To Wake the Dead

Tag: dactylic hexameter

  • Tools of the Trade, 6: Toolkit: Classical Latin

    Some of my physical collection.

    This post collects the top resources I rely on in my study of Classical Latin. The focus here is on tools that are both rigorous and usable—resources I’ve returned to over years (from age 10!) of working with Latin literature, grammar, and historical texts. Whether you’re reading Cicero, Ovid, or Caesar, this toolkit offers a dependable foundation across grammar, vocabulary, style, and reading.

    To Get Started

    Moreland & Fleischer – Latin: An Intensive Course
    A rigorous, grammar-driven introduction to Latin designed for rapid acquisition, often used in intensive summer programs. Each chapter includes vocabulary, grammatical explanations, and exercises, with a strong focus on reading unadapted Latin early. Ideal for learners who appreciate a no-nonsense, immersion-style approach.
    Read online

    Digital Tools

    Logeion
    A fast and comprehensive dictionary interface that includes Lewis & Short, the Elementary Lewis, and other Latin lexica. Entries often include frequency, examples, and morphological info.
    Access online

    Whitaker’s Words
    A downloadable tool (and web version) that parses Latin word forms and offers root definitions. Fast and simple, especially for checking unknown inflected forms.
    Access online

    Perseus Word Study Tool
    Useful for parsing unfamiliar word forms and locating them in context. Linked to the Perseus Digital Library’s extensive collection of classical texts.
    Access online

    The Latin Library
    An enormous archive of classical, medieval, and ecclesiastical Latin texts. No parsing or commentary—just clean, plain Latin.
    Access online

    Hexameter.co
    An interactive tool for learning and practicing dactylic hexameter. Features lines from Vergil, Ovid, Lucretius, and AP Latin selections.
    Access online

    Advanced Topics

    Allen & Greenough – New Latin Grammar
    The most detailed traditional Latin grammar in English, covering syntax, morphology, prosody, and style. Still a go-to reference for advanced students and scholars.
    Read online

    Gildersleeve & Lodge – Latin Grammar
    An alternative to Allen & Greenough with a slightly different emphasis and some unique syntactic classifications. Dense but rewarding for deep grammatical work.
    Read online

    W. Sidney Allen — Vox Latina
    A sister volume to Vox Graeca as mentioned in the Classical Greek Toolkit post. Covers similar ground. Quite foundational; covers many of the quirks of classical pronunciation.
    Read online

    Conclusion

    This toolkit prioritizes depth and clarity in equal measure. Latin is not just a language of forms—it’s a language of authors, arguments, and rhythm. These tools have supported me in reading widely and attentively, and I hope they’ll do the same for you.

    Have favorite resources not listed here? I’d love to hear what’s missing.

    View other toolkits.

  • Tools of the Trade, 4: Toolkit: Homeric Greek

    Some of my collection.

    This post collects the top resources I rely on when reading Homeric Greek, especially the Iliad and Odyssey. While much of the grammar overlaps with Classical Greek, Homeric Greek has distinct forms, vocabulary, and meter that call for specialized tools. The following resources—ranging from primers to advanced philological references—are what I return to again and again when working with epic.

    To Get Started

    Pharr – Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners
    An older but remarkably focused introduction built around Iliad 1. Includes grammar notes specific to Homeric forms, extensive vocabulary, and progressively annotated readings.
    Read online

    Benner – Selections from Homer’s Iliad
    An excellent annotated reader of Iliad Books I–VI, with extensive grammatical commentary keyed to each line. Ideal for intermediate readers.
    Read online

    Cunliffe – A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect
    Still the standard Homeric dictionary. Organized by root and form, with citations from epic texts and brief semantic notes.
    Read online

    Digital Tools

    Logeion
    Cunliffe’s Homeric Lexicon is fully searchable on Logeion alongside LSJ. You can easily compare definitions across lexica and check frequency data within the epics.
    Access online

    Perseus Word Study Tool
    Input any inflected form and receive morphological analysis with links to lexicon entries and usage examples across a wide corpus of Greek texts.
    Access online

    Top 500 Homeric Words Deck
    Compiled by Chicago, these are the most common vocabulary items in Homer’s epics, and knowing them makes for an efficient path to smooth reading.
    Access online

    Greek Particles Deck
    Compiled by a Quizlet user, this deck contains over 80 of the most common and important Greek particles to know.
    Access online

    Perseus Digital Library
    Includes the full texts of the Iliad and Odyssey with parsing tools, English translations, and links to grammatical and lexical resources.
    Access online

    Chicago Homer
    Tailored specifically for Homeric epic. Offers side-by-side Greek and English translations, word-by-word morphological data, and metrical annotation.
    Access online

    Advanced Topics

    Monro – A Grammar of the Homeric Dialect
    A classic reference that systematically treats the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Homeric Greek. A bit dense, but indispensable for serious linguistic inquiry.
    Read online

    Buck – The Greek Dialects: Grammar and Selected Readings
    A valuable reference for understanding the dialectal features present in Homeric Greek, which blends primarily Ionic forms with traces of Aeolic. While not focused solely on Homer, this book helps clarify unusual forms and offers broader context for the epic language tradition.
    Read online

    William S. Annis – An Introduction to Greek Meter
    Offers a clear and concise explanation of dactylic hexameter with scansion exercises and helpful mnemonics.
    Read online

    Hexameter.co
    An interactive site that gamifies learning dactylic hexameter. Offers scansion tools for Homer (and 3 Latin authors too). Helpful for developing aural sensitivity and fluency in poetic rhythm.
    Access online

    Conclusion

    This toolkit focuses on materials that prioritize Homeric Greek as a distinct linguistic system—neither a dialect nor a transitional phase, but a carefully stylized literary register. Whether you’re reading your first lines of the Iliad or preparing to write on Homeric formulae or meter, these tools offer a dependable path forward.

    This list isn’t exhaustive, but it covers the resources I’ve found most useful in my own studies. Are there others you swear by for Homeric Greek? I’d love to hear what’s missing.

    View other toolkits.