Mr. Koukoudis' research demolishes umerous myths. He shows, foristace, that the Vlachs have ot bee merely a margial groupof traditioal moutai-dwellig pastoral omads i the moderera. From the early 17th cetury owards, they were alsocompetet fighters (armatoles ad klefts), urba itierattraders, craftsme, professioals, ad retail merchats, ad, byextesio, vehicles of ecoomic ad itellectual activity. Thesepages reveal that it is the Vlachs' recet history that hasplayed the biggest part i defiig their idetity.