Night Train to Lisbon

I used both book I & II (along with a resource called The Perseus Project [...] which is a FREE collection of original texts & translations) in college and of all the languages I've studied I found Ancient Greek to be one of the easiest to learn, despite its difficulty, because of this wonderful textbook. The layout is straightforward, and simple. It gives many exorcises for passive and active translation. It explains the grammatical concepts well and provides a great dictionary in the back pages along with pages of tables for quick reference (the ones in this text I think are presented better than those in the Oxford Grammar Reference, especially for verbs). It is an ideal book for either a student learning in a classroom setting or someone learning on their own. If all you want is to gain a basic understanding of Ancient Greek and the ability to do passive translation, the is almost all you'll need (except for a general dictionary once you get more into it.) If you want to study the language extensively this is a good starting point. I have been studying Greek for around 4 years now, having progressed enough to do independent translations of actual texts, and I still use these books to review with.In addition to this I would recommend getting/using: The Perseus Project (This is a collection of FREE texts, maintained by Tufts University, with English translations, as well as books on grammar, etc. Each Greek word is hyperlinked and clicking on one it takes you to the dictionary entry that lists what exact case/declension/other grammatical identifiers. There is also a feature that allows you to view the original text and the English translation side by side. And it also has Latin texts) [...] Oxford Grammar of Classical GreekPocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary Greek Key Words: The Basic 2, 000 Word Vocabulary Arranged by Frequency in a Hundred Units, with Comprehensive Greek and English Indexes Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek (this has some very good charts in the Appendices, especially one of prepositions) An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek (Workbook II)

Combining the best features of traditional and modern methods, Athenaze: An Introduction to Ancient Greek, 2/e, provides a unique course of instruction that allows students to read connected Greek narrative right from the beginning and guides them to the point where they can begin reading complete classical texts. Carefully designed to hold students' interest, the course begins in Book I with a fictional narrative about an Attic farmer's family placed in a precise historical context (432-431 B.C.). This narrative, interwoven with tales from mythology and the Persian Wars, gradually gives way in Book II to adapted passages from Thucydides, Plato, and Herodotus and ultimately to excerpts of the original Greek of Bacchylides, Thucydides, and Aristophanes' Acharnians. Essays on relevant aspects of ancient Greek culture and history are also provided.

New to the Second Edition:
* Short passages from Classical and New Testament Greek in virtually every chapter
* The opening lines of the Iliad and the Odyssey toward the end of Book II
* New vocabulary and more complete explanations of grammar, including material on accents
* Many new exercises and additional opportunities for students to practice completing charts of verb forms and paradigms of nouns and adjectives
* Updated Teacher's Handbooks for Books I and II containing translations of all stories, readings, and exercises; detailed suggestions for classroom presentation; abundant English derivatives; and additional linguistic information
* Offered for the first time, Student Workbooks for Books I and II that include self-correcting exercises, cumulative vocabulary lists, periodic grammatical reviews, and additional readings

Course of instruction that allows you to read connected Greek narrative right from the beginning. Features a fictional narrative about an Attic farmer's family placed in a precise historical context (432-431 B.C.). Includes self-correcting exercises, cumulative vocabulary lists, periodic grammatical reviews, and additional readings. Suitable for self-study, building vocabulary, and developing reading and grammar skills