The Cambridge Greek Lexicon 2 Volume Hardback Set

Book Preface

This Lexicon owes its origin, and much of its method, to Dr John Chadwick (1920-98), a pioneer in the study of Linear B with a lifelong interest in lexicography extending from his service on the staff of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1946-52) to the publication of Lexicographica Graeca: Contributions to the Lexicography of Ancient Greek in 1996.
In 1997 Dr Chadwick proposed to The Faculty Board of Classics in Cambridge that it should oversee a project to revise the Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon ofH. G. Liddell and R. Scott. This Lexicon was published in 1889 and has remained continuously in print, but, unlike its parent, the Greek-English Lexicon (first published in 1843 ), has never been revised.
The Faculty Board formally established the Greek Lexicon Project in 1998, with financial support from John Chadwick and other sources. It appointed a Management Committee, under the chairmanship of Professor Pat Easterling, and an Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of Professor James Diggle. Dr Anne Thompson, who had worked as assistant to Dr Peter Glare, Editor of the Revised Supplement to the Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell-Scott-Jones (LSJ), and had greatly assisted John Chadwick in formulating plans for the project and in securing support both at home and abroad, was appointed as the Lexicon’s first editor.

It was hoped that the project might be completed within five years. However, it soon became clear that the plan, as originally conceived, was problematic. The Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon was antiquated in concept and in detail, and required more than revision. Following John Chadwick’s unexpected death, The Faculty Board of Classics accepted a proposal by the Management Committee to widen the scope of the project, and to compile a new and independent Lexicon. This would still be of intermediate size and designed primarily to meet the needs of modern students, but it would also be designed to be of interest to scholars, in so far as it would be based upon a fresh reading of the Greek texts, and on principles differing from those of LSJ.

Additional staff were needed. In addition to Dr Thompson ( who continued working on the project until 2016), the following have served as members of the writing and editorial team: Dr Bruce Fraser (2000-16), Dr Oliver Simkin (2004-10 and 2014-16), Dr Patrick James (2007-16) and Mr Simon Westripp (2014-20). Professor Diggle, who from the outset had taken on the task of reading and commenting on all the draft entries as they were produced, soon took on the additional task of writing entries himself, and then assumed chief editorial responsibility.
Detailed description of the format of entries, texts covered and editions used, together with other technical matter, is given after this Preface. A brief description of the purpose and scope of the Lexicon is given here.
The coverage of the Lexicon extends from Homer to the early second century AD ( ending with Plutarch’s Lives). Most of the major authors who fall within that period are included. Some selection was necessary for reasons of space and ?he availability of time. Entries are organised not primarily according to chronological or grammatical criteria, but according to meaning, with a view to showing (where it is relevant) the developing senses of words and the relationships between those senses. For some longer entries ( especially verbs), an introductory summary indicates the reasoning behind the grouping or sequence of sections. Where necessary, explanatory definitional phrases are given, in addition to translations. Other explanatory or contextual material is also included, so as to indicate he typical circumstances in which a word may be used. Liberal use is made of cross-references (of the type ‘d:\ov (aor.2): see alpiw’). Quotations, when they are given, are always translated. Translations are given in contemporary English.

The attestation of a word or sense is indicated by author abbreviations, not by citation of precise references to specific passages. Nor, for the most part, are Greek quotations given. The omission of such citations and quotations allows room for the inclusion of a great deal of additional material, in particular for fuller description of meanings and for illustration of usage in a wider range of passages. Citation of specific passages, especially if they are not translated, can be unhelpful to the learner, and, by their very selectivity, are in danger of giving a partial or distorted picture.
Reading of the texts afresh would not have been possible without the aid of computer technology. Professor Jeffrey Rydberg-Cox of the Perseus Digital Library created an electronic database containing the corpus of texts to be covered, with each word in its context and matched with an accompanying translation. This was an invaluable resource in the first years, to be succeeded in time by the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae when that became fully lemmatised and available online. In addition, Dr Fraser created a tagging system in XML (Extensible Markup Language) which was tailor-made to suit the distinctive style of the Lexicon’s entries. This gave each entry, as it was composed, the shape which it would have on the printed page, and ensured a precise regularity of structure in individual entries as well as a coherence of methodology throughout.

