Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks

Language, Alphabet, and Literacy 63
ing the Roman Empire and later during the Middle Ages, first onto
papyrus and subsequently onto parchment. Even so, merely a fraction
of the total output of antiquity has survived. To give just one
example of the scale of the loss, we have only 7 of a total of 123
plays written by Sophokles—the ones that had been selected as set
books for study probably around c.e. 200.
Making Connections
You are a Greek trader who encounters Phoenician writing
for the first time at a seaport. You engage a Phoenician in
conversation (each of you speaks enough of the other’s language
to make yourself intelligible) and ask him to explain
how the letters function. You then return home to your village and
recount to your friends what you have learned. A lively conversation
ensues, as you and your friends discuss the many ways in which writing
could change your lives.