ANCIENT GREEK SEMINARS | READ AND DISCUSS AUTHENTIC TEXTS
Immersive Text-Based Seminars Taught Entirely in Ancient Greek
Acquire specialized vocabulary, historical insight, and conversational fluency through Active Philology. Designed for beginners, university students, and scholars, our seminars invite you to explore primary sources—from Plato’s philosophical dialogues and Ptolemy’s astronomy to Lucian’s science fiction and everyday Koiné—without the barrier of translation.
Seminars are held entirely in ANCIENT GREEK
Unadapted Works
Small Groups
Live Once or Twice per week
From Sept 2026
Active Philology in Practice
Experience classical literature, philosophy, and science as living disciplines.
“Reading authors is the primary path to acquiring language, but active use is the key that unlocks their true meaning without endless delay.”
Traditional language courses often leave students isolated with a text and a dictionary. Our interactive seminars transform the solitary act of translation into a shared intellectual experience.
Grounded in the humanist traditions of the Renaissance and backed by modern Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research, our seminars are conducted entirely in Ancient Greek. Whether you are taking your very first steps in the language, acquiring everyday conversational vocabulary, or engaging in a close reading of advanced Attic prose, active practice trains your brain to process complex structures automatically.
By immersing you in authentic historical prose, poetic rhythms, and active dialogue, you build the precise foundation required to read unadapted classical authors with speed, accuracy, and deep literary appreciation.
3 Pillars of Our Seminar Pedagogy:
Absorbing the language dynamically is the most direct path to engaging with authentic literature and enjoying it as Greek readers used to in the past.
Target-Language Immersion: All seminars are taught in Ancient Greek. From basic classroom instructions to complex philosophical debates, communicating in the target language eliminates mental translation and builds immediate comprehension.
Primary Source Engagement: Step away from textbook paradigms and dive into authentic cultural artifacts. Our reading seminars focus directly on the works of authors like Plato, Herodotus, Ptolemy, and Aristophanes.
Interactive Seminar Environment: Class sizes are strictly capped. You are not just listening to a lecture; you are participating in analytical discussions, reformulating texts, and receiving immediate instructor feedback in a supportive, small-group setting.
Select Your Ancient Greek Seminar
Installment Plans Available*
*Available for US customers onlyFor Beginners
ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ: FIRST STEPS IN ANCIENT GREEK
Target Student: Absolute beginners seeking an active, communicative introduction to the language.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Introduction to the fundamentals of reading and writing Ancient Greek.
Acquisition of essential classroom phrases and foundational vocabulary.
Building the core elementary grammar structures necessary to engage directly with the language.
Instructor: Vukašin Miljković | Tuition: $375.00 USD | Schedule: Fridays, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT (US East) / 7:00 – 8:30 PM CEST (Central Europe) | Sep 18 – Nov 20 (15h total)
Led by Vukašin Miljković
Designed for beginners, this course introduces students to the fundamentals of reading and writing Ancient Greek. Through essential classroom phrases, foundational vocabulary, and elementary grammar structures, learners will build the core skills necessary to engage directly with the language.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Fri, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT (US East) / 7:00 – 8:30 PM CEST (Central Europe)
Sep 18 – Nov 20
15h total
FROM TROY TO ITHACA: THE ODYSSEY IN GREEK PROSE
Target Student: Advanced beginners ready for sustained narrative reading and active retelling.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Sustained narrative reading of selected episodes from the Odyssey.
Engaging with Neophytos Doukas’s excellent Koiné prose paraphrase to bridge the gap to epic poetry.
Retelling and discussing each episode directly in Ancient Greek to prepare for unsheltered prose.
Instructor: Maciek Gdula | Tuition: $375.00 USD | Schedule: Thursdays, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EDT (US East) / 6:00 – 7:30 PM CEST (Central Europe) | Sep 3 – Nov 5 (15h total)
Led by Maciek Gdula
This seminar offers advanced beginners a sustained narrative reading of selected episodes from Neophytos Doukas’s Koine prose paraphrase of the Odyssey. Participants retell and discuss each episode in Ancient Greek, in preparation for further unsheltered prose.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Thu, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EDT (US East) / 6:00 – 7:30 PM CEST (Central Europe)
Sept 3 – Nov 5
15h total
For Intermediate Students
CONVERSATIONAL ANCIENT GREEK FOR DAILY LIFE
Target Student: Students looking to solidify their functional command of Greek grammar through everyday communication.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Immersive acquisition of everyday vocabulary for daily life.
