Nikolaos Vlastos

Vlasto
noble family
The Vlasto Family Coat of Arms
Country	Greece
Founded	Ionia, c. 3rd B.C.
Ethnicity	Greek

Vlastos or Vlasto (Greek: Βλαστος) (or 'Blasto/us' in some Greek/Latin translations). 'Vlasto' derives from the ancient Greek 'blast' or 'vlast', meaning a young shoot, a bud, something which flourishes or burgeons and, in general terms, implies fruitfulness, potency and vigour. The Vlastos were an ancient Greek noble family, known to have been prominent in Ionia in ancient times, in Rome in the c. 2nd A.D., in Constantinople as members of its principal noble families,. later in Crete, Chios and Venice.

Vlastos were both powerful and influential at the highest levels in the Byzantine Empire. Their role continued through the Genoese, Venetian and Ottoman empires until the catastrophic Massacre at Chios in 1822.

From at least the c. 17th until 1822, the Vlastos were a principal ruling (demogeront) family of Chios, having previously been prominent in Crete since 1092. After the massacres their diaspora led to the founding of more scattered 'dynastic' communities in, among other cities, Alexandria, Athens, Corfu, Syros, Liverpool, London, Marseilles, Livorno (Leghorn), Paris, Trieste, etc.

A monument, dating from 100-120 AD, was created in honour of Claudius Vlasto on the initiative of his son and namesake, Claudius Vlasto. It also commemorates his wife, Claudia Charis, as a later addition to the inscription. Although the wording is in Latin and the names have been Latinised, the name 'Charis' is Greek and means 'Grace', indicating that the Greek origin is proudly acknowledged. Kerofilas says that the use of the letter B in place of V for 'Vlasto' establishes an early date for the monument and that it belongs to a branch of the 'great Greek family which was established early in Rome'

Perhaps sold to the Museums of the Vatican in 1783 by Countess Livia Buzj Moroni (who had numerous works of art from the Vigne Moroni near the Scipion tomb). The Vigne Moroni, being a very important excavation site, produced numerous artifacts of which the Vatican Museum has beautiful examples. The monument's dedication is: "Into the hands of God, Claudius Vlasto, most excellent, from his son Claudius Vlasto."