Pontic Greek is who? History of the Pontian Greeks

Pontian Greek - representative of the Greek ethnos, to which people long before the advent of the New Era mastered the Black Sea coast (in Greek - Pontus). Initially, their compact settlement was on the northern coast of Turkey, and only then they settled throughout the Black Sea coast.

Pontic Greeks - who are they?

Pontus is the historical name of the area in Asia Minor. Geographically it extends from the border of Azerbaijan with Turkey, crosses the entire Turkish coast and ends on the line of the cities of Nikopol - Akdagma-Deni. How did the Greek settlers find themselves so far from the sunny islands of their homeland?

The ancient Greeks have established themselves as excellent traders and colonizers. Their home country was characterized by scanty soil and mountainous terrain. This created acceptable conditions for livestock breeding, but farmers had a hard time - scant mountainous soils brought small yields, which were barely enough to feed their own families. As a masterful owner, the Greeks did not develop deliberately unprofitable agriculture, but they discovered the prospects of sea riches and trade routes for themselves.

Trade routes

The Pontian Greek is a sailor and a merchant. He was a welcome guest on all the banks of the oecumene. The Greeks actively invested in the development of their own fleet, paving new routes for trade with distant tribes. It was in the places where goods were stored that small settlements of seafarers and merchants arose who on the spot were engaged in trade with native peoples and at exorbitant prices resold exotic goods in the cities of Greece, Asia and the Middle East.

First Cities

The oldest known settlement of the Pontian Greeks was found on the coast of Asia Minor, in the city of Milita. In a few dozen years, in the VIII-IX centuries BC. E. A magnificent Sinop appeared, which is still the pearl of the Turkish Black Sea coast. Then, like mushrooms after the rain, the cities of Amissos, Kotior, Kerasund and many others arose. Ancient Herodotus did not in vain say that the Pontic Greeks settled around the Black Sea, like frogs on the edges of a puddle. This metaphor accurately reflects the purpose and methods of the settlement of the Greeks.

Despite the rather intrusive colonization, there were no major skirmishes with local tribes. The Pontiac Greek knew how to talk to warlike natives not with the help of force, but with the help of a ringing coin. Such a policy brought to naught the claims of the leaders of local peoples - if anyone was indignant, the settlers preferred to pay off, and not to fight. Pontic Greeks established an excellent commodity exchange - they brought raw materials and grain crops to their homeland, and olive oil, wine, pottery and handicrafts, jewelry were sent to distant cities.

Religion and traditions of Pontus

How did the rank and file of an ancient people - the Pontic Greek - justify their residence away from their homeland? The religion of these settlers basically copied the beliefs of a distant native country. They worshiped all the supreme gods of Olympus, but they also had their favorites.

Until now, on the coast of Asia Minor, there are remains of the temples of Poseidon and Hermes - patrons of the sea and trade. There were Pontic Greeks and their own traditions. For example, many of them preferred to explain their origin by the myths of Jason and the Argonauts. Perhaps the very golden fleece in this famous tradition symbolized the riches of the Black Sea region, besides, the sheepskin (fleece) is one of the main items of trade.

Culture and art

The Pontic Greek jealously guarded his identity and proclaimed himself a Hellenic, representative of civilization, as opposed to barbarians-surrounding tribes, who at that time were at the stage of decomposition of the clan system. The population of the colonies has preserved its identity and has given the world unique people, famous in various fields of activity. Philosopher Diogenes, politicians Difil, Iraklid, Stravon. Already in the first millennium, the names of Vissarion and others appeared in theology, and New Time presented such names as Karatzasov, Ypsilantov, Murusis and others.

In the context of historical epochs

During the period of Alexander the Great, Greek influence spread to the south of Turkey - the era of Hellenization began. In the reign of Mithridates this influence was still very strong - in Asia Minor their language flourished, monuments of architecture and art were created.

In the heyday of the Roman Empire, the Pontian Greek becomes a Christian. Thanks to the apostles Paul and Peter, the eastern representatives of this people were among the first to create early Christian communities and recognized Jesus Christ as their Savior. Communities grew up in monasteries, where the supporters of the new faith found shelter.

The Greeks or the Romans?

In Byzantine times the Pontian Greeks created their own province. At the behest of Justinian, Trebizond (Trabzon) became its capital. It is then that the second self-name of the Pontian Greeks appears - the Romans, which means "subjects of Rome" - as they sometimes called Byzantium in the East.

Relations "metropolitan-province" connected Pontus and Constantinople until 1204, when the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire fell under the pressure of the Franks. After that, the Nicaean state appears on the map, which later enters the empire of Trebizond. For two hundred years of its existence, this empire constantly fought with surrounding tribes of non-Christian faith. Especially insistently attacked the state of the Turks of Rome, who in 1461 conquered and plundered Trebizond.

Muslim dominion

The capture of Trebizond meant the decline of Christianity and the beginning of the spread of Islam in the ancient land of the Pontian Greeks. Massacres, violence, pogroms and violent Islamization on pain of deprivation of life - this is what brought the Greeks Turkish rule. The survivors left cities, pastures and churches and moved high into the mountains, fearing religious persecution. But later the Turkish authorities made some concessions and allowed the Greeks to develop certain types of production - metallurgy and ceramics, for example.

For many centuries, the Pontic Hellenes remained one of the most isolated peoples of the Turkish empire. They practically did not intersect with other Christians, although they lived next to Armenians and Kurds. Modest production, craftsmanship and meager crops harvested from mountainous, infertile lands, did not attract the attention of greedy military leaders and supreme Turkish officials. Perhaps that is why the Greeks managed to preserve their language and culture, expand their area of residence in the Caucasus and the Crimea and join the world community as an autonomous culture.

This state of affairs continued until 1922, when the Greeks were expelled from the lands that they had long regarded as relatives.

Exile

For many years, the Turkish authorities do not recognize the genocide and the persecution of Armenians. But few people know that at the beginning of the 20th century other Turkish nationalities were subjected to persecution, including the Pontic Greeks. The genocide of this ethnic group caused the complete eradication of the Greeks from their native lands and their forcible expulsion from the territory of Turkey. More than 350 thousand people were burned in churches and temples, the survivors fled, leaving all their possessions. May 19 was the sorrowful day of this people. As a result, the Pontic Greeks settled in the territories of other states. They were forced to leave their homeland.

Pontian Greeks in Russia settled in the Kuban and the North Caucasus. For the most part, they speak Russian, but have preserved some of the ancient traditions of their people. But most of the Pontic Greeks returned to the native coasts of Greece.

So, 2.5 million years after the first settlers left the rocky coast of Greece, they had to return to their native lands. Their odyssey ended with a return to their homeland. Let us wish them happiness.