List of Pontic Greeks

→This is a list of Pontic Greeks (Ρωμαίοι, Ρωμιοί, Romaioi; Πόντιοι, Pontioi ), i.e. Greeks from the region of Pontus, in modern northern Turkey.

Ancient

 * Diogenes (412/404 BC – 323 BC), also known as Diogenes the Cynic, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy
 * Diphilus (342–291 BC), of Sinope, a poet of the new Attic comedy and contemporary of Menander
 * Mithridates VI Eupator (132–63 BC), the most important king of the Kingdom of Pontus
 * Laodice, Mithridates VI's sister and first wife
 * Diophantus, son of Asclepiodorus, of Sinope, was a general in the service of Mithridates VI of Pontus
 * Cleopatra of Pontus (born 110 BC), the Pontic wife of Tigranes the Great and daughter of Mithridates VI of Pontus
 * Arcathius, a prince from the Kingdom of Pontus
 * Machares, a Pontian prince and son of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Queen Laodice
 * Pharnaces II of Pontus, a prince, then King of Pontus and the Bosporan until his death
 * Athenais Philostorgos II, princess from Kingdom of Pontus, was a Roman Client Queen of Cappadocia
 * Stratonice of Pontus, a Greek woman from the Kingdom of Pontus, a mistress and fourth wife of King Mithridates VI of Pontus
 * Xiphares, a Pontian Greek prince, son of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Stratonice of Pontus

Roman

 * Pythodorida of Pontus (30 BC or 29 BC – 38)
 * Polemon I of Pontus (1st century BC, died 8 BC)
 * Polemon II of Pontus (12 BC/11 BC–74)
 * Strabo (63/64 BC–24 AD), a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher
 * Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea, a Christian bishop of the 3rd century
 * Saint Eugenios of Trebizond, martyred under Diocletian (284–305) and a cult devoted to him developed in Trebizond
 * Anicetus (1st century), pirate, leader of unsuccessful anti-Roman uprising in Pontus in 69

Rulers of the Trebizond Empire

 * Alexios I Komnenos (1056–1118/1048), Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and the founder of the Komnenian dynasty
 * Andronikos I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond from 1222 to 1235
 * Ioannis I Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1235 to 1238
 * Manuel I Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1238 to 1263
 * Andronikos II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1263 to 1266
 * Georgios Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1266 to 1280
 * Ioannis II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond from 1280 to 1297
 * Theodora Megale Komnene, Empress of Trebizond from 1284 to 1285
 * Alexios II of Trebizond (1282 – 1330), Emperor of Trebizond from 1297 to 1330
 * David Megas Komnenos ( c. 1408 – 1 November 1463) Last Emperor of Trebizond from 1459 to 1461

Clerics

 * Ecumenical Patriarch John VIII, patriarch of Constantinople from 1064 to 1075. (also saint)

Scholars

 * Gregory Choniades (died 1302), astronomer
 * Michael Panaretos (1320–c. 1390), historian, protosebastos and protonotarios in the service of Alexios III Megas Komnenos
 * George of Trebizond (1395–1472 or 1473), a philosopher and scholar, one of the pioneers of the Renaissance
 * George Amiroutzes (1400–1470), a Renaissance scholar and philosopher, a servant of Sultan Mehmed II
 * Basilios Bessarion (1403–1472), a Catholic Cardinal Bishop and the titular Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, one of Greek scholars who contributed to the great revival of letters in the 15th century

Early Modern

 * Sevastos Kyminitis (1630–1703), scholar who founded the Phrontisterion of Trapezous
 * Constantine Mourouzis (died 1783), was a Phanariote Prince of Moldavia, and member of the Mourousis family
 * Alexander Ypsilantis (1792–1828), leader of the Filiki Eteria, Greek military commander and national hero
 * Demetrios Ypsilantis (1793–1832), second son of Constantine Ypsilantis, one of the early leaders of the Greek Revolution, general under John Capodistria
 * Euklidis Kourtidis (1885–1937), Greek revolutionary leader of Pontos (a.k.a. Kapetan Euklidis)
 * Nikos Kapetanidis (1889-1922), journalist and activist executed during the Amasya trials
 * Anastasios Papadopoulos (1896-1922), Greek revolutionary leader of Pontos (a.k.a. Koja Anastas)
 * Venetia Kotta (1897-1945), archaeologist and historian

