The Greek civilization used an absolute-value number system. Until about 300 BC it was similar to all other such number systems, which used series of sticks and other basic figures:
1 | I | 100 | H | 1000 | M |
2 | II | 200 | HH | 2000 | MM |
3 | III | 300 | HHH | 3000 | MMM |
4 | IIII | 400 | HHHH | 4000 | MMMM |
5 | Γ | 500 | ![]() |
5000 | ![]() |
6 | ΓI | 600 | ![]() |
6000 | ![]() |
7 | ΓII | 700 | ![]() |
7000 | ![]() |
8 | ΓIII | 800 | ![]() |
8000 | ![]() |
9 | ΓIIII | 900 | ![]() |
9000 | ![]() |
10 | Δ | 1000 | X | ||
20 | ΔΔ | 2000 | XX | ||
30 | ΔΔΔ | 3 | XXX | ||
40 | ΔΔΔΔ | 4000 | XXXX | ||
50 | ![]() |
5000 | ![]() |
||
60 | ![]() |
6000 | ![]() |
||
70 | ![]() |
7000 | ![]() |
||
80 | ![]() |
8000 | ![]() |
||
90 | ![]() |
9000 | ![]() |
At around 300 BC Greek scientists introduced the use of letters from the alphabet to write numbers. There is some debate whether this idea was first used by Greek or Jewish scientists; the use of alphabet letters for Hebrew numbers occurred at about the same time. In any case the Greek civilization was among the first to introduce this system:
1 | Α | Alpha | 10 | Ι | Iota | 100 | Ρ | Rho |
2 | Β | Beta | 20 | Κ | Kappa | 200 | Σ | Sigma |
3 | Γ | Gamma | 30 | Λ | Lambda | 300 | Τ | Tau |
4 | Δ | Delta | 40 | Μ | Mu | 400 | Y | Ypsilon |
5 | Ε | Epsilon | 50 | Ν | Nu | 500 | F | Phi |
6 | ![]() | Diagamma | 60 | Ξ | Xi | 600 | Χ | Chi |
7 | Ζ | Zeta | 70 | Ο | Omicron | 700 | Ψ | Psi |
8 | Η | Eta | 80 | Π | Pi | 800 | Ω | Omega |
9 | Θ | Theta | 90 | ![]() | Koppa | 900 | ![]() | San |
Higher numbers used the same letters with superscripts: 'A for 1000, 'B for 2000 etc., αM for 10,000, βM for 20,000 etc. (Often the superscripts were placed above the main symbol, not before.)
First examples of this system to write Greek numbers date from the third century BC, which indicates that the introduction of alphabet letters for numbers was one of the innovations introduced by the rise of Greek science. The Roman numerals are direct descendants of the Greek numerals.