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How did the Greek language develop from Ancient Greek to Modern Greek?

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Thematic map of Eurasia showing the approximate geographic distribution of Indo-European language families, each represented by a different color. Areas include Celtic in western Europe, Germanic in northern and central Europe, Romance in southwestern Europe, Slavic in eastern Europe and Russia, and Indo-Iranian languages in South Asia. Non-Indo-European language regions and areas of common bilingualism are also indicated. — Greek language Approximate locations of Indo-European languages in contemporary Eurasia.

The evolution of the Greek language from its ancient roots to its modern form is a process spanning 34 centuries, characterized by significant phonological, morphological, and sociolinguistic shifts.1

From Ancient Greek to Koine

Following the Classical period, the Koine emerged as a common, shared variety of Greek during the Hellenistic and Roman empires. Based primarily on the Attic Greek dialect, it simplified complex structures to facilitate communication across the eastern Mediterranean.21

The Byzantine Phase and Diglossy

During the Byzantine Empire, a state of diglossy emerged: a formal, archaizing style (Byzantine Greek) was used for administration and literature, while the spoken language continued to evolve independently. This period saw the loss of the ancient pitch accent in favor of dynamic stress and the simplification of the vowel system. Grammatically, the dative case fell out of use, and the infinitive was replaced by periphrastic constructions.345

Modern Development

After Greek independence, a tension existed between the vernacular Demotic Greek and the artificial, purist Katharevusa. Following the 1976 government reforms, these varieties merged into Standard Modern Greek, which serves as the official language today.67