Actors

 * Pamphylia Tanailidi (1891–1937)
 * Periklis Hristoforidis (1907–1983)
 * Panos Papadopulos (1920-2001)
 * Nikos Xanthopoulos (b. 1934)
 * Martha Karagianni (b. 1939)
 * Vasilis N. Triantafillidis (b. 1940) (a.k.a. Harry Klyn)
 * Nikos Sergianopoulos (1952–2008)
 * Ieroklis Michailidis (b. 1960)
 * Denis Podalydès (b. 1963)
 * Fanis Mouratidis (b. 1970)
 * Victoria Haralabidou (b. 1971)
 * Giorgos Kapoutzidis (b. 1972)
 * Alex Dimitriades (b. 1973)
 * Mary Akrivopoulou (b. 1975)

Artists

 * Joannis Avramidis (b. 1922), sculptor


 * Arkhip Kuindzhi (1842–1910), Russian landscape painter
 * Sergey Merkurov (1881–1952), prominent Soviet sculptor-monumentalist of Greek-Armenian ancestry
 * Nonda (1922-2005), leading Greek artist of the School of Paris

Basketball

 * Michalis Romanidis (b. 1966)
 * Vasilis Lipiridis (b. 1967)
 * Jake Tsakalidis (b. 1979)
 * Dimitris Diamantidis (b. 1980)
 * Lazaros Papadopoulos (b. 1980)
 * Loukas Mavrokefalidis (b. 1984)
 * Kostas Vasileiadis (b. 1984)

Football

 * Georgios Amanatidis (b. 1970)
 * Ioannis Amanatidis (b. 1981)
 * Antonis Antoniadis (b. 1945)
 * Christos Archontidis (coach also)
 * Stefanos Athanasiadis (b. 1988)
 * Elias Atmatsidis (b. 1969)
 * Giorgios Georgiadis (b. 1987)
 * Aristidis Kamaras (b. 1939) (mother)
 * Kiriakos Karataidis (b. 1965)
 * Yevhen Khacheridi (b. 1987) Ukrainian-Greek footballer for Dynamo Kyiv
 * Savvas Kofidis (b. 1961) (coach also)
 * Stan Lazaridis (b. 1972) former football player who represented his homeland Australia
 * Yuri Lodygin (b. 1990) Russian-Greek goalkeeper for Zenit Saint Petersburg
 * Takis Loukanidis (b. 1937)
 * Dimitris Mavrogenidis (b. 1976)
 * Kostas Nestoridis (b. 1930)
 * Demis Nikolaidis (b. 1973)
 * Antonios Nikopolidis (b. 1971)
 * Andreas Niniadis (b. 1971) (assistant coach also)
 * Dimitrios Papadopoulos (b. 1981)
 * Mimis Papaioannou (b. 1942)
 * Evstaphiy Pechlevanidis (b. 1960)
 * Ilias Poursanidis (b. 1972)
 * Ilias Rossidis (b. 1928)
 * Dimitris Salpingidis (b. 1981)
 * Giourkas Seitaridis (b. 1981)
 * Ieroklis Stoltidis (b. 1975)
 * Efstathios Tavlaridis (b. 1980)
 * Ioannis Topalidis (b. 1962) (coach also)
 * Vasilis Torosidis (b. 1985)
 * Panagiotis Tsalouchidis (b. 1963)
 * Zisis Vryzas (b. 1973) (mother)

