{"id":2237,"date":"2023-03-12T00:05:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-11T23:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=2237"},"modified":"2023-03-12T00:05:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-11T23:05:17","slug":"what-ethnicity-were-the-ancient-romans-are-modern-day-italians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/what-ethnicity-were-the-ancient-romans-are-modern-day-italians\/","title":{"rendered":"What ethnicity were the ancient romans are modern day italians?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is some debate on the matter, but the general consensus is that the ancient Romans were of Italian ethnicity. This is supported by the fact that Rome was founded by Italians, and the vast majority of the population of Rome during its heyday was Italian. However, there were also large numbers of Greeks, Syrians, and other nationalities present in Rome, so it was certainly a cosmopolitan city. As for the modern day Italians, they are a blend of many different ethnicities, including Roman, Germanic, Slavic, and Arab.<\/p>\n

The ancient Romans were of Italic ethnicity, while the modern day Italians are of a mix of Italic, Alpine, and Slavic ethnicity.<\/p>\n

Are Italians descendants of ancient Romans? <\/h2>\n

There are many Italians alive today who are directly descended from people who lived in Italy during the Roman era, but most of them will have at least some admixture from other European peoples too. Italy is a country with a long history of migration, and over the centuries people from other parts of Europe have settled in Italy, often intermarrying with the local population. So it is not surprising that there are now Italians who have ancestors from different parts of Europe.<\/p>\n

The early Romans were mainly composed of Latin-speaking Italic people, known as the Latins. The Latins were a people with a marked Mediterranean character, related to other neighbouring Italic peoples such as the Falisci.<\/p>\n

Do modern Italians look like ancient Romans <\/h3>\n