Exhibitions/Cultural Events
Articles/Reviews
[New] Homecoming of Odysseus May Have Been in Eclipse (by JOHN NOBLE WILFORD for the New York Times Science section; published 6/24/08)
A description of the most recent research into whether a passage in the Odyssey refers to a real solar eclipse that occured in 1178 B.C. over the Greek islands.
Read the complete article here.
36 Hours in Athens, Greece (by JOANNA KAKISSIS for the New York Times Travel section; published 5/4/08)
Travel article about how Athens is reinventing itself as "a city where antiuqity meets edginess."
Read the complete article here.
Correcting a Colorblind View of the Treasures of Antiquity (by BLAKE GOPNIK for the Washington Post; published 5/4/08)
New findings show that the monuments of classical antiquity - from sculpture to the Parthenon itself - may have been painted in very bright, even gaudy colors. While the notion has been slow to catch on, recent exhibitions around the world have attempted to show what such monuments might have looked like to their contemporaries, in full color. The newest such exhibition, entitled "The Color of Life," is at the Getty Villa in Malibu, California.
Click here to read the article and view pictures from the exhibition.
A description of the American Hellenic Institute's 33rd Anniversary Hellenic Heritage Awards Dinner
SPGH's president, Mrs. Anna Lea, was among a group of honorees who received AHI’s annual award in Hellenic Heritage Achievement on March 15, 2008, and the recognition she and SPGH were granted by all present was truly gratifying and inspiring!
Mrs. Lea was honored along with Congressman Zack Space (D-OH); Anthony S. Papadimitriou, President of the Onassis Foundation; and actress Melina Kanakaredes. Another distinguished guest was His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, who received the first AHI Religious Freedom Award.
Strikingly, all the other honorees referenced Mrs. Lea’s acceptance speech in their own acceptances. Melina Kanakaredes described visiting SPGH’s website and being inspired by the words of Isokrates – “Greeks are to be called all those who have studied our culture, rather than those who are born Greek” – which we take as our motto. Archbishop Demetrios noted the important possibilities for unity and transcendence that lie at the heart of our goal, which is to promote an appreciation for the shared classical heritage that provides the foundation for all of Western civilization. The Archbishop’s echoing of our philosophy was especially moving. In fact, the discussion of the entire evening centered on the Greek Heritage.
360 people were present for the dinner and awards ceremony, including the Ambassadors of Greece, Cyprus, and Lichtenstein; the Executive Director and Vice President of the Onassis Foundation; the Executive Director of the Order of AHEPA; and former honorees. Also present were many from the media/publishing world: the publishers of Odyssey magazine and the Hellenic News of America; the managing editor of the Hellenic Journal; USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, Ann Geracimos of the Washington Times, and the MC of the event, John Metaxas of CBS.
We have all come away from the event re-inspired to work even harder towards the achievement of our goals of preservation and promotion, especially now that our organization has taken a place on a more public stage. It is heartening to know that our work now has the support of so many in the community at large!
Excavators discover evidence of a religion pre-dating the Olympian gods (by JOHN NOBLE WILFORD for the New York Times; published 2/5/08)
A team of archaeologists excavating at Mount Lykaion in Arcadia last summer discovered remains of a religion that pre-dates the Olympian deities by some 900 years. While digging at an altar on the summit of the mountain that was later dedicated to Zeus, the team unearthed ashes, bones and pottery fragments dating to around 3000 B.C., before Greek-speaking people had even arrived in the area with their religion. The exciting discovery was described in interviews and a lecture by David Gilman Romano of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the excavations co-directors.
Click here to read more about this discovery on the Times website.
Book Review: The Landmark Herodotus, a new translation of Herodotus' writings (Review by EDWARD ROTHSTEIN for the New York Times; published 12/10/07)
The book combines a new translation of the Histories (by Andrea L. Purvis) with extensive annotations by different scholars, 127 maps of the ancient world Herodotus travelled, and photographs of the artifacts he describes to welcome modern readers to the text with "transparency and clarity." Conceived and edited by Robert B. Strassler - an oil tycoon turned amateur classical scholar - the publication celebrates the "omnivorous curiosity" and astounding capability for observation of the writer known as the "Father of History." Strassler's previous endeavor, The Landmark Thucydides, sold over 70,000 copies.
Click here to read Edward Rothstein's complete review of The Landmark Herodotus on the New York Times website.
