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The Greek Alphabet
The Greek Alphabet
Introduction
The letters in the alphabet presented below are used for printed Ancient Greek texts. The
earliest Greek texts that have survived were written with a radically different script
called Linear B.
For a detailed and wonderfully well argued discussion of the origins of the Greek alphabet,
see Roger D. Woodard’s book, Greek Writing from Knossos to Homer.
Pronunciation
For a discussion of the pronunciation suggestions given here and an explanation of why the
Erasmian pronunciation is not included, see below.
In Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet, Barry Powell has
written a provocative book asserting that the Greek alphabet was designed intentionally for
recording the works of Homer. While Powell shows a thorough knowledge of the available
evidence, his proposal still rests on assumptions that cannot be fully tested.