Classical
Greek (sometimes referred to as Attic Greek), which was the dominant dialect
of classical Greek) is the form of Greek used in the period commonly referred
to as the classical period or the Golden Age of Greek culture. It is the form
of Greek spoken before the Greeks are unified into the powerful Mediterranean
empire under Philip of Macedonia and Alexander, his son. That empire survived
for about three hundred years), and it took seriously a task of spreading Greek
culture widely throughout the Mediterranean. The language used in this was Greek,
but it was tailored (and simplified) for use by non-native speakers. This came
to be called the koine and the period of its use was called the Hellenistic
period. At times during the Hellenistic period, authors tried to mimic the more
literary classical Greek.