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| Concise, Precise, and AccessibleThere are three areas in Ancient Greek grammar that are difficult for experts to explain because few, if any, have a good or complete grasp on them. These areas are 1) the use of the Greek article, 2) the aspect of the Greek verb and 3) Particles.
Rijksbaron fills a gap in literature for intermediate and advanced readers in Greek in the second category. There has been in existence for a long time now Goodwin's Syntax of the moods and tenses of the Greek verb. It is itself descriptive and fairly exhaustive, but not easily accessible. It also lacks contact with the discipline of modern linguistics. Rikjsbaron takes a simpler, more elegant approach to the syntax of the Greek verb. Unlike Goodwin, he does not spend a lot of time in providing examples, but explains the theoretical aspects that make the examples he does choose come to life. His theory is not complex nor is it technical. It is fairly straight forward and his examples fit well with the material.
Helpful sections: the two most helpful sections I found were the sections on the middle voice and on aspect. Rijksbaron makes the division between the three uses of the middle voice very clear and explains what verbs fall into which categories with clear examples (pp.133ff.). He also elucidates the role of aspect in narrative and shows the interrelation between aorist and imperfect, as well as the supposed purpose of the historical present.
Traditional or progressive? Rijksbaron basically follows the traditional understanding of verbs for Classical Greek. Particularly he follows the traditional understanding that Greek does encode tense (that is "time") and not just aspect (contra Porter). However, he updates his descriptive terminology. This has both a positive and negative impact on the reader. For those unfamiliar with linguistic terminology, it is takes effort to connect what one already knows from a traditional grammar like Smyth's Greek Grammar to Rijksbaron's work. In addition, someone with little Greek background would have little or no way to talk with the classically trained about what he/she is reading. It would have been helpful if Rijksbaron would have noted where his terminology differs from traditional Greek Grammars. (see for instance how the concepts on p.117 correspond to those in Smyth sections 1872-1874)
Linguistic Improvement. One of the ways linguistics can contribute to the study of Greek is the understanding that aspect affects verbs with differing lexical meaning (aka Aktionsart) differently. Rijksbaron takes full advantage of this in his discussion of how the imperfect translates differently for "durative" verbs than for "telic" verbs (cf. p.3). This conceptual difference is helpful for explaining the multiple ways one can translate a tense into English in the classroom. Rijksbaron's approach is not novel, to be sure, but his clarity and accessibility is refreshing and unusual.
Moving On. Rijksbaron also provides a good bibliography for students and scholars to engage in further research. I'm sure there are other resources that he failed to include, but the most glaring omission on the topic of aspect is Porter's Verbal Aspect in the Greek of the New Testament, With Reference to Tense & Mood (Studies in Biblical Greek ; Vol/ 1)). Porter has some very untraditional ideas about verbal aspect and tense, but has a large following among Biblical Greek scholars. The failure to interact with Porter at all is a significant oversight.
Overall, I highly recommend Rijksbaron's The Syntax and Semantics of the Verb in Classical Greek: An Introduction: Third Edition and hope that it becomes a standard reference tool for classicists. It certainly is worth the price.
Product DescriptionThe verb is, in any language, the motor of all communication: no verb, no action. In Greek, verb forms change not only with person, number, tense, and voice, but in four possible moods as well. Available now in a special reprint for the North American market, The Syntax and Semantics of the Verb in Classical Greek is an incomparable resource to students and scholars charged with the considerable task of untangling the Greek language’s many complexities. With clear, concise instruction, Albert Rijksbaron shows how the various verb forms contribute to the richness of the Greek literature as we know it, in this essential guide for both novices and experienced practitioners. “[This study] belongs in the library of any Hellenist and any linguist interested in ancient Greek.”—Classics Newsletter (Anzeiger für die Altertumswissenschaft) “Every use is described with concision and clarity.”—Kratylos “The book offers an example of how the empirical thoroughness of traditional Classical scholarship can be brought into contact with general linguistic theory.”—Language
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