# List of Pontic Greeks

→This is a list of Pontic Greeks (Pontic: Ρωμαίοι, Ρωμιοί, Romaioi; Greek: Πόντιοι, Pontioi ), i.e. Greeks from the region of Pontus, in modern northern Turkey.

## Ancient

* Diogenes (412/404 BC – 323 BC), also known as Diogenes the Cynic, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy
* Diphilus (342–291 BC), of Sinope, a poet of the new Attic comedy and contemporary of Menander
* Mithridates VI Eupator (132–63 BC), the most important king of the Kingdom of Pontus
* Laodice, Mithridates VI's sister and first wife
* Diophantus, son of Asclepiodorus, of Sinope, was a general in the service of Mithridates VI of Pontus
* Cleopatra of Pontus (born 110 BC), the Pontic wife of Tigranes the Great and daughter of Mithridates VI of Pontus
* Arcathius, a prince from the Kingdom of Pontus
* Machares, a Pontian prince and son of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Queen Laodice
* Pharnaces II of Pontus, a prince, then King of Pontus and the Bosporan until his death
* Athenais Philostorgos II, princess from Kingdom of Pontus, was a Roman Client Queen of Cappadocia
* Stratonice of Pontus, a Greek woman from the Kingdom of Pontus, a mistress and fourth wife of King Mithridates VI of Pontus
* Xiphares, a Pontian Greek prince, son of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Stratonice of Pontus

## Roman

* Pythodorida of Pontus (30 BC or 29 BC – 38)
* Polemon I of Pontus (1st century BC, died 8 BC)
* Polemon II of Pontus (12 BC/11 BC–74)
* Strabo (63/64 BC–24 AD), a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher
* Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea, a Christian bishop of the 3rd century
* Saint Eugenios of Trebizond, martyred under Diocletian (284–305) and a cult devoted to him developed in Trebizond
* Anicetus (1st century), pirate, leader of unsuccessful anti-Roman uprising in Pontus in 69

## Byzantine
### Rulers of the Trebizond Empire

* Alexios I Komnenos (1056–1118/1048), Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and the founder of the Komnenian dynasty
* Andronikos I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond from 1222 to 1235
* Ioannis I Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1235 to 1238
* Manuel I Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1238 to 1263
* Andronikos II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1263 to 1266
* Georgios Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1266 to 1280
* Ioannis II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1280 to 1297
* Theodora Megale Komnene, Empress of Trebizond from 1284 to 1285
* Alexios II of Trebizond (1282 – 1330), Emperor of Trebizond from 1297 to 1330
* David Megas Komnenos (c. 1408 – 1 November 1463) Last Emperor of Trebizond from 1459 to 1461

### Clerics

* Ecumenical Patriarch John VIII, patriarch of Constantinople from 1064 to 1075. (also saint)

### Scholars

* Gregory Choniades (died 1302), astronomer
* Michael Panaretos (1320–c. 1390), historian, protosebastos and protonotarios in the service of Alexios III Megas Komnenos
* George of Trebizond (1395–1472 or 1473), a philosopher and scholar, one of the pioneers of the Renaissance
* George Amiroutzes (1400–1470), a Renaissance scholar and philosopher, a servant of Sultan Mehmed II
* Basilios Bessarion (1403–1472), a Catholic Cardinal Bishop and the titular Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, one of Greek scholars who contributed to the great revival of letters in the 15th century

## Early Modern

* Sevastos Kyminitis (1630–1703), scholar who founded the Phrontisterion of Trapezous
* Constantine Mourouzis (died 1783), was a Phanariote Prince of Moldavia, and member of the Mourousis family
* Alexander Ypsilantis (1792–1828), leader of the Filiki Eteria, Greek military commander and national hero
* Demetrios Ypsilantis (1793–1832), second son of Constantine Ypsilantis, one of the early leaders of the Greek Revolution, general under John Capodistria
* Euklidis Kourtidis (1885–1937), Greek revolutionary leader of Pontos (a.k.a. Kapetan Euklidis)
* Nikos Kapetanidis (1889-1922), journalist and activist executed during the Amasya trials
* Anastasios Papadopoulos (1896-1922), Greek revolutionary leader of Pontos (a.k.a. Koja Anastas)
* Venetia Kotta (1897-1945), archaeologist and historian

## Contemporary
### Actors

* Pamphylia Tanailidi (1891–1937)
* Periklis Hristoforidis (1907–1983)
* Panos Papadopulos (1920-2001)
* Nikos Xanthopoulos (1934-2023)
* Martha Karagianni (1939-2022)
* Vasilis N. Triantafillidis (1940-2018) (a.k.a. Harry Klyn)
* Nikos Sergianopoulos (1952–2008)
* Ieroklis Michailidis (b. 1960)
* Denis Podalydès (b. 1963)
* Fanis Mouratidis (b. 1970)
* Victoria Haralabidou (b. 1971)
* Giorgos Kapoutzidis (b. 1972)
* Alex Dimitriades (b. 1973)
* Mary Akrivopoulou (b. 1975)

