Elite dominance theory vs. Practicality

[JoatSimeon at aol.com]

Before the battle of Manzikert in the late 11th century, as far as I know
Anatolia spoke mainly Greek, with Kurdish and Armenian in the east.

The old Anatolian languages -- Phyrgian, Isaurian, etc. -- were pretty well
extinct by late Byzantine times.

Of course, Hellenic colonization of Anatolia was also very old by then; the
western fringe was settled by Greek-speakers in the early Iron Age, after the
fall of Mycenaean civilization; and after Alexander's time Greek cities were
established far into the interior, by Greek colonists settled there by
various Hellenistic monarchs.  Even the Pontine kings, who were Persian by
origin, encouraged Hellenization.

By the early Roman period Greek had become the predominant language in all
the cities and towns and among the upper classes generally.  Over the
following centuries it gradually penentrated the rural zones east of the old
areas of Greek settlement.