Carl Ruck has attempted (and succeeded, refreshingly) to present Greek as a delight unto itself, “communication with genius” in his words.
Intended for the beginning student, Ancient Greek presents its selections grouped according to theme. Several similar readings are handled at one time, allowing the student to recognize the various modes of expression used by the selected authors (Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Homer, Plato, etc.) and the relative successes or failures of one mode over another. This recognition comes prior to rule-learning and results in a more thorough understanding of which particular syntax will create a certain effect. Rather than using the familiar vocabulary tests, Carl Ruck follows these theme groupings with basic reading comprehension tests, allowing the student to keep the Greek in terms of Greek.
Cautioning against the use of traditional translation tests, which would serve only to reinforce the conversion learning process, the author warns the teacher that the student prepared by his method will not have the glib facility with translation exercises which the older method recognizes as the only test of excellence. He will have something far more lasting, more whole, more important: he will have Greek.
