🚀 go-pugleaf

Margaret Campbell <marcam@istar.ca> wrote:

>Just a word of encouragement to all you :old" learners of Greek.  I 
>started Greek when I was 60 and to my delight, I find that I can read 
>Homer, with a little help from my friends,L&S, though Aristotle is, 
>indeed more of a challenge, not to say d--- difficult.  I too have 
>little trouble with concepts, but the memory work is difficult.  I 
>thought it was my age, but many of my younger colleagues find the same 
>trouble.

My recollection is that one of the famous Roman scholars of Greek did
not begin studying the language until he was in his 60s or even later.

More recently, I've heard of a fellow who, concerned with the possible
loss of memory coming with old age, decided to exercise his memory by
learning Ancient Greek. He then proceeded to memorize the Illiad and
the Odyssey!

Excuse me; that merits a few more exclamation points: !!!!!!!!

The Greek ministry of culture got wind of this and brought the person
to Greece, where he recited the whole of one or the other (I can't
recall which) in some ancient ampitheater, a performance though to be
the first such in well over two thousand years. I believe it's
possible to obtain highlights of the recitation on videotape or
compact disc, though I can't cite a specific vendor...



D Gary Grady
Durham NC USA
73513.2350@compuserve.com / dgary@mindspring.com