"But what if someone sees beauty itself, pure, unalloyed, untainted, not polluted by human flesh or colors or any other great nonsense of mortality?" — Plato, "Symposium", 211d-e
Dilay, I noticed that you use both Kione (am I spelling this correctly?) and Attic Greek, could you help me understand how these two relate to each other?
That is a wonderful question and a brilliant observation! You are quite correct—Koine Greek, pronounced “koy-nay.”
Attic Greek is the language of the Athenian golden age, refined and exquisite, the tongue of Sophocles, Thucydides, and Plato. It is a language of precision and intellectual rigor, demanding discipline from those who dare to approach it.
Koine, by contrast, is the language of the everyman—a practical evolution that emerged as Alexander’s empire sprawled across the known world. It shed much of the complexity and refinement of Attic Greek, making it more accessible, more utilitarian, though, dare I say, less beautiful. It is the Greek of the New Testament, of markets and negotiations, whereas Attic is the Greek of philosophy and tragedy.
The two are not so different, one might notice differences in vocabulary, grammar, and stylistic simplicity. However; Koine is, in many ways, the child of Attic, it evolved from Attic Greek. To learn one is to possess the key to unlocking the other.
Thank you for asking Monique! It has been some time since anyone has asked about Greek—a rare pleasure, I assure you.
This is lovely, thank you! I’m making a timeline notebook this year as I try to better understand Ancient Greece and her philosophers and I’m printing this to add to it ☺️
Dilay, I noticed that you use both Kione (am I spelling this correctly?) and Attic Greek, could you help me understand how these two relate to each other?
That is a wonderful question and a brilliant observation! You are quite correct—Koine Greek, pronounced “koy-nay.”
Attic Greek is the language of the Athenian golden age, refined and exquisite, the tongue of Sophocles, Thucydides, and Plato. It is a language of precision and intellectual rigor, demanding discipline from those who dare to approach it.
Koine, by contrast, is the language of the everyman—a practical evolution that emerged as Alexander’s empire sprawled across the known world. It shed much of the complexity and refinement of Attic Greek, making it more accessible, more utilitarian, though, dare I say, less beautiful. It is the Greek of the New Testament, of markets and negotiations, whereas Attic is the Greek of philosophy and tragedy.
The two are not so different, one might notice differences in vocabulary, grammar, and stylistic simplicity. However; Koine is, in many ways, the child of Attic, it evolved from Attic Greek. To learn one is to possess the key to unlocking the other.
Thank you for asking Monique! It has been some time since anyone has asked about Greek—a rare pleasure, I assure you.
This is lovely, thank you! I’m making a timeline notebook this year as I try to better understand Ancient Greece and her philosophers and I’m printing this to add to it ☺️
I'm in LOVE with this idea! (★‿★) If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best to answer them carefully.
Oh, thank you! I will most definitely take you up on it! There’s so much that is still very abstract for me right now 😅