Opinions

Redundancies at the Foundation of the Hellenic World

constantinakatsari February 2, 2012

Something is rotten in the State of Greece. This time the stench comes from the Foundation of the Hellenic World, which used to promote research on Greek civilisation outside the strict borders of the modern Greek state. This private Foundation (though heavily subsidised by the government) reached its peak a decade ago, when I received my postdoctoral fellowship from them. They funded my research on the Economy of Roman Asia Minor under the guidance of Prof. Stephen Mitchell at the University of... »

How to publish your research

constantinakatsari January 30, 2012

We all know how difficult it is to publish your first article or book after many months or years of intensive research. Many early career classicists and ancient historians tend to get discouraged and sometimes they even give up. Do not despair! The following booklet was designed to help you avoid the pitfalls of publishing. The papers were presented at the Institute of Classical Studies and they include advice from some very well known classicists who went through the same exasperating process ... »

Acropolis for rent!

constantinakatsari January 20, 2012

You probably already heard about the Russian magnate who offered to buy the temple of Zeus at Agrigento in Sicily. The Greek government realised this unique opportunity and decided to offer its archaeological sites for rent. First and foremost, the Acropolis will turn into a film studio for no more than 1600 euros per day. The ministry of culture makes available 117 archaeological sites, among which are Knossos, Faistos and Lindos. The person who will rent these places will have the opportunity ... »

Versace for H&M and ancient Greek inspiration

constantinakatsari December 12, 2011

Versace’s collection for H&M sold out in minutes last month. I am not certain, though, if the enthusiastic shoppers are aware that Versace’s inspiration came from ancient Greece. In the following shoppers you can clearly see the effect of classical tradition. Again, I cannot but wonder at this sudden turn towards the ancient Greek civilisation this year. In any case, it is quite a positive one for Greek tourism. »

Go Greek for a Week. Classical Ideals as Propaganda.

constantinakatsari November 16, 2011

At last, I managed to watch the Channel 4 program “Go Greek for a Week”. I have followed the discussions about its truthfulness, accuracy, attempts to discriminate against another nation e.t.c. with great interest. In this post, though, I do not intend to focus on the half truths, distortions and derogatory comments. Instead, I would like to bring your attention to the fine classical details that the producers included in the program. Have you noticed the repeated appearances of the Acropolis an... »

Greek crisis and Classical Studies

constantinakatsari November 10, 2011

How does the Greek crisis affect Classics in the UK? Classical Studies in the UK are directly affected by the Greek crisis, not least because our research is about this part of the world. We regularly travel to Greece, we use its research facilities, we accept grants from its Foundations, we collaborate with Greek colleagues. On the whole, the fate of this country affects the fate of the discipline abroad. First of all, we should take into consideration the finances of the Greek students in the ... »

My views on Libraries

constantinakatsari October 28, 2011

In September I participated in an International conference that took place in Rumania. There, I have been interviewed about my views on the role of libraries. The interview is short but sweet. It is meant to shock people into action and turn them towards the right direction. You can watch it here. http://www.kartiertv.ro/site/index.php?id=interviu-cu-dna-constantina-katsari Interview »

Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey

constantinakatsari October 24, 2011

On Tuesday night I glued myself on tv and watched with great interest Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey. I have to admit that I have rarely seen on British TV (not least on ITV) a better travelling guide than this program. The producers obviously thought long and hard about the Greek regions they were going to include and how they were going to present them to the wider public. It may not have been intellectually stimulated but it included details that I have not heard of before. For example, ... »

New School Year

constantinakatsari September 13, 2011

The new School year has already started. Yesterday school kids gathered in school yards, met with school teachers and expected to receive their school books. Their expectations met with disappointment, though. The Greek state did not seem able to provide said books to the children. I hope that the situation will be different for the universities, since the students can still use library materials. Welcome to the land of the educated! pasted-image.jpg »

The end of democracy in modern Athens

constantinakatsari June 30, 2011

Yesterday I witnessed the Greek protests in Constitution (Syntagma) square in the center of Athens. The square took its name from the chants of protesters during the uprising of the 3rd September 1843. Back then, the Greek people forced their Bavarian king, Otto, to abide by a constitution. Back then, my country was a protectorate of England, France and Russia. Today, Greece is a protectorate of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. As in 1843, Greek people today are asking for... »