Görög Örökség Ελληνική Κληρονομιά - H-ellin.com

neglect the vineyards that belonged to his family in Rizovounia not even during the war for freedom which
started in 1703, especially since at the beginning he covered the expenses for the war through his income from
his property and vineyards. We would not be exaggerating were we to claim that the Tokaj wine was the
financial source that supported the war for freedom, since Rakoczi, after the re-occupation of Rizovounia,
could easily transfer through that area wine to the Polish and Russian markets. The aszu (raisin-wine, a local
specialty) was exceptionally proper also for intercity transportation, whereas the quality of other wines would
have deteriorated during transportation. After the conquest of Tokaj he appointed a ruling representative to
supervise the viniculture and the wine trading.
He used the Tokaj wine to form and maintain relationships on a European basis. His ambassadors sent to the
royal empires and the tsarist courts were always carrying with them some barrels of this wine. Rakoczi
acknowledged the value of the Tokaj wine in diplomacy: the wine that was served in the wining and dining of
Peter the Great and King Elios as " the wine of diplomacy" played a significant role in establishing trust. The
tsar of all Russians was particularly fond of the Hungarian aszu.
At the same period, the Greeks were present in other places of Risovounio. In 1672 in Sárospatak 7 Greek
traders were paying the chamber 72 forint, while in 1693, 9 Greek and 10 Hungarian traders were paying the
so-called "patikaber" ("drug-store rental" which at that time meant the shop rental.).
Concerning the orthodox belief in Tokaj, we consider important to refer to the following text dating back to
1694 which we retrieved and which has been greatly mentioned and analysed: "The Priest of the Greeks and
the Serbs who have recently arrived in our city, archimandrite Isaias...". In the Hungarian greek-catholic
tradition, the archimandrite Isaias is referred to as monk Isaias, translator and composer of psalms. It is proven
that he was a Greek priest but concerning his activities as a translator of psalms, there is no evidence.
No matter the long lasting research that Antal Hodinka carried out, relating to the existence (in his opinion the
"non existence") of the Greek element of Tokaj in the 1Τ century, even he accepted as detrimental evidence a
report of 1760 according to which " the elderly of Tokaj unanimously declare that until 1707 only 2-3 Greek
shop owners who sold their cheap products behind open tables, lived there..."
In the 18 l century the issue was whether the Greek traders of Tokaj should have the rights and privileges that
were offered by Leopold A in 1667 ( and then in 1690). The truth is that in the royal documents Tokaj is not
mentioned, mainly since there is reference to Greek, Serbian and Armenian traders, citizens of the area of
Upper Tisza. It is however obvious from the above mentioned facts that the real centre of the Greeks of
Rizovounio was Tokaj. Although after checking the previously mentioned extract it is apparent even today
that: " Meaning that it is out of the question that there was any business group as a forefather". An important
evidence that proves the existence of the Tokaj group in the 1Τ century is considered to be the letter of the
patriarch of Jerusalem to the G reek priest of Tokaj, written in 169 5.
There is one more evidence relating to the question of the legal succession of the Debrecen- Tokaj group.
Against the Greeks of Debrecen emerged the accusation of transporting money made of noble metal (coins).
Two carts full of silver coins, which were later transferred to Tokaj, were already confiscated from the town of
Debrecen. There were also negotiations between the town of Debrecen and the Greeks who in the meantime
became citizens of Tokaj, in order to settle the issue. The result, however, was not successful and thus the rest
of the Greek citizens of Debrecen moved to Tokaj in 1708. This event supports the claim of the Tokaj Greeks
who firmly sustained for 130 years that they were the owners of the royal letters for the donation of 1667 and
1690. Due to the expansion of bibliography nowadays, were are given the opportunity to compare between the
two settlements of Debrecen and Tokaj based on the family succession. For the above mentioned reason we
collected the full names of the people that maintain the succession (taking into consideration the settlement
and the date):
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