Greeks in France
Appearance
The Greek community in France numbers around 35,000 people[citation needed]. They are located all around the country but the main communities are located in Paris, Marseille and Grenoble.
Year | 1901 | 1946 | 1968 | 1975 | 1980 | 1990 | 1998 | 2003 | 2004 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Persons | 2,902 | 16,184 | 9,000 | 9,580 | 9,516 | 6,091 | 6,443 | 4,959 | 3,801 |
The Greeks of Marseille
Marseille, known as Massalia in Greek, was founded by Greeks from Ionia in 600 BC. The Massaliot Greeks are believed to have introduced viticulture to France. Notable ancient Greeks from Massalia included the great explorer and scientist Pytheas.
Historically the Greek community was composed of merchants, ship-owners, intellectuals and international traders. They participated in the city’s political life or became patrons of its cultural life and the philanthropic activity of some of them was crowned by the Légion d’Honneur.