### Artists

* Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016), sculptor
* Arkhip Kuindzhi (1842–1910), Russian landscape painter
* Sergey Merkurov (1881–1952), prominent Soviet sculptor-monumentalist of Greek-Armenian ancestry
* Nonda (1922-2005), leading Greek artist of the School of Paris

### Athletes
#### Basketball

* Michalis Romanidis (b. 1966)
* Vasilis Lipiridis (b. 1967)
* Jake Tsakalidis (b. 1979)
* Dimitris Diamantidis (b. 1980)
* Lazaros Papadopoulos (b. 1980)
* Loukas Mavrokefalidis (b. 1984)
* Kostas Vasileiadis (b. 1984)

#### Football

* Georgios Amanatidis (b. 1970)
* Ioannis Amanatidis (b. 1981)
* Antonis Antoniadis (b. 1945)
* Christos Archontidis (coach also)
* Stefanos Athanasiadis (b. 1988)
* Elias Atmatsidis (b. 1969)
* Giorgios Georgiadis (b. 1987)
* Aristidis Kamaras (b. 1939) (mother)
* Kiriakos Karataidis (b. 1965)
* Yevhen Khacheridi (b. 1987) Ukrainian-Greek footballer for Dynamo Kyiv
* Savvas Kofidis (b. 1961) (coach also)
* Stan Lazaridis (b. 1972) former football player who represented his homeland Australia
* Yuri Lodygin (b. 1990) Russian-Greek goalkeeper for Zenit Saint Petersburg
* Takis Loukanidis (b. 1937)
* Dimitris Mavrogenidis (b. 1976)
* Kostas Nestoridis (b. 1930)
* Demis Nikolaidis (b. 1973)
* Antonios Nikopolidis (b. 1971)
* Andreas Niniadis (b. 1971) (assistant coach also)
* Dimitrios Papadopoulos (b. 1981)
* Mimis Papaioannou (b. 1942)
* Evstaphiy Pechlevanidis (b. 1960)
* Ilias Poursanidis (b. 1972)
* Ilias Rossidis (b. 1928)
* Dimitris Salpingidis (b. 1981)
* Giourkas Seitaridis (b. 1981)
* Ieroklis Stoltidis (b. 1975)
* Efstathios Tavlaridis (b. 1980)
* Ioannis Topalidis (b. 1962) (coach also)
* Vasilis Torosidis (b. 1985)
* Panagiotis Tsalouchidis (b. 1963)
* Zisis Vryzas (b. 1973) (mother)

#### Martial Arts

* Charalambos Cholidis (b. 1956), former wrestler
* Anton Christoforidis (b. 1918), former NBA world light heavyweight champion
* Michael Katsidis (b. 1980), Australian professional boxer, former WBO interim lightweight champion
* Stan Longinidis (b. 1965), retired professional Australian Heavyweight kickboxer and 8 time Kickboxing World Champion
* Andreas Michailidis, (b. 1988), Greek mixed martial artist
* Elisavet Mystakidou (b. 1977), taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist
* Christos Navrozidis, (b. 1993), Greek freestyle wrestler and bare-knuckle fighter
* Alexandros Nikolaidis (1979-2022), taekwondo athlete and Olympic medalist
* Panagiotis Poikilidis (b. 1965), wrestler
* Mike Zambidis (b. 1980), professional kickboxer, a 13 time World Champion, and current W.K.B.F. super-welterweight kickboxing world champion

#### Track & Field

* Anastasia Kelesidou (b. 1972), discus thrower
* Voula Patoulidou (b. 1965), competed in the 100 metres, 100 metres hurdles and in the long jump events
* Ekaterini Stefanidi (b. 1990), pole vaulter
* Georgios Theodoridis (b. 1972), sprinter specializing in the 60 metres and 100 metres
* Athanasia Tsoumeleka (b. 1982) (mother), race walker

#### Water Sports

* Andreas Kilingaridis (1976–2013), sprint canoer
* Aikaterini Nikolaidou (b. 1992), rower
* Nikolaos Siranidis (b. 1976), diver

#### Weightlifting

* Ilya Ilyin (b. 1988) (Pontian maternal grandfather, Iakovos Fountoukidis)
* Valerios Leonidis (b. 1966)
* Kakhi Kakhiashvili (b. 1969) (grandmother)

#### Various Sports

* Eleni Daniilidou (b. 1982), tennis player
* Ioannis Melissanidis (b. 1977), artistic gymnast
* Ioannis Tamouridis (b. 1980), cyclist
* Elena Vesnina (b. 1986), tennis player (Greek Pontian grandfather)

### Business

* Konstantinos Theofylaktos, was a banker and mayor of Trabzon from 1916 to 1918
* Filaret Galchev (b. 1963), Russian businessman, chairman of Eurocement group (real name Filaretos Kaltsidis)
* Mike Lazaridis (b. 1961), founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), which created and manufactures the BlackBerry wireless handheld device
* Dimitris Melissanidis (b. 1946), founder of Aegean Marine Petroleum, president of AEK Athens F.C. from 1992 to 1995
* Ivan Savvidi (b. 1959), Deputy to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Chairman of PAOK FC and FC SKA Rostov-on-Don, Businessman and president of the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia

