Koine Greek (UK English , US English , or ; from Koine Greek , "the common dialect"), also known as
Alexandrian dialect,
common Attic or
Hellenistic Greek (
Modern Greek , "Hellenistic Koiné", in the sense of "Hellenistic
supraregional language"), was the
common supra-regional form of
Greek spoken and written during
Hellenistic and
Roman antiquity. It developed through the spread of Greek following the conquests of
Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, and served as the common
lingua franca of much of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East during the following centuries. It was based mainly on
Attic and related
Ionic speech forms, with various admixtures brought about through
dialect levelling with other varieties.