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Newsletter
21
May 2003
Professor Euthimios
Soulogiannis lectures sponsored by Prometheas Professor Soulogiannis, Director of Research at the Academy
of Athens, was invited by Prometheas and gave two lectures on April 12 and 15 at
the Saint George Founders' Hall in Bethesda, MD. He spoke about The
Hellenes in Egypt: Their past, present and future and
The Library of Alexandria. Video
presentations followed both lectures. The lectures were well attended and many
Greeks from Egypt residing in the Washington and Baltimore Metro areas
participated. In addition, Dr.
Soulogiannis gave a lecture on April 11 at the Egyptian Embassy about the
Library of Alexandria and, following his visit in Washington, two lectures in
New York and a Seminar to the graduates in the Greek Department at the
University of Minnesota. . Mark your calendars:
The Concert at the Kennedy Center by the Experimental Choir of Athens and The Pro Arte Chamber Ensemble with Dimitri Papapostolou as its Director on Saturday, May 3, 2003. See details at the bottom of this document. A Journey to the
Glorious Greek Islands Thurs., April 24 - May 29, 7:00 p.m.
North Bethesda United Methodist Church (Just north of the Old Georgetown Rd. Exit off I-495 at the corner of Old Georgetown Rd. and Lone Oak Drive. Take a left turn at the first TL above I-495 onto to Lone Oak and enter the church parking lot to the right. Johnson Hall is located near the back of the parking lot). For more information on her visit www.eleftheria.info
Her program is as follows: Saturday,
May 10, 2003 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m: Women’s Health & Wellness Conference
The Hellenic American Women’s Council The American Society Of Hypertension Invite you to a Women’s Health & Wellness Conference The Ritz Carlton Hotel, Pentagon City Register by May 3, 2003 PANELS: Your Healthy Heart, Vasilios Papademetriou, M.D Director, Hypertension & Cardiovascular Research Veterans’Administration Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Demystifying Hormone Replacement Therapy Christos Mastroyannis, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Clinical Professor, Reproductive Endocrinology, George Washington University Hospital, Washington D.C., and Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD Reducing Your Cancer Risk
Associate Professor of Medicine (Oncology/Hematology) New York Medical College, New York, NY Fitness Break Christa Dalakis 12:45-2:00 p.m. Luncheon and Keynote Remarks: The Healing Power of Prayer: The
Mind/Body Connection Session II Protecting Your Brain/Improving Your Memory Vassilis E. Koliatsos, M.D. Associate Professor, Neuropathology, Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD Slowing the Aging Process Telal Munasifi,
M.D., FACS REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY May 3, 2003 Name
_______________________________________________________________________________ Registration Fee (includes luncheon): $60.00 for HAWC Members $65.00 for Non-Members Special for Non-Members: $85.00 includes HAWC Membership Luncheon ONLY: $50 per person ___ Please register me and _____ guests. Enclosed is my check for $ ________ payable to “Hellenic American Women’s Council.” Send registration to HAWC, 1319 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1802 For Additional Information Call: Maria Papathanassiou (703) 998-6668 Maria Stamoulas (202) 464-0400 Other News of Interest The
following is a speech delivered by Dr. Liolios for the Greek Independence Day
GREECE
TODAY: IS ARISTOTLE STILL AMONG US?
By
Major Antonios Liolios, MD
Assistant
to the Greek NMR, Brussels, Belgium A few months ago, as I was wandering in the busy hallways of an international airport waiting for my flight, a marble plaque captured my attention. There were words carved on it, probably of someone very important. With interest I leaned over and read: “All mortals
should live like one, united, and peacefully working towards the common good.
