The Terms Ῥωμαῖος, Ἕλλην, Γραικὸς in the Byzantine Texts of the first Half of the 13th Century
Authors: PAPADOPOULOU Theodora 
Published: October 2015

<span class="hps"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">The term <em>collective identity</em> denotes a theoretical</span></span><span class="hps"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">pattern of interpretation of social groups. More specifically, it denotes the awareness of the members of a group that they are linked together in a complex environment of common beliefs and values. During the Nicaean period, a distinct collective identity can be discerned, as it emerges from the scholarly literature. This identity is delineated by the names</span></span><em><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">Romaios</span></em><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">, <em>Hellene</em>, and <em>Graikos</em> (names already attested in the previous periods), which bear specific values. The name <em>Romaios</em> signifies political values. The name <em>Hellene</em> refers to the Greek language, education, and culture, whereas the name <em>Graikos</em> denotes the Greek-speaking Christians. All three terms present semantic diversity depending on their context, particularly the term <em>Hellene</em>. Nevertheless, they compose a unified set with</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">distinct</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">but</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">strong</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">components</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">each</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">implying</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">and</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">defining</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">one</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">another</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">without</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">however</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">altering</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">their</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">separate</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">connotations</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">These are</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">the</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">elements</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">which</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">constitute</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">the</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">collective identity</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">of</span><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 12pt;">the Nicaean scholar and nobleman.</span>