If the Romans conquered all of Europe, where would the dividing line between Latin and Greek be?

Let's say that the Romans conquered up to the northern tip of Scandinavia, as difficult as that is.

Where would the dividing line between Roman-speaking Latin-speaking provinces and Greek-speaking provinces be?
 
Let's say that the Romans conquered up to the northern tip of Scandinavia, as difficult as that is.

Where would the dividing line between Roman-speaking Latin-speaking provinces and Greek-speaking provinces be?
Honestly it's not just difficult, it's outright borderline impossible to have Rome conquer all of Europe within the life cycle of a unified Roman state(as it would take more than half a millennia), but I imagine that with exapnded borders Greek would tend to dominate the Black Sea region(Crimea, lower Don and Dnieper valley) and Latin would dominate all of Europe west and north of the Carpathians.
 

Skallagrim

Banned
Honestly it's not just difficult, it's outright borderline impossible to have Rome conquer all of Europe within the life cycle of a unified Roman state(as it would take more than half a millennia), but I imagine that with exapnded borders Greek would tend to dominate the Black Sea region(Crimea, lower Don and Dnieper valley) and Latin would dominate all of Europe west and north of the Carpathians.

laser-eyed-spengler.png


Your observation has pleased the great and mighty Spengler.


More seriously, though: it is indeed extremely unlikely that any Empire could stay together for the period of time that would be needed for Rome to get to cover that size. The best scenario I can imagine is one where Rome does do better, but ultimately still falls apart, and later gets re-united tue to the stronger legacy of its first 'incarnation'. If we combine greater scientific/technological progress with the greater general development of the "First Roman Empire", then it becomes vaguely possible to imagine a later "Second Roman Empire" that becomes technologically advanced enough to conquer its way into Northern Europe (which would also be more economically sensible, due to more advanced agricultural tech making the North more exploitable).

In such a scenario, however, almost nothing can be said for certain about the linguistic situation.
 
View attachment 431937

Your observation has pleased the great and mighty Spengler.


More seriously, though: it is indeed extremely unlikely that any Empire could stay together for the period of time that would be needed for Rome to get to cover that size. The best scenario I can imagine is one where Rome does do better, but ultimately still falls apart, and later gets re-united tue to the stronger legacy of its first 'incarnation'. If we combine greater scientific/technological progress with the greater general development of the "First Roman Empire", then it becomes vaguely possible to imagine a later "Second Roman Empire" that becomes technologically advanced enough to conquer its way into Northern Europe (which would also be more economically sensible, due to more advanced agricultural tech making the North more exploitable).

In such a scenario, however, almost nothing can be said for certain about the linguistic situation.
If Majorian lived longer and scraped together the remnants of the Western Roman Empire, causing the restored Late Roman Empire to "blend" directly into what would be the Merovingian and Carolingian eras, perhaps that would be a start. It would basically be a new state formation. Christianization of pagan kingdoms, de facto realignment into a western diplomatic and economic system, can serve as preludes to their conquest by a unified Roman state. Earlier spread of the mouldboard plough could also stabilize the steppe, although this would be a coincidental and unrelated process.
 
"All of Europe" as in to where? The Urals? The Don river? Does this Empire include the historically Roman parts of the Middle East? Egypt?
The latter point is relevant because it entails a huge area where Greek was at least the dominant language of prestige, writing and formal culture, even if not always the dominant everyday spoken language. In a state limited to Europe, Greek would peripheral and minoritary and would likely lose ground despite its cultural prestige.
Where is the capital of this Empire? Probably not Rome in the end, but it's still Constantinople? Or, say, for example, Milan, or Trier, or Vienna (all three would be Latinate). That would have an impact too.
Historically in Europe we have a rough line running across the Balkans rougly from Durres in modern Albania to Varna in modern Bulgaria; the conquest of the rest of the European landmass would then be done largely starting from "latinate" areas, except from expansion starting from the Cimmerian Bosphorus, where Greek was the main written language again.
 
"All of Europe" as in to where? The Urals? The Don river? Does this Empire include the historically Roman parts of the Middle East? Egypt?
The latter point is relevant because it entails a huge area where Greek was at least the dominant language of prestige, writing and formal culture, even if not always the dominant everyday spoken language. In a state limited to Europe, Greek would peripheral and minoritary and would likely lose ground despite its cultural prestige.
Europe to the Urals and north of the Caucasus Mountains. Keeping the historically Roman parts of the Middle East is preferred, but not required for this empire.
Where is the capital of this Empire? Probably not Rome in the end, but it's still Constantinople? Or, say, for example, Milan, or Trier, or Vienna (all three would be Latinate). That would have an impact too.
Historically in Europe we have a rough line running across the Balkans rougly from Durres in modern Albania to Varna in modern Bulgaria; the conquest of the rest of the European landmass would then be done largely starting from "latinate" areas, except from expansion starting from the Cimmerian Bosphorus, where Greek was the main written language again.
The capital could be anywhere. I agree that it might not be Rome. It could be Constantinople but it seems difficult to control all of Europe from Constantinople. A Latinate city along the Rhine seems fitting for some reason.

Dacia already became Latinate, but maybe a more extensive Roman expansion into Europe would also necessitate bringing Greeks up the Danube to establish urban settlements? Arguably, Greek expanded culturally into Russia and Ukraine IOTL through the Byzantine influence on Kievan Rus', as well as in Bulgaria, though the language never stuck.
 
Top