Why did the Greeks never accept Latin as their language? Throughout Roman rule, the vast majority of Greeks never bothered to learn Latin, and the Romans
I will let Galen of Pergamon explain how the Greeksbelieved their language was superior: “Greek is the most pleasant language and the most fitting for humans. If you observe the words used by other peoples in their languages, you will see that some closely resemble the wailing of pigs, others the sound of frogs, others the call of the woodpecker.” Not only did he love his own language, he saw others as lesser.
It is safe to assume many Greeks shared that world-view. Galen was one of the most influential ancient physicians in history. I don’t think he was alone in his sentiment. While many groups, particularly in Western Europe, adopted Latin during the centuries after the Roman conquests, the Hellenistic world never did. They believed their language outranked Latin. Even when the Greeks adopted Roman identity instead of calling themselves Hellenes, they still spoke Greek language. Roman admiration for Greek put no pressure on them to change their language either. They might call themselves Roman instead of Hellenic by name, but abandoning the Hellenic language – no way!
Source:
The Children of Athena: Greek Intellectuals in the Age of Rome: 150 BC-400 AD by Charles Freeman
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