Schliemann's Silent Partner by Marcelle Robinson (Xlibris) (added 11/27/07)
Robinson's book honors Frank Calvert, the scholar behind Heinrich Schliemann's self-transformation from wealthy businessman to archaeologist obsessed with unearthing the ruins of Troy. Schliemann's quest became legendary, while Calvert, the scholar who originally approached Schliemann with the opportunity to excavate the site upon which Calvert had long hoped to find the remains of Troy, remained an obscure figure. The book is the only biography of Calvert and the first source of reference for his life and work. Author Marcelle Robinson earned an M.A in classical studies from Harvard and has worked as an independent scholar, publishing articles about Calvert and presenting papers on him in Boston and Germany.
The book is available in bookstores, including Barnes and Noble, Borders and Amazon.com. It can also be ordered directly from the publisher, Xlibris.
Click here if you would like to contact the author.
Book Review: The Fall of Troy by Peter Ackroyd (Review by DAVID LEAVITT for the New York Times Sunday Book Review; published 11/18/07)
David Leavitt reviews Peter Ackroyd's new novel The Fall of Troy (Bantam, 2007), about a fictional stand-in for the 19th-century German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, his love affair with the words of Homer and his obsessive quest to discover the ancient city of Troy. The novel is "a meditation on history - its demands and distortions."
This new novel relates to the theme of SPGH's 1997 seminar on "The World of Troy: Homer, Schliemann, and the Treasures of Priam." You can find out more information about this seminar and the book version of it by visiting our Publications page!
Click here to read David Leavitt's review of The Fall of Troy on the New York Times website.
Italy, Princeton Sign Antiquities Deal (by ARIEL DAVID for the Associated Press; published in the Washington Post 10/30/07)
In the latest example of the successful repatriation of stolen antiquities, Princeton University Art Museum has signed a deal with the Italian Culture Ministry to return eight disputed antiquities to Rome. Among the artifacts is a red-figure psykter - a vase for cooling wine - made in Athens around 500 BCE. The vase was imported to Italy by the Etruscans, where authorities claim it was stolen by tomb raiders and sold in 1989 by an American art dealer for $350,000.
Read the entire story here.
On Poros island, a woman carries on an ancient, nearly-dead art form (published in the Washington Post10/21/07).
Eleni Pavlou has opened a shop on Poros island where she sells her own hand-woven textiles, which she creates in the same manner they were produced in ancient Greece in an art form that predates the Bible. Pavlou learned the technique from a textile expert in college, and returned to the island to sell her wares and pass her knowledge on to island school children and local women. She is one of only a dozen professional weavers in Greece who preserve this art form.
Click here to read more about Pavlou and the history of weaving in ancient Greece.
A New Museum's Goal: To Press the British to Return Parthenon Sculptures (by PHILIP KENNICOTT of the Washington Post; published 10/7/07)
A lengthy and very interesting article about the new Acropolis museum, focusing on its ultimate controversial goal of retrieving and repatriating the so-called Elgin Marbles, housed in the British Museum since the 19th century. The history of the marbles' journey is fascinating in itself.
Read the article here.
Former SPGH speaker Dr. Jonathan Shay wins 2007 MacArthur Genius Grant!
Boston-based psychiatrist Jonathan Shay's work with combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder has won him a 2007 MacArthur Genius Grant. In attempting to better understand and effectively treat these men and women, Shay turned to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and the connections he found between these works and the complex emotions experienced by returning veterans led to two bestselling books: Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character and Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming.
Dr. Shay has spoken to SPGH audiences on two occasions: in March of 1998 as part of a seminar on "The Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Real World" (SPGH's publication of the same name from that seminar - available for purchase here - includes his essay "Achilles the Soldier, Odysseus the Veteran, Homer the Tragic Poet"), and again in May of 2006, when his topic was "Homer on Military Leadership." SPGH would like to sincerely congratulate Dr. Shay on his achievement!
Stories about Dr. Shay and the award have appeared on NPR, in USA Today and in the Boston Globe.
Another set of stolen antiquities repatriated to Greece (by the Associated Press; published in the Washington Post 9/15/07).
An ancient stone coffin of indeterminate date and a sculpture of a lion's head dating from Roman times have been voluntarily returned to Greece by private owners in the U.S. The antiquities were accepted by new Culture Minister Michalis Liapis.
For more information, click here.
The (Re)birth of the Classics (Washington Post Book World; published 9/2/07)
Short reviews of three new publications about Homer's epics and the role played by Byzantine scholars in the preservation of Greek and Roman classic literature: Andrew Dalby's Rediscovering Homer: Inside the Origins of the Epic; Alessandro Baricco's An Iliad; and Colin Wells's Sailing from Byznatium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World.
Click here to read the reviews.
