Category:Ἑλληνική

Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around the 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (ca.1500/1400-1200 BC), Dark Ages (1200-800 BC), the Archaic period (c. 800-500 BC), Classical period (c. 500-300 BC). Ancient Greek was the language of Homer and of fifth-century Athenian historians, playwrights, and philosophers. It has contributed many words to English vocabulary and has been a standard subject of study in educational institutions of the Western world since the Renaissance. This article primarily contains information about the Epic and Classical periods of the language.

From the Hellenicstic Era (c. 300 BC) Ancient Greek was followed by Koine Greek which is regarded as a separate historical stage although its earliest form closely resembles Attic Greek and its latest form approaches Medieval Greek. There were several regional dialects of ancient Greek, of which Attic Greek developed into Koine.