TUSCULUM � LEXICON of
Greek and Latin authors
This lexicon appears to be the Greek translation of the the German Tusculum
Lexikon. It offers a detailed overview of Greek and Latin authors of Antiquity
and the Middle Ages and was last edited 1982 in a third revised edition by
Wolfgang Buchwald, Armin Hohlweg and Otto Prinz. The Tusculum Lexicon provides a
convenient and easy approach to ancient and medieval literature. The articles
contain brief information about life and work of each author together with
useful bibliographic annotations concerning text editions and translations. The
Greek translation was carried out by Dr. Athanasios Fourlas. While the German
edition was published in one volume only the Greek translation is splitted in
seperate volumes for Greek and Latin authors. A third volume with additional
authors not included in the German version and updated bibligraphic annotaitons
is under preparition.
Buchwald, Wolfgang � Hohlweg, Armin � Prinz, Otto: Tusculum-Lexikon Ellenon kai
Latinon sungrapheon tes Archaiotetas kai tou Mesaiona. Metaphrase: Athanasios
Alex. Fourlas / epimeleia: Anastasios Chr. Lolos
ISBN 960-85321-0-8 (set)
Tomos Protos [Greek authors], Athena: Ekdoseis Athanasios Alex. Fourlas 1993,
pp. 1-519, paperback
ISBN 960-85321-1-6
Tomos Deuteros [Latin authors], Athena: Ekdoseis Athanasios Alex. Fourlas
2003, pp. 527-922, paperback
ISBN 960-85321-2-4
See www.drfourlas.de for contact adress
and order conditions.
Athens: Ant. N. Sakkoulas
Verlag and Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag, 2001. 235 pp., EUR 24, ISBN
960-15-0546-6 (Ant. N. Sakkoulas); ISBN 3-7890-7619-8 (Nomos), (paperback).
Reviewed by Dobrinka Parusheva (Institute of Balkan Studies, Sofia), email:
aniar@plov.omega.bg
The author's purpose, in his own words, is to contribute to filling the gap in
social science publications on Greek developments in the German language (p. 9).
Gustav Auernheimer has lived in Athens and worked there as a publicist for about
10 years. It comes as no surprise then that the book builds on the author's
work. Most of the essays included in the volume (except one) were published in
"Südosteuropa. Zeitschrift für Gegenwartsforschung" between 1995 and 2000. This
is the reason, in my opinion, for some repetition. It is not the same when one
happens to read these essays in different issues of a journal compared with
reading all them at once.
The book consists of eight essays. The first of them, "Nation, Orthodoxie,
Modernisierung" (p. 13-44), is the only one written especially for the volume,
as a sort of quintessence,to quote Auernheimer (p.9). I personally miss exactly
what that quintessence is, however, because there are three separate parts in
this paper; one dedicated to nation (and, implicitly, to nationalism), the
second addressing the issue of religion and Orthodoxy, and the last presenting
some reflections on the process of modernization. It would have been much more
intriguing, relevant, and useful to look for a way to present them in their
mutual correspondence. The author's knowledge and understanding of the Greek
present developments is very good. However, a very stereotypical use of
history's basics shows up in the text from time to time. This is the case, for
example, with the second essay, "Historische Voraussetzungen der politischen
Kultur Griechenlands" (p. 45-94). Leaving aside my personal conviction that
starting a paper about the historical background of the political culture in
Greece by analysing the German image of Greece is not the most relevant
approach, this piece presents a short history of the Greek people since the
Ottoman period, with some touches from the area of economic and social history.
"Griechenland und der Westen. Die Bedeutung politischer und kulturellen
Traditionen für die Gegenwart" - this is the title of the next paper (p.
95-125), which takes up the dichotomy of East-West once again starting from the
Byzantine-Orthodox heritage. Then the author passes the problem of the bourgeois
society (he actually refers to bourgeois culture) and comes back to contemporary
history. Special attention is paid to the statements and behavior of Christos
Giannaras (Greek Theologian with explicitly articulated anti-Western attitude),
for exactly this is the core story of the paper and all "introductory parts"
just help for outlining the Giannaras' views. Where Europe ends and whether
countries like Greece and Turkey are parts of it (and to what extent)? The
author's attempt to answer these questions by comparing views of Jakob Philipp
Fallmerayer (1790-1861) and Samuel Huntington is used as a basis for a
discussion on historical identity of the modern Greece in "Fallmerayer,
Huntington und die Diskussion um die neugriechische Identität" (p. 127-159).
The other four chapters of the book under review address explicitly
contemporary problems. In this case, Gustav Auernheimer has unquestionable
expertise. "Zum Bild der Tuerkei in Griechenland und seinen historischen
Voraussetzungen" (p. 151-181) presents the image of Turkey in Greece, and
especially the one that prevails in Greek society after the Imia crisis of 1996.
The author follows changes in this image (or shall we speak of images in
plural?) by taking into account two major historical events (or processes) in
which the contemporary image of Turkey in Greek society is rooted: the
Greek-Turkish war of 1919-1922 and the Cyprus conflict. The next part, "Der
Kosovokonflikt und die griechische Oeffentlichkeit" (p. 183-198), discusses the
behavior of the Greek government and parties in comparison to the reactions of
society during the time of the NATO bombardment of Serbia in 1999. The role of
information, opinion making, and political culture has deserved author's
particular attention. The seventh essay treats the political situation in Greece
at the time of the parliamentary elections of April 6, 2000 and analyses the
economic and social aspects of joining the Euro Area ("Griechenland vor dem
Beitritt zur Europäischen Währungsunion", p.199-218).
Religion and the Orthodox Church seem to be among Auernheimer's favorite topics.
