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Pontic Greeks

Pontic Greeks
Έλληνες του Πόντου - Ρωμιοί
Pontic Greek Man
Total population
ca. 3,000,000 (est.)
Regions with significant populations
Greece, Russia, Ukraine
Languages
Pontic Greek, Standard Modern Greek
Religions
Greek Orthodox
Related ethnic groups
rest of the Greeks


The term Pontic Greeks, Pontian Greeks, Pontians or Greeks of Pontus (Greek: Πόντιοι, Ποντιακός Ελληνισμός or Έλληνες του Πόντου, Turkish: Pontus Rumları) can refer to Greeks specifically from the area of Pontus in the region of the former Empire of Trebizond on the Black Sea coast of Eastern Turkey, or in other cases more generally all Greeks from the shores of the Black Sea or the Pontus. Greeks from Trabzon traditionally speak Pontic Greek. The terms Pontic and Pontian can be used interchangeably.

History of Greek Colonization of the Black Sea

The history of the Pontic Greek people is first recounted in a Greek myth. The Black Sea area generally, and the region around Trabzon specifically, are where Jason and the Argonauts sailed to find the Golden Fleece. This myth was formally documented by Apollonius of Rhodes in his work, the Argonautica. Modern historians however, see this epic also as a historical tool. They date the expedition of the Argo around 1200 BC based on the description given by Apollonius.

The first recorded Greek colony, established on the northern shores of ancient Anatolia, was Sinop circa 800 BC. The settlers of Sinop were merchants from the Ionian Greek city state of Miletus. After the colonization of the shores of the Black Sea the name changed to Efxinos (hospitable) Sea. In time, other Greeks followed their path and, as numbers grew, more Greek colonies were established along the Black Sea coastline of what is now Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and Romania.

Enlarge picture
The Pontus region.

The Trapezus Area

The region of Trapezus, now Trabzon, was also mentioned by Xenophon (430 - 355 BC) Anabasis, when his 10,000 soldiers had reached the Pontic Euxine Sea (Black Sea) and cried out 'Thalatta! Thalatta! (Ancient Greek) (Modern Greek 'Thalassa! Thalassa!') ("The sea! The sea!"), the local people understood them. They were Hellenes as well and, according to Xenophon, they had been there for over 300 years. For over thousands of years the Trapezus colony, later called the Pontos region, has flourished, contributing to the development of a rich civilization with a strong Hellenic basis. This is verified by a various ancient Greek and Roman historians. For example, many accounts exist of the Mithridatic wars and the reign of Eupator Dionysius.With the passage of time and the establishment of the Eastern Roman Empire Pontos was placed under its control. Pontos remained isolated from the 'modern' Greek-speaking world afterward. This isolation however helped maintain the Pontic language with its strong roots to the ancient Greeks. For many years later they lived under Ottoman rule but maintained a strong sense of Hellenism and Greek Orthodoxy.

Throughout its long history Pontos was also inhabited and invaded by the Persians, Romans, Alexander III of Macedon, Germany, Russia and finally the Turks. The land also had its share of royal rulers such as the Komnenos family, which made Trabzon (Trapezounda) Empire of Trebizond capital from 1204 to 1461.

Like other Christians in Asia Minor, the Armenians and Assyrians for example, the Pontic Greeks faced persecution and suffered during ethnic cleansing at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I is widely known. Almost unknown, however, is the annihilation of the Pontic Greeks, who had lived for 3000 years in the Pontic Mountains near the Black Sea, by Kemal Ataturk's military forces after the war. In 1921, one survivor, ten-year-old Sano Halo (the author's mother), was forced with her entire village on a nearly year-long death march to Syria. Separated from her family, she lost even her name when she was sold by her surrogate family to a man three times her age, whom she married; later, they emigrated to New York City and raised ten children.''
[1]

In 1923, after hundreds of years, those remaining were expelled from Turkey to Greece as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey defined by the Treaty of Lausanne. In his book 'Black Sea', author Neal Ascherson writes:

The Turkish guide-books on sale in Turkey today offer this account of the 1923 catastrophe: 'After the proclamation of the Republic (Turkish), the Greeks who lived in the region returned to their own country. Their own country? Returned? Pontians had lived in that area for over 3,000 years. The Pontian dialect was not understandable to 20th century Athenians.
[2]

