SPGH hosted a research-informed discussion with Mr. Thodoris Georgakopoulos on demographics, climate change and other major forces that will shape the population and physical environment of Greece in the next decades. The presentation and discussion were based on findings from studies conducted by the Greek think tank DiaNEOsis.

SPGH was founded in the mid1970s with the initial charge of preserving the Greek physical and cultural environment on the belief that preservation of the Greek heritage is intimately linked to the preservation of Greece. The issue remains critical to our mission.

An American in Epirus: A Southerner Listening to Greek Blues (Moirologia)

Christopher King, a music collector and scholar and a Grammy-winning producer from southern Virginia shared his transformational encounter with Ηπειρωτικά μοιρολόγια (laments from Epirus) and his falling in love with the music and people of the land. He also talked about the connection of these northwestern Greek “blues” to American southern blues and discussed his recent book “Lament from Epirus” with SPGH Chairman Dr. Vassilis Koliatsos and members of the audience. He played many rare examples of southern blues music and demotika from the original 78 rpm discs for the audience.

A performance by the Greek Music Ensemble, (led by Dr. Panagiotis Liaropoulos of the Berklee College of Music) honoring the songs of acclaimed Greek composers Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis, held at Georgetown University's Lohrfink Theater. 

A panel discussion lead by Dr. Antonia Moropoulou, National Polytechnic University of Athens, Dr. Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic, and Ms. Bonnie Burnham, President Emerita of the World Monuments Fund. Co-sponsored by the Embassy of Greece in Washington, DC. 

A Panel Discussion with Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos, President Emeritus of the UN International Maritime Organization, Dr. Diane Cline, Associate Professor at the George Washington University, and Dr. Alexandra Papadopoulou of the Institute of Mediterranean Studies in Rethymno, Crete.

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*This event was made possible due to the generous contributions of the following sponsors: John Chandris, DIANA Shipping and Ecolibra.

A musical lecture by Panagiotis Liaropoulos of the Berklee College of Music, at the Cosmos Club

Ancient Greece in Popular Culture: Classics and Comics

​A talk by Professor Thomas Jenkins from Trinity University.

The enduring legacy of El Greco: monumental works of Toledo and Escorial

Lecture by Prof. Marina Lambraki-Plaka at the Center for Hellenic Studies

Lecture by Prof. Marina Lambraki-Plaka at the Sulgrave Club

Panel Discussion on Crisis Hellenism with Professor Anthony Kaldellis from Ohio State University and Professor Thanos Veremis from the University of Athens and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) 

Reflections on the Greek Brain Drain

Reflections on the Greek Brain Drain, a lecture with Professor John Ioannidis from Stanford University. VIDEO recording: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

A panel discussion with John Peponis, Georgia Tech School of Architecture, Costis Toregas (view presentation), George Washington University, Vassilis Koliatsos, Johns Hopkins University and Apostolos Doxiadis. Moderated by Charis Lypiridis, The World Bank.

A lecture by Professor Anthony Kaldellis, professor of Classics at Ohio State University 

A lecture by Professor Angeliki Tzanetou

Viewings at the Embassy of Greece.

A lecture by Professor David Konstan, Professor of Classics at New York University.

A lecture with Mary-Jane Deeb, Chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress.​

History and Myth : Italy's war on Greece

A lecture by Professor Moulakis

The Icon of Pantocrator in St. Catherine's, Mt. Sinai: Art, Theology, and Modern Neuroscience

A lecture by Dr. Gary Vikan and Dr. Vassilis Koliatsos.

A talk by Jason Felch, Investigative Reporter at the Los Angeles Times.

The Human Need for the Divine: An Historical Approach

A lecture by Greg Nagy, Ph.D., Director of Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies.

The Glory that was Greece; The Grandeur that was Rome: What's the Difference?

A lecture by Professor Athanasios Moulakis.

Greek Philosophers Preparing to Die

A lecture by Patrick Lee Miller, Professor of Philosophy, Duquesne University.

The Emotions of the Ancient Greeks

A talk by David Konstan of NYU, and John Rowe. Workman Distinguished Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature, Brown University.

Herodotus: A Pluralist Polymath for our Own Times

A lecture by Paul Cartledge, A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at Cambridge University.

Celebration of the Closing of the 2008-9 Lecture Series at President Anna Lea's Home

A reception and discussion celebrating the close of our 2008-9 lecture series at the home of President Anna Lea. Special guest, Dr. Athanasios Moulakis, spoke about his experiences in Afghanistan and the way ancient Greek culture continues to influence the area.

A New Beginning and the Wisdom of the Past: Why the Greek Classics are Still Relevant

A presentation by His Excellency Alexandros Mallias, the Ambassador of Greece.

No Man's Lands: One Man's Odyssey through the Odyssey

A talk by author Scott Huler, based on his recent book.

The Great Influence of Ancient Greece on the American Founding Fathers

A lecture by Prof. Carl Richard of the University of Louisiana.

Faith and Reason

A seminar on "Faith and Reason" with Mary Lefkowitz, author and Professor Emerita of Classics at Wellesley College, and writer/journalist Tom Lange. Introduced and moderated by author/playwright Sophy Burnham.

The Great Experiment: The Story of Ancient Empires, Modern States, and Quest for a Global Nation

Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution and former Deputy Secretary of State, on his new book.

Greek Ways in Republican Rome: Roman Lenses on Greek Sexualities

A talk by Judith Hallett of the University of Maryland.

Athens and Jerusalem: Faith and Reason Intersect in 4th-Century Greece and 21st-Century America

A lecture by Prof. Jennifer Hockenberry of Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Albion, Rome and Athens: Political Ideals and American Democracy

A talk by Prof. Sanford Lakoff of the University of California at San Diego.

