Ancient Greeks/Modern Greeks Vs Ancient Romans/Modern Italians - which link is more tenuous?

[Dna8]

In your opinion, is the link between ancient Greeks and modern Greeks, or the link between ancient Romans and modern Italians, more tenuous?

Define linkage however you like.

Define tenuousness however you like.

Cheers

[Dna8]

Bump.

[Dna8]

Bump 2.0

[Dna8]

Final Bump.

[Token]

In what sense? Genetics, culture, phenotype...

[Dna8]

In what sense? Genetics, culture, phenotype...

As per OP, in whatever sense you would like to opine. I'm most interested in how people approach the question..

[Sikeliot]

Well, some Italians probably have more Greek ancestry than Roman. Remember that "Roman" in ancient times referred to citizenship and identity, it is doubtful outside of central Italy that Italians have ancestors in large amount who were central Italians who migrated north or south... the transition to Latin and the acquisition of Roman culture was a cultural shift (for instance I do not consider Romans my ancestors). And some modern Greeks descend in part from recently Hellenized groups like Slavs, Caucasus peoples, etc.

I do not think it is a clear cut answer.

[Dna8]

Well, some Italians probably have more Greek ancestry than Roman. Remember that "Roman" in ancient times referred to citizenship and identity, it is doubtful outside of central Italy that Italians have ancestors in large amount who were central Italians who migrated north or south... the transition to Latin and the acquisition of Roman culture was a cultural shift (for instance I do not consider Romans my ancestors). And some modern Greeks descend in part from recently Hellenized groups like Slavs, Caucasus peoples, etc.

I do not think it is a clear cut answer.

Thank you for your response.

[Dianatomia]

Italy encompassed more peoples than just Romans. The connotation Roman is much more limited than the Greek one. Roman is reminiscent to a tribe in Central Italy. While other tribes, like Etruscans, Greeks, Phoenicians were also part of the Italian peninsula. The Greeks however, in the Classical Age or the Hellenistic Age, could connote any tribe, a pre-Greek Hellenized tribe, or any Greek living from Southern Italy, all the way to Ionia, Pontus and Cyprus. It is the fact that the concept of 'Hellenism' was so vast that it is quite easy to claim a steady continuity. Both the Italian peninsula as well as the Greek peninsula have absorbed new elements since antiquity. So I will leave that aside. Also, the Greek language is much closer to Ancient Greek, than Italian is to Latin. In fact, I would make a case that even Mycenaeans are closer overall to modern Greeks, than all modern Italians are to Romans.

On a final note,we could also argue that all peoples of Italy (even Greeks) at some point of time became Roman citizens. This may change my perspective. But usually when we talk about Ancient Greeks, we mean the ones from the Classical and Hellenistic Age, while when we talk about Romans we mean those people who founded Rome and created an Empire. Hence I would go for the Greeks.

[Token]

As per OP, in whatever sense you would like to opine. I'm most interested in how people approach the question..

As a whole, Greeks are more similar to Ancient Greeks than Italians as a whole are to Romans.