The suffering of the Pontic Greeks did not end upon their violent and forceful departure from the lands of their ancestors. Many Pontic Greek refugees perished during the voyage from Asia Minor to Greece. Notable accounts of these voyages have been included in Steve Papadopoulos’ work on Pontic culture and history. Pontic Greek immigrants of the United States from that era were quoted saying;

Many children and elderly died during the voyage to Greece. When the crew realized they were dead,they were thrown overboard. Soon the mothers of such children started pretending that they were still alive. After witnessing what was done to the deceased,they would hold on to them and comfort them as if they were still alive. They did this to give them a proper burial in Greece.

Settlements

Some of the settlements historically inhabited by Pontic Greeks include:
Chersonesos, Kerkinitida, Panticapaeum, Soughdaia, Tanais, Theodosia.
Batis, Dioscurias, Germonassa, Gorgippa, Heraclea Pontica, Phanagoria, Phasis, Pitsunda, Sebastopolis.
Amasia, Aphene, Kerasounta, Kissa, Kromna, Amisos, Sinope, Themiscyra, Trapezounta, Bafra, Argyroupolis, Xeroiana (Sheroina), Ofis, Santa, Tonya, Matsouka, Galiana, Sourmena, Imera, Rizounta, Mouzena, Kotoiora, Livera, Platana, Kel Kit, Nikopolis, Kakatsis, Merzifounta, Tokat, Oinoe, Neokaisareia, Fatsa, Tripoli, Thermi, Hatzi-koi, Komana, Hopa, Athina, Koloneia, Gemoura, Ak-Dag Maten.
Kars, Kioumush Maten, Sevasteia, Tsoroum, Baibourt, Ata Pazar.
Antiphilos, Apollonia, Germonakris, Mesembria, Nikonis, Odessos, Olbia, Tira.


Kingdoms either established or ruled by Pontic Greeks, or heavily influenced by Pontic Greek culture, include Pontus, Bithynia, and the Bosporan kingdom.

Population

Nowadays, the actual number of Pontic Greeks is unknown, due to extensive intermarriage with other subgroups of the Greek nation. The largest communities of Pontic Greeks (or people of Pontic Greek descent) around the world are (according to Pontian Diaspora 2000): For the Greek-speaking Muslim Pontian community (about 300,000 in 1996) in Turkey, see Pontic Greek Muslims.

Pontic Greeks in the former Soviet Union

Pontic Greeks were predominantly settled in the regions bordering the Georgian SSR and Armenian SSR. There was also a notable presence of Pontic Greeks in Black Sea ports like Odessa and Sukhumi. About 100,000 Soviet Black Sea Greeks, including 37,000 in the Caucus area were deported to Central Asia in 1949.

Following 1988, Pontic Greeks in the Soviet Union started to migrate to Greece with their often mixed families and settling in and around Athens and Macedonia. They are known as "Russian Pontians" (Ρωσσοπόντιοι) by the Greek public. In his 1998 movie From the Edge of the City (Από την άκρη της πόλης)[3], with dialogues in Greek, Pontic Greek and Russian, the film director Constantinos Giannaris, describes the life of a young "Russian Pontian" from Kazakhstan in the Athens' prostitution underworld.

Greeks in today's Georgia are mostly Turkish-speaking (due to extensive forced linguistic turkification during the Ottoman times) Pontic Greeks known as Tsalkalideis (Τσαλκαλιδείς), named after the town of Tsalka where they used to comprise the largest ethnic group. Pontic Greeks live in southern mkhares Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti. Pontic Greeks in Armenia live abundantly in the marz of Lori. They form the majority in the north of the province.

Culture

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Traditional rural Pontic house
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 •  • [ e]
The culture of Pontos has been influenced by the topography of the different regions of Pontos. The cities located in the North, like Trabzon, Sinop were, from ancient times, trading centers. They retain this title till today. In these cities upper level education flurished. The markets provided the majority of the Northern cities economy.

