Combining the best features of traditional and modern methods, Athenaze provides a unique course of instruction that allows students to read connected Greek narrative from an early stage, and guides them to the point where they can read complete classical texts. There is a fictional narrative about an Attic farmer's family placed in precise historical context (432 BC). The narrative is interwoven with tales from mythology and the Persian Wars, and gradually gives way to extracts from Herodotus, Plato, and Thucydides. Each chapter includes a full explanation of new vocabulary and grammar, and an essay on relevant aspects of ancient Greek culture and history. Exercises in translation from English to Greek are integrated throughout.