the Greek NT
 than Washington has lobbyists.  Don’t take the bait
 when people you recommend Homer to ask you
 “This IS Greek I’m trying to read, right?”
 
Your question is not Off Topic.  But the argument
 that students of the Greek NT should have anything
 to do with Homer is not really an argument.
It comes down to saying that God wants you to be
saved and so he made Paul, and He wants you to
be happy, and so He made Homer.  Homer is like
that girl that the Beatles used to sing about:
 
“Is there anybody going to listen to my story
 all about the girl who came to stay?
 She’s the kind of girl you want so bad it makes you sorry;
 still you don’t regret a single day."
 
Will, there will be times that you will be sorry
 for ever having walked into the bookstore and finding your
 Loeb Homer.  But if you read him, whether it helps your 
Greek NT or not,  you will never regret a single day.
 
Now, to answer your question:
 
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/vocab?lang=greek
 
 

Mark L
Φωσφορος

FWSFOROS MARKOS





      


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