Engaging in active dialogue and interactive tasks.
Simulating authentic ancient communication to build spoken fluency and confidence.
Instructor: Rogelio Toledo | Tuition: $250.00 USD | Schedule: Saturdays, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM EDT (US East) / 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CEST (Central Europe) | Sep 5 – Nov 7 (15h total - 90 min sessions)
Led by Rogelio Toledo
This immersive seminar focuses on the communicative acquisition of everyday vocabulary to solidify a functional command of Greek grammar. Students engage in active dialogue and interactive tasks to simulate authentic ancient communication.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Sat, 10–11 AM EDT (US East) / 4–5 PM CEST (Central Europe)
Sep 5 – Nov 7
Duration: 90 minutes
15h total
LOVE, LOSS, AND LAUGHTER: POETRY FROM THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY
Target Student: Intermediate to advanced students looking to explore the stylistic breadth of Greek poetic epigrams.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Reading diverse selections from the Greek Anthology spanning multiple centuries.
Engaging with the sharp wit and emotional depth of authors such as Callimachus, Nossis, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Palladas.
Discussing poetic rhythms, vocabulary, and themes entirely in the target language.
Instructor: Joanna Thornhill | Tuition: $375.00 USD | Schedule: Tuesdays, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM EDT (US East) / 7:30 – 9:00 PM CEST (Central Europe) | Sep 8 – Nov 10 (15h total)
Led by Joanna Thornhill
In this seminar we will read selections from the Greek Anthology, a collection of Greek poetry spanning many centuries, and including authors such as Callimachus, Nossis, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Palladas.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Tue, 1:30 PM – 3 PM EDT (US East) / 7:30 – 9 PM CEST (Central Europe)
Sep 8 – Nov 10
15h total
For Advanced Students
NAVIGATING THE HEAVENS (PART 1) - ANCIENT GREEK ASTRONOMY
Target Student: Advanced students interested in the intersection of classical philology, history of science, and technical prose.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Philological and historical examination of ancient Greek spherical astronomy.
Reading primary texts by the mathematician Ptolemy and the poet Aratus.
Tracing the conceptual transition from mythos to geometric logos while refining command of scientific Greek prose.
Instructor: Camille Demouchy | Tuition: $375.00 USD | Schedule: Wednesdays, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT (US East) / 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM CET (Central Europe) | Sep 2 – Nov 4 (15h total)
Led by Camille Demouchy
This seminar offers a philological and historical examination of ancient Greek spherical astronomy through primary texts by Ptolemy and Aratus. Students transition from mythos to geometric logos while refining their command of scientific Greek prose.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Wed, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT (US East) / 17:00 – 18:30 CET (Central Europe)
Sep 2 – Nov 4
15h total
KNOWLEDGE, MIDWIVES, AND WIND EGGS: PLATO’S THEAETETUS
Target Student: Advanced students and scholars ready for a rigorous, slow-paced philosophical inquiry in the original language.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Close, in-depth reading of Plato’s epistemological masterpiece, the Theaetetus (Πλάτωνος Θεαίτητος).
Allotting ample time for thoughtful grammatical analysis and shared philosophical discussion.
Conducting all debate, questioning, and rhetorical exploration directly in Ancient Greek.
Instructor: Joanna Thornhill | Tuition: $375.00 USD | Schedule: Mondays, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT (US East) / 7:00 – 8:30 PM CEST (Central Europe) | Sep 7 – Nov 9 (15h total)
Led by Joanna Thornhill
This text-based Ancient Greek course offers a close, in-depth reading of Plato’s Theaetetus, (Πλάτωνος Θεαίτητος), allowing ample time for thoughtful analysis and shared discussion.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Mon, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT (US East) / 7:00 – 8:30 PM CEST (Central Europe)
Sep 7 – Nov 9
15h total
SAILING BEYOND THE CREDIBLE: LUCIAN’S TRUE HISTORIES
Target Student: Advanced students wanting to enjoy high-level Atticizing prose through the lens of ancient satire and science fiction.
