Early Modern Greeks using Humanistic Greek: causes, aims, realities

Charalampos Minaoglou Early Modern Greeks using Humanistic Greek: causes, aims, realities. Early Modern Greek scholars constituted a special subgroup of the humanistic Greek scholars, due to the fact that they considered humanistic Greek as an earlier form of their mother tongue. This fact determined in many cases the way the Greek scholars of Early Modern era used humanistic Greek (not just as an attempt of revival but also as an indication of their superior knowledge and wisdom among the Greek society of their times). There was a major conflict between the Greek scholars of early modern era, as to which language form was appropriate to use (Humanistic or Vulgar Greek) in poetry, prose and even in letter writing and oral communication. These realities drove them to cultivate some genres of poetry and especially prose in humanistic Greek that their European counterparts did not or used only rarely (for instance sermons in Humanistic Greek written by Greek scholars between 16th and 18th century). Charalampos Minaoglou (PhD), Director of Ionideios Model High School of Piraeus, minaoglou@gmail.com 

Charalampos Minaoglou Early Modern Greeks using Humanistic Greek: Causes, aims, realities 1. Humanistic Greek Μανουὴλ Χρυσολωρᾶς (15 cent.) th Μεµνώµεθα οἵων ἀνδρῶν ἔκγονοι γεγόναµεν, εἰ µὲν βούλοιτό τις λέγειν τῶν προτέρων καὶ ἀρχαιοτέρων, λέγω δὴ τῶν πρεσβυτάτων καὶ παλαιῶν Ἑλλήνων, ὧν τῆς δυνάµεως καὶ τῆς σοφίας οὐδεὶς ἀνήκοος µεµένηκεν· εἰ δὲ βούλει, τῶν µετ’ ἐκείνους γενοµένων ἡµῖν προγόνων, τῶν παλαιῶν Ῥωµαίων, ἀφ’ ὧν νῦν ὀνοµαζόµεθα καὶ οἳ δήπου ἀξιοῦµεν εἶναι, ὥς τε καὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ὀνοµασίαν σχεδὸν ἀποβαλεῖν· µᾶλλον δὲ ἄµφω τούτω τὼ γένει ἐφ’ ἡµῖν δήπου συνελήλυθε καὶ εἴτε Ἕλληνας βούλοιτό τις λέγειν εἴτε Ῥωµαίους, ἡµεῖς ἐσµὲν ἐκεῖνοι καὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου δὲ καὶ τῶν µετ’ ἐκείνων ἡµεῖς σώζοµεν διαδοχήν1. [We remember who our forfathers were, someone could say the first and oldest, I say, the eldest and ancient Hellenes, whose might and wisdom everyone knows about. But if we put it this way, we have other ancestors apart from them, the ancient Romans, from whom we name ourselves these days and we believe to be in the sense that we have abandoned our old name (Hellenes). It is like these two nations (the Greeks and the Romans) have been integrated into one, and whether someone says Greeks or Romans, we are both ourselves, and we originate from the epigones of Alexander and the Emperors who followed him]. Γεράσιµος Βλάχος (17th cent.) Ἰσοκράτης ὁ Ἀθηναῖος ρήτωρ γέγραφέ ποτε λόγον πρὸς τὸν Μακεδόνα Φίλιππον, παραινούµενος κατὰ τῶν ἐν Περσίᾳ µοναρχούντων βαρβάρων στρατεύσαντα, τὴν Ἑλλάδα τῆς δουλείας ἐλευθερῶσαι· ὅν ἀναγνοὺς ὁ ἐξ ἐκείνου Ἀλέξανδρος, καὶ πρὸς τῶν λόγων ἐρεθισθεὶς ἐστράτευσε κατὰ Δαρείου, ὅν κατὰ κράτος νικήσας,τοὺς µὲν Ἕλληνας ἀνέδειξεν αὐτοκράτορας, ἑαυτῷ δὲ ἀθάνατον κλέος καὶ µέγα τοὔνοµα προεξένησεν, ὅθεν καὶ µέγας ἐκλήθη Ἀλέξανδρος. Ἔγωγε δὲ τανῦν λόγον οὐ πρὸς τὸν Μακεδόνα Φίλιππον γράφων, ἀλλὰ πρὸς σὲ τὸν ἀήττητον, καὶ εὐσεβῆ βασιλέα, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον Ἀλέξιον ἐπιστέλλων, οὐ παραινοῦµαι τὴν κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν τυράννου µάχην, τοῦ τὴν Ἑλλάδα βαρβαρώσαντος, καὶ τὴν Χριστιανωσύνην πατάξαντος, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς οἰκείοις θαύµασι, καὶ προρρήσεσι, τὴν σὴν εὐµένειαν πρότερον ἐπὶ τόδε παρώτρυνεν. Ἀλλὰ λόγοισιν ἀκριφνέσι παραθαρρύνων τὸ βέβαιον τῆς νίκης, τὸ ράδιον τῆς τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν καταλύσεως, καὶ 1 Μανουὴλ Χρυσολωρᾶς, Λόγος πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Μανουὴλ Β΄ Παλαιολόγο (Speech to the Emperor Manuel II. Palaeologus), ed. Χ. Πατρινέλης and Δ. Σοφιανός, Athens, 2001, p. 117. τὸ χρήσιµον τῆς τῶν Ἑλληνορωµαίων ἐλευθερίας σαφῶς ἐκτιθέµενος, δι’ ὧν ἀθάνατον κλέος καὶ ὄνοµά σοι µέγα δοθήσεται2. [Isocrates the Athenian orator wrote to Philip of Macedonia suggesting that he should march against the Persian barbarian monarchs, in order to free Greece from slavery. Alexander, Philip’s son, read this letter and being provoked by these words he marched against Darius, whom he vanquished and made the Greeks rulers of the world. That is the reason he gained eternal glory for himself and had his name to be great, and so he was called Alexander the Great. Nowadays, I do not send a letter to Philip of Macedonia but to your highness, the undefeated and pious king, the man of God, Alexius not in order to suggest war against the tyrant of the Christians (=Ottoman sultan), who has barbarized Greece and fought Christianity, because God himself has done that by showing your highness many prophecies and miracles. But it is with absolute clarity that I will prove to you the certainty of your victory, the easiness of the destruction of the Ottomans, and the usefulness of the freedom of the Greeks. For those you will receive eternal glory and the title of the “Great”]. Ἀλέξανδρος Μαυροκορδάτος (17th cent.) Τὰ κατὰ Σαµψὼν ἄρα διέλθωµεν ἐπιτροχάδην. Οὐδὲ γοῦν µακροτέρας ἀφηγήσεως δεῖται τῷ κατ’ αὐτὰ µεγέθει θρυλλούµενα, καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι διαβοώµενα. Τὸν ἐν µύθοις περίπυστον Ἡρακλῆ ὑπερηκοντικῶς ὡς ἐν πείρᾳ ῥώµης, καὶ τόλµης παιδιᾷ, κατὰ τὴν εἰς Θαµναθὰ πορείαν λέοντα διέσπασεν. Ὄνου σιαγῶνι χιλίους ἀλλοφύλους συνέθλασε, καὶ διψήσας, εἰς πηγὴν ὕδατος αὐτὴν διήνοιξε. Τὰ πολέµια λήϊα ἀλωπέκων ὑπουργία κατέκαυσε. Τὰς πύλας τῆς Γάζης ἀναµοχλεύσας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὤµων ἀράµενος, ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος ἀπήγαγε. Τὰς νευρίας, καὶ ἁλύσεις, αἷς ἔδειτο, ὥσπερ νήµατα διέῤῥηξε. Τοὺς κίονας κατασείσας, τὸν οἶκον ἐπὶ τοὺς Φιλιστιαίους κατέστρεψεν. Οὐ µόνον δ’ ἐπὶ ῥώµῃ σώµατος, ἀλλὰ καὶ νοὸς ἤκµαζεν ὀξύτητι, καὶ αἰνίγµατι τοῦ ἐν τῷ στόµατι τοῦ µικρῷ πρόσθεν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ διεσπασµένου λέοντος γενοµένου µέλιτος ὑπὸ µελισσῶνος τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἐσοφίζετο3. [We will briefly go through the events concerning Sampson. There is no need for a longer narration concerning his great accomplishments that are widely known. He surpassed the legendary Hercules who was extremely strong and bold, when he killed a lion on his way to Thamnatha and using a donkey’s jaw he devastated one thousand of enemies and excavated a well because he was thirsty. He burnt down the spoils of war of the enemies in the most cunning way. He took away the gates of Gaza and carried them on his shoulders to the mountain. He cut the ropes and knots that he was tied with like they were threads. He shook the columns and demolished the house on the Philistines. He did not only possess bodily strength but also a sharp mind and he told the riddle of the lion he killed and the honey produced by the hive]. 