CLST 101 Lecture Notes - Cartonnage, Logos, Boustrophedon
26 Nov 2012
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Document Summary
800-750 bce introduction of greek alphabet (after the dark ages following the fall of troy) Each letter indicated by sign, not mycenaean syllabic letters. Adapted vowels; before only consonants were written. Origin of alphabet comes from first two letters, alpha and beta. Used some letters of the alphabet in different ways for different dialects. By middle of 4th century bc, it became the common classical greek alphabet used by all greeks. Wrote from right to left or left to right. Changed orientation of letters based on direction of writing. 403 b. c athens adopted the ionic alphabet (used first in miletos/asia minor) Each line could be different than others boustrophedon. First texts in greek were texts of poetry/verses. Nestors cup proof of widespread epics has writing which references the iliad in 8th century. Copies of epics preserved because they were heavily copied in schools. Written on papyrus, re-used in cartonnage (layers of papyrus and plaster) in mummification.
