Conversations with Professor Nikos Petrochilos.

Professor Nikos:

Well... about the word "Romios" - written in Greek with "i" and not with "ita". There are many things to say. I will write these meanings in the so called "Greeklish", because it is easier for me to sat it that way.

So, what are the meanings of "Romios"?

1.- o politis tis Romaikis Aftokratorias, idiaitera tis Byzantinis periodou, kai malista o ellinofonos.

2.-o Orthodoxos christianos kata tin isterovyzantini periodo, kai malista kata tin tourkokratia, idiaitera o Ellinas mechri tin idrisi tou neoellinikou kratous (1830).

3.- o Neoellinas, aftos pou echei diatirisei tin orthodoxi paradosi tou Vizantiou.

4.- o tipos tou Neoellina pou charaktirizetai apo tous idious tous Ellines me eironiki kai ipotimitiki diathesi os douloprepis pros tin exousia, tempelis, koutoponiros i afelis - in contrast with the ideal prototype of the Greek of the classical period of Hellenism, namely that of the 5 and 4th cent. B.C.

5.- o Orthodoxos Ellinas ton Patriarcheion Konstantinoupoleos, Alexandreias, Antiocheias kai Ierosolimon.

6.- o Ellinas orthodoxos tis simerinis Tourkias (Roum) kat' antidiastoli pros ton ipikoo tou ellinikou kratous (Giounan).

7.- o exislamismenos Ellinas i o kryptochristianos tis Tourkias.

As you see, there are many meanings and uses of the word, according to different chronological periods. But all of them have their derivation from the word Romaios (Roman), which means citizen of the great Roman Empire.