BEGINNER ANCIENT GREEK | NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

Acquire grammar and vocabulary intuitively through Active Philology. Built around the acclaimed natural method text—Athenaze—for university students, high schoolers, PhD students, scholars, and dedicated adult learners seeking a serious, structured entrance into the classical world.

Build a True Foundation in Attic Greek

Athenaze

Sept 28, 2026

Small Groups

Live Biweekly Classes (12 Weeks)

Select Your Level & Enroll

Payment Plan Available*

*Available for US customers only
Online Ancient Greek Course | Level 1: Foundations of Attic Greek: The Athenian Homestead (Athenaze I–VII) Fall 2026
$890.00

This foundational course introduces students to the essential grammar of Ancient Greek through the Active Method. Participants engage in speaking and writing from the first session, mastering the second and first declensions alongside core present-tense verb paradigms to achieve early reading and communicative fluency.

  • Instruction Language: Ancient Greek (Immersion)

    • Cohort A: Mon & Wed — 18:00 (Europe Time) / 12:00 PM (US East Coast Time)

    • Cohort B: Tue & Thu — 18:00 (US East Coast Time) / 24:00 (Europe Time)

    • Cohort C: Sat & Sun — 16:30 (Europe Time) / 10:30 AM (US East Coast Time)

  • Sept 14 – Dec 6, 2026

  • 36h total (90-minute sessions)

VIEW SYLLABUS

Online Ancient Greek Course | Level 2: The World of Myth: Morphology & Verbal Aspect (Athenaze VIII–XI) Fall 2026
$890.00

This second-level course expands syntactic competence by navigating third-declension nominals, future tenses, and the second aorist. In full immersion, participants explore authentic fragments from Sappho, Archilochus, Theognis, and the Gospel of Luke to build a classical framework and achieve advanced reading fluency.

  • Instruction Language: Ancient Greek (Immersion)

    • Cohort A: Mon & Wed — 18:00 (Europe Time) / 12:00 PM (US East Coast Time)

    • Cohort B: Tue & Thu — 18:00 (US East Coast Time) / 24:00 (Europe Time)

    • Cohort C: Sat & Sun — 16:30 (Europe Time) / 10:30 AM (US East Coast Time)

  • Sept 14 – Dec 6, 2026

  • 36h total (90-minute sessions)

    VIEW SYLLABUS

Active Philology

Learn to read original works of Greek literature more effectively and naturally.

Reading authors is the primary path to acquiring language, but active use is the key that unlocks their true meaning without endless delay.
— Desiderius Erasmus, De ratione studii  (1511)

Traditional grammar-translation courses often treat classical languages as static puzzles, forcing students through years of abstract paradigm drills before they can read continuous text.

Our approach matches the full academic depth of classical philology while achieving faster, more enduring results.

Grounded in the humanist traditions of the Renaissance and backed by modern Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research, our methodology integrates Comprehensible Input (CI) through Athenaze, Inductive-Analytic Learning, and the simultaneous development of all four linguistic competencies (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

By immersing you in authentic syntax and cultural context from the beginning, active practice trains your brain to process case functions and complex structures automatically. You do not sacrifice grammatical exactness—you internalize it intuitively. Unlike traditional methods, our course integrates original unadapted Greek from the very beginning, interlacing your grammatical progression with the study of primary sources.

3 Pillars of Our Beginner Greek Pedagogy:

Absorbing Ancient Greek naturally is the most direct path to reading authentic literature and enjoying it as Greek readers used to in the past.

  1. Contextual Immersion via Athenaze: Learn complex grammar structures within rich narrative and historical contexts, ensuring immediate recognition rather than manual decoding.

  2. Interactive Class Reinforcement: While text materials provide comprehensible input on the page, our live classes provide spoken practice, listening comprehension, and immediate instructor feedback. You will formulate questions, describe images, and participate in grammar drills directly in Ancient Greek.

  3. Intuitive Comprehension of Classical Texts: Eliminates the habit of word-by-word mental translation back into English, allowing you to approach primary sources—from Pre-Socratic fragments to New Testament narrative and Attic drama—with natural reading speed.

