Where the rest of ALI’s Expert Greek seminars settle in with a single author or a single book, this course does the opposite: it takes the long view. In a single term we travel across roughly a millennium and every major genre of Greek literature, sampling the authors who defined each one. We begin with the epic of Homer and the lyric of Pindar; move through the philosophy of Parmenides, Plato, and Aristotle; take in the history of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon; and give the tragic and comic stage its due with Aeschylus, Euripides, and Aristophanes. From there we press on into the later Greek world: Plutarch, Lucian, and perhaps a taste of the delights of Byzantium. Each week brings a new author and a new style, chosen to show off the range of what Greek can do. We will read selections from each in the original and discuss them in Ancient Greek.
Course details:
- Sessions last 1.5 hours
- 1 session per week
- Course lasts 14 weeks
- Term runs Aug. 30, 2026 – Dec. 12, 2026
How ALI courses work:
- ALI courses are live, online classes run by ALI Ancient Greek professors. Learn Ancient Greek from anywhere.
- Classes run on a trimester basis.
- Fall: September – December
- Spring: January – April
- Summer: May – August
- We want to make sure you’re completely satisfied. If you don’t love your first Ancient Greek class, we guarantee a 100% refund. After that, in weeks 2 – 4, refunds will be made on a pro rata basis, based on however many class sessions you’ve attended. We cannot issue refunds after the fourth week of classes.
- Read more on our FAQ page and check out our academic calendar page to see a more detailed schedule
