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Perseus 2.0

IMPORTANT: Currently the 4th disk is missing -- all data may not be available!
Note: This program works only on a Macintosh computer. Currently, it is installed on the iMac (the aqua colored Macintosh by the door).
There is an instruction manual that accompanies this program; if you need further assistance after reviewing this helpsheet, please ask an Etext staffer for the manual.

I. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE AND CONTENT:

Perseus is an enormous and extremely powerful database of materials relating to ancient Greece. It includes two-thirds of the surviving literture, up to the death of Alexander the Great, in Greek with English translation; the Liddell-Scott Intermediate Lexicon; a color atlas of the Greek world; articles on ancient authors and archaeology; an overview of Greek history from Homer to the death of Alexander the Great; and a 2600-entry bibliography. Perseus also contains a library of over 24,000 images, with information on 1420 vases, 366 sculptures, 384 buildings, 179 archaelogical sites, and 524 coins. The entire database, moreover, is searchable and capable of generating detailed morphological information relating to the ancient Greek language.

II. STARTING UP PERSEUS:

To run Perseus:

  • click on the CD ROM PROGRAMS folder icon
  • click on the Perseus 2.0 folder icon
  • click on the Local Stacks folder icon
  • click on the Perseus Player icon

If you don't see the icons, ask an Electronic Text Center staff member for assistance.
NOTE: The Perseus database files (over two gigabytes of information) are stored on four separate volumes labeled Perseus Disk 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the Macintosh desktop. Please do not attempt to access the Perseus database by opening these volumes or altering them in any way. Even slight changes to these files can render the program inoperable.

After a moment or two, the Perseus Gateway should appear on the desktop. From here, you can navigate to any part of the archive (by clicking once on any of the labeled icons). A smaller window, called the Navigator Palette, should also appear. This tool allows one to move quickly between cards within the database.

III. USING PERSEUS:

Perseus relies on Apple's Hypercard program for all of its database functions. One navigates through a Hypercard application by calling up "cards" which can be viewed and manipulated using a hypertext paradigm not unlike that used for navigating around the World Wide Web. As with any Macintosh program, most of the windows can be moved around and resized as needed.

The best way to start working with Perseus is to take one of the on-line tutorials. Perseus includes both a Novice and an Expert tutorial as well as specialized tours for Art/Archaeology and Philology. The tutorials assume no knowledge of the Perseus program (though the Expert tutorial jumps rather quickly into the more advanced features). To use the tutorials, click on the Paths icon in the Perseus Gateway and double-click on the tutorial of your choice. Perseus also comes with a written manual. Please ask an Etext Center staff member for assistance.

There is also an on-line "Quickguide" available at the LETRS (Library Electronic Text Resource Service) website.

Note: If you get lost, you can always return to the Perseus Gateway by clicking on the temple icon in the center of the Navigator Palette.

IV. EXITING AND REMOVING THE CD-ROM:

To exit Perseus, press [apple-Q] or select Quit Hypercard from the File pull-down menu at the top of the screen.