You should regard the whole world as your country, a country where the best
govern, with common laws, and no racial distinctions. I do not separate people,
as many narrow-minded others do. I am not interested in the origin or race of
citizens; I only distinguish them on the basis of their virtue. For my part, I
consider all, whether they be white or black, equal.” I wondered: Who uttered these words? A representative of the United Nations? A member of a coalition against racism? A religious leader? To my astonishment it was a Greek, well known to me, Alexander the Great! This was a speech given by him to his troops more than 2,000 years ago and yet it seemed so contemporary. Greece is well known for its contribution to science and art. Names like Hippocrates, Aristotle and Aeschylus need no introduction. But as we celebrate Greece’s national day and rebirth, the question which comes to mind is; What is Greece TODAY? What do these remarkable achievements mean to the rest of the modern world? Does Greece continue to contribute to universal improvement and evolution as its ancestors did? In the medical arena, cervical cancer of the female reproductive system has been killing women for many centuries. Difficult to diagnose, it is usually widespread and incurable when it is discovered. A young boy from the island of Evia had a dream to become a doctor and help the world. He succeeded: His test is one of the most widely applied medical tests today and has helped save countless women’s lives so far. His name was Georgios Papanicolaou. A Greek medical doctor, biologist and researcher of the early 20th century, he developed the ‘Smear Test’, or Pap Test, as it is now widely known. The impact of his invention is huge: Countless women have lived productive and disease-free lives, because the Pap Smear allowed their otherwise fatal cancer to be diagnosed at an early, curable stage. His bust is the only one decorating the entrance of New York’s Cornell University, where he held a research and teaching position for 47 years. In the area of preventive medicine, Greece has contributed significantly by the work of Dimitrios Trichopoulos. Dr Trichopoulos is a medical doctor, Professor and Director of the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. His research work has contributed to the discovery of the role of passive smoking in the causation of lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease, the quantification of the association between psychological stress and coronary heart disease, and the identification of several dietary and other important risk factors in the etiology of a number of cancers and other diseases. The increased public awareness of the detrimental effects of smoking and the resultant countermeasures and public policies against it, can be viewed as partially stemming from Dr Trichopoulos’ work. George Vithoulkas is the founder of modern homeopathy. Although often viewed as controversial, homeopathy is based on Hippocrates’ quote “Treat similar ailments with similar means”. Many patients with chronic diseases claim they have greatly benefited from homeopathy, which uses minuscule amounts of organic substances or natural elements to stimulate the patient’s immunity. He has established Homeopathy in Greece as a science respected by the medical profession, and has also made Greece one of the leading centers for homeopathy in the western world. Vithoulkas' books, "Homeopathy: Medicine of the New Man” written for lay people, and “The Science of Homeopathy” for health professionals, have been translated into twenty languages, and have had a profound influence upon the acceptance and practice of homeopathy worldwide. He has been an international teacher of classical homeopathy for 20 years. In the year 1996, he was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize for his work in the field of Classical Homeopathy. In the realm of physics and mathematics Greece has a long tradition started by Pythagoras, Euclides and Archimedes. Dimitrios Nanopoulos is a Distinguished Professor of Physics at Texas University, and head of the Houston Advanced Research Centre, the Astroparticle Physics Group. Professor Nanopoulos has made several contributions to particle physics and cosmology. He works in string unified theories, fundamentals of quantum theory, astroparticle physics and quantum-inspired models of brain function. He is author of more than 515 articles, with an excess of 25,500 citations, placing him as the fourth most cited ‘High Energy Physicist’ of all time. Fotini Markopoulou-Kalamara is saluted as one of the world's most promising young physicists. Only 31 years old, she is trying to blend Einstein's theory of general relativity with quantum theory, in an attempt to explain the nature of space and time. If her “causal spin networks theory” is correct, it would mean that the universe functions like a giant quantum computer, and this could forever change the way we think about the structure of space. Fotini Markopoulou-Kalamara, was born in Greece and is an assistant professor in the physics department at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Although man’s original dream was to reach the moon, a Greek is leading the team, which will reach the sun: Professor Stamatios Krimigis of NASA is preparing a mission near the sun. In 2010, a spacecraft will be