The inventing of the Greek alphabet was of the utmost importance to the Greeks because it helped better represent who the Greeks were. It helped facilitate many of the things that the Ancient Greeks are known for, such as philosophy, literature, and science. It also improved the way Greeks communicated with one another. The Greek alphabet likely influenced educational practices, and even could’ve been one of the first systems taught to schoolboys. These were all very important aspects to their society, and the Greek alphabet helped advance them.

So, how was the invention made? The Greeks took the Phoenecian (a relatively incomplete alphabet) and made it into their own. They then took some of the letters and turned them into vowels. Since prior alphabets had only included consonants, this was a completely new idea. 

The Greek alphabet had plenty of impact on other civilizations, but first, let’s get into how the Greek alphabet expanded. According to historical evidence, the Greek alphabet likely spread throughout mercantile cities that engaged in trade. This allowed for rapid transmissions of writing systems along these routes. This theory of diffusion is proven by neighboring cultures such as Lycians, Etruscans (and then Romans through the Etruscans), and Lydians, showing the influence beyond Greece. The Greek alphabet has also significantly impacted us directly, especially with the creation of vowels. The evolution of this alphabet is considered one of the greatest heritages left to us.

The Greek alphabet notably altered Greek culture and sociality, but I will start with how it impacted the culture. Although the Greek alphabet was originally created for practical purposes, it later strengthened Greek artistic and cultural expressions and the recording of Greek literature. Because of this, the Greek alphabet played a big part in the dissemination and preservation of Greek culture. The high level of language comprehensibility that came from the alphabet was facilitated by wandering poets, national religious festivals, and commerce, which influenced cultural identity among Greeks.

The Greek alphabet improved sociality among the ancient Greeks in many ways. The ability to write and record information strengthened social bonds and cultural traditions. One of these traditions was symposium, which is a gathering where the Greeks would eat meals together, have discussions, and share poetry and stories. Perhaps one of the most important things the Greek alphabet did for the ancient Greeks was get them out of a period of illiteracy, this was called the “Dark Age”.