### Journalists

* Vicky Hadjivassiliou (mother)
* Nikos Kapetanidis Pontic Greek journalist and newspaper publisher
* Mary Kostakidis (b. 1954), former weeknight SBS World News Australia presenter
* Alexandra Pascalidou (b. 1970), journalist, television hostess and author
* Pantelis Savvidis (b. 1954)
* Tatiana Stefanidou (b. 1970)
* Makis Triantafyllopoulos (grandmother)
* Popi Tsapanidou
* George Valavanis

### Military

* Achilles Sakis (Tsakeredes), United States Air Force - Retired, Flight test engineer & U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School graduate and instructor, later with Google X Project Wing
* James G. Stavridis, Retired United States Navy admiral & 12th Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
* Vladimir Triandafillov (1894–1931), Soviet military commander and theoretician (real surname Triantafyllidis)

### Models

* Olympia Hopsonidou (b. 1983), Star Hellas 2006

### Music

* Aristotelis Koundouroff (1896–1969), composer of the Modern Era
* Iovan Tsaous (1893–1942), musician, and composer of rebetiko songs (real name Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis)
* Odysseas Dimitriadis (1908–2005), classical music conductor
* Stelios Kazantzidis (1931–2001), Greek singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's composers (father)
* Chrysanthos (1934–2005), singer and songwriter (his surname is Theodoridis)
* Pavlos Sidiropoulos (1948–1990), rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and the "father" of the Greek Rock (father)
* Diamanda Galas (b. 1955), US avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, performance artist and painter (Pontian ancestry on her father's side)
* Lefteris Hapsiadis (1953-2023) lyricist, poet and writer of novels
* Vasilis Karras (1953-2023), Greek folk singer (real surname Kesoglidis)
* Kelly Kelekidou (b. 1978), Greek singer
* Lefteris Pantazis (b. 1955), Greek folk singer (real surname Pagozidis)
* Lefteris Papadopoulos (b. 1939), lyricist, poet and journalist
* Antonis Remos (b. 1970), Greek laïko singer (real surname Paschalidis)
* Natassa Theodoridou (b. 1970), Greek singer
* Matthaios Tsahouridis (b. 1978), plays a range of stringed musical instruments including pontic kemenche, Ph.D. in musicology
* Despina Vandi (b. 1969), Greek singer
* Paola Foka (b. 1982), Greek singer (partial)

### Politics

* Adonis Georgiadis (b. 1972), Greek politician, historian, publisher, and author
* Leonidas Iasonidis (1884–1959), political activist, congressman of Greek parliament and minister
* Ioannis Passalidis (1886–1968), a prominent member of the Greek Left and founder of the United Democratic Left party
* Dimitrios Partsalidis (1903/1905–1980), communist politician
* Nikos Papadopoulos (b. 1939) Greek-born Swedish Social Democrat politician
* Gavriil Kharitonovich Popov (b. 1936), former mayor of Moscow (real name Gavriil Papadopoulos)
* Savvas Tsitouridis (b. 1954), politician and member of the New Democracy and former Minister for Employment and Social Protection
* Markos Vafiadis (1906–1992), leading cadre of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) during the Greek Civil War

### Science/academia

* George Gurdjieff (1866? – 1949), a mystic and spiritual teacher (real name Georgios Georgiades)
* Viktor Sarianidi (b. 1929), well-known Soviet archaeologist
* Fyodor Yurchikhin (b. 1959), cosmonaut and spacecraft's mechanical engineer (mother)
* John Ioannidis (b. 1965), American scientist, professor, and author

### Writers

* Aris Alexandrou (1922–1978), a novelist, poet and translator (father)
* Diana Anphimiadi (b. 1982), Georgian poet, journalist, publicist, linguist and teacher
* Christos Chomenidis (b. 1966)
* Thea Halo (b. 1941) (mother), author of Not Even My Name, a memoir of her mother's experiences during the Greek genocide
** Sano Halo (1909-2014), survivor of the Greek genocide and nicknamed Grandmother of the Pontic Greeks
* Theodor Kallifatides (b. 1938) (father)
* Dimitris Psathas (1907–1979), journalist and satirical writer (mother)
* Nikolay Sherbina (b. 1821), Russian poet of 19th century (maternal grandparent)
* Stephanos Papadopoulos (b.1976) Greek American Poet (father)
* Nikos Grigoriadis (1931-2012), poet and educator.

### Various

* A. I. Bezzerides (1908–2007), Greek-Armenian novelist and screenwriter, best known for writing Noir and Action motion pictures, especially several of Warners' "social conscience" films of the 1940s (father)
* Anastasios Papadopoulos (1896–1922), guerilla fighter and leading figure of Pontus
* Yanis Kanidis (1930–2004), Greek-Russian physical education teacher & hero who died to save the lives of his students during the Beslan school hostage crisis
* Filon Ktenidis (1889–1963), playwright, accountant, journalist, doctor and the founder of Panagia Soumela in Kastania, Vermiou in Greece