> I'm pretty sure Greek and Latin filled a similar role, but I don't know my history well enough to claim it as a fact. It is a fact. From wiki: "During the t

> I'm pretty sure Greek and Latin filled a similar role, but I don't know my history well enough to claim it as a fact. It is a fact. From wiki: "During the time of the Hellenistic civilization and Roman Empire, the lingua francas were Koine Greek and Latin. During the Middle Ages, the lingua franca was Greek in the parts of Europe, Middle East and Northern Africa where the Byzantine Empire held hegemony, and Latin was primarily used in the rest of Europe. Latin, for a significant portion of the expansion of the Roman Catholic Church, was the universal language of prayer and worship" Also the new testament was written in greek.