Why do Greeks appropriate the Roman Empire?

[Böri]

The Roman empire was founded in Italy. It was an officially Latin state. Then this empire split in two parts, the eastern part like the western part remained of course Latin speaker.

Greeks assimilated the eastern Roman empire but centuries after.

Constantinople was founded by Latin Romans in the first half of the 4th century CE. Emperor Constantine was Roman, not Greek. The city was built on Roman ways. Its official language was Latin. Emperor Justinian who made the eastern Roman empire experience its brightest days during the 6th century CE was also a Latin Roman. He wasn't Greek. So, more affiliated with Italy than with Greece.

Then in 620's, Emperor Heraclius who was an Armenian making a coup and becoming emperor made Greek official and Latin was banned.

Technically, the Roman empire ended in 620's, and that should be considered the beginning of the Greek Byzantine empire. Well, the empire lost most of its lands after Hellenization. Almost half was gone (in NA, Balkans and ME).

HOWEVER, when you read Greeks around or the way they act it's like Eastern Rome was a Greek state.

The Chinese didn't become Mongols because Mongols conquered them and Chinese assimilating what Mongols built in China. Yet Greeks pretend to be Romans for they were invaded by Romans and later assimilated what Latins built where Greeks were majority.


Greeks even hijacked the title Roman to the east. In Turkey for example, Greeks are called Rum.
Rum is a Persian word meaning Roman.
Parthians, Sassanis were using it to refer to Latin leaders of Rome such as Crassus, Belisarius or Emperor Justinian etc.

How come Greeks appropriate an identity, a state, a history and people which weren't Greek?

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[Rgvgjhvv]

Under the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), the Empire's military and administration were restructured and adopted Greek for official use instead of Latin. Thus, although the Roman state continued and its traditions were maintained, modern historians distinguish Byzantium from ancient Rome insofar as it was centred on Constantinople, oriented towards Greek rather than Latin culture, and characterized by Orthodox Christianity. This lasted until 1453.

[Böri]

Under the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), the Empire's military and administration were restructured and adopted Greek for official use instead of Latin. Thus, although the Roman state continued and its traditions were maintained, modern historians distinguish Byzantium from ancient Rome insofar as it was centred on Constantinople, oriented towards Greek rather than Latin culture, and characterized by Orthodox Christianity. This lasted until 1453.

That's ok. Greeks assimilated it. But that starts with Heraclius and that's in the 7th century.
Constantine who lived in 4th century, Justinian who lived in the 6th century and who were Eastern Roman emperors were Latin. Not Greek.

However you see that Greeks appropriate them too, interestingly.

Look at Chinese.
They appropriated the Yuan dynasty starting from Kubilai khan, who sinicized himself by even converting to Budhism. Chinese don't claim that Gengis Khan was Sinic, nor they call themselves Mongols.

Yet the Greeks, in contrast, they do. They claim Constantine as theirs and they refer to themselves as Rum for 1500 years.
Interesting.

[Papastratosels26]

Okey

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[Böri]

Okey

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A bit like appropriating the ancient Macedon whom were using Greek as official language but whom were considered alien and non-Greek barbarians by actual Greeks such as Spartans?

OK let's not go that much.

[Thanas Django]

they refer to themselves as Rum to themselves for 1500 years.
Interesting.

Rum is an exonym that Turks gave us, we didn't force anyone to say Rum.

We call ourselves Hellines.

[Papastratosels26]

The same applies with Anatolians who claim pure Turks from Central Asia

A bit like appropriating the ancient Macedon whom were using Greek as official language but whom were considered alien and non-Greek barbarians by actual Greeks such as Spartans?

OK let's not go that much.

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[Böri]

The same applies with Anatolians who claim pure Turks from Central Asia

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I dont think so. That's me:

Dodecad K7b



# Population Percent
1 West_Asian 38.7
2 Southern 25.05
3 Atlantic_Baltic 17.21
4 Siberian 9.73
5 East_Asian 6.15
6 South_Asian 3.11
7 African 0.05

Single Population Sharing:

# Population (source) Distance
1 Turks (Behar) 9.34
2 Turkish (Dodecad) 10.53
3 Turkmens (Yunusbayev) 11.65
4 Kumyks (Yunusbayev) 14.89
5 Nogais (Yunusbayev) 15.3
6 Balkars (Yunusbayev) 15.38
7 North_Ossetians (Yunusbayev) 16.6
8 Adygei (HGDP) 17.28
9 Iranian (Dodecad) 17.58
10 Kurd (Dodecad) 18.56
11 Iranians (Behar) 18.85
12 Kurds (Yunusbayev) 18.97
13 Uzbekistan_Jews (Behar) 19.31
14 Chechens (Yunusbayev) 20.18
15 Tajiks (Yunusbayev) 20.25
16 Armenians (Behar) 21.3
17 Armenians_15 (Yunusbayev) 21.35
18 Armenian (Dodecad) 21.36
19 Azerbaijan_Jews (Behar) 21.89
20 Cypriots (Behar) 22.02

[Thanas Django]

How come Greeks appropriate an identity, a state, a history and people which weren't Greek?

Here is a list of bookshops in your native city of Doğubeyazıt. If you look enough you may find Muslim Armenians like yourself to sell you books about the Rum.

https://www.google.de/search?q=books...,lf:1,lf_ui:10