Core Curriculum Focus:
Reading and discussing the True Histories of Lucian, a masterful 2nd-century work of literary craftsmanship.
Engaging with Lucian's sharp wit, parody, and imaginative storytelling (from flying to the moon to surviving inside a giant whale).
Cultivating advanced conversational fluency by debating the text's humor and stylistic nuances.
Instructor: Vukašin Miljković | Tuition: $375.00 USD | Schedule: Wednesdays, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT (US East) / 7:00 – 8:30 PM CEST (Central Europe) | Sep 26 – Nov 18 (15h total)
Led by Vukašin Miljković
Fly to the Moon and survive being swallowed by a giant whale in Lucian’s True Histories. This course examines a 2nd-century masterpiece of Atticizing prose, celebrated for its sharp wit and unparalleled literary craftsmanship.
Taught in Ancient Greek
Recordings Available
Wed, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT (US East) / 7:00 – 8:30 PM CEST (Central Europe)
Sep 26 – Nov 18
15h total
“We don’t learn Ancient Greek to talk about everyday trivia—we learn it to read the greatest works ever written.”
Placement Guarantee: Pre-Term 1-on-1 Consultation
Unsure which specific level is the right starting point for your continuing Ancient Greek studies? Before classes begin, every student meets 1-on-1 for a brief consultation with our instructional staff. If we determine together that a different level or section is a better fit for your goals, we will adjust your enrollment immediately.
Sergio Antonini - Head of Ancient Music Department
Lelio Paolo Panzone - Ancient Greek Teacher
Adriana Caballer Ricart - Latin Teacher
Alexander Olave - Latin and Ancient Greek Teacher
Joanna Thornhill - Latin and Ancient Greek Teacher
Rogelio Toledo Martin - Ancient Greek Teacher
Camille Debouchy - Ancient Greek Teacher
Vukašin Miljković - Latin and Ancient Greek Teacher
Miguel Ángel - Ancient Greek Teacher
Francisco Anania - Latin and Greek Teacher
Soraia Tabaio - Ancient Greek Teacher
Jerfferson Araujo - Latin Teacher
Maciek Gdula - Greek Teacher
Laurent D'Aumale - Latin Teacher
Lee Lanzillotta - Latin Teacher
Instruction Led by Experienced Teachers, Scholars & Immersion Specialists
• Elite Academic Backgrounds:
Members of our faculty hold degrees and fellowships from Cambridge University, Accademia Vivarium Novum, Polis Institute, and Sorbonne.
• Target Language Active Command:
Instructors possess fluent oral and written command of Ancient Greek and extensive online and in-person teaching experience with the active method.
• Small-Group Mentorship:
Classes are capped to guarantee active participation and personalized feedback.
• Faculty Directory:
Explore full instructor bios here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Are these seminars really taught entirely in Ancient Greek?
A: Yes. All our seminars are conducted in the target language. This immersive environment is carefully scaffolded by our expert instructors to ensure you understand the content, naturally building your reading and speaking stamina over the duration of the course.
Q: I have never spoken Ancient Greek before. Can I still join?
A: Absolutely. If you are new to the active method, seminars like ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ: First steps or Conversational Ancient Greek for Daily Life are designed exactly for you. For the advanced reading seminars, instructors will help you transition smoothly into using the language actively.
Q: Are the texts adapted or authentic?
A: This depends on the seminar. Offerings like Plato's Theaetetus, the Greek Anthology, and Lucian's True Histories use unadapted, authentic primary sources. Other courses, like From Troy to Ithaca, use high-quality historical paraphrases (like Doukas's Koiné prose) specifically designed to build the stamina of advanced beginners.
Q: Is this course suitable for graduate students and scholars?
A: Yes. Many PhD students, researchers, and academics take our advanced seminars to gain true reading fluency and eliminate the slow, painful process of dictionary-translation when engaging with their primary sources.
Q: What happens if I miss a live session?
A: Every class is recorded in high definition and posted to your secure student portal within 24 hours.