ABSTRACT
Therein lies, however, a delicious historical paradox: Metternich would have been rather surprised to be told that the very issues he raised in his letter were, in fact, the crux of the whole matter: In 1829, “Greece” as a state was being formed, but the definition of a “Greek” was still a matter of intense debate among the Greeks themselves: Is it “religion” only that determines admission to the Greek nation? Where exactly are the “geographical boundaries” of Greece? Are the Greeks a “people,” and what does this mean? This chapter will attempt to show that although Metternich and Esterhazy had no clear answers to these questions, neither had the Greeks, albeit for entirely different reasons. It will further attempt to examine some aspects of the interplay between some important forms of belonging (language, religion, and customs) in the formation of Greek collective identities. All these criteria played a role in the period under consideration here, but not equally, and their relative importance changed over time. A discussion of these parameters will seek to place “Hellenism,” and some of its meanings within its post-Byzantine and modern Greek contexts.
