Why is it called ancient Greek?

The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the years 700-480 B.C., not the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.) known for its art, architecture and philosophy. Archaic Greece saw advances in art, poetry and technology, but is known as the age in which the polis, or city-state, was invented.

Why is Greek an important language?

Greek language is one of the oldest and most important languages in the world. Greek language was the mean for the ancient ideas to surpass the Roman ideology through the ages and become the prerequisite for the Byzantine civilization. …

Is ancient Greek language the same as Modern Greek?

Ancient Greek is an Indo-European language and a branch of the Greek language. Modern Greek is a newer version of Ancient Greek and other contemporary languages of the same nature. Originated somewhere between 19th and 16th century BC. It originated around 1453 AD.

What language is most closely related to Greek?

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European language family. The ancient language most closely related to it may be ancient Macedonian, which many scholars suggest may have been a dialect of Greek itself, but it is so poorly attested that it is difficult to conclude anything about it.

What is the importance of the Greek language in World History?

Greek language. The Greek language holds an important place in the history of the Western world and Christianity; the canon of ancient Greek literature includes works in the Western canon such as the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. Greek is also the language in which many of the foundational texts in science, especially astronomy,…

Is Greek a classical language?

Greek is the third oldest language in the world. Latin was the official language of the ancient Roman Empire and ancient Roman religion. It is currently the official language of the Roman Catholic Church and the official language of the Vatican City. Like Sanskrit, it is a classical language.

How many people in the world still speak Greek?

About 13 million people living in modern world Cyprus, Albania and Greece, and the Black Sea speak the ancient Greek language as their common language. Its long history makes Greek one of the oldest among the languages spoken in Europe. The first confirmed Mycenaean Greek runs back to 1450 BCE.