Indeed, most older Sanskrit textbooks etc written in European languages are
based on the (usually tacit) assumption that the reader already knows Latin
and Greek from their secondary education. I particularly like Lanman in his
Reader stating that 'the easy Nala is the Xenophon's Anabasis of Sanskrit
students', and translating some phrases in his notes into Latin or Greek.
I don't think that, at least in anglophone countries, this assumption can
still be made, and for many or perhaps most undergraduates studying
Sanskrit at college/university, Sanskrit is the first ancient language they
encounter. (At least that's what 20 years teaching at universities in
several countries has taught me.)
I am writing a book 'Sanskrit for Classicists for CUP' and am grateful for
the reference to Mawet's grammar, which I had not heard of before.
All my best,
Antonia
On Sat, 9 Aug 2025 at 18:02, Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY <
[email protected]> wrote:
> Already, Bergaigne 1884, a favourite of Louis Renou, was written with the
> expectation that one had Greek and Latin. I see nothing unfortunate about
> its being in French.
> Matthew
>
>
>
> On Sat, Aug 9, 2025 at 14:09, Jean Michel DELIRE via INDOLOGY <
> [email protected]
> <On+Sat,+Aug+9,+2025+at+14:09,+Jean+Michel+DELIRE+via+INDOLOGY+%3C%3Ca+href=>>
> wrote:
>
> May I suggest the reading of F. Mawet's *Grammaire sanskrite à l'usage
> des étudiants hellénistes et latinistes*, Peeters, Louvain, 2012, which
> is, unhappily, in French ? Francine Mawet was my first Sanskrit teacher at
> the University of Brussels, before I met Pierre-Sylavin Filliozat in the
> early nineties. Her work was mainly a comparatist's one, which explains why
> she choose to compare the evolutions of Latin, Greek and Sanskrit
> languages.
>
> Best,
>
> Jean Michel Delire
>
> Le sam. 9 août 2025 à 12:13, Satyanad Kichenassamy via INDOLOGY <
> [email protected]> a écrit :
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> This announcement made me curious about the number of places in India
>> where, say, ancient Greek is taught, and how it compares with the number
>> of places in each of our respective countries where Sanskrit (or ancient
>> Tamil, etc.) is taught. The study of (all) ancient languages is
>> threatened everywhere.
>>
>> A quick search did not lead to an answer, but did yield a few things
>> that may be of interest to the list.
>>
>> Here is an example: "Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi,
>> established in 1969, has housed a Greek Chair since 1998." Also, " An
>> annual journal entitled Yavanika [...], devoted to research in
>> Greco-Indian studies and the exchange of ideas, is produced by the Greek
>> Chair, which also publishes academic works and organises lectures,
>> workshops and seminars."
>>
>>
>> https://www.leventisfoundation.org/universities-institutions/greek-chair-jawaharlal-nehru-university-new-delhi
>>
>> There is also a Indo-Hellenic research centre in New Delhi.
>>
>>
>> https://elinepa.org/inauguration-of-the-indo-hellenic-research-center-at-new-delhi/
>>
>> On how a British Indian student may feel excluded from Greek studies,
>> see this paper in the Oxford Student newspaper.
>>
>>
>> https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2020/07/08/fancy-an-indian-studying-greek-how-i-found-my-place-in-the-classical-tradition-as-a-british-indian/
>>
>> For Latin, here is a list of places that have an entrance examination
>> for their Latin curriculum:
>>
>> https://www.shiksha.com/humanities-social-sciences/latin-chp
>>
>> I would assume Christian seminaries in India also routinely teach Latin
>> and, in Kerala, Syriac, see this site:
>>
>> https://www.oasiscenter.eu/en/why-study-syriac-in-kottayam-india
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Satyanad Kichenassamy
>>
>> Le 09/08/2025 à 00:57, Raffaele Torella via INDOLOGY a écrit :
>> >
>> >> Il giorno 8 ago 2025, alle ore 20:37, Antonia Ruppel <
>> [email protected]> ha scritto:
>> >>
>> >> Dear Raffaele,
>> >>
>> >> It is good to hear from someone associated with Vivarium Novum! Do you
>> know how they are going to make use of the links between Sanskrit, Greek
>> and Latin for their curricula? I have lots of experience with this and
>> would be delighted to help.
>> > I do not think that the main aim of this initiative is to create
>> “links" between Sanskrit and Latin-Greek, but to promote the study of the
>> classical Western languages in Indian Universities, where it has been
>> almost non-existent until now. Then, Vivarium Novum plans to add the
>> teaching of Sanskrit culture to that of Latin and Greek in the framework of
>> the Campus Mondiale dell’Umanesimo. Your collaboration would be, of course,
>> very welcome.
>> >> But I wonder: when they go to India, will they continue the slightly
>> unusual policies from their Italian site (young men only accepted if, among
>> other things, they have their hair short, young women either not accepted
>> at all, or later accepted but only if, unlike their male counterparts, they
>> do not stay on the grounds of the Accademia)?
>> > Let me add some comments to your remarks. About the management of
>> annual scholarship holders, Vivarium Novum is bound to cling to the
>> regulation of the Convitti Nazionali Italiani, which provides for the
>> accommodation of long-term scholarship holders of different sexes in
>> separate buildings. Of course, this old-fashioned custom does not apply to
>> the participants in intensive courses or in the many international
>> conferences they organise. However, in order to overcome this unpleasant
>> limitation they are near to acquisition of the XVIII century Villa Lucidi
>> nearby, meant for accommodation of female long-term scholarship holders.
