Hello from Sicily

[MarceloBielsa]

Sicilians and greeks, una faccia una razza.
I'm half from Syracuse and half from Catania.
Hi all my greek friends, panhellenic pride!

http://i48.tinypic.com/1z1r613.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/34ysgpf.jpg

:thumb001::thumb001::thumb001:

[Sikeliot]

I too am proud of my ancient Greek roots. Parts of eastern Sicily were even Greek-speaking and Eastern Orthodox into the Middle Ages.

[MarceloBielsa]

Parts of eastern Sicily were even Greek-speaking
With Dionisio I all Sicily spoke greek and until middle ages many cities were greek-speaking, the rest speaking in vulgar latin (actually sicilian language).
In Messina still today exist the "archimandrita".
In sicilian language (not italian dialect) there are many ancient greek words.

[Anusiya]

Damn Romans :(

[Sikeliot]

Damn Romans :(

The Romans didn't change the demographics of Sicily.. under the Romans, Sicily still spoke Greek and thought of themselves as Greeks.

This was the case until the Arabs and Moors, actually. Then by the time the Normans got there, Greek identity was restricted to parts of Messina and Catania.

[Anusiya]

The Romans didn't change the demographics of Sicily.. under the Romans, Sicily still spoke Greek and thought of themselves as Greeks.

This was the case until the Arabs and Moors, actually. Then by the time the Normans got there, Greek identity was restricted to parts of Messina and Catania.

Yes, but the Romans forged Italy to their needs. A forced globalisation, first of many to have come. Surely they were allowed so, but after they slaughtered half of the population and enslave a third or so. Sure, the rest spoke Greek!

I am not against Arabs or Moors actually, they mostly did it to sustain themselves. The Romans are a different story.

[MarceloBielsa]

Indigenous sicilian peoples are italic, like latin, some alphabet, and similar language.
This peoples (sicels, elymians and sicans) were in part hellenized, with roman conquered this peoples were integrated in latin language.
But in east roman empire (or byzantine) majority peoples were culturally greeks, and was back greek language in large part of Sicily.
However the church re-latinized all sicilian people, with great importation to northen italian people in central Sicily (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallo-Italic_of_Sicily), during 150 years arab occupation , arab language was spoken only by muslims a small minority, for example: in Greece had ottoman occupation but greek people spoke in greek language and non in turk.
The last hellenophones in Sicily were in Messina in 1700.
Sicilians have much greek heritage, and much italic heritage.
This is the oldest text in sicilian vulgar, latin language, year 1091:

Anno Domini nostri J. XP. MXCI, tempora quadragesime,
Vinni in la marina di li Mikenki, ora dicta Donnalucata, lu barb. Ammiro Belicani Saraxino, cum manio exercitu, per dixtruire omni phidili Kriptiani, et la nostra ixula, et lu barburu cani nun chi riuxio, chi lu populu di Xicli si moxi tuctu, e si armau, et accursi per costringherlo et farilo fughire, a quillo barbaru infidili: ma, videndo lo numiro di li infidili, grassi assai, se prostraro cum la fachia per terra, et pricando nos Xeniuri J. XP. et la Vi. de la Pietati, che essi camaru per darichi fortia et corajo, per dischiacare li barb. Saraxini, et illico et statim, videro in lu Chelu una nugola, che isprindea ut solis, cum dintra la Vi. MP. cum brandus in dextera, et chi rintronava a lo sou populo "en adsum, ecce me, civitas mea dilecta, protegam te dextera mea", si livaru di terra di un subito, et videro lo exercitu di li normandi, ut volociter acquile, per aiutarli et uniti tucti si moxiro ut fulminem supra quilli infidili et li destruxiro et fu tali la confuxioni et lo spavento, che si ucchisero ipsi stixi, ut more canis idrofobi; durau la punia quasi per uno jorno, et di poi li sacti xaxerdoti cantaru Tedeum laudamus, et lo Magnificat, accumpaniati di lo exercito, et la nocti tucti li normandi et tucto lo populo si rixtaro in lo dictu locu, per prigari et ringratiaru a Dio e Maria Vergine che li salvau di lu ecchidio di li infidili; la matina si arritrovao lu campu cum immenso numero di morti, at li barchi di li infidili tucti fugati, et poi si ringratiau lu gran Diu e la MP. Vi. et si chiamau, di li pii ss. saxerdoti, sata MP. Militum, pro siclensibus, et si stabeleo farichi la festa omni anno, in lo jorno sabato prechedente a la Dominica di passioni, jorno solenni di la punia, et cussi' fu liberata la nostra terra, per sempre amen S.T.L.
Scriptum in Tabula Ligni

[Absinthe]

Hello Agatocle, it's nice having you here :)

[Sultan Suleiman]

So you are a separatist, right?

[MarceloBielsa]

Hello Agatocle, it's nice having you here :)

Thank you :thumb001:

[MarceloBielsa]

So you are a separatist, right?

Sicilian nationalist. :thumb001:

[kabeiros]

With Dionisio I all Sicily spoke greek and until middle ages many cities were greek-speaking, the rest speaking in vulgar latin (actually sicilian language).
In Messina still today exist the "archimandrita".
In sicilian language (not italian dialect) there are many ancient greek words. Hi, friend nice to meet you. Can you give some examples of the sicilian language (what is the difference with Italian, which words are of Greek origin etc.)? I know that the Calabrian mafia's name ''ndrangheta'' is of Greek origin (''andragatheia'') but it's not in Sicily...

[Peyrol]

Hi, friend nice to meet you. Can you give some examples of the sicilian language (what is the difference with Italian, which words are of Greek origin etc.)? I know that the Calabrian mafia's name ''ndrangheta'' is of Greek origin (''andragatheia'') but it's not in Sicily...

There is a topic about southern italian doric-greek in the linguistic section, if you're interested.

[Virtuous]

Benvenuto!

[arcticwolf]

Welcome. It's good to have you here.

[Corvus]

My welcome is long overdue.
Benvenuto antico guerriero :)

[Fortis in Arduis]

Welcome to the forum.

Have you met "Inspector Montalbano"? :D


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dsddAYOe7iw/T4gHE3HIZTI/AAAAAAAABeU/X1T_pnTrVpc/s640/1240479563-LUCA+ZINGARETTI.jpg

[Anusiya]

Dat signature!

[Queen B]

Hello !!! Nice to meet you :)

[MarceloBielsa]

Hi, friend nice to meet you. Can you give some examples of the sicilian language (what is the difference with Italian, which words are of Greek origin etc.)? I know that the Calabrian mafia's name ''ndrangheta'' is of Greek origin (''andragatheia'') but it's not in Sicily...

there are many sicilian words with ancient greek origins like

appizzari, babbari, annacari, taddarita, carusu ecc ecc

[MarceloBielsa]

thanks to all