Phraseology from Oral Communications Textualized as Formulae in Greek Letters

Abstract In this paper I explore the manners of textualization involved in some key Greek epistolary formulae and investigate their apparent connections with phraseology found in depictions of oral communication in Greek texts. I examine one greeting formula, one valediction, one health wish, and the benefaction formula. We find that the same or similar vocabulary found in depictions of oral communications is employed in the corresponding epistolary expressions (oral greeting vocabulary for epistolary greetings, oral farewell vocabulary for epistolary farewells, and so on). We also find that the textualization of such phraseology takes various forms—for example, the standard Greek greeting is a reformulation of the simple oral statement, from first-to-second person to third-to-third person, whereas the benefaction formula and farewells are straightforward transcription. We also see that in addition to being textualized in letters, a variety of ancient Greek oral phraseology could become part of their standard phraseological repertoire.