Aromanians in Greece


The Aromanians in Greece are an Aromanian ethno-linguistic group native in Epirus, Aetolia-Acarnania, Thessaly and Western and Central Macedonia, in Greece.
In the country, they are commonly known as "Vlachs" 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.

History

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.

Demographics

In the 1990s, the European Commission's Euromosaic Project documenting minority languages recorded the geographic distribution and language status of Aromanians and Aromanian in Greece.
Administrative divisions
Geographic location and language status
Drama5 villages; Aromanian is spoken within a limited area in the city of Drama.
Serres15 villages; Aromanian is spoken in the city of Serres.
KilkisAromanian is spoken in 2 villages and in the city of Kilkis.
Thessaloniki3 villages and in the city of Thessaloniki. Aromanians migrated to the city for several centuries and became Hellenised over time. In the early 20th century, Aromanian was spoken in some neighbourhoods of Thessaloniki. Modern Aromanian speakers in Thessaloniki are descendants of recent migrations.
PellaAromanian is spoken in 4 villages and in the cities of Giannitsa and Edessa.
Kastoria5 villages and in the town of Argos Orestiko and city of Kastoria.
Florina11–13 villages.
Kozani4 villages and in the town of Servia and city of Kozani.
Grevena9 villages and in the city of Grevena.
Pieria7–8 villages and in the city of Katerini.
ImathiaOver 7 villages and in the cities of Veria and Alexandreia.
Ioannina38 villages, including the village of Metsovo and in the city of Ioannina.
Preveza4 villages and in the city of Preveza.
Thesprotia7 villages and in the city of Igoumenitsa and town of Paramithia.
Arta3 villages and in the city of Arta.
Larissa26 villages and in the cities of Tyrnavos and Larissa.
Trikala43 villages in the west of the prefecture, 3 villages in the east, and in a larger area in the town of Kalambaka and city of Trikala.
Karditsa1–2 villages and in a limited area in the city of Karditsa.
Magnesia6 villages and 2 neighbourhoods in the city of Volos.
Aetolia-Acarnania10–11 villages and in the cities of Agrinio and Missolonghi.
Phthiotis2–3 villages, and small traces of a presence in the city of Lamia.
Boeotia1 village.
Athens Spoken in the city.

Culture

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.

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.

List of settlements

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

Macedonia

Thessaly and Mount Olympus

;Aetolia-Acarnania

Notable Aromanians from modern Greece

Academics

Art and literature

Military

Philanthropy and commerce

Politics

Religion

Science