Ancient Greek Reading Challenge 2016


ANCIENT GREEK
READING CHALLENGE
2016


I've been thinking over the past month or so which challenges I want to participate in for 2016 and as I absolutely love Ancient Greek texts I thought I'd host my first ever reading challenge. So, I am formally announcing the 2016 Ancient Greek Reading Challenge! The premise is simple: read as many Ancient Greek plays, essays, poetry etc as you possibly can from January to December 2016! I am attaching a list of Ancient Greek works in case anyone is stuck choosing texts!

General Rules: 

  • the Ancient Greek Reading Challenge 2016 runs from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2016
  • I will be accepting sign ups throughout the rest of 2015 and all through 2016. 
  • You don't have to blog about each text, or any, but the purpose of this challenge is to encourage everyone to read Ancient Greek texts so it would be amazing if you spread Ancient Greek love around the blogosphere! 
  • If there is enough interest I'll make check in posts semi often so you can link your reviews or just general comments about this challenge as you see fit. 
  • Everything counts for this challenge: plays, essays, non-fiction history, poetry, fragments of texts, criticism etc. As long as it is an Ancient Greek text or a modern text about Ancient Greece it counts! I'll personally be reading texts from Ancient Greece and the Byzantine Era so you can make this challenge whatever you want it to be. 
  • I'll also love it if you would be interested in writing guest posts here related to this challenge. The more the merrier! 
  • Most of all HAVE FUN and spread your passion for Ancient Greek texts. This genre could always use more love. 

The Levels: 
  • Level One: 1-4 Texts 
  • Level Two: 4-6 Texts 
  • Level Three: 7-9 Texts 
  • Level Four: 10-12 Texts
  • Level Five: 12+ Texts 

I will be aiming for Level Five as I have plans to read as many Ancient Greek plays by the four greats (Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Aristophanes).


List of (some) Ancient Greek Texts: 
****a lot of ancient greek texts only survive in fragments but i've included these in this list if you're still interested in reading some of them
  • Homer: The Iliad and The Odyssey 
  • Hesiod: Works and Days and Theogony 
  • Archilochus of Paros: Fragments 
  • Sappho: Poems 
  • Alcaeus: Fragments 
  • Pindar: Epinikia and Fragments 
  • Aeschylus: The Suppliant Maidens, The Persians, The Seven Against Thebes, Prometheus Bound, Agamemnon, Choephoroe, Eumenides 
  • Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, Ajax, Electra, Trachiniae, Philoctetes
  • Euripides: Rhesus, Medea, Hippolytus, Alcestis, Heracleidae, The Suppliants, The Trojan Women, Ion, Helen, Andromache, Electra, The Bacchae, Hecuba, Heracles Mad, The Phoenician Maidens, Orestes, Iphigenia Among the Tauri, Iphigenia At Aulis, The Cyclops
  • Aristophanes: the Archarnians, the Knights, the Clouds, the Wasps, the Peace, the Birds, the Frogs, the Lysistrata, The Thesmophoriazusae, the Ecclesiazusae, the Plutus
  • Herodotus: Histories 
  • Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War 
  • Xenophon: Anabasis, Apology, Symposium, Memorabilia 
  • Aristotle: Metaphysics, On the Soul, On Poetics, etc. A complete list can be found here (x)
  • Plato: Republic, On Justice, On Virtue, etc. A complete list can be found here: (x
  • Theocritus: Idylls and Epigrams
  • Callimachus: Hymns, Fragments 
  • Apollonius of Rhodes: Argonautica 
  • Menander: Fragments 


You can sign up below and don't forget to link your sign up post (if you will be writing one; it's not compulsory). I hope you will join me! 

Buttons for this challenge: 

Comments

  1. Yay, Keely! Thanks so much for hosting. I am in for sure! I'll get my post up in the next few days. Thanks for the list too. I feel like I should really read some Plato and Aristotle, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough. I just bought Menander, so I hope to fit that in. I'm really excited about this challenge!

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    1. No problem! I am super excited to be hosting and participating in this challenge. I love, love, love Ancient Greek works. Oh ditto I dont think I am brave enough to read any of the philosophers or histories just yet. Possibly On Poetics by Aristotle but thats it. Cant wait for your post :)

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    2. Okay, here's my sign up post: http://cleoclassical.blogspot.ca/2015/12/ancient-greek-challenge-2016.html

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  2. I'm so happy you've done this! I've made my list, and I'm looking forward to getting started :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for joining! I love your list and it makes me want to be more ambitious about mine!

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  3. Hi, I'm going to do this one. Will try for the first level. My sign up post:
    http://jannghi.blogspot.com/2015/12/ancient-greek-reading-challenge-2016.html

    And I'm hosting a challenge next year (my first one ever):
    http://jannghi.blogspot.com/2015/10/literary-loners-reading-challenge-2016.html

    I plan to read some of Euripdes's plays for both challenges.

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  4. I'm very tempted. (Also, I ran a Greek Lit challenge in 2012! So we are buddies, right? :D) But I don't think I can manage it this year. Because it would be Herodotus and Thucydides. Eep.

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  5. I found out about this from Cleo, and it's just perfect for 2016, as I was already hoping to read several Ancient Greeks this year. I mention the challenge in my post HERE. Thanks for hosting!

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  6. I found out about this through Cleo's blog too and I'm excited for it. Here's my sign up post.

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  7. Now this is a challenge with weight! :-D I don't know if I'm in, though I plan on reading Herodotus for the Classics Club. Good luck to those who pursue the goal, though!

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  8. I also found out about this from Cleo. I was hesitant to join but... since my Classic Spin is.... Stung by Love: poems by Sappho and I have some ancient classics on my reading list it seems the logical thing to do. It will keep me focused. I read you are 'passively' hosting the challenge b/c of a serious study program. I wish you all the luck and will take my first step into Ancient Greek texts. I'm still a bit stunned but ready to do my best!

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  9. Sign-up post for Ancient Greek Reading Challenge!
    I'm still stunned by this daunting task!

    https://ipsofactodotme.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/ancient-greek-reading-challenge/

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