launched and it will be expected to approach the sun in 2013! Professor Krimigis has participated in several spacecraft missions so far. However, science without compassion is inhumane. This principle couldn’t find a better reflection than in the personality of Michael Dertouzos. Dertouzos was a computer specialist, born and raised in Greece, and a full professor at MIT since 1973, until his death in 2001. His contribution in computer science has been substantial. His book, "The Unfinished Revolution: Human-Centered Computers and What They Can Do for Us" introduced the concept of human-centered computing. Computers, he wrote, should serve people, not the other way around. He argued for human-centered computing. His work had a significant impact on the design of human-friendly and operator-focused computers. The Greek word ‘polis’ means city, and Greeks have known the meaning of ‘city’ for many centuries. The ancient Greek States were organized around cities, Athens and Sparta being best known. Constantinos Doxiadis is one of the world’s most well-known and celebrated architects and city planners. He participated in countless programs and projects. In the USA he participated in research projects for the development of major cities. In Pakistan, he participated in programs, plans and infrastructure designs for Islamabad, the new capital of Pakistan. He planned cities and programs for many other areas in the world, including Ghana and Spain. He is the founder of the principles of ‘ekistics’ (a name that derives from the ancient Greek term ‘oikizo’ meaning "creating a settlement"). The human dimension has always been the most important element in Doxiadis’ work. In the area of classical and Byzantine studies, Helene Glykatzi-Ahrweiler is a prominent, international figure. Her achievements in history, politics, language, culture and ethics, have brought her world-wide recognition, and made her the recipient of numerous distinctions and honours. An established Byzantine expert, specializing in social history, in 1967 she became the first woman Head of the Department of History at the Sorbonne. Nine years later, she was elected President of the Sorbonne, the first female in such a position in its 700-year history. Helene Glykatzi-Ahrweiler serves as President of the European University, President of the University of Paris, and President of the Georges Pompidou Center. She is considered to be a major contributor to the genesis of the European consciousness, and she embodies the cultured, sophisticated European woman of today. Poetry has always been taught to youngsters in ancient Greece and is considered a form of a higher art. Not surprisingly, Greece has two Nobel Prize winners. The first, Odysseus Elytis, is the ‘Poet of the Aegean’ and Greece’s leading poet. A lawyer, who gave up law for poetry, he fought against Mussolini's forces on the Albanian Front, when World War II erupted. His famous poem, "Heroic and Elegiac Song for the Lost Second Lieutenant of the Albanian Campaign", was his first major work. In this work, Elytis expresses the pain and hardship of war, and the mourning of the lost heroes. He dramatically illustrates the dedication of the Greek people to the ideals of freedom and justice. For these ideals, the Greeks did not spare their own lives on the harsh Mountains of Epirus during the invasion of Mussolini’s troops. The dramatic, strong and vivid presentation of this fight of the Greek spirit against slavery, reflects the universal struggle against barbarism and enslavement. This is what has made Elytis’ poetry so unique, affecting and universal. In 1959 he wrote "The Axion Esti", a long poem on the history and life of Greece, for which he won a Nobel Prize in 1979. In this work, Elytis echoes the light and colours of Greece, the love of life and joy, which the combination of the bright Greek sun and the blue of the Aegean brings out. It is viewed as a celebration of life and light. It is a poem that attempts to identify the vital elements in Greece's 3000 year history and traditions; where the Orthodox liturgy blends with the images of the sun and the sea, and the Christian element with the Pagan. Or, as the Swedish Academy of Nobel Prizes eloquently states it, “His poetry, depicts against the background of Greek tradition, modern man's struggle for freedom and creativeness” The other Nobel Prize laureate was Georgios Seferis, one of the most accomplished poets in Greek history and a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1963. Seferis was born in Smyrni in Asia Minor and experienced the destruction of the Greek population of that city in 1922. This tragedy sensitized the poet to the pain and longing of the ‘man without a home, without a land’. Being aware of the heavy ancient Greek tradition resting on his shoulders, he perceived ‘Hellenism’ as a continuous unity of spirit throughout the centuries. The main purpose of Hellenism is to maintain and propagate the principles of equality, freedom and democracy. Seferis was able to combine the beauty of the Greek traditional poetry with modern European ideas. The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to him for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture. Considered by some as a modern Odysseus, because of his career as a diplomat, Seferis’ poetry is full of rich symbols and is noted for its precise, simple beauty and clarity of style. "Your music is this life you wasted. You could regain it if you wish, if you fasten to this indifferent thing which casts you back there where you set out." (Summer Solstice, 1966) Another distinguished and well known Greek poet is Konstantinos Kavafis. Hellenism was, for him, a universal expression of world culture, perhaps one of the most refined. One of his famous poems is “The road to Ithaca”. It is about the life-long journey of all of us, towards our goals and wishes in this life. He concludes it : “Always keep
Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is
your ultimate goal, but do not hurry the
voyage at all. It is better to let
it last for many years; and to anchor at the
island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting
that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you
the beautiful voyage. Without her you
would have never set out on the road. She has nothing more
to give you. And if you find her
poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have
become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.” Although not primarily a poet, Nikos Kazantzakis was a great novelist and thinker from Crete. His most well-known novel, "Zorba the Greek", was turned into a movie by Cacoyannis in 1965, and was an international success. In his book he vividly describes a character who lives every moment of his life to the fullest. A simple, yet complex personality, Zorba astonishes the reader with his primitive energy and love of life, combined with a deep philosophy and understanding of the world around and inside him. Kazantzakis’ words "I don't fear anything, I'm not hoping in anything, I'm free" are engraved in marble upon his gravestone in Iraklion, Crete, where he is buried. Acting also flourished in Greece. The ancient theatre of Epidauros is still well preserved, and serves as an eternal witness to Greece’s contribution to the art of acting and directing. Irene Pappas is an actress who is considered to be the incarnation of the spirit of Greek tragedy today. Unlike no other contemporary actress, she revived Antigone, Electra, Iphigenia, and Medea. She is also well - known as the sensuous and eventually tragic widow in ‘Zorba the Greek’ (1964), and the suffering wife of the political martyr, Yves Montand in “Z” (1968). With her intense acting and her dark, expressive features, she added new dimensions to classical, tragical plays. She is currently considered as one the greatest European actresses. In 2002, she was elected "Woman of Europe” by the European Personalities Committee, in recognition of her contribution, at an international level, to humanitarian activities, culture and the arts. Elia Kazan is a very well-known movie director. He immigrated to the United States at a young age, keeping Greece in his heart. Kazan is considered to be one of the best directors to inspire his actors, encouraging them to be creative. His movies were worldwide successes: "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951), "On the waterfront" (1954),"East of Eden" (1955), "America-America" (1962). He discovered many fine actors and actresses, such as, Marlon Brando. In the area of music, Greeks have also excelled. Pythagoras, long ago, gave the world the basics of harmony, and the Greeks have continued on his path. Famous composers and conductors have given the modern world many moments of relaxation and joy. Dimitrios Mitropoulos was a musician of rare talent and dedication, who achieved international acclaim as a conductor and was widely respected as a composer. Born and educated in Athens, Mitropoulos was first educated in the priesthood before deciding on a career in music. There is a story about an old woman who knew him as a boy in Greece: After attending a concert, the woman went up to Mitropoulos, hugged him, then sternly remonstrated him, "You were supposed to become a priest!" Mitropoulos smiled, then pointed at the podium; "Well, this is my church and there is my pulpit". Because of this he was called ‘the priest of music,’ and in his day, he was thought of as the best in his field. He conducted some of the world’s greatest philharmonic orchestras. Mitropoulos had a vibrant personality, both on and off the podium, and was a significant influence to Leonard Bernstein. What was most significant about Mitropoulos, was that apart from being an outstanding conductor, he was also a pianist of equal quality. He often conducted his orchestra, while performing at the piano. He died of a heart attack in Milan in 1960, while rehearsing Mahler's 3rd Symphony. Mikis Theodorakis is one of the greatest living, modern Greek composers. He wrote the music for many well-known films, such as "Z" (1969),"State of Siege" (1973), and "Serpico" (1973). His musical portfolio ranges from classical compositions to popular songs, such as the popular oratorios "Axion Esti" and "Canto General". He has also received numerous international awards in many countries. Mikis Theodorakis has always combined an exceptional artistic talent with an extraordinarily deep love of his country, and he is dedicated to heightening international awareness; of human rights, of environmental issues, and of peace. Manos Hatzidakis was the composer of many musical pieces of popular nature, among them the famous "Piraeus' Children" (Ta