Martial Arts

 * Charalambos Cholidis (b. 1956), former wrestler
 * Anton Christoforidis (b. 1918), former NBA world light heavyweight champion
 * Michael Katsidis (b. 1980), Australian professional boxer, former WBO interim lightweight champion
 * Stan Longinidis (b. 1965), retired professional Australian Heavyweight kickboxer and 8 time Kickboxing World Champion
 * Andreas Michailidis, (b. 1988), Greek mixed martial artist
 * Elisavet Mystakidou (b. 1977), taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist
 * Alexandros Nikolaidis (1979-2022), taekwondo athlete and Olympic medalist
 * Panagiotis Poikilidis (b. 1965), wrestler
 * Mike Zambidis (b. 1980), professional kickboxer, a 13 time World Champion, and current W.K.B.F. super-welterweight kickboxing world champion

Track & Field

 * Anastasia Kelesidou (b. 1972), discus thrower
 * Voula Patoulidou (b. 1965), competed in the 100 metres, 100 metres hurdles and in the long jump events
 * Ekaterini Stefanidi (b. 1990), pole vaulter
 * Georgios Theodoridis (b. 1972), sprinter specializing in the 60 metres and 100 metres
 * Athanasia Tsoumeleka (b. 1982) (mother), race walker

Water Sports

 * Andreas Kilingaridis (1976–2013), sprint canoer
 * Aikaterini Nikolaidou (b. 1992), rower
 * Nikolaos Siranidis (b. 1976), diver

Weightlifting

 * Ilya Ilyin (b. 1988) (Pontian maternal grandfather, Iakovos Fountoukidis)
 * Valerios Leonidis (b. 1966)
 * Kakhi Kakhiashvili (b. 1969) (grandmother)

Various Sports

 * Eleni Daniilidou (b. 1982), tennis player
 * Ioannis Melissanidis (b. 1977), artistic gymnast
 * Ioannis Tamouridis (b. 1980), cyclist
 * Elena Vesnina (b. 1986), tennis player (Greek Pontian grandfather)

Business

 * Konstantinos Theofylaktos, was a banker and mayor of Trabzon from 1916 to 1918
 * Filaret Galchev (b. 1963), Russian businessman, chairman of Eurocement group (real name Filaretos Kaltsidis)
 * Mike Lazaridis (b. 1961), founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), which created and manufactures the BlackBerry wireless handheld device
 * Dimitris Melissanidis (b. 1946), founder of Aegean Marine Petroleum, president of AEK Athens F.C. from 1992 to 1995
 * Ivan Savvidi (b. 1959), Deputy to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Chairman of PAOK FC and FC SKA Rostov-on-Don, Businessman and president of the Federation of Greek Communities of Russia

Journalists

 * Vicky Hadjivassiliou (mother)
 * Nikos Kapetanidis Pontic Greek journalist and newspaper publisher
 * Mary Kostakidis (b. 1954), former weeknight SBS World News Australia presenter
 * Alexandra Pascalidou (b. 1970), journalist, television hostess and author
 * Pantelis Savvidis (b. 1954)
 * Tatiana Stefanidou (b. 1970)
 * Makis Triantafyllopoulos (grandmother)
 * Popi Tsapanidou
 * George Valavanis

Military

 * Achilles Sakis (Tsakeredes), United States Air Force - Retired, Flight test engineer & U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School graduate and instructor, later with Google X Project Wing
 * James G. Stavridis, Retired United States Navy admiral & 12th Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
 * Vladimir Triandafillov (1894–1931), Soviet military commander and theoretician (real surname Triantafyllidis)

