TEACHING PROSE COMPOSITION

Juan Coderch (St. Andrews)

for the CSC Teaching ancient Languages Workshop Series (January 2008)

Background
-The practice of Prose Composition in former times.
a) British, French and German tradition.
b) Example5 of compositions. [see Appendix 1]
Its convenience
-Active learning and passive learning.
a) Active learning much more productive than passive.
b) Does Prose Composition have to be an independent subject?
-Comparison with the learning process in modern languages.
-Students feeling that they are creating something.
How to teach it
-Inverse translation during the learning process.
a) Starting with simple sentences. [see Appendix 2]
b) Little passages further ahead. [see Appendix 3]
-Prose Composition as independent subject.
a) A minimum of fluency required.
b) Material to be used.
Methods are divided into two: syntax revision and prose composition techniques. [see
Appendix 4]
Dictionaries.
c) 1st step: grammatical reinforcement. [see Appendix 5]
d) 2nd step: flexibility in the use of constructions. [see Appendix 6]
e) 3rd step: rephrase and translate. [see Appendix 7]
f) Mistakes to avoid:
-literary texts from the very beginning: students sensation of uselessness.
-transliteration instead of translation.
-Extra sources to encourage students.
a) News in Latin: 3 sites. [see Appendix 8]
b) News in Greek: AI<WN. [see Appendix 9]
c) Translations of modern authors. [see Appendix 10]


Appendix 1
Three examples of prose composition:
a) The German one is a dual composition both into Latin and into Greek. Its a simple piece in
which a child goes through a normal school day.
























b) The French one is the translation into Greek of a piece by Moliere. There are some
orientative notes about the way in which some expressions have been rendered.


c) The English one is the translation into Greek of a piece of Berkeley.

Appendix 2
Two examples of starting with simple sentences:
a) The first one has been taken from Wilding.
b) The second one has been taken from Athenaze.


Appendix 3
Two examples of simple short passages:
a) The first one is from Athenaze; in fact, it has been divided into periods, but it forms a
whole text. Students are expected to connect it conveniently by means of particles.

Exercise 15f
Translate into Greek:
1. When the Athenians learned that the Persians were advancing toward Attica, they sent
messengers to Delphi (oi Acoi).
2. These, having gone into the temple, asked the god what the Athenians ought (ci) to do.
3. The god, answering, said: Athena cannot save you. The barbarians will take
(oipgoouoi) Athens. Only the wooden (uivo, -ov) wall will be (co:oi) unsacked
(op0g:o, -ov).
4. The messengers wrote these words and having returned to Athens announced them to the
people.
5. Themistocles stood up and said: Hear, Athenians, what the oracle (:o pgo:gpiov) means
(cyci); the ships of the Athenians are the wooden wall; these will save (ocoouoi) the city.
6. Saying this, he persuaded the Athenians not to yield to the barbarians but to fight by sea.

b) The second one is from Reading Greek; the text is in fact a resume of the plot developed in
more detail in longer Greek texts.

(d) English into Greek
Translate into Greek:
When the Amazons had killed the Athenians, they came to the land of the Scythians. On
arrival, they found horses and fought with the Scythians. The Scythians, defeating them and
learning about them. wished to become friends. The young men therefore followed closely,
but did not fight: and the Amazons, seeing this, kept quiet themselves. At last they became
friends and lived together; but it was necessary for the young men and their wives to cross
the river and inhabit another place. For, said the Amazons, we do not want to live in your
land, since on arrival we fought you.

