Greece, Blog Post 1

Defining National Identity

National Identity is made up of internal culture and external relationships with significant others. This definition builds off Anna Triandafyllidou’s “National identity and the ‘other’” (1998). Triandafyllidou says national identity “may be conceived as a double-edged relationship. On one hand … it involves a certain degree of commonality within the group … on the other hand, national identity implies difference. Its existence presupposes the existence of ‘others’” (Triandafyllidou, p. 599). Here Triandafyllidou is explaining how ‘others’ give meaning to a country’s national Identity along with that country’s people’s shared traits. Greek national identity supports Triandafyllidou’s idea in how it was forged through historical opposition to Ottoman rule, and stemming from this, how Greece has current hostility toward its Turkish/Muslim significant other. This is explained in the quote, “Greek national consciousness, the ‘othering’ process is inextricably linked with the Turkish yoke and Muslim religion” (Triandafyllidou, as cited in Dimari et al., 2025). The Greek example illustrates how national identity is not only surface level culture/traditions/values, but also relation to significant others: Greece’s differentiation from Ottoman/Muslim other. National Identity, therefore, is the connection between internal culture (such as language, religion, and historical heritage) and external relationships/differentiation with significant others.

Aspects of Greece’s National Identity

Greek national identity can be seen through different internal traits of Greek culture, such as language, religion, ethnicity/ancestry, and historical cultural heritage. These internal aspects of Greek national identity define who Greeks see themselves as based on their shared cultural traditions and traits, and social norms.

Language

The Greek language today has evident continuity from ancient to modern times, showing its prevalence as a pillar of Greek national identity. This is visible from a study of ancient Greek national identity in comparison to modern Greek national Identity. This study states that “Consequently, one may conclude that modern Greeks share the same language as their ancient counterparts … Greek would not only find an Athenian newspaper intelligible … but would be amazed at the remarkable likenesses between the ancient and modern languages” (Papanikos, p.75). This continuity reinforces the idea of shared cultural lineage among Greek communities, strengthening connections between modern Greeks and presenting language as a key piece of Greek national identity. In addition to this, Greek national identity has a large presence in Greece’s linguistic community because Greek national identity puts such emphasis on ancestral continuity. This is because “Greekness became inseparably tied to common ancestry, cultural traditions, and religion” (Gogonas and Tramountanis).

Religion

Religion in Greece, specifically Orthodox Christianity, represents a key part of Greek national identity as it serves as a basis for large communities and shared values among Greek residents. Orthodox Christianity as a characteristic of Greek national identity, has a prevalent emphasis on Hellenic values and the importance of historical cultural heritage in Modern Greek culture. This can be explained by Papaniko in “The National Identity of Ancient and Modern Greeks. “Greeks have adopted Christianity … blended with ancient Greek philosophy, resulting in the Christian Orthodox Church … connection between ancient Greek religion and Greek Christian Orthodoxy lies in the concept of polytheism” (Papanikos, p.76). This quote demonstrates how the Greek orthodox maintains Hellenistic values, demonstrating its historical significance as a part of Greece’s modern national identity.

Ancestry/Ethnicity (this can be mixed into historical cultural heritage)

Ancestry and ethnic continuity are a significant part of Greek national identity, particularly following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Policies regarding Greek citizenship reinforce the importance Greece places on Greek ancestry while disallowing diversity to exist in the nationality of Greek citizens. Greece does not have birthright citizenship, and to obtain citizenship, you must be born to a parent of Greek nationality. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Greece took extensive measures to change its prior characteristics to those of its origin in ancient Greece. This is visible from the quote, “Organic definitions of Greek national identity would gain impetus over voluntaristic ones. Cultural and linguistic diversity became less tolerated … Aiming to consolidate the Hellenization of recently annexed territories, a sweeping set of legislative measures renamed hundreds of towns and villages, changing their Bulgarian, Turkish or Albanian names into Greek.” (Grigoriadis, p.170). This shows the value placed in Greek ethnicity and preserving the culture of Greek ancestry within Greece after the collapse of the ottoman empire.

Historical Cultural Heritage

Historical remnants and memory are much emphasized in Greece as a component of Greek national identity. Traditions, myths, and historical remaining architecture are just some examples of historical cultural heritage that is the face of much of Greece’s narrative and public image, further showing how important it is to Greece’s national identity. This is said in the quote, “Traditions, myths and collective memories, particularly those associated with national struggles against ‘invaders’ or ‘enemies’, real or imagined, have played a prominent role in the formation of the Greek nation.” (Triandafyllidou, p.606). This shows how Greece’s national identity has to do largely with the preservation of ancient Greek history and is emphasized by Greece as well to shift its narrative regarding historical events following the collapse of the ottoman empire.

How Othering Informs Greek National Identity

Othering actively shapes and transforms the current Greek national Identity. Historical events between Greece and the preexisting Ottoman Empire establish context for aspects of modern Greek national identity, this being that historically, Greece was a nation formed in opposition to the Ottoman empire. This opposition was due to discriminatory rule over the Greeks by the Ottoman empire with suppression of Greek identity, and Greek “aspirations for freedom and eventual overthrow of the Turkish yoke” (Britannica). Triandafyllidou notes of this in saying, “Modern Greek identity was shaped in response to the Ottoman occupation and (later also Turkish) threat which has remained alive both in reality and in popular imagination and state ideology until the present day” (Triandafyllidou, p. 609). This aspect of national identity in the present day is persistent in Greek society in the perceptions of Greek persons with regard to ‘other’ groups, mainly being Muslim immigrants of Turkish descent. This othering shows up in an example, a business owner describes their personal obstacles of refugee integration: “We will end up being a minority in our own,” “It’s their language, their culture, their religion, their culture; they have also shown an aggressive attitude towards us Christians,” (Dimari et al., 2025). These statements reglect a cultural divide between those of the homogeneous religion of Greece, Christianity, and immigrants which are the ‘other’ to Greek national identity. These statements thus demonstrate how historical conflict between different nations causes current day othering, shaping the different social attitudes of the people in Greece, and thus their national Identity.

 

 

References:

Papanikos, G. T. (2024). The national identity of ancient and modern greeks. Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 10(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajms.10-1-4  

Grigoriadis, I. N. (2011). Redefining the nation: Shifting boundaries of the ‘other’ in Greece and Turkey. Middle Eastern Studies, 47(1), 167–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2011.536632  

Dimari, G., Tzagkarakis, S. I., Papadakis, N., & Citkowska-Kimla, A. (2025). Desecuritization of migration in Greece: Re-visiting “Flexicuritization.” Frontiers in Political Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2025.1462902

National Identity and the other. (2003). Immigrants and National Identity in Europe, 22–43. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203167496-5

Papanikos, G. T. (2024). The national identity of ancient and modern greeks. Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 10(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajms.10-1-4

Greece - ottoman rule, resistance, revolution | britannica. (n.d.-b). https://www.britannica.com/place/Greece/Resistance-to-Ottoman-rule



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