Even today, for me today, being able to read Aristotle, Homer and Euripedes in their language would be slightly more useful than being able speak to Greek local

Even today, for me today, being able to read Aristotle, Homer and Euripedes in their language would be slightly more useful than being able speak to Greek locals on some hypothetical holiday. But learning a language is a big deal, and I don't think that either one is really worth it for anyone who isn't a student. Though if I lived in Greece, that's a different matter.