Pedia tou Pirea), sung by Melina Merkouri, for which he won an ‘Oscar’ award. He wrote music for many movies, theatrical pieces, and for piano and ballet. Yannis Chrisomallis is most commonly known as ‘Yanni’. His album "Concert at Acropolis", sold more than five million copies and he is thought to be the best representative of "new-age" music. Being a self-taught musician, Yanni can neither read nor write music, but rather, writes down his compositions in his own special shorthand. He composes all of his own music. Another Iannis, Iannis Xenakis, has produced remarkable work for more than forty years, and his impact on contemporary music has been fundamental. His innovative concept of “polytopes” in multimedia creations involving sound, light, motion and architecture, Xenakis was a pioneer in computer music and algorithmic composition, and has also developed an approach to digital synthesis based on random generation and variation of the waveform itself. Vangelis Papathanasiou is one of the most famous composers and conductors of our time. Despite being self-taught, his contribution to the "electronic" and "new-age" music has been tremendous. He won an Academy Award for "Chariots of Fire" in 1981, and has since composed dozens of film scores, and released a large number of records, selling millions of copies world - wide. As one would expect, among so many important composers, also came talented and distinguished singers... In the classic repertory, Maria Callas was the "casta diva" of the opera, and maybe one of the greatest and most versatile operatic singers in recent history. Her voice was unique, her scenic appearance dramatic and grandiose, and she sang an incredible variety of roles. Praised for the distinctive colour of her voice, and the unique dramatic element she added to her performances, she sang at; ‘La Scala’ in Milan; at Covent Garden in London; in Rome and Paris; and at the Metropolitan Opera - house in New York. Her soul expressed the agony, love, sadness and joy of many famous heroines of opera, such as Norma, Anna Bolena, Tosca, Aida, Gioconda, Medea, and so many others. The list is endless. Epigrammatically, I will mention Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate and tycoon, who created a huge fortune and opened the road to the development of the international financial cooperation; William Tavoulareas, who was until recently, the President of Mobil Oil; William Stavropoulos, CEO of Dow Chemical Company; and countless other professionals and professors, in numerous positions and universities around the world. What do all these Greeks have in common? Many of them studied and worked abroad. Many left Greece at a young age. Some did not even speak Greek. I believe that what all these heterogeneous people share, and what they vibrantly demonstrate, is that Hellenism is not a remnant of the past, to which we sometimes pay respect and admiration. It is a living, breathing, vital component of contemporary life. These people have influenced our ethics, shaped our art, structured our literature, strengthened our democracies, and advanced our science and technology. Greeks are devoted to promoting idealism, perfection, beauty and excellence, wherever they go. Since ancient times, the Greeks have loved to travel and meet new people, visit new places, and create new challenges. Whenever they settled in foreign countries, they never felt like strangers or became alienated. They used their skills and all their available means to create crafts of spirit, and gifts of love and concern, for the places and the people who had welcomed them into their lives and into their countries. As Odysseus said in “Return to Ithaca", they arrived at a ‘richness of wisdom’ after a long and tortuous endeavour in a constant interaction with the broad world around them. They constantly embodied experiences gained in the process; starting from different walks of life, finding themselves in different circumstances, but being unitary and homogeneous as to their love for “Ithaca”, their Hellenic Cultural Heritage, with which they identified. The legacy of Ancient Greece, with all its benevolent implications, has survived, to a large extent, due to the living and participatory presence of "Greeks" in most parts of the world, Western Europe, America, Canada, South Africa, Australia. Everywhere, the Greeks have made diverse, first-rate contributions, that are integrated in the achievements of their local communities, as well as on a broader scale, reaching beyond national borders and societies. Odysseus is alive and well inside the Greek soul, and his never ending trip around the globe will always result in universal development and perfection. With the 2004 Olympic Games, hosted in Athens; after a long journey, the eternal Hellenic spirit will again sparkle all over the world.
DIMITRI
PAPAPOSTOLOU and the EXPERIMENTAL
CHOIR & THE PRO ARTE
CHAMBER ENSEMBLE of
Athens, Greece present “A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH GREECE”
Dimitri
Papapostolou
Kennedy Center,
Terrace Theater Saturday, May
3, 2003 7:30 p.m. Organized
by the Embassy of Greece, Press Office on
the occasion of Greece’s presidency of the European Union For information call (202) 332-2727 Tickets $25, available at the box office or by phone
(202) 467-4600 |
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