> People in Greece don't call themselves Greeks. Which word do they use instead?And the answer: Hellenes. The official name of Greece is the Hellenic Republic, and Greeks call theircountry Hellas. The words "Greece" and "Hellas" both have Greek roots, but"Greece" was adopted by the Romans and later adapted into English.Photo credit: hcc-sw.com[https://www.hcc-sw.org/component/content/article/45-events/national-holidays/173-remembering-the-25th-of-march-2021-at-home].The word "Greek" comes from the Latin "Graeci," and serves as the common rootfor Greek people in most languages. Naturally, "Greek" today is used to refer tothe modern nation-state of Greece and its peoples. However, Hellene makesreference to something more widespread, and deeply rooted in history.Hellenistic culture was once a source of transformation for many societiesbeyond the islands of Greece. Indeed, the Hellenistic proponents of beauty andtruth became so widespread inside and out of the Greek culture that it formed areligion which is still practiced today. It also sponsored a period of AncientGreek revival, and marks the peak of Greek cultural influence and power throughgeographical expansion. The beginning of this period is marked by the rise ofAlexander the Great, and completed at the death of Cleopatra. After the death of Alexander, some city-states came under Greek influence andwere considered "Hellenized." The Hellenes, therefore, were not necessarilyethnic Greeks as we know them today; rather, they included groups we now know ofas Assyrians, Egyptians, Jews, Arabs, and Armenians, among others. As Greekinfluence spread, Hellenization even reached the Balkans, the Middle East,Central Asia, and parts of modern India and Pakistan.In more recent times, with the resurrection of Hellenism as a religion, the termHellene has often been reclaimed as a religious self-identity by practitionersof Hellenism and Greek citizens alike. Learn more about Greek history and culture below.