We don’t learn Greek to talk about everyday trivia—we learn it to read the greatest works ever written.
— Institutum Antiquitatis' Faculty

Realistic Milestones

Beginners 1 - Athenaze I - VII (The Athenian Homestead)

  • Morphology: A solid command of the 1st and 2nd declensions, alongside initial 3rd-declension forms. Foundational concepts of gender, number, and case. Focus on the verbal system, including the present indicative, imperative, and infinitive of εἰμί and -έω contract verbs.

  • Syntax & Active Communication: Practical classroom communication skills in the target language (e.g., "How do you say...?", "I do not understand", "It is your turn to speak").

  • Textual Encounters (Primary Sources): Pre-Socratic Philosophy (Heraclitus, The Seven Sages), Classical Poetry & Lyric (Sophocles, Anacreontea, Hipponax), Hellenistic & Attic Comedy (Menander, Callimachus), and New Testament Koiné (Gospel of Luke).

Beginners 2 - Athenaze VIII - XI (The World of Myth: Morphology & Verbal Aspect)

  • Morphology: Systematic acquisition of advanced nominal and verbal morphology. The linguistic mechanisms of the 3rd declension (consonant, liquid, and vowel stems) alongside the formal introduction of the future and second aorist paradigms.

  • Syntax & Active Communication: Systematically building the cognitive framework required to interrogate text and articulate text-critical anomalies directly in the target language. Students will rewrite passages with their own paraphrases and memorize key elements from original authors.

  • Textual Encounters (Primary Sources): Classical Lyric and Elegiac Poetry (Archilochus, Sappho, Simonides, Theognis), Greek Wisdom and Maxims (Periander, Menander), and Biblical Greek (Koiné Greek - Gospel According to Saint Luke).

Select Your Beginner Greek Stage

Unsure which stage fits your background? Select the option that you think best matches your experience. Every enrollment includes a pre-term check-in with our teaching staff to confirm your placement. If you enroll in the wrong level, our staff will transfer you to the correct section immediately.

LEVEL 1: FOUNDATIONS OF ATTIC GREEK

Target Student: Absolute beginners with zero or minimal prior knowledge of Ancient Greek who want to start from scratch.

Core Curriculum Focus:

  • Foundational course introducing essential grammar through the Active Method

  • Engagement with the contextual narrative of Athenaze (Chapters I–VII)

  • Integration of original unadapted Greek from day one (Pre-Socratics to NT Koiné)

  • Focus on fluid text reading, active oral practice, and core structural fluency.

Tuition: $890 USD

Payment Plan Available*

Online Ancient Greek Course | Level 1: Foundations of Attic Greek: The Athenian Homestead (Athenaze I–VII) Fall 2026
$890.00

This foundational course introduces students to the essential grammar of Ancient Greek through the Active Method. Participants engage in speaking and writing from the first session, mastering the second and first declensions alongside core present-tense verb paradigms to achieve early reading and communicative fluency.

  • Instruction Language: Ancient Greek (Immersion)

    • Cohort A: Mon & Wed — 18:00 (Europe Time) / 12:00 PM (US East Coast Time)

    • Cohort B: Tue & Thu — 18:00 (US East Coast Time) / 24:00 (Europe Time)

    • Cohort C: Sat & Sun — 16:30 (Europe Time) / 10:30 AM (US East Coast Time)

  • Sept 14 – Dec 6, 2026

  • 36h total (90-minute sessions)

VIEW SYLLABUS

*Available for US customers only

LEVEL 2: MORPHOLOGY & VERBAL ASPECT

Target Student: Open to students who have finalized Level 1 or its equivalent, displaying functional control over the 1st and 2nd nominal declensions and the present indicative paradigm of εἰμι.

Core Curriculum Focus:

  • Elementary course expanding syntactic competence and advanced morphology

  • Navigating the 3rd declension (consonant, liquid, vowel stems), future, and second aorist paradigms

  • Continued narrative engagement with Athenaze (Chapters VIII–XI)

  • Deep reading of Classical Lyric, Elegiac Poetry, and Biblical Greek

Online Ancient Greek Course | Level 2: The World of Myth: Morphology & Verbal Aspect (Athenaze VIII–XI) Fall 2026
$890.00

This second-level course expands syntactic competence by navigating third-declension nominals, future tenses, and the second aorist. In full immersion, participants explore authentic fragments from Sappho, Archilochus, Theognis, and the Gospel of Luke to build a classical framework and achieve advanced reading fluency.

