For 800 to 1,000 years, the language we call ancient Greek was the lingua franca of the Mediterranean world and parts of the Middle East, including much of Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), and even points eastward into modern Iran and Afghanistan. This period saw the rise of many great military and social powers, including Greece, Rome, Persia, and the successors to classical Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The New Testament was written in this language, specifically, in the dialect of ancient Greek called Koinê. A few parts of the New Testament may have originated in Aramaic or even Hebrew, but which parts is a question still uncertain. All ancient texts of the New Testament that exist in Aramaic are demonstrably translations from Greek texts.

One of the great fonts of Western literature and Western thinking in general is ancient Greek literature and civilization, augmented by its heir, Latin literature and Roman civilization. The epic and the adventure story find their oldest forms in the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to Homer, and in another great source of modern literature, the Hebrew Bible. Many forms of modern literature, including most television and movies, have grown exclusively from ancient Greek drama, a literary form dominated for 2,500 years by the earliest playwrights from Athens and effectively absent from the Bible.

Ancient Greek differs from English markedly in structure, vocabulary, and social perspective. Though it can be daunting, the conquest of this language is ultimately a rewarding effort. I've taught and tutored many students, both in the classroom and electronically, and I'm willing to accommodate you if you're interested.