Why did the Byzantine empire speak Greek instead of Latin?

Originally Answered: Why does the Eastern Roman Empire speak Greek instead of their traditional language, the Latin? Because it was not their traditional language. In the Roman Empire many cultures coexisted, the Eastern Roman empire or Byzantium was Hellenic, Greek. It was a Greek state, not a Latin civilisation.

When did Rome adopt Greek language?

As Roman aristocrats encountered Greeks in southern Italy and in the East in the 3rd century, they learned to speak and write in Greek. Scipio Africanus and Flamininus, for example, are known to have corresponded in Greek. By the late republic it became standard for senators to be bilingual.

Why had Latin and Greek languages been used in administration?

Answer: Latin and Greek were the official languages of the Roman Empire, but other languages were important regionally. Latin was the original language of the Romans and remained the language of imperial administration, legislation, and the military throughout the classical period.

How did Latin develop?

Latin evolved from the Etruscan, Greek, and Phoenician alphabets. It was widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire. Q: How did Latin evolve into Italian? Italy became a unified nation in 1861, but only a small portion of the population spoke Italian.

When did the Romans start speaking Latin and Greek?

The Romans began speaking Latin. After the conquest of Alexander the Great, Greek became a “lingua franca” in the extensive territories of his conquests, though Rome wasn’t much affected by this. Rome proceeded to conquer Greece and surrounding territories: Greek was studied and spoken as a language…

Why did the Roman Empire change from Latin to Greek?

The Roman emperor Heraclius in the early 7th century changed the empire’s official language from Latin to Greek. As the eastern half of the Mediterranean has always been predominantly Greek, the eastern half of the Roman Empire gradually became Hellenized following the fall of the Latin western half.

What was the official language of the Eastern Roman Empire?

Eventually, Latin seems to regain prominence in Rome itself, while Greek becomes the language of the Eastern Roman Empire. This collection of loose “facts” lacks cohesion in my mind.

What language did the Romans speak in medieval times?

The Latin language of the Romans evolved into the Romance languages of the medieval and modern world, while Medieval Greek became the language of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Empire’s adoption of Christianity led to the formation of medieval Christendom.