9th February International Greek Language Day

International Greek Language Day was proclaimed in 2017. This celebration is in recognition of the Greek language, and for its contribution to modern culture. The date was chosen to commemorate the Greek National Poet, Dionysios Solomos. He is best known for writing the Hymn to Liberty, which was then arranged to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros and evolved to become the Greek and Cypriot national anthem in 1865 and 1966, respectively. 

I have researched the catalogue for books about Italy and France before, so this day is a good excuse to do Greece. Did you know that Greek has also influenced languages, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy? In the English-speaking world, it’s impossible to go a day without coming across at least one word of Greek origin. Here's but a few: marathon, cynic, dinosaur, galaxy, alphabet, echo, democracy, melancholy, phobia, sarcasm... and best of all music which literally means art of the Muses, the nine Greek goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences.

As well as learning about the country, it is easy to use books to learn about its history, its famous people, its mythology and folklore.

The list of famous mathematicians, scientists, philosophers and storytellers is long, but not all of them can be accessed via books for very young children. Here's what the library can offer:

Alexander the Great (356 BC to 323BC) is most known for his unparalleled military genius, conquering the vast Persian Empire and creating one of the largest ancient empires, stretching from Greece to India, and for spreading the Greek culture.

Archimedes (287 BC to 212BC) is well known for his inventions and scientific discoveries. The most famous of these were the Archimedes' Screw (a device for raising water that is still used in crop irrigation and sewage treatment plants today) and Archimedes' principle of buoyancy.

Eratosthenes (died 192BC) became the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria. His work was the precursor to the modern discipline of geography. He is best remembered as the first known person to calculate the Earth's circumference. He was also the first to calculate Earth's axial tilt, and he created the first global projection of the world. 

Pythagoras  was credited with mathematical and scientific discoveries, such as the Pythagorean Theorem, the five Platonic solids, the sphericity of the Earth,  and the division of the globe into five climactic zones.

Aesop was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. The library has picture book versions of single fables eg The Hare and the Tortoise; The Lion and the Mouse; and The Ant and the Grasshopper as well as several anthologies, the best being this one:

Homer was an ancient Greek poet  who is widely credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of  ancient Greek literature.

These stories by Homer, lead into all the versions of the Greek myths that exist in school libraries. My students love reading the myths and we have a good range, from quite simple retellings of single stories to longer, more complicated anthologies which include many stories.

The First Greek Myths  by Saviour Pirotta has ten books.

Orchard Greek Myths by Geraldine McCaughrean and Tony Ross. This series has 16 books.

Greek Beasts and Heroes by Lucy Coats

12 bright 80-page paperbacks for children aged 5-8, with full-colour illustrations.

This book is popular because it has a page for each god or goddess explaining who they are and where they fit in and then these are three good anthologies.

As well look for books about Ancient Greece, the Ancient Olympics, Greek folktales and stories set in Greece.