Ancestry

Contemporary Hellenes are not 100% descendants of ancient Hellenes but mixed with others. This did not occur only in Hellas but everywhere in Europe and the world. First inhabitants mixed with others that came later. In addition to ancient Hellenic ancestry which is the main, modern Greeks have also Thracian, Illyrian, Slavic, Ural-Altaic and various ancestry. Various is Roman, Germanic, Celtic, Arabic etc.

In ancient times, only Hellenes, Thracians, Illyrians lived in a vast area that started from Cyprus, Asia Minor, Crete and reached as far north as Slovakia and southern Ukraine. According to some sources it reached even further till Poland and Czech Republic. One theory suggests that they were racially related, originating from the same branch of Caucasian people.

Hellenes were in the southern part, Thracians in the eastern and northern part and Illyrians in the western part. Since ancient times they have been mingling and mixing. During Byzantine Empire, they mingled and mixed even more because they were in the same state. When Slavs migrated in Greco-Thraco-Illyrian territory, Hellenes, Thracians and Illyrians had already mixed considerably.

Southern Thracians, Paeonians and some Illyrians were assimilated into Hellenes before Roman conquest. At first, Slavs mingled and mixed with Greco-Thraco-Illyrians. Slavic ancestry is 25% in contemporary Hellas. To these, Ural-Altaic (Western Siberian) tribes were added. Judging by the way people look, Ural-altaic ancestry is small. If it was significant, they would look more Asian, since Ural-Altaic tribes belonged in Asian race.

Jacob Fallmerayer (1790-1861 AD) was an Austrian traveler, journalist, historian, politician. He is known for his controversial theories regarding Greeks' ancestry. In 1824 AD, he learned about a price from Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters for a study on the Empire of Trebizond. It was one of the three Hellenic successor rump states that emerged after the sack of Constantinople in 1204 AD. Fallmerayer did a research, submitted his study and earned the price.

That started his interest in what followed Byzantine Empire. So, he made a research study on Moreas which is another name for Peloponnese, the southern peninsula in mainland Greece. He developed a theory that Hellenic population had been replaced by Slavic, Arvanitic, Aromanian and Turkic people. In the first volume of "Geschichte der Halbinsel Morea während des Mittelalters" he claims that "not the slightest drop of undiluted Hellenic blood flows in the veins of the Christian population of present-day Greece".

Fallmerayrer's study received mostly negative response, despite the fact that it was partially correct. He had made some important mistakes though. Ancient Hellenic population was only partially replaced. And this was not done only during Byzantine and Ottoman era but had started in ancient times, when ancient Hellenes mixed with Thracians mostly and Illyrians as well. In present day Hellas, ancient Hellenic ancestry has the highest percentage but it is much lower than 100% and could be even below 50%. 

During Byzantine era, in addition to Slavs, Vlachs (Aromanians) and Arvanites migrated in large numbers in the territory that is present day's Hellas. Slavs came first, Vlachs followed and Arvanites were last. But Vlachs and Arvanites were most likely Thracians and Illyrians. So Hellenes mixing with them, was not anything new, it had been going on since ancient times.

Vlachs originated from the Vlachia (Wallachia) in today's Romania and Arvanites from Arbanon in today's Albania. According to one theory, Arvanites were Dorians (Hellenes) because there was a Dorian colony in Illyria. Most likely, Vlachs had mainly Thracian (Dacian) ancestry and Arvanites Illyrian. Probably they were mixed with Slavs, since Slavic migration started much earlier.

Also Vlachs may have some Illyrian and Hellenic ancestry and Arvanites some Thracian and Hellenic ancestry, since mixing between Hellenes, Thracians and Illyrians had been going on since ancient times. The irony with Fallmerayer's theory is that Austrians are racially close to Eastern Europe. Their ancestry is more Slavic than Hellenes' and is a little Greco-Thraco-Illyrian as well.

Thracian territory was much larger than Illyrian in both North-South and East-West Axes. Thracian land started from Aegean Sea and reached as far north as Poland and Czech Republic. There were approximately two hunderd Thracian tribes. Thracian territory was at least twice as large as Illyrian territory. There is no universal agreement regarding the boundaries between these territories. Some areas like Pannonia and Paeonia were mixed, Thracian and Illyrian.

Perhaps Thracians were more or they were more spread out. In the northern part, Thracians had Illyrians next to them and in the southern part, Thracians had Hellenes next to them. Additionally, Hellenes had established colonies on the shores of Thracian land, in Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea. Northern Thracians had contacts with Hellenes in Hellenic colonies. Also, they had contacts with Southern Thracians who were more hellenized.

