Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Because the Romans conquered more lands. making it easier to spread thier influence?
Lots of complex answers and propositions here. I like simple explanations so I will extrapolate from Capt. Dan and say 'Roads' led to the dominance of Latin over Greek.
Roads are a primitive form of long distance communication. Sort of like cell phones or the internet but you can transport culture (language) on the backs of armies along them.
From what I know Alexander the great conquered much of the near east hellinizing every, Egyptian, Phoenician, Persian, bactrian and Jew that came under his domain. After Alexanders death his Greek generals divide up his empire which would be ruled by a Greek oligarch and aristocrates. Trade and commerece was done in Greek, the old testament was written in Greek after Hebrew aswell as the new testament later on. When the Romans got involved in the afffairs of the Greeks, little by little Rome conquered its land however kept Greek administrators to run day to day affairs of the near east. Not only that but learning Greek was an important language for Romans especiallly for religious activities and trade. Latin only picked up through two of Romes most important colonies Gail and hispania this is why both Spain and France speak the languages that derives from Latin aswell as being Roman Catholic and having italic physical features during Roman colonization. As for the Greeks? when westerner half of the Roman empire fell the Greek speaking half remained. Prophet Mohammed conquered all of the Greek speaking near east provinces and its peoples which was created by Alexander the great and absorbed by Rome but became under Arab/Muslim domination. Eastern Roman empire had poor leadership and pennyless from fighting Persia which made them weak mustervup a fight. If the eastern Roman empire had better leadership maybe the near east such as Syria, Egypt and Judea might have been Greek to this day. Latin prevailed. And created child languages. Also remember Christianity. Chiaroscuro is Greek for Messiah. Many Greeks abandoned Zeus for Jesus. Many followers of that religion spoke Greek and not Latin.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
