Ancient Greek dialects

Distribution of Greek dialects in Greece in the classical period.^[1]

Western group:   Doric proper   Northwest Doric   Achaean Doric (probably Northwest Doric)

Central group:   Aeolic   Arcado-Cypriot

Eastern group:   Attic   Ionic

Distribution of Greek dialects in Magna Graecia (Southern Italy and Sicily) in the classical period.

Western group:   Doric proper   Northwest Doric   Achaean Doric (probably Northwest Doric)

Eastern group:   Attic-Ionic

Ancient Greek in classical antiquity, before the development of the common Koine Greek of the Hellenistic period, was divided into several varieties.

Most of these varieties are known only from inscriptions, but a few of them, principally Aeolic, Doric, and Ionic, are also represented in the literary canon alongside the dominant Attic form of literary Greek.

Likewise, Modern Greek is divided into several dialects, most derived from Koine Greek.