  • Instruction Language: Ancient Greek (Immersion)

    • Cohort A: Mon & Wed — 18:00 (Europe Time) / 12:00 PM (US East Coast Time)

    • Cohort B: Tue & Thu — 18:00 (US East Coast Time) / 24:00 (Europe Time)

    • Cohort C: Sat & Sun — 16:30 (Europe Time) / 10:30 AM (US East Coast Time)

  • Sept 14 – Dec 6, 2026

  • 36h total (90-minute sessions)

    VIEW SYLLABUS

Placement Guarantee: Pre-Term 1-on-1 Consultation

Unsure whether Level 1 or Level 2 is the right starting point for your 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.

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 among others.

• 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: I already own Athenaze and have tried self-studying. Will this course benefit me?

    A: Absolutely. Self-studying is a great start, but reading passively off a page can only take you so far. Our live seminars transform Athenaze from a static text into a dynamic, interactive environment. You will speak, listen, and compose using the exact vocabulary and grammar from your chapter readings, locking in retention and overcoming syntactic roadblocks.

  • Q: Do I need any prior knowledge before starting Level 1?

    A: Level 1 is for absolute beginners, but we do require all students to familiarize themselves with the Greek alphabet before the very first session. This allows us to jump straight into active reading and speaking.

  • Q: Will I be put on the spot to speak if I am uncomfortable?

    A: No. Active practice is introduced gradually in a supportive environment designed to build comprehension step-by-step.

  • Q: Is this course suitable for high school or university students?

    A: Yes. High school students preparing for university-level language study and undergraduates wanting to strengthen their core syntax use our courses to build an intuitive grasp of the language.

  • Q: Is this course suitable for adult learners?

    A: Yes. Classical Languages can be learned and enjoyed at any age, and we welcome all students.

  • Q: What is the expected time commitment outside of class?

    A: We recommend approximately 3–4 hours of self-study per week. This includes preparing 10–15 lines of reading before each session and about 20 minutes of daily review for systemic vocabulary retention.

  • 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.

Begin Your Journey into Ancient Greek

Term begins Late September.

Class sizes are strictly capped to ensure small-group interaction.

Reserve Your Seat!

Payment plan available*

*Available for US customers only
Online Ancient Greek Course | Level 1: Foundations of Attic Greek: The Athenian Homestead (Athenaze I–VII) Fall 2026
$890.00

This foundational course introduces students to the essential grammar of Ancient Greek through the Active Method. Participants engage in speaking and writing from the first session, mastering the second and first declensions alongside core present-tense verb paradigms to achieve early reading and communicative fluency.

  • Instruction Language: Ancient Greek (Immersion)

    • Cohort A: Mon & Wed — 18:00 (Europe Time) / 12:00 PM (US East Coast Time)

    • Cohort B: Tue & Thu — 18:00 (US East Coast Time) / 24:00 (Europe Time)

    • Cohort C: Sat & Sun — 16:30 (Europe Time) / 10:30 AM (US East Coast Time)

  • Sept 14 – Dec 6, 2026

  • 36h total (90-minute sessions)

VIEW SYLLABUS

Online Ancient Greek Course | Level 2: The World of Myth: Morphology & Verbal Aspect (Athenaze VIII–XI) Fall 2026
$890.00

This second-level course expands syntactic competence by navigating third-declension nominals, future tenses, and the second aorist. In full immersion, participants explore authentic fragments from Sappho, Archilochus, Theognis, and the Gospel of Luke to build a classical framework and achieve advanced reading fluency.

  • Instruction Language: Ancient Greek (Immersion)

    • Cohort A: Mon & Wed — 18:00 (Europe Time) / 12:00 PM (US East Coast Time)

    • Cohort B: Tue & Thu — 18:00 (US East Coast Time) / 24:00 (Europe Time)

    • Cohort C: Sat & Sun — 16:30 (Europe Time) / 10:30 AM (US East Coast Time)

  • Sept 14 – Dec 6, 2026

  • 36h total (90-minute sessions)

    VIEW SYLLABUS