Mr. Koukoudis' research demolishes umerous myths. He shows, for istace, that the Vlachs have ot bee merely a margial group of traditioal moutai-dwellig pastoral omads i the moder era. From the early 17th cetury owards, they were also competet fighters (armatoles ad klefts), urba itierat traders, craftsme, professioals, ad retail merchats, ad, by extesio, vehicles of ecoomic ad itellectual activity. These pages reveal that it is the Vlachs' recet history that has played the biggest part i defiig their idetity.