This morning I received the following video* in my email. I must
confess that watching it had a profound effect on me. I felt emptiness
to the very core of my entire existence. It purports to show how proud
modern Greeks are about their selves, in what I consider, a very
disturbing way.
First some introductory remarks and then a few comments on the video itself.
First some introductory remarks and then a few comments on the video itself.
Being raised as a Greek and having studied Greek history and
literature, I have a lot to say about the country's interior, especially
as far as culture and national identity are concerned.
Stripping away
all the superficialities of the economic crisis, the nation suffers from
a crisis of identity, central in its recent history, ever since the
establishment of the modern Greek state.
The Greeks never experienced the fertilizing wave of the
Enlightenment, as did other European nations a few centuries ago; and
have yet to answer the central questions concerning the very essence of
being "Greek". As the philosopher Cornelius Castoriades accurately
pointed out some decades ago, modern Greeks have not yet managed to
choose between the democratic and open society of ancient Athens, and
the theocratic, totalitarian rule of the Byzantine era.
By the way the Byzantine Empire, which is often depicted as a Greek
state, especially by Greeks themselves, never was a "Greek" empire,
litanies to the opposite notwithstanding. The machinery of crime and
oppression of the Byzantine rule, used fire and steel to obliterate
anything that resembled ancient Greece.
The Academy of Athens, founded by Plato, was shut down, by Justinian
who is known for his "achievements" as the "Great". Even the word
"Hellene" ("Greek"), which the lady in the video so proudly pronounces,
was forbidden and the people identified themselves as "Romans", from the
time of Theodosius ("the Great") 4th century AD, up until the late
18th, early 19th century. These two vastly diverse world-views are
irreconcilable, yet the average Greek suffers from the schizophrenia of
somehow adhering to both.
Though I am fully conscious that in touching upon these issues I risk being seen as an "anth-Hellene" - "anti-Greek", by those anxious to obfuscate and conceal the fact of our cultural problem, I just cannot remain silent. I uphold that we must at some point stand up to reality and criticize ourselves, before pointing our finger to foreigners. Now allow me to comment upon the video itself.
Though I am fully conscious that in touching upon these issues I risk being seen as an "anth-Hellene" - "anti-Greek", by those anxious to obfuscate and conceal the fact of our cultural problem, I just cannot remain silent. I uphold that we must at some point stand up to reality and criticize ourselves, before pointing our finger to foreigners. Now allow me to comment upon the video itself.
First of all this is a really amateur imitation of an advertisement
from the beer "Canadian", which alone is enough to prove the cheap
fabric of the entire message. Yet this is only the beginning of the
problem. The video wishes to present, in a vastly distasteful manner,
how we the great Greeks are superior to all the rest. "My country is a
democracy, it actually invented the concept" "and if I owe you any
money, it's because I invented the idea of the free market". We are the
best because we invented this, that and the other. We even invented "the
west" and if you are actually criticizing "us" it is just because we
invented criticism in the first place!
It is one thing to innocuously accept that ancient Greeks were the first to elaborate on many aspects of what we today as "Westerners" consider part of our culture; but it is a fundamentally different thing to argue that everything henceforth should be attributed to "us the Greeks".
It is one thing to innocuously accept that ancient Greeks were the first to elaborate on many aspects of what we today as "Westerners" consider part of our culture; but it is a fundamentally different thing to argue that everything henceforth should be attributed to "us the Greeks".
Such kind of perverse mode of thinking plagues the modern Greeks for
quite some time now. It is those arguments locals use when they expound
on the superiority of Hellenism, stemming from the achievements of
antiquity; unconsciously perhaps to justify their current nothingness.
The discussion usually runs along the lines of "by the time we were
inventing democracy they were still living in caves".
For the sober non-Greeks it is crystal clear that this mode of thinking is inherently flawed and fallacious, let alone its vanity. Even if it were true it still provides no justification whatsoever for any mistakes currently committed, nor does it allow space for complacency.
For the sober non-Greeks it is crystal clear that this mode of thinking is inherently flawed and fallacious, let alone its vanity. Even if it were true it still provides no justification whatsoever for any mistakes currently committed, nor does it allow space for complacency.
But many Greeks do not treat this as a source of major concern since
they fail to realize that while we "the great Greeks" have not made a
single step forward since antiquity, but have instead made strides
backwards; the "cave-dwellers", the "barbarians" have already been to
the moon and beyond. Then there is this "nice" touristic marketing touch
of the beautiful country with the thousands of islands. So what? Is it
the only beautiful country on earth? And even if it were, why should
that make you proud about it? Did you also invent the islands, the
beaches, the sunshine? Or did you also come up with the very concept of
"tourism"?
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to this ultimate sign of naivety (or illiteracy?) coming at the very end.
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to this ultimate sign of naivety (or illiteracy?) coming at the very end.
The preposterous effort to draw a dividing line between "Hellenes"
and "Greeks", as if the latter word is somehow tainted and its use only
tarnishes the memory and glory of our forefathers. For those of you who
are not familiar with Greek mythology and/or history - video production
team included - Hellene and Grekos were both sons of Zeus. Hellene lived
in Thessaly, from where Achilles and his Myrmidons originated, while
Grekos lived in Eperus, the land from where consecutive waves of
migrants/sailors moved westwards to establish colonies in Southern
Italy, which at the time was known as Magna Greciac (Big Greece).
The fact that "Greek" became the standard ethnonym has to do with the fact that the Romans first encountered a Hellenic tribe identifying itself as descendant of Grekos, hence "Greek". Thus the Romans assumed that all these people residing on the peninsula of Emos (Greece) and the surrounding areas are the "Greeks". We should be proud that foreigners use the word "Greek" (among others) because it reminds us of the time we travelled outside our borders and met other people and cultures, contrary to our modern narrow-minded, pseudo-nationalistic inwardness.
I understand that the morale of the Greeks may be at its nadir. That systematic efforts may be required to reignite their inner flame. To make people believe in their selves again.
The fact that "Greek" became the standard ethnonym has to do with the fact that the Romans first encountered a Hellenic tribe identifying itself as descendant of Grekos, hence "Greek". Thus the Romans assumed that all these people residing on the peninsula of Emos (Greece) and the surrounding areas are the "Greeks". We should be proud that foreigners use the word "Greek" (among others) because it reminds us of the time we travelled outside our borders and met other people and cultures, contrary to our modern narrow-minded, pseudo-nationalistic inwardness.
I understand that the morale of the Greeks may be at its nadir. That systematic efforts may be required to reignite their inner flame. To make people believe in their selves again.
However, I strongly disagree with the entire message of the above
video. Make no mistake, the problem is not the video per se but its very
content which perfectly depicts the failing mentality that brought the
country to this point of disaster. It is that self-defeating slavishness
to brutishly survive under the shade of a glorious past, without any
ambitious vision of determining the future in any decisive way.
We need to reinvent Greece, not perpetuate its vegetable existence. To
believe that change will come from the recycling of the same old utterly
repulsive attitudes, unexamined dogmas and backward shibboleths, is in
my humble opinion, foolishness of the highest degree.
To read Protesilaos' thoughts (which he licences under a creative
commons attribution license) visit www.
protesilaos.com/2012/04/nothingness-of-i-am-hellene-video.html and view
the 'I am Hellene' clip at http://youtu.be/KpDtvumzbV0
--------
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
No comments:
Post a Comment
Only News