Before Roman conquest, Thracians (especially Southerns), mingled and mixed more with Hellenes and were more assimilated into them, compared to Illyrians. In ancient times, Thracian presence is mentioned in some areas of Hellas; Macedonia, Attika, Boetia, Aegean islands. According to Thucydides, Thracians inhabited the area of Phocis, around Delphi.

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is one of the thirteen (first level) administrative divisions in contemporary's Hellas (Greece). This area was in Thracian Odrysian kingdom, which became part of Macedonian Empire. Thracians accompanied Alexander on his conquest. During Hellenistic period, Southern Thracians were in Lysimachian Empire.

Thracians were categorized in Southerns and Northerns. Danube was the line that separated them. Southern Thracians established the Odrysian kingdom. Northern Thracians were Getae and Dacians. They dwelled in Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, eastern Serbia, northern Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Poland, eastern Czech Republic.

There is some confusion with the use of these two names. Some scholars use the term Geto-Dacians. Others use both names, Getae and Dacians, interchangeably, referring to the same group of people. According to one opinion, the name Getae was used by Greeks and the name Dacians by Romans. The most acceptable theory suggests that the distinction is based on the territory they lived in.

Getae were around Danube and close to Black Sea, while Dacians were more to the West and North. Some scholars use the name Dacians for the western tribes of North Thracians that mixed with Illyrians in Pannonia. Pannonia included Hungary, western Slovakia, eastern Austria, northern Croatia, north-western Serbia, northern Slovenia, northern Bosnia.

Pannonian tribes are considered Illyrian by some scholars. The most accepted theory asserts that they were mixed, Illyrians with Dacians. Illyrian tribes were in Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, a large part of Croatia and Bosnia, part of Slovenia, western and central Serbia. Illyrians and Thracians did not call themselves like that. These were the names Hellenes gave them.

Later, Vlachs, who most likely were Northern Thracians (Geto-Dacians), migrated all over a large part of Eastern Europe. They are mentioned as early as 976 AD in Byzantine documents. Thesally was named Magna Vlachia. Aetolia, Acarnania, Dorida, Locrida was Little Vlachia and southwestern Macedonia, Epirus (including the part presently in Albania) was Upper Vlachia. These are areas in contemporary Hellas. They had large numbers of Vlachs. Moesia (south of Danube river) was White Vlachia.

Vlachs were guides and guards of Byzantine caravans. Vlachs from Thesally, moved from April to September to the mountains of North Macedonia and Bulgaria. A monastic document of Mount Athos, cites that three hundred Vlach families lived near the mountain and they called their settlement "catuns". They were present in large numbers in Chalcidice peninsula. In 1027 AD, Byzantine army tried to recapture Sicily from Arabs and recruited many Vlachs from Macedonia. In 1097 AD, Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos ordered Vlachs to resetlle from Chalchidice to Peloponnese.

In 1099 AD, Vlachs attacked Crusaders between Branicevo and Naissus, in modern day Serbia. They are mentioned as enemies of Boniface of Montferrat and Henry of Flanders who were leaders of the Fourth Crusade. Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos wanted to marry the daughter of King Beta III of Hungary. To raise money for the wedding, he imposed taxes and that caused a revolt of Vlachs and Bulgarians, in 1195 AD. In 1285 AD, Byzantine Emperor Andronikos Palaiologos moved Vlachs from Thrace to Asia Minor.

Vlachs' ancestry is Northern Thracian. In ancient times, before Christ (BC), Thracians occupied a large territory that started from Aegean Sea and reached til Poland and Czech Republic. In addition to that, after Roman conquest, Vlachs who were Geto-Dacians (Thracians), migrated in large numbers, all over Balkans, Hungary and reached even Poland.

So a large part of Eastern Europe has some Thracian ancestry. Thracians are the "unknown" common ancestors of many Eastern Europeans. Percentage of Thracian ancestry may vary according to the area but there is some, starting from Hellas and reaching all the way to Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine. No contemporary country has tried to preserve Thracian heritage and history.

Among the people that resided in this vast area in ancient times, only Hellenes presently have a country. There is no contemporary country Thrace or Illyria. Albanians claim some Illyrian ancestry. Albanoi was an Illyrian tribe. Also, in Croatia and Serbia, there was an Illyrian movement of intellectuals and people in prominent positions, around the middle of 19th century. 

Hellas has the main responsibility to preserve Thracian heritage and history. Of course, other countries that partially descend from Thracians, are encouraged to do the same. But Hellas is obligated. After all, Thracians (Southern) mingled and mixed a lot with Hellenes, were assimilated into them and became hellenized. Hellas has a region that was in Odrysian kingdom, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

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