From its earliest beginnings to the modern period, Greek has been in continuous use for over 3,000 years.
Ancient Greek was a member of the large family of Indo-European languages, all descended from the lost ancestral tongue of prehistoric Eurasians.
The focus of this course is Attic Greek, which was the dialect used in and around Athens during the classical period (roughly the fifth and fourth centuries BCE). Other dialects included Doric and Aeolic.
Though vestiges survive today, ancient Greek is technically a dead language. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of modern students, it lives on. |