Ancient Greece

Storytellers were traveling entertainers. The storytellers went from tribe to tribe, village to village, telling fables, myths, and legends in exchange for their supper, clothing, and other gifts. These tribes did not all speak the same language. Rather than learn several languages, the storytellers spoke Greek to tell their tales. (They could have used the Dorian language, but the Dorians invaders were hated, so they chose Greek instead.) The people in the villages learned the Greek language so they could better understand the stories. This gave the early Greeks a common language. Greek Dark Age