L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE S everal years ago while vis- iting A thens , G reece I decided to stop in a sou- venir shop to purchase little knick-knacks for my family and friends. As I perused each aisle, one of the workers approached me (I later found out it was the proprietor) and asked me in per- fect English if I needed help. I politely responded that I was just browsing around. Almost imme- diately, he asked me where I was from, and I explained that I was born in the US but my parents were from Southern Italy. In less than a second, he padded me on the back, pulled me closer toward him and with a great big smile replied, "We are distant cousins." Of course my new long lost relative did not mean I was going to get a discount on any of the items that I bought in his s tore, but his comment reminded me of the profound history that Italy and Greece share together. As a consequence, my experi- ence in Athens was recently trig- gered in Astoria, a section in Queens, New York. The neigh- borhood is one of the few places in New York City where there is still an enclave of Greek immi- grants. The location is filled with Greek restaurants and din- ers and two-family homes with mini-gardens that grow among other things: fig trees, mint and Greek oregano. In the mid-1990s many Greeks who reached the American Dream, began selling their homes and retiring to warmer climates in America or returning to their homeland. Today, a new wave of Greek immigrants is settling in Astoria amid the economic and political turmoil that plagues Greece. The uncertainty of the Greek govern- ment precarious position with relation to the European Union has left many Greeks concerned about their future. This recent occurrence has generated a renewed interest in Greek owned fish stores and butcher shops. The area is a throwback to when communities across America had mom and pop stores and everyone from the neighborhood knew each other. As a result, I rather know my butcher the same way my grandfather and father bought their meats, than go into a chain supermarket flooded with prod- ucts and unfriendly workers. I decided, therefore, to stop in a new local market that everyone recommends, when I noticed the Bandiera Siciliana, the Sicilain flag hanging prominently above the soppressata, prosciutto, and mortadella. This s ymbol prompted a flashback to when I enrolled in an independent study course in college. The course focused on the various civiliza- tions that coveted and influenced Southern Italy. The ancient Greeks colonized and adored Southern Italy for it reminded them of home. In addition, one of the very first set- tlements by the Greeks was the island of Sicily in the 8 th century BC. Inevitably more and more G reeks began es caping the treacherous battles of their respected tribes and settled on the island. Many Greeks often used Sicily for their venerable stories (tragedies, comedies, dra- matic plays, myths) even Homer while describing the island in ALFONSO GUERRIERO JR. the Odyssey wrote "the island in the s un." N evertheles s , the G reeks termed the is land, Trinacria, three points due to its s hape- tr i= three + acr ai= promontory. The three legged symbol, which is what I saw on the flag in the butcher shop, is the head of Medusa, and was officially accepted as the Sicilian flag in 2000, even though the flag has been around since the Sicilian Vespers in 1282. As I stared at the Sicilian flag and in between ordering a quarter of a pound of pancetta, I reminisced about Greco-Roman history and wondered if anyone else knew about the impact ancient Greece had in Italy or what was once called Magna Grecia. Many Greek merchants trav- elled to Sicily and exported olive oil (a staple of Italian cuisine) wine and manufactured goods such as cloth, pottery and bronze statues. Over time many of these merchants settled throughout Southern Italy and thus many towns and city names derive from Greek words. A city that can be credited to the Greek practice of naming in Sicily and reflects its geographical terrain, w hich eventually became a grow ing metropolis , w as P alermo, the capital of the region. Palermo (pan + hormus = all + anchorage, hence "wide port") became a favorite place for seamen to dock their vessels. Other examples of Greek place names in Sicily include: Cefalù, (Greek word cefalu) means head, butte, or summit and the city of Agrigento (Greek word akragas) means ditch or canal. It is estimated that there are at leas t tw enty to thirty place names in Sicily that linguists have identified as being Greek in origin and this concept is also carried over to the mainland. The Greeks were the first to intro- duce small independent city- states or polis in Southern Italy. The city of N aples (G reek =Neapolis) means "new city." Furthermore, everyone knows the Romans were influenced by the Greeks in literature, art, gov- ernment and architecture. Many of the great Roman monuments remain intact from the architec- tural feats of the Greeks. Also, remnants of the Greek vernacular can still be heard in a small part of Reggio-Calabria and the Apulia region. These residents s till s peak G r iko, a M odern Greek dialect, epitomizing how ancient Greece coalesced with Southern Italy and left an indeli- ble mark throughout the millen- niums. As the butcher packaged my pancetta, I asked him where he w as from he s aid in a ras py voice, "Catania" and then while he handed me the package he added "but my grandfather was from Crete." I nodded and quickly replied, "My father was from Naples and we are probably distant cousins." We both chuck- led as I turned and looked up at the Sicilian flag. My Distant Cousins, the Greeks Valley of the Temples with a statue of Icarus, Agrigento— Photo by Letyg84

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