Appendix 4
List of the most usual methods for prose composition.
Left column: for Greek.
Right column: for Latin.
I have paired them left-right in the cases in which they form a unit: in some cases, they form a
natural couple, as they belong to the same author/s, but in other cases the pairings have been
set just following my own criterion.
In the cases in which I consider that the mentioned method does not have a corresponding
partner in the other language, I have just left it empty.
a) Traditional methods
This is a list of the most usual and well-known methods both for schools and universities.
Elementary Greek Exercises
Hillard-Botting
[sentences that cover the basics of grammar]
Elementary Latin Exercises
Hillard-Botting
[sentences that cover the basics of grammar]

Greek Prose Composition
North-Hillard
[a syntax revision: sentences and passages]

Latin Prose Composition
North-Hillard
[a syntax revision: sentences and passages]

Introduction to Greek Prose Composition
Nash-Williams
[it deals with strategies rather than with
revision]

Introduction to Continuous Latin Prose
Nash-Williams
[it deals with strategies rather than with
revision]

Advanced Level Greek Prose Composition
Nash-Williams
[like the former one]

Advanced Level Latin Prose Composition
Nash-Williams
[like the former one]

Greek Prose Composition
Sidgwick
[like the North-Hillard, but more complete]

Latin Prose Composition
Bradleys Arnold
[like the North-Hillard, but more complete]

b) More methods
Some of the methods listed here are very similar to the traditional ones formerly mentioned
but they are not so well-known; at the end of the list we can find some methods not directly
devoted to prose composition but related with it.
Foundations for Greek Prose Composition
Lewis-Styler
[excellent: it covers accidence, syntax and the
continuous passage]

Foundations for Latin Prose Composition
Lewis-Styler
[excellent: it covers accidence, syntax and the
continuous passage]

Greek Prose Composition
S. O. Andrew
[it deals with idiomatic questions, it would
follow the North-Hillard]

Latin Prose Composition
Marchant-Watson
[it covers constructions and idioms; mostly
sentences, but also some texts]

Latin Sentence and Idiom
Colebourn
[not only a syntax revision, but also idioms
and really difficult points; the exercises really
make students think]
Writing Latin
Ashdowne-Morwood
[a modernized version of North-Hillard, but
with more details, very well explained]

Le theme grec
Anne Lebeau
[it deals with difficult points of morphology,
syntax, and finally with some examples of
passages]

Latin Prose Composition
R. D. Wormald
[whole revision of syntax. Extremely well
explained. It has sentences and long
paragraphs]

Greek Prose Style Denniston
[as the title says; it takes for granted that the
student masters the language at a high level]

Latin Prose Style
A. D. Leeman
[as the title says; it takes for granted that the
student masters the language at a high level]

Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency
John Traupman
[it covers all possible modern vocabulary]


Appendix 5
An example of what I call a grammatical text: a series of easy texts (long, but easy) in
which I try to provoke in the student a revision of grammar by indicating to them the
constructions to be used and also some accidence revision by calling their attention towards
some difficult points.
As it can be easily seen, the text is in fact an English translation of one of the texts in
Athenaze.
The second (Feedback) sheet has the notes that the student would receive with respect to
his/her translation. The numbers DO NOT correspond to the numbers for the notes in the
English text, but to his/her mistakes numbered by me in the Greek translation.
Unfortunately, I did not keep the Greek translation done by the student, which would help you
to see the process I follow.

