Pronunciation Question

[PFamilias]

I'm an autodidact at an intermediate-ish level of Latin (in reading de Officiis I look up about two to three words/page), and I have begun studying Greek for the first time in my life (I'm old-ish). I'm using Athenaze, and am on Chapter 4.

In teaching myself Latin, pronunciation was never a question - I attend the Latin Mass, so using ecclesiastical pronunciation was a no-brainer. I know that's probably not a popular choice around here, but I just want you to know where I'm coming from when it comes to Greek.

Unlike Latin, which had been like an old acquaintance who shared lots of my friends before we met and fell in love, Greek is something completely new to me. I've been researching various pronunciation techniques, but have not really found one I was satisfied with. [And although I do communicate in written and oral Latin pretty frequently, I don't really intend to do that with Greek, so the pronunciation question is really pedantic to me, but I still want to make an informed choice. Once I attain proficiency, I plan to read a wide range of things from Herodotus to Aristotle to the New Testament to Plutarch.]

I'm not really looking for the differences between Modern/Erasmian, and I don't really want a lecture on why one is better than the other - I've found plenty of those. I guess I'm looking for what the convention is among Catholic theologians (preferably traditional ones who are not into the historical critical method) more than anything.

 

[Terry S.]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no particular system of pronunciation favoured among Catholic theologians. Perhaps your best bet is to contact the nearest SSPX seminary. The only Catholic scholar of Greek that I know personally, uses modern Greek pronunciation.

 

[PFamilias]

I've discussed Latin with FSSP priests many times, but they never mentioned Greek and somehow it never crossed my mind to ask if they studied it in seminary. Even Latin takes a back seat to the real ends of the Fraternity (and of the Society, I'd assume), so they're not usually the people I go to with language questions. But you're right, they should be able to answer the pronunciation question. Thanks!