Assignment for Wednesday, 11-02-16

Dear Intermediate Hellenists,

On Wednesday, November 2, we'll begin our reading of Xenophon's Anabasis. In preparation, please do the following:

(1) Read the Britannica Online article on Xenophon, esp. the sections on his life ("Life") and his works ("Works > General characteristics" and the paragraph on the Anabasis).

(2) Homework (not to turn in):

• Read and translate all of page 51 (book 1.1) in our Anabasis textbook.

NOTE: All of the vocabulary is in its own section in the back of the book. Your editors, Mather and Hewitt, also provide helpful notes (a.k.a. commentary) starting on p. 227. You will NOT be able to read the assignment without these notes, so be sure to consult them.

NOTE: Even though the commentary will provide help, we have not yet covered every piece of necessary grammar. So here is some additional help, keyed to Groton's textbook. Have a look at what she says, but don't obsess over the details. Just get what you need in order to translate and move on.

• line 2: πρεσβύτερος and νεώτερος: comparatives: Groton, Lesson 32.

• line 14: ἐπιβουλεύοι: an example of the optative mood, 3rd singular: Groton, Lesson 36. We'll discuss this mood a little in class; for now, just translate the verb, with the ὡς, as "of plotting against him."

I expect that this assignment will take you some time. Do your best, and we'll see what's what in class.

DC