Models

 * Olympia Hopsonidou, Miss Star Hellas 2006

Music

 * Aristotelis Koundouroff (1896–1969), composer of the Modern Era
 * Iovan Tsaous (1893–1942), musician, and composer of rebetiko songs (real name Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis)
 * Odysseas Dimitriadis (1908–2005), classical music conductor
 * Stelios Kazantzidis (1931–2001), Greek singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's composers (father)
 * Chrysanthos (1934–2005), singer and songwriter (his surname is Theodoridis)
 * Marinella (b. 1938) one of the most popular Greek singers whose career has spanned several decades (her surname is Papadopoulou)
 * Pavlos Sidiropoulos (1948–1990), rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and the "father" of the Greek Rock (father)
 * Diamanda Galas (b. 1955), US avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, performance artist and painter (Pontian ancestry on her father's side)
 * Lefteris Hapsiadis (b. 1953) lyricist, poet and writer of novels
 * Vasilis Karras (b. 1953), Greek folk singer (real surname Kesoglidis)
 * Kelly Kelekidou Greek singer
 * Lefteris Pantazis (b. 1955), Greek folk singer (real surname Pagozidis)
 * Pantelis Pantelidis (1983-2016), Greek singer, Youtuber, songwriter and lyricist
 * Lefteris Papadopoulos, lyricist, poet and journalist
 * Antonis Remos (b. 1970), Greek laïko singer (real surname Paschalidis)
 * Natassa Theodoridou (b. 1970), Greek singer
 * Matthaios Tsahouridis (b. 1978), plays a range of stringed musical instruments including pontic kemenche, Ph.D. in musicology
 * Despina Vandi (b. 1969), Greek singer
 * Birol Topaloğlu (b. 1965), Pontic songwriter and singer
 * Paola Foka, Greek singer (partial)

Politics

 * Adonis Georgiadis (b. 1972), Greek politician, historian, publisher, and author
 * Leonidas Iasonidis (1884–1959), political activist, congressman of Greek parliament and minister
 * Ioannis Passalidis (1886–1968), a prominent member of the Greek Left and founder of the United Democratic Left party
 * Dimitrios Partsalidis (1903/1905–1980), communist politician
 * Nikos Papadopoulos (b. 1939) Greek-born Swedish Social Democrat politician
 * Gavriil Kharitonovich Popov (b. 1936), former mayor of Moscow (real name Gavriil Papadopoulos)
 * Savvas Tsitouridis (b. 1954), politician and member of the New Democracy and former Minister for Employment and Social Protection
 * Markos Vafiadis (1906–1992), leading cadre of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) during the Greek Civil War

Science/academia

 * George Gurdjieff (1866? – 1949), a mystic and spiritual teacher (real name Georgios Georgiades)
 * Viktor Sarianidi (b. 1929), well-known Soviet archaeologist
 * Fyodor Yurchikhin (b. 1959), cosmonaut and spacecraft's mechanical engineer (mother)
 * John Ioannidis (b. 1965), American scientist, professor, and author

Writers

 * Aris Alexandrou (1922–1978), a novelist, poet and translator (father)
 * Christos Chomenidis (b. 1966)
 * Thea Halo (b. 1941) (mother), author of Not Even My Name, a memoir of her mother's experiences during the Greek genocide
 * Sano Halo (1909-2014), survivor of the Greek genocide and nicknamed Grandmother of the Pontic Greeks
 * Theodor Kallifatides (b. 1938) (father)
 * Dimitris Psathas (1907–1979), journalist and satirical writer (mother)
 * Nikolay Sherbina (b. 1821), Russian poet of 19th century (maternal grandparent)
 * Stephanos Papadopoulos (b.1976) Greek American Poet (father)
 * Nikos Grigoriadis (1931-2012), poet and educator.

Various

 * A. I. Bezzerides (1908–2007), Greek-Armenian novelist and screenwriter, best known for writing Noir and Action motion pictures, especially several of Warners' "social conscience" films of the 1940s (father)
 * Anastasios Papadopoulos (1896–1922), guerilla fighter and leading figure of Pontus
 * Yanis Kanidis (1930–2004), Greek-Russian physical education teacher & hero who died to save the lives of his students during the Beslan school hostage crisis
 * Filon Ktenidis (1889–1963), playwright, accountant, journalist, doctor and the founder of Panagia Soumela in Kastania, Vermiou in Greece