Early Greek contact Mycenaean Greeks The
Mycenaean civilization was an early
Greek civilization which flourished during the period between 1600 BC, when
Helladic culture in mainland Greece was transformed under influences from
Minoan Crete, and 1100 BC, when it perished with the
collapse of Bronze-Age civilization in the eastern Mediterranean. Through trading and conquest, Mycenaean civilization spread its influence from
Mycenae to many parts of the Mediterranean region and Europe. Mycenaean bronze double axes and other objects (
Rillaton Barrow,
Pelynt Dagger) dating from the thirteenth century BC have been found in Ireland and in
Wessex and
Cornwall in England, proving at least indirect Greek contact with Ireland and Great Britain at the time.
Cassiterides Ancient Greek writers, including
Herodotus, mention a group of islands which were called
Cassiterides. Modern researchers suggest that they may refer to the
British Isles.
Aristotle Aristotle, in the work
On the Universe, mentions the Britannic islands (), two islands which were called
Albion (), which is the modern Great Britain, and Ierne (), which is the modern
Ireland.
Pytheas The first known Greek to come to Britain was
Pytheas who lived in late 4th and early 3rd centuries BC. He reported its name as () and (), for Britain and the British islands, which became
Britannia, it is assumed that its Hellenised version was under
Diodorus. It may have been used by some of the local peoples where Pytheas landed to themselves -
Pretani.
Roman period Many Greeks later arrived with the Roman legions as soldiers and traders, and their presence is attested by inscriptions on
curse tablets, gravestones and dedicatory tablets in both Greek and Latin displayed in the
Museum of London and elsewhere, including: and: and two dedicatory plaques found in York beneath what is now the railway station. These were erected by a certain Scribonius Demetrius, possibly to be identified with
Demetrius of Tarsus, who visited Britain at the time of
Gnaeus Julius Agricola: and As far north as Cumbria, we find the tomb of Hermes of
Commagene: Indeed, the Roman city of
Carlisle, judging by surviving inscriptions, seems to have been home to a thriving Greek community. It is a matter of historical record then, that Greek was being spoken in England hundreds of years before the English language or
Anglo-Saxon peoples ever reached its shores. Some came as visitors for a short period. In about 1545, of
Corfu spent time in London and left an interesting account of his impressions. Indeed, he followed as a non-combatant an English invasion of
Scotland where the English forces included Greeks from
Argos under the leadership of
Thomas of Argos whose 'Courage, and prudence, and experience of wars' was lauded by the Corfiot traveller. Thomas was sent by Henry VIII to
Boulogne in 1546, as commander of a battalion of 550 Greeks. During Henry VIII's reign more Greeks migrated to England from the island of
Rhodes following the
Knights Hospitaller, after the island was
conquered by the Ottomans. A notable Rhodian was the merchant Franciscos Galiardis.
17th century The descendants of the imperial
Palaeologus dynasty carved out a niche as mercenary officers in Britain, and their tombs are still visible in locations as far apart – both geographically and in terms of social standing – as
Westminster Abbey and
Landulph parish church,
Cornwall. A number of Palaeologi fought against each other as high-ranking officers for both sides in the
English Civil War. in
Soho, on the corner of
Charing Cross Road and
Greek Street. The church was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin and was consecrated by the Metropolitan of Samos, Joseph Georgerinis. (1810–1890) renowned art patron of the 19th century who was Greek
Consul General and Director of
the Crystal Palace Company, London.
19th century to present In the 19th century, two events drew Greeks towards Britain; commercial potential after the defeat of Napoleon, and the Diaspora, in which the
Greek War of Independence saw a wave of emigres settle in Britain. and later
Glasgow and
Cardiff. They were joined by other Greeks from the Aegean, Ionan, Smyrna, Athens and beyond. As they prospered these Greek merchants began to settle in London's
Bayswater and established permanent institutions such as the Greek necropolis at
Norwood in 1842, a Greek school and the
Greek Orthodox church, later
Cathedral of Aghia Sophia in 1877. Britain gained control over
Cyprus on 4 June 1878 as a result of the
Cyprus Convention and formally annexed it in 1914. Greek Cypriots began to settle in London only from the 1930s. The earliest migrants came to the area around Soho, and many more arrived at the end of the Second World War. As rents in the West End increased, Camden and Fulham became popular areas for Greek-Cypriot migrants. Women initially worked from home in industries such as dressmaking. By the 1960s, a Greek language school and Greek Orthodox church, St Nicholas, had been established in
Fulham. == Population ==