ANCIENT GREEK
NUMERALS
Convert numbers to ancient Greek numerals using the Ionic alphabetic system. Discover how the Greeks represented numbers using their alphabet.
EXAMPLES
1α'
Alpha (1)
23κγ'
Kappa-Gamma (20+3)
365τξε'
Tau-Xi-Epsilon (300+60+5)
888ωπη'
Omega-Pi-Eta (800+80+8)
ABOUT GREEK NUMERALS
IONIC SYSTEM
The Ionic system used the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet plus 3 archaic letters to represent numbers 1-999.
- • α-θ = 1-9 (units)
- • ι-ϙ = 10-90 (tens)
- • ρ-ϡ = 100-900 (hundreds)
HISTORICAL USE
Used from around 4th century BCE, this system was more efficient than the earlier Attic system and remained in use through the Byzantine period.