THE CLASSICAL GREEK LANGUAGE, together with Latin, grounds Western Civilization. It is fundamental to scholarly understanding of Western heritage and culture. Western philosophy and culture traces its origins to ancient Greek. Thus Greek is the mother language for Western Civilization. It is also the language of the New Testament.

"How close is Modern Greek to Classical Greek? 'Ancient' Greek covers a broad range of language. The Greek of Plato (427 - 347 B.C.), the epitome of classical Attic prose, is very different to that used by Homer. Again the koine of the New Testament is very different from that of Plato; indeed the transition to the koine is one of the most radical periods of change in the language over its long history.

"The changes between Plato's Greek and that of Modern Greece involve pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. Overall the changes (particularly if those of pronunciation are ignored) are far less than the differences between say Latin and Italian. For a number of reasons, Greek is more resistant to change than most languages. In matters of language Greeks have always looked back to the past. In classical Athens the words of Homer were revered and at the time of the development of the koine, many looked to the excellence of the Attic prose of writers such as Plato as their model. The koine itself was later, as the language of the Gospels, to become a model. To grossly oversimplify, it is probably fair to say the difference between Plato's Greek and that of the present day parallels the difference between the English of Chaucer (c.1340-1400) and modern English." (This and previous paragraph adapted from http://www.translexis.demon.co.uk/new_page_2.htm.)

TTU offers undergraduate and graduate courses in Classical Greek which can lead to undergraduate http://www.depts.ttu.edu/classic_modern/undrgrad/classics/classics.htm and masters http://www3.tltc.ttu.edu/larmour/classics_ma_program.htm degrees in Classics in which one can specialize in Greek.

TTU also offers a number of courses on Classical Greek Civilization in English translation. http://www3.tltc.ttu.edu/holland/latin_1500.htm

A Classics Minor can specialize in Greek. The minor would consist of 18 hours of Greek and related courses including six hours at the 3000 or above level.

The Classics Division hopes, in the near future, to augment its upper-level Classical Greek courses with an advanced undergraduate course on new Testament Greek and to partner that course with the introduction of Hebrew Language courses leading to a capstone Biblical Hebrew upper-level course. The ability to do so will depend on budgetary and other restrictions.

• Greek Language Courses can be used to satisfy TTU Foreign Language Requirements.
• These courses also can prepare you for exotic and exciting study-abroad opportunities.
     (see http://www.iaff.ttu.edu/Home/OIA/StudyAbroad/BBSABPrograms.asp)

CLASSICS INSTRUCTORS:

Dr. Peder Christiansen, Professor of Classics and Chair of Philosophy, 210 Foreign languages Building, 806-742-3275, peder.christiansen@ttu.edu

Dr. Jill Conelly, Assistant Professor of Classics, 207 Foreign languages Building, 806-742-0562, jill.connelly@ttu.edu

Dr. Edward George, Professor of Classics http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/george/ 207 Foreign languages Building, 806-742-29007, ed.george@ttu.edu

Dr. James Holland, Associate Professor of Classics and Coordinator of the Applied Linguistics Division http://www3.tltc.ttu.edu/holland/", 262 Foreign Languages Building, 806-742-1550, jim.holland@ttu.edu

Dr. David Larmour, Professor and Coordinator of the Classics Division< http://www3.tltc.ttu.edu/larmour/> 243 Foreign Languages Building, 806-742-0561, david.larmour@ttu.edu

Dr. Nancy Reed, Associate Professor of Classics, 223 Foreign Languages Building, 806-742-3281, nancy.reed@ttu.edu

GREEK LANGUAGE COURSES:

To see Fall 2003 Courses, click here http://www3.tltc.ttu.edu/larmour/classics_courses_fall_2003.htm

In addition a number of popular Greek Culture courses are offered in English: http://www3.tltc.ttu.edu/holland/latin_1500.htm

ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONDEGREE STUDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE LUBBOCK COMMUNITY: Persons possessing a bachelors degree or higher may take undergraduate language courses as a Nondegree Student. Admission is simple: Obtain an application at www.ttu.edu/gradschool, apply for admission as a Post Graduate (PRGD) Nondegree Student, pay the $50 application fee, and submit transcripts of all previous college level study. When admitted enroll in the appropriate language course. Once admitted you may register indefinitely in undergraduate TTU courses. For more information contact the CMLL Academic Program Advisor, Liz Hildebrand, liz.hildebrand@ttu.edu, 200 Foreign Languages Building, 806-742-4055.