Over the years since the project began a very large number of individuals and institutions have provided support, both practical and financial. An especial debt of gratitude is owed to The Faculty Board of Classics, which was called upon to make a financial commitment far exceeding expectation. The Board, and its successive Chairs, showed unfailing confidence in the project and great patience in the face of delays. Thanks are especially owed to Professor Malcolm Schofield, under whose chairmanship the project was established, and who has continued to take a close interest in its progress, and to Professor Pat Easterling, who steered the project with prudence and dedication through many difficult challenges for more than a decade. Professor Richard Hunter, her successor as Chairman of the Management Committee, kept the project on course with equal skill. Ms Pauline Hire, as project co-ordinator for the Press, worked far beyond her brief. Of those who have given academic help, especial thanks are owed to Dr Robert Crellin for his work on a specific section of entries. Of individual benefactors, Mr Brian Buckley has been generous to a surpassing degree. The project has been very fortunate in its institutional benefactors, and particular thanks are due to The Arts and Humanities Research Council and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The continued support of the Classical Association, throughout the length of the project, is also deeply appreciated.

Thanks for support, advice and help of practical kinds are owed to: Professor Paul Cartledge, Professor James Clackson (third Chairman of the Management Committee), Professor Gregory Crane, Professor Coulter George, Dr Peter Jones, Professor John Killen, Mr Gerry Leonidas (for the typographic design), Professor Stephen Oakley (fourth and final Chairman of the Management Committee), Oxford University Press, and in particular Ms Vivian Marr (for support and advice in the early stages), Professor Maria Pantelia and the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, RefineCatch Limited (of Bungay, Suffolk, for exemplary efficiency and despatch in typesetting), and Professor Jeffrey Rydberg-Cox and the Perseus Digital Library. The support of the Classics Faculty Library, Cambridge, and its Librarian, Ms Lyn Bailey, is greatly appreciated. At Cambridge University Press, thanks are owed to Mr Richard Fisher and Dr Michael Sharp for their encouragement and patience, and, for technical help, to Mr Chris Hamilton-Emery, Dr Caroline Murray, Ms Christina Sarigiannidou and Ms Sarah Starkey. Throughout the whole period of the composition of the Lexicon, preliminary proofs were read (and more than proof-read) by Mr Anthony Bowen, Mr John Easterling, Dr Ralph Hawtrey, Ms Pauline Hire and Dr Neil Hopkinson. Final proofs were read by Mr Henry Maas, as reader for the Press. In the very early days several students and postgraduates helped in the sorting (and sometimes the drafting) of material, and thereby gained (as was hoped) some useful experience of lexicography; grateful acknowledgement for this is owed to Ms Vassiliki Afentoulidou, Dr Toni Badnall, Dr David Butterfield, Dr Amy Coker, Mr Toby Hudson, Mr Ben Norris, Ms Artemis Papakostouli, Dr Antonia Ruppel and Mr John Shinkwin, as well as to Dr Robert Crellin, Dr Patrick James and Mr Simon Westripp, who later became members of the writing team.

Warmest gratitude for financial and material support is owed to the following individual benefactors: Mr Maurice Balme, Mr Lawrence Banks (in memory of Margaret Alford), Mr Robert Bass, Mr R. Bostock, Mr Brian Buckley, Dr John Chadwick, Mr Gifford Combs, Professor Elaine Fantham, Mr Graham Guest, Mr Philip Hooker, Dr John Kemp, Mr and Mrs Graham Kentfield, Sir Jeremy Morse, Mrs Tessa Smith, Mrs Mary Stigant, Mr Bill Walker, and anonymous donors.
In addition to the many generous supporters mentioned above, the following institutions are also gratefully acknowledged: Brill Academic Publishers; The Cambridge Philological Society; The J. F. Costopoulos Foundation; Duckworth Publishers; The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation; The European Commission Information Society Technologies Program; The Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford; Friends of Classics; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; The Grace Trust; The Greek Ministry of Education; The Hellenic Foundation; The Hellenic Foundation for Culture; The Institute of Classical Studies, University of London; The Isaac Newton Trust; JACT Publications (Greek Project); The Jowett Copyright Trustees, University of Oxford; The A G. Leventis Foundation; The Loeb Classical Library Foundation and Harvard University Press; The Mercers’ Company; Oxbow Books; The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies; The Stavros Niarchos Foundation; and Trinity College, Cambridge.