Commentary Section 1A: p. 4, para. 1

Read the English introduction in the Text p. 3, referring students to the map for place-names. If asked by students, comment on the use of the definite article with place-names on the map. (If not, wait until to n^ovov and ask what to means, then explain that it is used with place-names also.) Ask students to read aloud the whole of Section 1a in Greek and give much help (see pp. 4, 6). Alert the students to the accidence to be met (present indicative; definite article) and use available tech­nology to construct empty grids which all can see and duplicate as follows:

Nouns (similarly articles, adjectives)

s.                               pi.

m. f. n. m.                              f.             n.

Nom._________________________________

Acc._________________________________

Gen._________________________________

Dat. _____________   ___________________

nay®                   opa®                  note® nay-® Op® noi®

Verbs

Indicative 1

2 3

1

2 3

imperative s.

p^l.

Similarly for ei^ and oiSa later.

These plain, simple grids are probably most effective here: they emphasize clearly what is being learnt, at this stage. Fill in the forms and endings as they occur, or at the end of the section.

Now reread, sentence by sentence, and ask the students to translate, e.g.: p. 4 line

1* to rc^oiov: What is the meaning? (See picture opposite.) What part of the article is to? Does Byzantium give a gender clue to Latinists?

£otw: (cf. il est; est). Fill this in on the grid (the students can add -v ephelkus- tikon later; often they spot it themselves).

o: elicit its number, case and gender and fill this in on the grid.

2               paw€i: refer to the English introduction - what does H. do? Fill in -ei on the grid. graira: give this meaning at once.

3              t£^o<;: should follow from ErcEvra; otherwise give the meaning.

0                   Kup€pv^rn?: what functions does o indicate? Guess the meaning from the English introduction, then explain some derivations - cybernetics; Lat. guberna- tor etc.

1                          vavrai: Latinists should guess this correctly; others may say ‘crew’. Acknowledge this as nearly correct, then give the exact meaning (cf. nautical, astronaut, aeronaut etc.). Fill in oi on the grid.

€iopawouoi: elicit ‘go into’ - what person? Enter -oum on the grid.

5               ntei to rc^oiov: if ‘the ship goes ... ’ is given, ask for a more precise meaning. Point out the -ov ending, and the similarity of n^otov/n^EV.

In general, students may ignore noun endings for the moment. It is the article that indicates a noun’s case. Hence if students ask about Ev^ovav, tell them it is accusative, but point out that the article indicates the case. xac;, xov may be queried: if so, explain and enter on the grid.

Now reread the whole of Section 1a (first paragraph) in Greek and urge the students to ask about anything they do not understand. Mention rcpoc; and evc; at the end - it helps with Section 1a (second paragraph) to have them clearly differ­entiated in meaning.