Introduction to Ancient Greek

Calder Classics invites high school students to learn ancient Greek with us in Florence this summer. Over the course of a two-week program, the Classics come alive through the study of ancient Greek, the exploration of philosophy and classical mythology in Renaissance and modern art, and an immersion in modern Florentine life.  

Based in the Oltrarno and immersed in an atmosphere shaped by the rebirth of classical Greek studies in Florence, students spend their days learning Greek grammar and vocabulary and reading the great authors of Greek literature in translation.  We discover many of the well-known and hidden treasures of Florence and surrounding cities. The evenings feature Italy's wonderful cultural, leisure and culinary offerings.  One free day is scheduled per week for students who choose to experience Florence on their own (with advance parental permission), or rest at the villa.

Learn to Read Ancient Greek

Beginner to advanced beginner students dedicate a morning and/or an afternoon session each day to learning the basics of the ancient Greek language—including noun, adjective and participle declensions, verbs forms and other parts of speech, as well as the basics of Greek syntax. Those with some experience in the language can enjoy portions of the course as a review. We use Greek, An Intensive Course by Hardy Hansen and Gerald M. Quinn, a textbook designed to help students acquire an ability to read and appreciate the great works of Greek literature as quickly as possible.

While emphasizing the fundamentals of the language, the Introduction to Ancient Greek course integrates the study of unadapted prose and poetry. We introduce such authors as Homer, Plato and Aristotle.

Clustered in small groups, our Greek students have an opportunity to advance their skills quickly through the intensive personal attention of Johanna Braff, a Greek teacher during the school year at The Dalton School.  

Dive into Greek Philosophy and Mythology

Located in the heart of the Italian Renaissance, our students have the perfect opportunity to understand how the literal “rebirth” of classical Greek thought and culture was experienced in 14th-16th century Italy. After reading and discussing various ancient works from Plato in translation, we look at how Plato influenced Renaissance thinkers and artists. Our study of Plato is beautifully visualized in the canvas of Florence where the artistic expression of such local masters as Michelangelo depicted Neoplatonic ideas.

Throughout the program, we introduce ancient Greek mythology with an emphasis on themes that captivated the Renaissance, as well as more contemporary, Italian artists. The Greek myths come to life in the magnificent artwork of the Renaissance masters found throughout Florence allowing students to fuse their readings with visual representations. We explore these interpretive works in local museums, monasteries and public spaces.  Students will take in the visual delights of Florence with their newfound Greek learning, which is guaranteed to enhance their experience and deepen their appreciation of the beautiful history of this wondrous city. Highlights of the program may include day trips to nearby places of interest such as Fiesole or Siena.

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Staff

Accommodations

We have exclusive use of our own large furnished apartment in the residential Oltrarno district of Florence, known for its maze of streets, gardens, basilicas and artisan shops. With full private access to the apartment’s kitchen and living areas, we cook, study and relax together in an intimate and comfortable environment. 

 All rooms are doubles or triples and feature air conditioning  and internet service.

Dates and Fees

Dates: July 17-30, 2021

The $5,000 tuition includes accommodations, transportation within Italy, museum entries, instruction and course materials (certain additional books need to be purchased). Breakfast, plus either lunch or dinner, are also included. Depending on our daily schedules, students will be on their own for either a midday lunch break or an evening dinner break.  Students are responsible for the cost of their own activities outside of the group. Airfare is not included.

Transportation

Students may travel with our chaperone on both legs of the journey, from New York City to Florence and from Florence to New York City. Calder Classics will arrange transportation between the airport and our apartment only for those students who travel on the same flights as the chaperones. 

Testimonials

"Calder has infused within me a passion for the Classics but also, beyond that, for art, philosophy, literature, and more. With my friends here, I've debated the concept of love, chanted the Greek alphabet, and marvelled at works by Michaelangelo, Donatello, Pisano... I am walking away with a deeper appreciation for the humanities. I highly recommend this program and hope your experience will be as memorable as mine.” Claire, student

“The Calder Classics ancient Greek summer program created the perfect balance of academic studies and cultural activities for our daughter this summer. The teachers are experts in their field and their passion for Ancient Greek studies has inspired our daughter to continue her Classical education in college. This is her second summer with Calder Classics and each program has fostered her passion to learn. Thank you Cindy for creating a program that teaches the students to look at the world a little differently."  parent, Florence and Thessaloniki student

"I had taken one year of Greek, so for me the purpose of this trip was really to reinforce the existing foundations in grammar. But unexpectedly, with all due credit to our professors, Calder Classics has given me so much more: it has given me the tools to be able to read Greek fluently. And I say "tools" instead of "ability" because no, nobody can immediately attain fluency in three weeks.  So thanks, teachers. You will both prove to be influential in my progress as a student and a classicist, and my words do no justice to the gratitude welling from the bottom of my heart. I love this program, and will definitely come back someday!"   Andre C., student

"It was with slight trepidation that I embarked on my study of Ancient Greek, for unlike my fellow students, I've never studied any ancient language before, not even Latin, but it didn't take long for me to realize that my fears were misplaced. Within the warm embrace of the team, I started from my alpha beta gammas and slowly moved up to face the many faces of the complex beast, also known as GRAMMAR. It was surprising to see how much progress we had made, from the illiterate 'this is all Greek to me' phase to the 'this is still Greek but I can translate everything I know about it' phase. ..One thing I really loved was how our activities and studies were scheduled intermittently  so that every day we had something to look forward to. Whether it was a shopping trip, a cooking class, a visit to a museum or even just an afternoon hanging out, everything was new and exciting and quite marvelous." Morgan Y., student

Photos from Previous Trips

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