In the inland cities like Argyroupolis and others, the economy was based upon agriculture and mining. Trade took place here too, but to a lesser extent. The topography of the land dictated this dichotomy of substinance. The northern cities all developed as rich urban ports due to the accessibility of the Black Sea. The southern cities developed as rural centers, due the valleys and plains extending from the base of the Pontic alps. The following are some cultural characteristics of the Pontic Greek people.

Education

In cities both rural and urban alike, highschools and colleges were widespread. Examples of such colleges include; The Pontic Greek people value and revere religion. The Pontian Greeks built many churches and monasteries such as;

Music

Pontian music retains elements of Greek, Persian, and Celtic music. The music is often fast in tempo and can sometimes be high-pitched. Pontian music is played primarily to be danced to, with dance steps substantially different from that of Greek and Turkish dancing.

[1]

Instruments

Enlarge picture
From Macuka (Matzouka, Maçka) Trabzon, Turkey. 1950s Kemençe, Davul, zurna traditional Pontic musical instruments.


The following is a review of Pontian musical instruments. The kemenche or kementze is similar to its Cretan, Cypriot and Thracian counterparts. The kemenche is played all over the world by people of Pontian descent. For a comparison of the kemetze with its other Greek counterparts see the following; The touloum and aggeion are very similar to the bagpipe, and almost identical to the tsambouna, a bagpipe found in the Aegean islands. It is found in northern Greece, F.Y.R.O.M, and Bulgaria as the gaida. The davul is a type of drum. The zourna was widley played outdoors and was a preferred instrument over the kemence because it could be heard clearly and was hardly drowned out by the davul or daoul. The zurna varied by region. The zurna of Bafra has a different sound than those found in the rest of Pontos because it is bigger in size. The violin was played upright like the kemence. Areas with the violin were primarily Ak-Dag Maten, Kioumoush Maten and Bafra. The Kemane is related to the Kemane of Kappadokia. Pontic communities that played kemane were Ak-Dag Maten, Ata-Pazar, Kioumoush Maten and possibly in Kerasounta and Kars. Defi (tambourine) was played in Bafra and Ata-Pazar. Outi or Oud was played in Bafra, Ata-Pazar, Ak-Dag Maten and Kioumoush Maten.

Dance

Pontian dance retains the aspects of Persian and Greek dance styles. The dances called Horoi (Greek: Χοροί), singular Horon (Greek: Χορόν), are circular in nature and are each characterized by distinct short steps. A unique aspect of Pontian dance is the tremoulo (Greek: Τρέμουλο), which a fast shacking of the upper torso by a turning of the back on its axis. Pontian dances are similar to Greek dances in being danced in a line and forming a circle. Many Pontian dances are almost identical in steps to Greek dances. Pontian dances also resemble Persian and middle eastern dances in that they are not led. That is there is not one single leader in the dance formation. This is different from Greek dances but is a widespread aspect of Persian and middle eastern dances. The following is a list of Pontian Dances

Notable Pontic Greeks

See also

Notes

1. ^ Library Journal Review of Not Even My Nameby Thea Halo.
2. ^ Ascherson, Neal (1995). The Black Sea. ISBN 0-8090-3043-8. 
3. ^ [2]Apo Tin Akri Tis Polis

References

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Pontic Greek is a form of the Greek language originally spoken in the Pontus area on the southern shores of the Black Sea, and today mainly in Greece. Its speakers are Pontian Greeks.
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Pontus (Greek: Πόντος) is a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Pontos (the main) following the exploration and the colonization of the Anatolian and other Black Sea cities by the
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The Empire of Trebizond (Greek: Βασίλειον τής Τραπεζούντας) was a Byzantine Greek successor state of the Byzantine Empire founded in 1204 as a result of
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Pontus (Greek: Πόντος) is a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Pontos (the main) following the exploration and the colonization of the Anatolian and other Black Sea cities by the
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Trabzon, formerly known as Trebizond (Greek: Τραπεζοῦς Trapezûs or Τραπεζούντα Trapezúnta
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Pontic Greek is a form of the Greek language originally spoken in the Pontus area on the southern shores of the Black Sea, and today mainly in Greece. Its speakers are Pontian Greeks.
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Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices.
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Sinop (from Hittite: Sinuwa, in Greek: Σινώπη/Sinope) is a city with a population of 47,000 on İnce Burun (İnceburun, Cape Ince), by its Cape Sinop
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