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Finding and Creating Greek Text

Finding Greek text

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (TLG) is a research center at the University of California, Irvine. Founded in 1972, the TLG has collected and digitized most literary texts written in Greek from Homer to the fall of Byzantium in AD 1453. Its goal is to create a comprehensive digital library of Greek literature from antiquity to the present era.

A representative selection of these works is available freely on the web in an abridged version of the TLG.

Abridged TLG

To copy and manipulate these texts:

1. Select your author and text.
2. Select -Unicode- as the Greek display option, when prompted.
3. Select -Browse- to page through the text.
4. Copy and paste whatever text you choose.

Creating Greek text

You should be able to paste your copied Greek text into several different types of documents. It should display correctly. However, in order to annotate, edit, or create additional text in Greek, you will also need to follow the next two steps.

Athena Unicode is a preferable font that will correctly display Polytonic Greek, including all diacritical marks. The TrueType font is distributed by the American Philological Association, and is made available to all as freeware. It should work with Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Download the latest version of the font:

New Athena Unicode

Then follow the simple installation directions in the -About- file, included in the download. You should now be able to select the font as an option from Microsoft Word and other word processing programs.

New Athena Unicode will render the Greek text you create in a preferable font, but you must also enable your keyboard to create the actual Greek characters, as well.

Newer editions of Windows (XP+) and OS X (10.4+) natively support Greek character input. There is no additional download necessary, just a small configuration in the Control Panel/System Preferences.

Windows Configuration

1. Start -> Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options
2. Languages tab -> Details
3. Add -> Greek (Keyboard Layout: Greek Polytonic)
4. OK -> OK -> OK

You should now have a permanent option in your taskbar to select between English and Polytonic Greek input. This allows you to type simple Greek in most programs. Remember to also select the New Athena Unicode font when creating text in Microsoft Word or other word processing programs for the preferred Greek font.

You may wish to reference and/or print out this pdf schematic of how the Greek characters correspond to your keyboard, including how to create the various diacritical marks.

OS X Configuration

1. Apple Menu -> System Preferences -> International
2. Input Menu tab -> Greek Polytonic

You should now have a permanent option in the top right corner of the screen (the American flag) to select between English and Polytonic Greek input. This allows you to type simple Greek in most programs. Remember to also select the New Athena Unicode font when creating text in Microsoft Word or other word processing programs for the preferred Greek font.

You may wish to reference and/or print out this pdf schematic of how the Greek characters correspond to your keyboard, including how to create the various diacritical marks.

More Help

For additional help with the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, New Athena Unicode, or enabling Greek character input on Windows or OS X, please contact: Research Librarian, Elliot Brandow

This page is maintained by Library. Last updated on 4/1/08.
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