Sicilians did not stop speaking Greek at a single, definitive moment; rather, it was a gradual process of linguistic shift and decline spanning several centuries. A significant period for the reduction of the Greek language in Sicily occurred during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The Gradual Decline of Greek in Sicily
The presence of the Greek language in Sicily dates back to ancient times with the colonization of Magna Graecia and continued prominently throughout the Byzantine Empire's rule. However, after the Norman conquest of Sicily in the 11th century, Latin and later various Romance dialects began to gain prominence.
The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries marked a critical phase in this linguistic transition. During this era, a concerted process of Catholicization and Latinization took place across southern Italy and Sicily. This initiative aimed to assimilate the remaining Greek-speaking populations into the broader Latin-speaking Roman Catholic culture. This systematic effort further reduced the prevalence of the Greek language and culture, gradually diminishing its use in daily life across the island.
While pockets of Greek speakers persisted in isolated communities, particularly in southern Italy (where dialects like Griko are still spoken today), widespread Greek usage in Sicily largely faded by the end of this period, becoming marginalized in favor of Sicilian dialects derived from Latin.
Key Factors in the Decline
Several factors contributed to the gradual cessation of widespread Greek speaking in Sicily:
- Norman Conquest (11th Century): The arrival of the Normans introduced Latin as the language of administration, law, and the Church, gradually supplanting Greek in official capacities.
- Political and Religious Shift: Subsequent rulers, including the Hohenstaufens, Angevins, and Aragonese, reinforced Latin and Romance languages. The Counter-Reformation and efforts to unify religious practices under the Roman Catholic Church further propelled the shift away from Greek, which had been tied to the Byzantine Rite.
- Centralization and Education: Policies promoting a unified linguistic and religious identity favored Latin and nascent Italian dialects over Greek. Education and official communications shifted entirely to Latin-based languages.
- Demographic Changes: Over centuries, intermarriage and migration patterns also contributed to the absorption of Greek-speaking communities into the larger Romance-speaking population.
The process was not an abrupt halt but a slow erosion, making the 15th and 16th centuries a pivotal period where Greek lost its widespread usage in Sicily due to deliberate policies of Latinization and Catholicization.
