Mathesis Stoicheion Μάθησις Στοιχείων

Mathēsis means learning; stoicheia are the letters of the alphabet, and also the basic elements of anything, as in the title of Euclid's Elements. Together, learning the letters: where every reader of Greek begins.

Why each area has a Greek name

Every part of the site is named after a place or thing from the Greek world, always with a plain English subtitle.

The Propylaea ΠροπύλαιαHome

The monumental gateway to the Acropolis of Athens, built in the 430s BC under Pericles. Every visit starts at the gate.

The Mouseion ΜουσεῖονLibrary

The "shrine of the Muses" at Alexandria, a research institution founded under the first Ptolemies, closely linked to the great Library. It holds the texts.

The ScrollReader

Greek books were written on rolls of papyrus, unrolled with one hand and rolled up with the other as you read. This is where you read.

The OracleSearch

At Delphi, Apollo's priestess, the Pythia, answered the questions of cities and individuals. Ask a question, get an answer, and a clearer one than Delphi was remembered for.

The Academy ἈκαδήμειαLearn Greek

Plato's school, founded in the early 4th century BC in the grove of the hero Akademos outside Athens. This is where you learn.

The Painted Stoa Στοὰ ΠοικίληWiki

A colonnade on the Athenian Agora hung with great paintings of battles and myths. Zeno taught there, and his followers were named Stoics after it. Stories, pictures and argument in one place.

The Kerameikos ΚεραμεικόςArchaeology

Athens' potters' quarter and its main cemetery, one of the city's most important excavations. Pots and graves are much of what archaeology has to work with.

The CensusMost Mentioned

A counting. Every word, person, god and place in the texts, counted.

The Periplus ΠερίπλουςMap

Ancient sailing guides that listed coasts, harbours and distances, such as the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. A guide to the places of the Greek world.

The Town HallForum

The community's meeting place. Questions, answers and conversation.

The Pnyx ΠνύξDebates

The hill in Athens where the citizen Assembly met to argue and vote. Argue a motion, then vote on it.

The Treasury θησαυρόςMy Library

Cities built small treasuries at Delphi to hold their precious offerings. A thesauros is also a store of words. Your notes, saved words and favourite passages.

The Scroll CaseDownloads

Book rolls were stored and carried in cylindrical cases. Pack the library to read offline.