Anastas Byku
Encyclopedia
Anastas Byku was a 19th century Albanian
publisher and journalist. His publication of the Pelasgos newspaper in 1861 in both Albanian
and Greek language
s is considered to be one of the first publications of a periodical in Albanian. His endeavor was short-lived but he retried in 1878 with another newspaper, Promytheus o Pelasgos, this time exclusively in the Greek language. Byku held that the Albanians were descendants of the Pelasgians
and the Illyrians
, and were one single people, although they were of different religious faiths; still according to him they should be inseparable from the Greek nation: this idea would eventually estrange him from the rest of the Albanian activists of the Albanian National Awakening.
, an Albanian village in the district of Tepelenë, then part of the Ottoman Empire
but now in modern Albania. After finishing the Zosimea Greek language school in Ioannina
, he started to work as a teacher in various Greek schools and as a journalist. In 1861-1862 in Lamia
, Greece
, where he was living at that time, he started to publish one of the first Albanian newspapers Pelasgos (The Pelasgian): the newspaper lasted only one year. The periodical was written in Albanian
with an adapted Greek alphabet
and in Greek. At the same time he published a primer textbook in Albanian called Gramë për shqipëtarët (Grammar for Albanians). In 1878, his last year of life, he tried to publish another newspaper, this time only in Greek, the Promytheus o Pelasgos (Prometheus the Pelasgian), but without much success.
Byku deemed that it was important that the Albanians closely lived in peace with the Greek
nation and both nations should be inseparable. Moreover, he noted that the Albanians and the Greeks share the same ancient origins and have to deal with common enemies. He also asserted that the Albanian language is a dialect of the Greek language
. For this his ideas were strongly rejected by a number of Albanian nationalists, such as Thimi Mitko
, who saw the Albanian nation as completely separate from the Greek one. Byku in his work Ελληνισμός και Χριστιανισμός (Hellenism and Christianity) claimed that the three enemies of the Greek nation are: Western Europeans, Bulgarians and Muslims.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
publisher and journalist. His publication of the Pelasgos newspaper in 1861 in both Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
and Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
s is considered to be one of the first publications of a periodical in Albanian. His endeavor was short-lived but he retried in 1878 with another newspaper, Promytheus o Pelasgos, this time exclusively in the Greek language. Byku held that the Albanians were descendants of the Pelasgians
Pelasgians
The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that were either the ancestors of the Greeks or who preceded the Greeks in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably indigenous people in the Greek world." In general, "Pelasgian" has come...
and the Illyrians
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
, and were one single people, although they were of different religious faiths; still according to him they should be inseparable from the Greek nation: this idea would eventually estrange him from the rest of the Albanian activists of the Albanian National Awakening.
Life
Byku, signing his publications as Anastasios Pykaios , was born in LekëlLekël
Lekël, or Lekli in its defined form, is a community in the Tepelenë District, Gjirokastër County, southern Albania.-Notable people:*Anastas Byku, publisher of the bilingual Albanian-Greek Pellazgos magazine in 1860-1861 in Lamia, Greece...
, an Albanian village in the district of Tepelenë, then part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
but now in modern Albania. After finishing the Zosimea Greek language school in Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, he started to work as a teacher in various Greek schools and as a journalist. In 1861-1862 in Lamia
Lamia (city)
Lamia is a city in central Greece. The city has a continuous history since antiquity, and is today the capital of the regional unit of Phthiotis and of the Central Greece region .-Name:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, where he was living at that time, he started to publish one of the first Albanian newspapers Pelasgos (The Pelasgian): the newspaper lasted only one year. The periodical was written in Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
with an adapted Greek alphabet
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
and in Greek. At the same time he published a primer textbook in Albanian called Gramë për shqipëtarët (Grammar for Albanians). In 1878, his last year of life, he tried to publish another newspaper, this time only in Greek, the Promytheus o Pelasgos (Prometheus the Pelasgian), but without much success.
Byku deemed that it was important that the Albanians closely lived in peace with the Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
nation and both nations should be inseparable. Moreover, he noted that the Albanians and the Greeks share the same ancient origins and have to deal with common enemies. He also asserted that the Albanian language is a dialect of the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
. For this his ideas were strongly rejected by a number of Albanian nationalists, such as Thimi Mitko
Thimi Mitko
Thimi Mitko was an Albanian rilindas and folklorist.Mitko was born in Korçë, Albania , where he attended the local Greek school. His uncle, Peti Mitko, had been one of the leaders of the Albanian Revolt of 1847 in Korçë and Tepelenë against the Turkish Tanzimat legislation...
, who saw the Albanian nation as completely separate from the Greek one. Byku in his work Ελληνισμός και Χριστιανισμός (Hellenism and Christianity) claimed that the three enemies of the Greek nation are: Western Europeans, Bulgarians and Muslims.
Further Reading
- Αναστασίου Ι. (Μ)πυκαίου. Ελληνισμός και Χριστιανισμός, [Hellenism and Christianity] 1874. (in Greek)