Greek Composition 2
(-480, Second Persian War: Xerxes doesnt achieve to cross the narrow path of the
Thermopylae: the Spartans defend it. This episode (Leonidas duce) and their role at the Battle
of Plataea together with the Athenians (Pausanias duce), around a year later, were the
Spartans most known exploits.)
The next day (1) the barbarians again attacked and (2) fared no better () than the day (1)
before. And so when Xerxes was at a loss, there came to him a man of the Greeks called
Ephialtes, and he told him of the path that (-) led through the mountains to Thermopylae.
Learning (5) this, Xerxes sent the Immortals by this route, telling them to take the Greeks
from behind (6). But the Greeks, learning (5) what was () happening, at first were at a loss as
to what they should do, (8) but finally Leonidas decided to send the others away to Attica, but
he himself remained at Thermopylae with () three hundred Spartiates, intending (10) to guard
the gates. And so the barbarians attacked, and the Spartans fought and killed very many. And
many of the Greeks fell including (11) Leonidas himself after showing himself (12) a very
brave man. And finally the Persians who had gone through the mountain arrived and attacked
from behind. Then the Spartiates withdrew to the narrow of the road and fought there until
(13) all fell. And after the war the Greeks buried the three hundred where (14) they had fallen
and made a monument to Leonidas, a stone lion, which it is possible to see even now. When
the barbarians had (is) taken Thermopylae, the Greek navy no longer guarded the straits but
retired to Salamis. And by land they could (16) no longer resist but fled to the Peloponnesus,
leaving both Boeotia and Attica to the enemy. And so the barbarians, advancing (17) by land,
were intending (10) to attack Athens, and by sea sailing (18) into Phalerum they lay at anchor
(19) in the harbour.
1 do you really need the word day?
2 two main sentences: get used to transform one of them into participle.
3 to fare + adverb: do you know the idiom?
4 two options: relative or participle.
5 participle present or aorist?
6 adverbial expression.
7 it does say was, but will you really use the past tense if it is an indirect question?
8 combine this at first and but finally by the usual method.
9 use a participle to mean with, dont use a preposition.
10 a very usual expression we have used.
11 many... including X: a difficult expression, in Greek it sounds others fell and X,
combined by our known te/kai.
12 having become.
13 one of the last conjunctions we have done.
14 you can use a relative or directly an adverb, but its an indirect interrogative adverb, so
be careful how you write it.
15 will you really use a pluperfect? not an aorist?
16 there are several ways of expressing to be able.
17 be careful: the verbs to advance and to approach are almost equal.
18 mind the tense of the participle!
19 to lie at anchor: contract verb in epsilon.

Feedback
(1) the augment goes in the middle, and you have written it wrongly: ocx:civov
(2) to be explained in class.
(3) the ending of the participle should be of the third declension, and moreover you need to
specify that it was the barbarians who had crossed the mountains, not all of the barbarians,
therefore a participle with article(iiopov:c) or a relative sentence (icpgoov).
(4) it should be io + genitive, and moreover you have put the article in masculine with a
neuter noun.
(5) its OK as long as you suppose that its neuter because it agrees with vgciov, because if
you would like it to agree with the lion, then it should be masculine.
(6) they, not I.

Comments: better than the former one, but be very careful with mistake 4, because there is
nothing worse when marking in Mods than finding this kind of mistakes.
Appendix 6
Example of text to be rendered with and without participles.
The text comes from Reading Greek, and the Greek translation is the one offered by the Key.
Students should attempt to translate the text first avoiding the use of participles, and later
using as many participles as possible. For instance, the first sentence which the Key renders
with an accusative absolute could also be expressed by a causal subordinate. The same would
happen with the almost last sentence whenever..., which could be also translated by a
participle having found....

Appendix 7
Example of rephrased text:
a) The first sheet shows the homework students are supposed to translate.
b) The second sheet shows the suggested rephrasing, and this is what students should
translate, rather than attempting to translate literally the original text. The changes are not
many, in fact. Of course, students are expected to remember idiomatic expressions such as to
have bad fame, at the beginning of text B, being rendered into Greek by to hear badly.

week 8
Example (to be done in the lecture)
The first exploit of Aldbiades was to proceed to Andros, now under a Lacedemonian harmost
and garrison. Landing on the island he plundered the fields, defeated both the native troops
and the Lacedemonians, and forced them to shut themselves up in the town.

Homework

a) This he besieged for some days without avail, and then proceeded onwards to Samos,
leaving Conon in a fortified post with twenty ships to prosecute the siege. At Samos he first
ascertained the state of the Lacedemonian fleet at Ephesus, the influence acquired by
Lysander over Cyrus and the strong anti-Athenian disposition of the young prince.

b) This writer tells us that there lived in the seventeenth century a certain Dutch sea-captain
renowned for his wickedness and cruelty. One day he was caught in a severe storm, but
refused to reduce canvas or alter course, despite the pleas of his crew. The terrified seamen
played for help, and a divine form appeared on the vessel. The Dutchman picked up a pistol
and fired at it, but the ball, instead of reaching its target, came back and pierced his hand. For
this blasphemy the Dutchman was condemned to sail the seas for ever, feared by all other
mariners as a harbinger of death.