Greek Political Thought and the American Regulatory Practice

A lecture by Dr. Neil Kerwin, President of American University.

The Persian Invasion of Greece and the End of History

A talk by Tom Holland, BBC Radio presenter and author of the recent book, "Persian Fire."

Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind

A lecture by Nancy Sherman, Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University.

The Decline of Modern Conversation: What We Can Learn from Ancient Greece

A lecture by Stephen Miller, author of the recent book: Conversation: A History of a Declining Art.

Discussion on Neitzsche's Theory of the Apollonian and Dionysiac Impulses

A discussion with Prof. Gonda Van Steen of the University of Arizona, and Prof. Frank Romer of East Carolina University.

Lecture by Dr. Jonathan Shay

A lecture by Dr. Jonathan Shay, psychiatrist at the Veteran's Administration Outpatient Clinic in Boston and author of the groundbreaking books "Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma," "Undoing of Character and Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming", and "Homer on Military Leadership."

How Ancient Greece Influenced Early Christianity

A lecture by Prof. Judith Herrin of King's College London.

The Intangible Motives of International Conflict: Cleopatra's Nose and the Shadow of Helen

A lecture by Prof. Athanasios Moulakis, scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

The Influence of Greek Drama on Classical Opera

A seminar co-sponsored by Opera Lafayette of Washington, D.C., and featuring Herbert Golder, professor of classics at Boston University, music historian Nizam Kettaneh, and Ryan Brown, conductor and artistic director of Opera Lafayette.

The Meaning of Heroism Through the Ages

A talk by Peter Bien, Professor Emeritus of English & Comparative Literature at Dartmouth.

Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Dark Ages

A lecture by Richard Rubenstein, Professor of Conflict Resolution and Public Affairs at George Mason University and author of many books, including "When Jesus Became God," and "Alchemists of Revolution."

Defining the Diaspora: The Case of the Greeks

A lecture by Richard Clogg, University Research Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford, former Professor of History at the University of London, and author of books on the history of modern Greece.

The Heritage of Thermopylae: What the Spartans Have Done for Us

A lecture by Paul Cartledge, professor of Greek history at the University of Cambridge and internationally renowned authority on both Athens and Sparta. 

Presentation of the Play of Jason & the Argonauts by the Synetic Theatre and Panel Discussion

Presentation of the Play of Jason & the Argonauts by the Synetic Theatre, followed by a panel discussion with Professor Gregory Nagy, director of the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington D.C., and Paata Tsikurishvili, Artistic Director and founder of the Synetic Theatre.

Madness and the Artistic Genius: From Aristotle’s Melancholia and Genius (the XXX Problem) to Today's Thought & Evidence

A joint lecture by Kay Redfield Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and author of several national best sellers, and Vassilis Koliatsos, M.D., Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Alexander: The Ambiguity of Greatness

A lecture by Guy MacLean Rogers, Professor of Classical Studies at Wellesley College.

Aristotle's Contributions to Modern Democracy

A lecture by Jeffrey Reiman, William Fraser McDowell Professor of Philosophy at American University and author of many books & articles on philosophy and criminal justice.

The Role of Serpent in Literature and Mythology

A lecture by Willie Lewis, author of "Snakes: An Anthology of Tales," a collection of humorous and imaginative essays by well-known authors from Rudyard Kipling, D.H. Lawrence, John Steinbeck, and Tom Wolfe to Jim Lehrer, David Barry and many more. Ms. Lewis was introduced by Ms. Susan Eisenhower, chairman of the Eisenhower Institute and author of Breaking Free, Mrs. Ike, and many publications on foreign policy.

Dictatorships: From Ancient Greece to Modern Iraq & Iran

A lecture by Clive Foss, professor of history at Georgetown University and author of many publications on dictatorships, including Juan and Eva Peron and Fidel Castro.

Greek Gods, Human Lives

A lecture by Mary Lefkowitz, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Wellesley College.

Empires and Superpowers: Their Rise and Fall

A seminar held at Georgetown University and co-sponsored by the International Initiatives Office of the Provost at Georgetown University. This seminar examined the creation and decline of the Athenian, Roman/Romaic, Ottoman and British empires.

Highlights of "The Meaning of Classical Theater Through the Ages"

A evening highlighting "The Meaning of Classical Theater Through the Ages" with prominent theater directors Michael Kahn, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theater, and Joy Zinoman, artistic director of the Studio Theater, and renowned classicist and former SPGH chair Bernard Knox.

SEEDS for Classics Fundraiser

A benefit to raise funds for the Seeds for Classics program, hosted by the Embassy of Greece in Washington, D.C., and featuring the critically acclaimed Violins of Lafayette ensemble, which performed the Orpheus cantata.

Modern Greek History and Literature Symposium

A symposium co-sponsored with the Modern Greek Studies Association, dealing with modern Greek history and literature, at Georgetown University.

Odysseus Across the Centuries

A lecture by Peter Bien, professor of English and Comparative Literature at Dartmouth

A Journey to the Greek Isles Through the Eyes of a Photographer

A slide presentation and narrative

Lydia Carras' Movie Viewings

Two films by Lydia Carras about current restoration of Greece's architectural and ecological heritage after the 1985 earthquake in Kalamata, and in Allonisos, a reservation for monk-seals and an international center for the teaching of homeopathy.

Screening of Michael Cacoyannis' "The Cherry Orchard"

Gala benefit screening of Michael Cacoyannis' "The Cherry Orchard," co-sponsored by the embassies of Russia and Greece, at the American Film Institute of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.