Greek

“Classical Greek” refers mainly to the Greek dialect spoken in Athens in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE (Attic Greek). As such, Classical Greek was the language of the first great democratic state; eventually, it became the standard dialect that was read and studied for more than a thousand years down through the era of the Roman and Byzantine empires. After the Classical period, the Greek language continued to evolve, forming a standard common dialect (Koine Greek) that was used throughout the Hellenistic world of the eastern Mediterranean and beyond. This was the dialect used by the writers of the New Testament to make it accessible to the widest literate audience. The modern Greek language is its descendant, though greatly changed after more than a thousand years of linguistic development.