page_title: Languages of the Roman Empire
section_title: Christian communities
hierarchical_section_title: Languages of the Roman Empire / Geographical distribution / Christian communities
caption_attribution_description: English: Funerary stele of Licinia Amias, one of the most ancient Christian inscriptions. Upper tier: dedication to the Dis Manibus and Christian motto in Greek letters ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ / Ikhthus zōntōn ("fish of the living"); middle tier: depiction of fish and an anchor; lower tier: Latin inscription “LICINIAE AMIATI BE/NEMERENTI VIXIT” ("Licinia Amias well-deserving lived ..."). Marble, early 3rd century CE. From the area of the Vatican necropolis, Rome. Español: Estela funeraria de mármol de Licinia Amia, del siglo III, procedente del entorno de la necrópolis Vaticana una de las más antiguas inscripciones cristianas; por debajo de la dedicatoria a los dioses manes aparece una fórmula cristiana en griego con las letras ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ/ Ikhthus zōntōn (pez de los que viven), correspondiendo a la inscripción AE 1997, 166 = AE 1999, 247 = AE 2000, 186, cuyo texto dice: D(iis) M(anibus)/ ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ/ LICINIAE AMIATI BE/NEMERENTI VIXIT/------. Français&#160;: Stèle funéraire de Licinia Amias, l'une des plus anciennes inscriptions chrétiennes. Registre supérieur&#160;: dédicace aux Dis Manibus et formule chrétienne écrite en grec&#160;: ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ / Ikhthus zôntôn («&#160;poisson des vivants&#160;»)&#160;; registre du milieu&#160;: représentation de deux poissons et d'une ancre&#160;; registre inférieur&#160;: inscription latine «&#160;LICINIAE AMIATI BE/ NE MERENTI VIXIT&#160;». Marbre, début du IIIe siècle ap. J.-C. Provenance&#160;: environs de la nécropole du Vatican, Rome.
context_page_description: Latin and Greek were the official languages of the Roman Empire, but other languages were important regionally. Latin was the original language of the Romans and remained the language of imperial administration, legislation, and the military throughout the classical period. In the West, it became the lingua franca and came to be used for even local administration of the cities including the law courts. After all freeborn inhabitants of the Empire were universally enfranchised in 212 AD, a great number of Roman citizens would have lacked Latin, though they were expected to acquire at least a token knowledge, and Latin remained a marker of "Romanness".
  Koine Greek had become a shared language around the eastern Mediterranean and diplomatic communications in the East, even beyond the borders of the Empire. The international use of Greek was one condition that enabled the spread of Christianity, as indicated for example by the choice of Greek as the language of the New Testament in the Bible and its use for the ecumenical councils of the Christian Roman Empire rather than Latin.
context_section_description: The Epistle to Diognetus states that language was not a determining factor in Christian identity; Christians might speak any language. By late antiquity, at least some Christian literature had been created for virtually every language in regular use throughout the Empire.
  The international use of Greek was one factor enabling the spread of Christianity, as indicated for example by the use of Greek for the Epistles of Paul. Constantine, the first emperor to actively support Christianity, presumably knew some Greek, but Latin was spoken in his court, and he used an interpreter to address Greek-speaking bishops at the Council of Nicaea. In the Christian Latin West, Greek became associated with "paganism" and regarded as a foreign language (lingua peregrina). Saint Augustine confessed that he loathed Greek and found it hard to learn. By late antiquity, however, it was possible to speak Greek as a primary language while not conceiving of oneself as a "Hellene" in matters of religion and culture. In the first half of the 5th century, Greek was the standard language in which bishops communicated, and the Acta Conciliorum ("Acts of the Church Councils") were recorded originally in Greek and then translated into Latin, Syriac, or Coptic. During this period, Latin played only a subordinate role in the ecumenical councils, as did representatives from the Western empire. Although traditionally Armenian is regarded as having been established as a Christian language by this time, it does not appear in the Acta. There are hints that Coptic might be spoken at the councils, but no secure record. On-the-spot translation into Greek was available for the participant who used his own language, including some who are referred to as "Arabs", "Saracens" or "Ishmaelites". Christian content has been found in a few Arabic inscriptions from the 6th century.
caption: This funerary stele (3rd century) is among the earliest Christian inscriptions: the abbreviation D.M. at the top refers to the Di Manes, the old Roman spirits of the dead, but accompanies Christian anchor and  fish symbolism expressed by the Greek phrase "Fish of the Living", followed by the deceased's epitaph in Latin[162]
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