week 8 suggested rephrasing:

a) When, having besieged this (city) not many days, he didnt achieve anything, leaving
Conon in a fortress with twenty ships in order to besiege more, he sailed to Samos. There he
first realised how the Lacedemonian fleet at Ephesus was and how much Lisander had power
at the side of Cyrus and how this young man offered himself as enemy to the Athenians.

b) This writer tells us that in that time there was a sea-captain, being Phoenician, who had bad
fame because of his wickedness and cruelty. This one, when once he was caught by a severe
storm, didnt want neither to take the sais down nor to alter the course, in spite of the sailors
pleading much. These thereforer, very terrified, prayed for help, and immediately appeared on
the vessel a divine image; the Phoenician, having taken a bow, shot an arrow, but this not only
didnt hit the target but also returned and pierced his hand. Therefore, because of this impiety,
the Phoenician was condemned to sail he seas forever, feared by all the sailors as being a
harbinger of death.

Appendix 8
Three examples of the use of Latin for world news:
a) The first one has been taken from Nuntii Latini, Helsinki.
b) The second one, from Nuntii Latini, Bremen.
c) The third one, from Ephemeris, Warsaw.

a) Electiones in Nova Hantonia primariae
Novus praesidens Americanorum mense Novembri designabitur, sed antea electiones
primariae utriusque factionis principalis in singulis civitatibus fiunt.
In Nova Hantonia (New Hampshire) senatrix Hillary Clinton insignem victoriam reportavit,
cum undequadraginta centesimas (39%) ex votis democratarum cepit. Barack Obama,
aemulus eius principalis, triginta sex centesimas sibi conciliavit. Victoria senatricis fuit
inopinata, nam septimana proxime praeterita, cum Barack primum et John Edwards secundum
locum apud democratas civitatis Iowae obtinuisset, multi experti illam jam pro candidata
mortua et sepulta habebant. Apud republicanos victor evasit senator veteranus John McCain.
Electiones primariae in civitatibus Michigania, Nevada, Carolina Meridionali proxime
continuabuntur.

b) Putin potentiae suae providet
Parlamento Russiae electo factio Wiadimir Putin praesidentis, quae Russia Concors vocatur,
victoriam magnam tulit plus duabus partibus suffragiorum in se conversis. Factiones
adversantes nec non observatores electionum questi sunt non rara suffragia corrupta esse.
Dimitri Medvedev, qui adhuc ministri primarii vice fungitur, a praesidente commendatus est,
qui ei succedat. Putin lam declaravit se IWo praesidente primarii ministri magistratum
suscepturum esse.

c) De summa sella in USA acriter certatur
Post victoriam Barack Obama, candidati partis democraticae nigricoloris, suffragiis primarils
rn Iowa habitis, in Novo Hamp Comitatu Hilaria Rodham Clinton ipsum superavit, se ut
validam competitricem democraticam praebens; sed nunc minime paevideri potest utri
certamen ad summum magistratum contigat; longe ab ambobusJohannes Edwards distat.
Inter moderatos eminet johannes Mac Cain, sed Mitt Romney, Michael Huckabee et Rudy
Giuliani spem aliquam candidatum vincendi servare pergunt.
Mense Ianuario comitia primaria in Michigan, Nevada, Carolina meridionali et Florida
hebebuntur, Nonis deinde Februariis in viginti USAe civitatibus simul partium sodales
nomina duorum competitorum deligent, qui de sella per octennium a Georgio Bush detenta
certaturi sunt.

Appendix 9
Example of the use of Greek for world news.
The example has been taken from the site Akropolis World News.
As it can be observed, sometimes I used to insert some grammatical comments. The news
belongs to 21st November 2006.


Appendix 10
Three examples of translation of modern authors:
a) The first one is the beginning of the translation of Harry Potter into Latin, made by Peter
Needham.

b) The second one is the beginning of a translation of one of the stories of Don Camillo (The
Procession), by Giovanni Guareschi, into Greek, made by me.


c) The third one is the beginning of a translation of one of the cases of Sherlock Holmes
(The Case of the Three Students) into Greek, made by me.