>> Finally, you said: “when they go to India…”. They will not go to India:
>> Latin and Greek will be taught by young Indian scholars trained in the
>> Academy's courses. I am in touch with one of them, perhaps the most
>> brilliant student of recent years: he is from Nepal and has indeed a very
>> imposing name: Anandavardhan…
>> >
>> > Cari saluti,
>> > Raffaele
>> >
>> >> All my best,
>> >> Antonia
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Fri, 8 Aug 2025 at 19:04, Raffaele Torella <
>> [email protected] <mailto: [email protected]>>
>> wrote:
>> >>> Dear Colleagues,
>> >>> I should like to draw your attention to the activity of Vivarium
>> Novum Academy ( https://www.vivariumnovum.net/en <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.vivariumnovum.net/en&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw3SRKsl-VURq20fjNp0R3np>),
>> which is probably known to some of you as the venue of the wonderful
>> Raniero Gnoli day, held in October 2022 (
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc-HaEXsVoA&t=524s <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DJc-HaEXsVoA%26t%3D524s&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw3iZp1RTjtkzMqoEJniQMdj>).
>> In October 2024 it was also the seat of the Biannual Meeting of the Italian
>> Association for Sanskrit Studies.
>> >>>
>> >>> Vivarium Novum, Campus Mondiale dell’Umanesimo, housed in the
>> Borrominian Villa Falconieri near Frascati, promotes the study of Latin
>> (including Medieval and Renaissance Latin) and Greek (Classical and
>> Homeric) also as spoken languages. The President, Prof. Luigi Miraglia,
>> with whom I am in close contact, has recently visited Nepal (for the WSC)
>> and India in order to create Latin and Greek curricula in the Sanskrit
>> Universities (to be extended in the near future to the major Indian
>> Universities).
>> >>>
>> >>> Warmest wishes,
>> >>> Raffaele
>> >>>
>> >>>> Il giorno 8 ago 2025, alle ore 17:41, Antonia Ruppel via INDOLOGY <
>> [email protected] <mailto: [email protected]>> ha
>> scritto:
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Dear all,
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Seth Powell already sent out the Yogic Studies course offerings for
>> the autumn, but I wanted to take the liberty to point out a YS course that
>> may be of particular interest to members of this list, Greek-S 101: Ancient
>> Greek for Sanskritists, which I will teach starting September 15.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I made a short video describing the course, which you can watch here
>> <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://youtu.be/XdJrcKwslck?si%253D9KRhtPi1G8-IXSRQ%26source%3Dgmail-imap%26ust%3D1755272552000000%26usg%3DAOvVaw1QVr7wjr5GTpVqlU0ArD2L&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw2-qNd_Q79wO9LS5UsG1aVA>;
>> but in a nutshell: if you already know Sanskrit, you have an excellent
>> basis for getting to grips with Ancient Greek. There is an enormous amount
>> of overlap in the forms and their usage, and the main difference between
>> the two languages (the rather more intricate rules of syntax that Greek
>> has) is exactly what we will be discussing in detail.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Greek-S 101 covers all Ancient Greek grammar with the help of lots
>> of custom-made resources; in 102, we will read Plato's Apology, and in 103
>> either Sophocles' Antigone or Euripides' Medea, both with readers I am
>> making for each course. You can find all information on this sequence of
>> courses at https://www.yogicstudies.com/greek-s-101 <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.yogicstudies.com/greek-s-101%26source%3Dgmail-imap%26ust%3D1755272552000000%26usg%3DAOvVaw1NWnxLGlNzzrGUFITTiq2z&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw0BzI87hMrDmXU5BzXSVBWf>.
>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> All my best,
>> >>>> Antonia
>> >>>>
>> >>>> PS: Our course 'Latin for Sanskritists' just ended two weeks ago;
>> the third term was 12 weeks of reading Seneca's Letters and contrasting
>> Hellenistic philosophies with some of the philosophical approaches that we
>> find in ancient India.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>> >>>> INDOLOGY mailing list
>> >>>> [email protected] <mailto: [email protected]>
>> >>>>
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755272552000000&usg=AOvVaw1QtRjTI4rep5I5uL-h0RRI
>> <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology%26source%3Dgmail-imap%26ust%3D1755272552000000%26usg%3DAOvVaw1QtRjTI4rep5I5uL-h0RRI&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw3fz1RWVytvi4smqxB46DG5>
>>
>> >>> Prof. Raffaele Torella
>> >>> Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit
>> >>> Sapienza University of Rome
>> >>> wwwuniroma1.academia.edu/raffaeletorella <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wwwuniroma1.academia.edu/raffaeletorella&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw3K_OKJ53Gy3Ysk8uffozBB>
>>
>> >>>
>> >>> Fai crescere le giovani ricercatrici e i giovani ricercatori
>> >>> con il 5 per mille alla Sapienza
>> >>> Scrivi il codice fiscale dell'Università 80209930587
>> >>> Cinque per mille <
>> https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.uniroma1.it/it/node/23149&source=gmail-imap&ust=1755283088000000&usg=AOvVaw1CEhjf5IZfH2jc6y70d0JI>
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > INDOLOGY mailing list
>> > [email protected]
>> > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
>>
>> --
>> **********************************************
>> Satyanad KICHENASSAMY
>> Professor of Mathematics
>> Laboratoire de Mathématiques de Reims (CNRS, UMR9008)
>> and GREI (EPHE-Paris and Sorbonne-Université)
>> Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne
>> F-51687 Reims Cedex 2
>> France
>> Web: https://www.normalesup.org/~kichenassamy
>> **********************************************
>>
>>
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