The AcademyLearn by reading
Learn by readingἀνάγνωσις
12 real lines, from the sayings carved at Delphi to the first sentence of Aristotle's Metaphysics, with a practice lesson after every three. Each lesson builds on the ones before: the help you have outgrown drops away, and the passages grow longer. Try the Greek first; the English waits until you ask for it.
- 1The letters Σωκράτης Πλάτων ἈριστοτέληςBefore the first line: sounding out names you already knowNext
- 2Nothing in excess μηδὲν ἄγανCarved at Delphi, as Socrates tells it in Plato's Protagoras2 words
- 3Know yourself γνῶθι σαυτόνCarved at Delphi, as Socrates tells it in Plato's Protagoras2 words
- 4Everything moves on πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένειHeraclitus of Ephesus, as Socrates reports him in Plato's Cratylus5 words
- Practice: lessons 2 to 4First a quick check of the words from the first three lessons. Then three more real lines, from three other works of Plato, made almost entirely of words you have already met.Practice
- 5Life is short ὁ βίος βραχὺς,Hippocrates of Cos, the first of the Aphorisms3 words
- 6The art is long ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρὴHippocrates of Cos, the first of the Aphorisms, continued4 words
- 7The measure of all things πάντων χρημάτων μέτρον ἄνθρωποςProtagoras of Abdera, the first words of his book4 words
- Practice: lessons 5 to 7First a quick check of the words from lessons 5 to 7. Then three real lines about long and short speeches, and about the gods, that use them again.Practice
- 8I do not think I know οὐκ οἶδα, οὐδὲ οἴομαιSocrates at his trial, in Plato's Apology4 words
- 9The unexamined life ὁ δὲ ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳSocrates at his trial, in Plato's Apology7 words
- 10An animal of the city ὁ ἄνθρωπος φύσει πολιτικὸν ζῷονAristotle, Politics, Book 15 words
- Practice: lessons 8 to 10First a quick check of the words from lessons 8 to 10. Then three real lines about persuading, speaking and being wise, from Plato and Diogenes Laertius.Practice
- 11Full of gods θεῶν εἶναι πλήρη πάνταThales' idea, in Plato's Laws4 words
- 12They say many fine things λέγουσι μὲν πολλὰ καὶ καλάSocrates on the poets and prophets, in Plato's Apology5 words
- 13All human beings desire to know πάντες ἄνθρωποι τοῦ εἰδέναι ὀρέγονται φύσει.Aristotle, the first sentence of the Metaphysics6 words
- Practice: lessons 11 to 13First a quick check of the words from the last three lessons. Then three real lines from Plato's Laws and two works of Aristotle that use them again.Practice