Greece: Writing

Greece: Writing

What's the difference between a writing system that uses "pictographs" (like Near Eastern cuneiform or Egyptian hieroglyphs) and one that uses an alphabet? Which system do we use?

Greek Alphabet

Like us, the Greeks also used an alphabet. Around the 10th century BC, the Greeks borrowed and adapted the Phoenician alphabet to create a writing system for their own language. The Greek alphabet evolved over several centuries, and by the 5th century BC it used 24 letters - 17 consonants and 7 vowels. This alphabet turned out to work quite well. It was the source for the Latin alphabet (developed by the Romans) that we use today.

Stories from the Greeks

Euripides

Early examples of writing in Greece are works of literature. For example, the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey written by the 8th-century poet Homer. The ideas of Greek philosophers and historians were also written down.

Another group of Greek writers were the playwrights. They created dramas that were performed at the theater to honor the gods.

The Carlos Museum collection houses a large krater illustrated with characters from a tragic play by Euripides - Melanippe the Wise. The characters in the play are identified by inscriptions on the vase. Their names are placed next to them.

GREECE


What's the difference between a writing system that uses "pictographs" (like Near Eastern cuneiform or Egyptian hieroglyphs) and one that uses an alphabet? Which system do we use?



Like us, the Greeks also used an alphabet. Around the 10th century BC, the Greeks borrowed and adapted the Phoenician alphabet to create a writing system for their own language. The Greek alphabet evolved over several centuries, and by the 5th century BC it used 24 letters - 17 consonants and 7 vowels. This alphabet turned out to work quite well. It was the source for the Latin alphabet (developed by the Romans) that we use today.
Stories from the Greeks
Euripides	Early examples of writing in Greece are works of literature. For example, the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey written by the 8th-century poet Homer. The ideas of Greek philosophers and historians were also written down.
	Another group of Greek writers were the playwrights. They created dramas that were performed at the theater to honor the gods. The Carlos Museum collection houses a large krater illustrated with characters from a tragic play by Euripides - Melanippe the Wise. The characters in the play are identified by inscriptions on the vase. Their names are placed next to them.