Aromanians In Greece

Aromanians in Greece
Armãnji/Rrãmãnji tu Gãrtsii
Βλάχοι/Αρμάνοι στην Ελλάδα

Area with Aromanian population and dialects
Total population
39,855 (1951 census); unofficial estimates count up to 300,000
Regions with significant populations
Attica, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia
Languages
Aromanian (native), Greek
Religion
Predominantly Eastern Orthodoxy
Related ethnic groups
Aromanians, Vlachs, Romanians, Greeks

In the country, they are commonly known as "Vlachs" (Βλάχοι, Vláchoi) and referred to as "Vlachophone Greeks" or "Vlach-speaking Greeks", because most Aromanians in Greece have a Greek identity and identify themselves with the Greek nation and culture.

Byzantine historian George Kedrenos identified Aromanians living in what is now Greece in the 11th century. Under the Ottoman Empire, the Aromanians were considered part of the Rum Millet. In 1902, Romanian politician Alexandru Lahovary advocated for the recognition of the Aromanians as a distinct millet, which was granted in 1905. The group became more distinct towards the end of the 19th century, with a split occurring between Vlachs who identified more closely with Romania and those who were linked more to Greece.

The Aromanians of Greece count with the Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs, a cultural organization of Aromanians. The Aromanian communities, who use the endonym Vlasi, in Macedonia speak Megleno-Romanian, separate from the Aromanian language.

Music

Cuisine

Religion

In the Ottoman Empire, the Vlachs fell under the religious jurisdiction of the Greek Patriarch by virtue of them being Orthodox Christian; services were conducted in Greek. Conducting services in the Aromanian language became a priority issue for the Vlachs. The Orthodox Patriarch decided that if the Vlachs were to conduct services in their own language, they would be denied their own clerical head. In 1875, the Patriarch ordered the closure of 8 Vlach churches, leading to an escalation in hostilities. The Ottoman Ministry of Justice and Religious Denomination determined in 1891 that the Vlach had a right to worship in their own language; in 1892, the Ministry of Justice warned the Greek Patriarch that if Vlach-language services were not instituted, the Vlachs would likely established their own church. The Vlach were eventually successful in appointing their own bishop.

 

 

Because of the Aromanian history of cattle-rearing and history of discrimination in urban areas, the Aromanian population is largely scattered throughout Greece.

 

 

 

Academics

• Nikos Katsanis, scholar
• Zoe Papazisi Papatheodorou [bg], folklorist
• Anastasios Pichion, educator, fighter in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia

Art and literature

• Yanaki Manaki (1878-1954) - photography and cinema pioneer
• Milton Manaki (1882-1964) - photography and cinema pioneer

Military

• Konda Bimbaša (1770-1813) - Serbian revolutionary
• Giorgakis Olympios (1772-1821) - armatolos and military commander during the Greek War of Independence
• Mitre the Vlach (1873-1907) - IMRO commander
• Stefanos Sarafis (1890-1957) - Greek military and Resistance leader.

Philanthropy

• Georgios Sinas (1783-1856) - businessman
• Evangelis Zappas (1800-1865) - businessman
• Konstantinos Zappas (1814-1892) - benefactor
• Simon Sinas (1810-1876) - businessman
• George Averoff (1818-1899) - businessman and philanthropist

Politics

• Rigas Feraios (1757-1798), writer, political thinker and revolutionary (possible Aromanian origin)
• Ioannis Kolettis (1773-1847) - Prime Minister of Greece
• Petros Zappas, member of the Greek Parliament (1915–17) for the Argyrokastron Prefecture
• Alexandros Papagos (Aromanian mother) (1883-1955), Hellenic Army officer and Prime Minister
• Alcibiades Diamandi (1893-1948) - leader of Principality of the Pindus and later of the Roman Legion
• Nicolaos Matussis (1899-1991) - lawyer, politician and leader of the Roman Legion
• Vassilis Rapotikas (1888–1943) - commander of the Roman Legion
• Evangelos Averoff (1910-1990) - Greek minister and leader of the New Democracy party
• Michael Dukakis (Aromanian mother) (1933-) - American Governor of Massachusetts and former presidential candidate
• Andreas Tzimas, communist politician
• Alexandros Svolos, jurist and president of the Political Committee of National Liberation (unofficial Prime Minister)
• Yannis Boutaris (1942-) - businessman, politician and mayor of Thessaloniki

Religion

• Theodore Kavalliotis (1718-1789) - priest and teacher

Science

• Elie Carafoli (1901-1983)- engineer and aircraft designer

• Aromanians in Albania
• Aromanians in Bulgaria
• Aromanians in North Macedonia
• Aromanians in Romania
• Aromanians in Serbia
• Principality of the Pindus
• Roman Legion (1941–1943)
• Great Vlachia
• Hellenization
• Vlach Folklore Museum, Serres