Last Greek Fire Under Control (CNN.com; published 9/3/07)
The last major fire in southern Greece was finally brought under control yesterday after flaring up again over the weekend, and only minor fires continue to burn in the region. Meanwhile, rain soaked northern Greece but did not reach the fire-affected areas in the south. The official death toll has reached 65.
Click here to read coverage at CNN.com.
EU Chief Inspects Damage Caused by Wildfires (Associated Press; published 9/1/07)
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso spent two hours touring the fire-ravaged Pelopennese along with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. "The Greek problem is a European problem," he said, pledging that the EU will help the country rebuild what has been destroyed.
Click here to read the full article.
Greek Wildfires Don't Deter Tourists; Olive Harvest Reduced (Article by ANTHEE CARASSAVA of the Herald Tribune; published 8/31/07)
Despite the calamitous wildfires that spread across Greece last week, tourism officials say that travelers have remained undeterred. None of the hotels or resorts in the Peloponnesus, the area most damaged by the fires, have reported any cancellations, and Minister of Tourism Fanni Palli-Petralia is convinced that the year will end successfully for the industry. At the same time, an association of olive growers, producers and processors estimates that as much as 5 percent of this year's olive crop may be lost.
Click here to read the article.
Firefighters Gain Upper Hand in Greece; Anger Over Fires May Affect Outcome of Election (Coverage from the Washington Post; published 8/29/07)
Firefighters in Greece say they have successful put out the series of wildfires which have left 63 dead and thousands homeless across the country over the past six days. The government has said it will apply for emergency aid from the European Union to begin the work of reconstruction and rehabilitation. However, polls have indicated growing anger towards the government for its response to the fires just before an early election on September 16.
Click here and here to read coverage of these stories from the Washington Post website.
Fires Blaze Across Greece; Site of Ancient Olympics Escapes Danger (published 8/27/07)
Firefighters were able to stop the wildfires which have been burning across Greece for three days from damaging 2,800-year-old ruins at Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics. However, new fires continue to break out, and the death toll has climbed above 60.
Click here to read complete coverage from the Washington Post, and here to read coverage from the New York Times.
Art Deco Gem in Athens Faces Demolition (article by ELENA BECATOROS for the Associated Press; published in the Washington Post on 8/2/07)
The view of the Parthenon from the new Acropolis Museum, scheduled to open early next year, is blocked by two modern buildings - one, an rose-colored Art Deco building, is deemed a monument in its own right, and the other was owned by Oscar-winning composer Vangelis Papathanassiou, who wrote the score to "Chariots of Fire." Plans to demolish them have spurred a debate over how much of modern Greek culture should be sacrificed for its ancient history.
Click here to read the article on the Post website.
Making a Family Trip to Greece Educational (article by JENNIFER CONLIN; published in the New York Times on 7/29/07)
Conlin writes about her plan to have her children learn as well as tan during their family's trip to Athens and the Peloponnesus this summer. She compiles pre-vacation reading lists, giving her younger children colorful books about Greek gods and myths and her high school-aged daughter Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Find out whether she was successful, and read her tips for making a vacation both educational and fun, by clicking on the link below.
Read the article here.
Sign the petition against abolishing the Ancient History A-level in U.K. schools (added May 3, 2007)
An examination board has recommended removing the option of taking an A-level exam in the subject of Ancient History, as part of a re-organization of its four existing classics subjects. Instead of ancient history, classical civilization, Greek or Latin, students would choose from Latin, classical Greek, classical civilization, or simply classics. Students and academics view this as a "dumbing down" of the curriculum, replacing a specific subject with a broader, more general one, and compare it to learning English history through English literature and language. (For more information about this recommendation, please see the Guardian article from March of 2007.)
A petition to the Prime Minister against the board's recommendation is being compiled at the 10 Downing Street website; to sign it, click here.
Exhibitions/Cultural Events
[New] A new production of The Oresteia by Aeschylus, presented by the Constellation Theatre Company
The only surviving Greek trilogy brings us Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, Orestes, Electra and the Furies in an epic story of war, love, vengeance, justice, and mercy. The tragic chain of murder and blood sacrifice culminates in the birth of a justice system and the triumph of compassion. Powerful visual imagery, live music and a cast of 29 bring this original adaptation of the archetypal Greek trilogy to life in one epic evening of theatre. (From press release by Constellation Theatre Company.)
At the Clark Street Playhouse (601 South Clark Street, Crystal City, VA 22202) through June 1, 2008. $15 discount tickets are available by visiting the Constellation Theatre Company's website and using the online code "Greek."
| The Society of the Preservation of the Greek Heritage 5125 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 11B, Washington, D.C. 20016 Tel: 202.363.4337 Fax: 202.363.4658 E-mail: classic.heritage@verizon.net |
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