After discussing them in almost all chapters with or without mentioning it in
the title, the author directs his attention to these problems in particular in
the last part of his book ("Aktuelle Probleme im Verhältnis von Kirche und Staat
in Griechenland", p.219-233). This time the topic is analyzed by using the optic
of the major discussion in Greek society around the problem of whether or not to
include data about religion in personal IDs.
In short, the eight essays presented in this volume enrich our previous
knowledge about Greece. The book is especially important for people who do not
know too much about this country. As far as Greek politics are concerned, the
expectations of readers will not be entirely satisfied. It is true that the
author has involved in his study a lot of newly published works in German and
Greek. His statements, however, repeat press opinions and, from time to time,
sound a bit stereotypical. Nevertheless, the book probably fulfils its task to
rectify the lack of publications on Greece in German. Whatever its
shortcomings, the book may be of interest to a broader audience.
"Founded on Freedom and Virtue" Documents Illustrating the Impact in the United States of the Greek War of
Independence, 1821-1829
Edited by Constantine G. Hatzidimitriou
The response in the United States to the efforts of the Greeks to gain their
independence was spontaneous. As information on the democratic motivations of
the Greeks and the brutality of the Turkish response reached the United States,
prominent men such as presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, the orator
Daniel Webster, Congressman Sam Houston, and many others, were moved to speak
and to act in support of the Greek cause. "Founded on Freedom and Virtue" is a
collection of official and unofficial contemporary documents tracing the
American response.
A timely work, bringing to the fore those ideas and values that are common
between the United States and Greece, at a very time when these values are
tested by current events.
Pages/Illustr. lxiv+384
Paperbound
ISBN: 0-89241-581-9
Price: $30
http://www.caratzas.com/category.cfm?Category=2
GREECE:
THE MODERN SEQUEL JOHN S. KOLIOPOULOS and THANOS M. VEREMIS
This new exploration of Greece's modern past is organised in thematic categories
such as politics, institutions, society, ideology, foreign policy, geography and
culture. The chapters and subchapters in each category follow no strict
chronological sequence, but focus on questions that seek to illuminate vital
aspects of the Greek phenomenon. Nor do the authors pretend to offer a
dispassionate analysis, but rather make clear their predilection for the
principles that inspired the founding fathers of the Greek state - natives and
foreigners. These founding principles are juxtaposed to indigenous norms and
practices, and the outcome of the tension between opposing forces is assessed in
each case.
The discussion of these themes is above all a commentary on issues raised
about Greece in the last decade of the twentieth century, and at the same time a
rejoinder to views obscured by nationalism and caricatures created by complacent
onlookers. Challenging established notions and certain stereotypes that
disfigure Greece is meant to encourage a fresh look at the country and its
people. The reward of such a look might be what the authors have discovered in
their own joint venture: that the subject of their study is in many ways more in
keeping with modernity than is customarily believed.
John S. Koliopoulos is Professor of Modern Greek History at the University of
Thessaloniki and the author of many books including Brigands with a Cause (OUP,
1987) and Plundered Loyalties (Hurst, 1999). Thanos Veremis is Professor of
Political History at Athens University and President of the board of ELIAMEP
(the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy). His The Military in
Greek Politics was published by Hurst in 1997
xiv, 407pp. Dec. 2002
Hbk: £45.00 1-85065-462-X
Pbk: £14.95 1-85065-463-8
Contents:
Politics: A Regime to Suit the Nation - Government and People Institutions: The
Church - The Military - The Economy - Education: The Mighty Greek School -
Society: Peasants - The Middle Class - Migrants
and Refugees - Heroes and Heroic Deeds - Crime and Impunity Ideology: Fashioning
the New Nation - Demarcating the Past - The Return of the Hellenes - Greeks and
Others - Europe in Greece Foreign Policy: National Geography A Northern
Boundary - The Frontier and Beyond - War for Land
THE STRUGGLE FOR GREECE, 1941-1949 C.M. WOODHOUSE
Introduction by Richard Clogg
As commander of the Allied Military Mission to the Greek guerrillas in Greece
in 1943-4, C.M. Woodhouse had to hold an uneasy balance between the Communist
and government sides. Against a background of conflicting Communist doctrine,
shifting foreign alliances, territorial disputes and personality differences,
the Communist struggle for Greece unfolded in three rounds.
The first began in 1941 with the German occupation of Greece when the
National Liberation Front attempted to regain control of the country and
overthrow the monarchy. In the second round, the Communists tried to seize power
at the end of the German occupation in December 1944 and were frustrated by the
intervention of British forces. The third round (1946-9) was marked by US
intervention, UN fact-finding missions, and the shift from guerrilla tactics to
conventional warfare. The Communists were weakened by internal feuding and
overcome by the US forces.
The author based his research for this classic account, first published in
1976 and long out of print, on interviews with participants, documentary sources
and his own unique experience. He analyses the characters, ideologies and events
behind one of the longest and bitterest civil wars of modern times.
C.M. Woodhouse (1917-2001) was the author of several standard works on modern
Greek history. Richard Clogg, Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford, contributes
an introduction, which also surveys C.M. Woodhouse's career.
xxviii, 324pp. Dec. 2002
Pbk: £16.50 1-85065-487-5
Hbk: £40.00 1-85065-492-1
Contents: I: The First Round Prelude to Revolution - Resistance and Reaction
- War on Two Fronts - II: The Second Round Return to Legality - The
December Events - The Bitter Truce - III: The Third Round Disorder into
Guerrilla War - Guerrillas into Battle Order - Deadlock and Stalemate - The
Final Breakthrough.
