Re: Greeks are WHITE and most are similar to their ancestors


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Posted by artemis on May 22, 2002 at 04:47:31:

In Reply to: Re: Greeks are WHITE and most are similar to their ancestors posted by DORIAN on November 15, 2001 at 21:37:34:

There is this school of thought which believes modern Greeks are more Slavs than anything else. wouldn't that explain the fair hair and skin of many Greeks, especially up north?

: Greeks are basicly a blend beteen the Apine/Dinaric and Mediteranean branches of the white race.
:
: Carelton Stevens Coon’s Races of Europe, Chapter XII, Section 14, The Greeks :

: It is inaccurate to say that the modern Greeks are different physically from the ancient Greeks; such a statement is based on an ignorance of the Greek ethnic character.... The Greeks, in short, are a blend of racial types, of which two are most important: the Atlanto-Mediterranean and the Alpine. Dinaricism here is present, but not all pervading; true Alpines are commoner than complete Dinarics [closely related to Alpines]. The Nordic element is weak, as it probably has been since the days of Homer. The racial type to which Socrates belonged is today the most important, while the Atlanto-Mediterranean, prominent in Greece since the Bronze Age, is still a major factor. It is my personal reaction to the living Greeks that their continuity with their ancestors of the ancient world is remarkable, rather than the opposite.


:
: : North African blood ties do exist in Southern Europe. During the Middle Ages, the Moors occupied large sections of Italy and very nearly conquered all of Spain and Portugal. Ties between Christian Europeans and Islamic Africans were so strong during some parts of the period that it was not unheard of for a Norman lord (another immigrant to Italy) to squire his younger sons to Moorish neighbors or vice versa!

: : However, medieval Greeks (aka Byzantines) also generally had pretty good relations with their Arab and Turkish neighbors when they weren't busy Crusading against each other, so a fair bit of intermarriage probably went on there as well.

: : It might have something to do with the influx of Western Eurpeans during the Crusades. Many third and fourth sons of France, England, and Germany left home to seek their fortunes in the East because there was nothing for them to inherit at home, settling in what are now Greece, Turkey, and Syria.

: : On the other hand, I've also met a few Greek Cypriots with pretty dark complexions as well.

: : I guess the point is that there are a lot of potential answers to this particular observation that boil down to the Medeterranean being a cross-roads for different cultures and peoples throughout history.

: : : hi i am a greek guy living in spain and the same happens with me over here in spain. spanish ver here is also expected to look like the greeks but they use to be darker than greeks, i would not say though that they have links with northern africans. also if you go to northern greece you can find people who resemble more German than actually Greeks (or what you would expect). I have brown eyes with blondish long fair hair if anyone is interested.

:
: : : : Yazoo!
: : : : First of all sorry for my english,
: : : : can anyone tell me how does it come that Italians, in general have a darker complexion than us? I am from Athens and I am actually studying in Catania, Italy and I've visited many city of Italy since I am there from 2 years.
: : : : I was expected, especially in southern Italy to find people that resemble us due to the history facts, but many times you see true Italians with a very dark complexion and kind of north african look and this not only in the south, but also in the central and sporadically nothern Italy.
: : : : Italians don't admit that, but I guess they had a much stronger relationship, in the past with the neighbouring african countries.
: : : : Yannis




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