Albanian Diaspora · Greece

Arvanites

Arbënitë / Αρβανίτες

Albanian-speaking communities who settled in central and southern Greece during the late medieval period, shaping Greek history for over six centuries.

Region:Greece

Period:13th–15th century

Language:Arvanitika

Population:Est. 50,000–200,000 speakers (20th c.)

Evidence:High

13th c.

First settlements

50+

Arvanite-speaking villages (20th c.)

600+

Years of presence in Greece

1821

Key role in Greek independence

Who Are the Arvanites?

The Arvanites are the descendants of Albanian-speaking settlers who migrated into central and southern Greece from the 13th century onward, with the main waves occurring in the 14th and 15th centuries. Invited by Byzantine, Frankish, and later Latin rulers to repopulate regions devastated by plague and war, they settled across Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, the Peloponnese, and numerous Aegean islands. Over six centuries of close contact with Greek society, they became thoroughly integrated into Greek national identity while preserving their distinct language, Arvanitika, into the 20th century.

The Arvanites played a disproportionately large role in the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829). Many of the most celebrated heroes of the revolution — including Laskarina Bouboulina, Odysseas Androutsos, and the Kolokotronis family — were of Arvanite origin. Their military tradition, rooted in centuries of service as stradioti and local militia, made them formidable fighters in the independence struggle.

Historical Overview

13th–14th century

First migrations

Albanian-speaking groups begin moving southward into Byzantine-controlled Greece, initially into Thessaly and Epirus. Byzantine rulers, facing severe depopulation after the Black Death, actively encouraged Albanian settlement to restore agricultural productivity and military manpower.

14th–15th century

Main settlement wave

The largest migration waves bring Arvanites into Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, the Peloponnese, and the Aegean islands. Under the Catalan, Florentine, and Venetian rulers of central Greece, Albanian settlers receive land grants in exchange for military service. By 1400, Arvanites form a significant portion of the population of Attica and Boeotia.

15th–18th century

Ottoman period

Under Ottoman rule, Arvanites occupy a complex position — sometimes serving as Ottoman auxiliaries, sometimes resisting. The stradioti tradition continues as many Arvanites serve in Venetian and other European armies. Their language and customs are maintained in village communities across central Greece.

1821–1829

Greek War of Independence

Arvanites play a central role in the Greek revolution. Arvanite military commanders and fighters are prominent in virtually every major campaign. The Arvanite identity becomes subsumed into the broader Greek national identity during this period, a process that accelerates through the 19th and 20th centuries.

20th century – present

Language decline

Arvanitika undergoes rapid decline through the 20th century as Greek national education, urbanisation, and the stigma attached to minority languages erode intergenerational transmission. By the late 20th century, most speakers are elderly. The language is now classified as critically endangered by UNESCO.

Arvanitika

Arvanitika is a variety of Albanian that has been in contact with Greek for over six centuries. It belongs to the Tosk branch of Albanian and preserves archaic features not found in modern standard Albanian. Extensive Greek loanwords and phonological influence from Greek distinguish it from other Albanian varieties. The language has no standardised written form and has been transmitted orally.

Language profile

Branch: Tosk Albanian
Script: No standardised writing system
Status: Critically endangered (UNESCO)
Speakers: Est. 50,000–200,000 (20th c. peak)
Greek contact: 600+ years of bilingualism

Notable Figures

Laskarina Bouboulina

1771–1825

Naval commander in the Greek War of Independence; of Arvanite origin

Odysseas Androutsos

1788–1825

Military commander and hero of the Greek revolution

Theodoros Kolokotronis

1770–1843

General and national hero; Arvanite family background

Athanasios Diakos

1788–1821

Revolutionary hero; martyred by the Ottomans at Alamana

Key Locations

Attica— Core Arvanite settlement zone; villages around Athens

Boeotia— Dense Arvanite presence from the 14th century

Euboea— Major island settlement; Arvanitika spoken into the 20th century

Peloponnese— Significant Arvanite communities in Argolis and Corinthia

Aegean islands— Hydra, Spetses, Poros — Arvanite maritime communities

Key Sources

1.Biris, Kostas. Arvanites: The Dorians of Modern Hellenism. Athens, 1960.
2.Trudgill, Peter & George Tzavaras. 'Why Albanian-Greeks are not Albanians.' In Language, Ethnicity and Intergroup Relations. Academic Press, 1977.
3.Sasse, Hans-Jürgen. 'Arvanitika: Die albanischen Sprachreste in Griechenland.' Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1991.
4.Ducellier, Alain. L'Albanie entre Byzance et Venise. London: Variorum, 1987.

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Arvanites — Albanian diaspora of Greece