How does ancient transliteration differ from modern?

Three things, and they change most words. The long vowels are kept apart from the short ones, so η is ē and ω is ō where modern ELOT 743 writes both as i and o. The stops are classical: β is b and φ is ph, not v and f. And the breathings are read rather than dropped, so ἡμέρα is hēmera under this scheme and imera under the modern one.

What happens to the rough and smooth breathings?

A rough breathing becomes an h in front of the vowel it sits on, so ἡ is hē and Ὅμηρος is Homēros. A smooth breathing is written as nothing, which is why ἄγγελος is angelos. A rho with a rough breathing is the one that moves: ῥόδον is rhodon, with the h after the r.

What does the iota subscript become?

An i, written after the vowel: ᾠδή is ōidē and ζῷον is zōion. It is a real letter that stopped being pronounced, so a scheme that dropped it would lose the dative it marks. Accents, the breathings aside, are removed.

When is υ a y and when is it a u?

On its own it is y, so ψυχή is psychē. Inside a diphthong it is u, so αὐτός is autos and οὐρανός is ouranos. The tool applies that by looking at the letter in front of it, which is why the two words come out differently from the same Greek letter.

Can it go from Latin back into ancient Greek?

Yes. Switch the direction and type the Latin with its macrons and h: hēmera gives ἡμερα with the breathing written back on, rhodon gives ῥοδον, and philosophia gives φιλοσοφια. Accents are not added, because the Latin does not carry them.

Ancient Greek Transliteration

Paste polytonic Greek and read it in the classical scheme lexicons use: η is ē, ω is ō, a rough breathing is an h in front of the vowel, an iota subscript is an i after it, and every other mark is dropped. ἡμέρα is hēmera, ᾠδή is ōidē, Ὅμηρος is Homēros. The page opens Greek to Latin, the direction most people want here, and the same tool goes back the other way with the breathings written in.

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Englishancient scheme

The transliteration appears here as you type.

Both directionsThe scheme is namedDigraphs and final sigmaNothing is uploaded

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Scheme

Case

Show the map

the classical scheme: ē, ō, breathings and the iota subscript. The pairs and special letters it applies are listed beside the result, and the full table is under the tool.

Worked examples

Rough breathingἡμέρα
hēmera · η → ē, rough breathing → h
Iota subscriptᾠδή
ōidē · ω → ō, iota subscript → i
Long vowelsὍμηρος
Homēros · rough breathing → h, η → ē

The ancient mapping table

The classical scheme lexicons use, with the breathings and the iota subscript at the end.

Greek	Latin	Note
α	a
β	b
γ	g	n before γ κ χ ξ
δ	d
ε	e
ζ	z
η	ē	long e
θ	th
ι	i
κ	k
λ	l
μ	m
ν	n
ξ	x
ο	o
π	p
ρ	r
σ	s	anywhere but the end of a word
ς	s	only at the end of a word
τ	t
υ	y	u inside a diphthong
φ	ph
χ	ch
ψ	ps
ω	ō	long o
αι	ai
αυ	au
ει	ei
ευ	eu
οι	oi
ου	ou
γγ	ng
γκ	nk
ῥ	rh	rho with a rough breathing
ἁ	ha	rough breathing: h before the vowel
ἀ	a	smooth breathing: nothing is written
ᾳ	ai	iota subscript: i after the vowel

A stated scheme, applied exactly. Letter by letter transliteration under the scheme named on the page, in both directions. It cannot know which spelling a particular name or dialect uses where the conventions differ, so the mapping table is shown beside the result.

The classical transliteration table

The scheme this page applies, letter by letter, with the breathings and the iota subscript at the end. Generated from the tool's own table, so a row here is what the tool actually does.

Greek	Latin	Note
α	a
β	b
γ	g	n before γ κ χ ξ
δ	d
ε	e
ζ	z
η	ē	long e
θ	th
ι	i
κ	k
λ	l
μ	m
ν	n
ξ	x
ο	o
π	p
ρ	r
σ	s	anywhere but the end of a word
ς	s	only at the end of a word
τ	t
υ	y	u inside a diphthong
φ	ph
χ	ch
ψ	ps
ω	ō	long o
αι	ai
αυ	au
ει	ei
ευ	eu
οι	oi
ου	ou
γγ	ng
γκ	nk
ῥ	rh	rho with a rough breathing
ἁ	ha	rough breathing: h before the vowel
ἀ	a	smooth breathing: nothing is written
ᾳ	ai	iota subscript: i after the vowel

Common questions

How does ancient transliteration differ from modern?: Three things, and they change most words. The long vowels are kept apart from the short ones, so η is ē and ω is ō where modern ELOT 743 writes both as i and o. The stops are classical: β is b and φ is ph, not v and f. And the breathings are read rather than dropped, so ἡμέρα is hēmera under this scheme and imera under the modern one.
What happens to the rough and smooth breathings?: A rough breathing becomes an h in front of the vowel it sits on, so ἡ is hē and Ὅμηρος is Homēros. A smooth breathing is written as nothing, which is why ἄγγελος is angelos. A rho with a rough breathing is the one that moves: ῥόδον is rhodon, with the h after the r.
What does the iota subscript become?: An i, written after the vowel: ᾠδή is ōidē and ζῷον is zōion. It is a real letter that stopped being pronounced, so a scheme that dropped it would lose the dative it marks. Accents, the breathings aside, are removed.
When is υ a y and when is it a u?: On its own it is y, so ψυχή is psychē. Inside a diphthong it is u, so αὐτός is autos and οὐρανός is ouranos. The tool applies that by looking at the letter in front of it, which is why the two words come out differently from the same Greek letter.
Can it go from Latin back into ancient Greek?: Yes. Switch the direction and type the Latin with its macrons and h: hēmera gives ἡμερα with the breathing written back on, rhodon gives ῥοδον, and philosophia gives φιλοσοφια. Accents are not added, because the Latin does not carry them.

Letter by letter transliteration under the scheme named on the page, in both directions. It cannot know which spelling a particular name or dialect uses where the conventions differ, so the mapping table is shown beside the result.