OCR Anthology for Classical Greek AS and A Level: 2024–2026 Paperback – 9 Feb. 2023

The OCR Anthology for Classical Greek AS and A Level: 2024–2026 is a useful book for both teachers and students preparing for these exams. It offers a good selection of texts prescribed by OCR, providing a range of authors and genres that help learners explore Classical Greek literature. While the content is strong, there are some issues with the book that could have been addressed better, particularly given its price.Content and AuthorsThe selection of texts is thoughtful and varied, with passages from key authors like Homer, Herodotus, and Sophocles. These texts represent different genres—epic poetry, historical writing, and tragedy—which gives students a broad understanding of the richness of Greek literature. A highlight of the book is the inclusion of Plutarch’s Life of Antony. This is significant because it goes beyond the Classical period into the longer era of Roman domination. Including a text like this allows students to see how Greek literature continued to develop under Roman rule, offering a wider historical and literary context.Commentary and IntroductionsThe introductions to each text are sound and provide clear and useful background information. They help to set the passages in their wider context and explain their importance. A particular strength of the book is the summaries of the dialects used by Homer and Herodotus, which explain the key differences and help students understand the linguistic diversity of Greek literature.The commentaries are detailed and helpful, offering explanations of grammar, syntax, and cultural references. They support students in understanding complex passages and are a valuable teaching aid. However, the commentaries are let down by recurring formatting errors. For example, on page 76 in the Herodotus commentary, there is an overuse of apostrophes, which sometimes appear unnecessarily and at other times replace letters in words. This issue continues throughout the book. While these errors are more irritating than critical, they are distracting and could have been easily avoided with a more professional approach to search-and-replace functions. In a book that is priced as highly as this one, such oversights feel unacceptable.Practical FeaturesThe layout of the book is functional, with texts followed directly by their commentaries, which makes it easy to navigate. The vocabulary lists are also helpful for students, reducing the need to consult external dictionaries during study. While the book is not visually striking, it is practical and designed with clear learning goals in mind.ConclusionThe OCR Anthology for Classical Greek AS and A Level: 2024–2026 is a strong resource that supports students and teachers in preparing for the OCR exams. Its selection of texts, especially the inclusion of Plutarch, is valuable and offers a broader perspective on Greek literature. The introductions and commentaries are well-constructed and highly useful, though the recurring formatting errors detract from the overall quality. Given the price of the book, these should have been addressed more carefully. Despite these issues, the anthology remains a practical and important tool for Greek learners. With some revisions to its formatting, it would be even better.