2 Γεράσιµος Βλάχος, “Θρίαµβος κατὰ τῆς τῶν Τουρκῶν βασιλείας” (“Triumph against the Turkish Empire”), in Cronicarii Greci carii au scris despre Romani in epoca fanariota, ed. C. Erbiceanu, Bucharest, 1888, p. 147. 3 Ἀλ. Μαυροκορδάτος, Ἱερὰ Ἱστορία, ἤτοι τὰ Ἰουδαϊκά (Sacred History or Jewish History), Bucharest, 1716, p. 138. Ἀναστάσιος Μιχαὴλ (17th cent.) Οὗ µὲν οὖν οὐδένα τῶν κατ’ αὐτὸν σοφῶν, καὶ σοφίας ἡγεµόνων ἐκείνων ὁ τοῦ Φιλίππου ἄξιον ἔκρινεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πρὸ τοσούτου ἤδη χρόνου ἀποβεβιωκότα ἐπόθησεν, ὡς µόνον Ἡρώων ἄξιον κήρυκα. Πῶς ἂν ἔµελλον αὐτός, τῆς σῆς µὴ τοῦτ’ ἐπιτρεπούσης µοι φιλέλληνος γαληνότητος, καταθαῤῥήσειν ἀγῶνος, οὗπερ καὶ Ὁµήρῳ αὐτῷ, εἴ τις αἴσθησις, πόθος ἂν ἐνεσταλάχθη καὶ ζῆλος, ἀντιστρόφως τῷ Φιλίππου παιδί, αὐτὸν τέ σου κήρυκα ἀξιωθῆναι γενέσθαι ποθήσοντι, καὶ τὸν τὰ σὰ κηρύττοντα εὐδαιµονήσοντι; Καὶ µὴ µᾶλλον, ἐπεὶ τὸ ποθῆσαι µέν, καθ’ Ὅµηρον, δέκα µὲν γλώσσας, δέκα δὲ στόµατα, φωνὴν δ’ ἄῤῥηκτον, χάλκεον δ’ ἦτορ, ῥάδιον, ἐπιτυχεῖν δέ, ὅλως ἀµήχανον. Ἐκεῖνο γοῦν αἰτῆσαι παρὰ τοῦ κρείττονος, τὸ εἴπερ ποτε, νῦν µάλιστα τὴν ἡµετέραν καταξιῶσαι Ἑλλάδα νέους πάλιν ἡµῖν τινὰς ἀναστήσειν Ὁµήρους, Πινδάρους, Δηµοσθένεις, Πλάτωνας τοὺς ΠΕΤΡΟΥ βασιλέως µεγάλου τὰ Ὀλύµπια ἶσα καὶ µούσεσιν ἄσοντας4. [Similarly, the son of Philip considered no one of the scholars and the masters of wisdom of his time worthy, but he envied the long before his time dead (Homer), as the only worthy poet of the Heroes. Thus, how I dare to ignore the fact that your philhellene serenity does not permit me to start my effort to compare myself with Homer, if feeling, desire and zeal gather in me, contrary to what happened in the case of Philip’s son, hoping that I could be a worthy and successful bard of your exploits? And even if I had, as Homer did, ten tongues and ten mouths, an unstoppable speech and an iron heart, I could not even then undertake that task successfully. The only thing I can do, is to ask God to glorify now our country, Greece, more than any other time with new Homers, Pindars, Demosthenes and Platos, who would praise the great king Peter as if he was one of the gods of Olympus]. Μᾶλλον δέ, εἴ γε ἀναντίῤῥητον ὅτι πρὸ παντὸς Ἀττικισµοῦ ἤκουσται αὐτὸ τὸ Ἑλληνίζειν, ὥσπερ καὶ τοῦ Αἰολίζειν, καὶ Ἰωνίζειν, καὶ Δωρίζειν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ Κραναοῦ ἦν αὐτός (ὡς Θουκυδίδης ἐν τῇ Α΄ ἱστορεῖ) ὁ Θεσσαλίαν, καὶ δὴ καὶ Μακεδονίαν οἰκήσας Ἕλλην, ὥσπερ καὶ τούτου, ὁ τοῦ Θεσσαλοῦ Γραῖκος, ἀφ’ οὗ (κατ’ Ἀριστοτέλην βιβλ. Α΄ κεφ. Ιδ. Τῶν µετεωρολ.) πρότερον Γραικοί, οἱ µετὰ ταῦθ’ Ἕλληνες ὀνοµασθέντες, πῶς οὐ κατὰ πολὺ πρότερος τοῦ Δηµοσθένους ἔσεται ὁ Φίλιππος Ἕλλην; Ὁ Μακεδών, τοῦ Ἀττικοῦ. [...] Ἡ γὰρ Μακεδονία, ἡ µὴ µόνον µετὰ τὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος αὐτῆς, καὶ πάσης, µικροῦ δεῖν, τῆς τηνικαῦτα φερωνυµουµένης οἰκουµένης κρατῆσαι, τὸν Ἑλληνισµόν, κατὰ τὸν ἐν ἱεροφαντικοῖς τοῖς περὶ ταύτης τῷ Δανιὴλ προαναπεφωνηµένοις χρησµηγορήµασι πολυηχῆ χαλκόν, πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς ἀκουστὸν ποιήσασα, λαούς τε, φυλάς, καὶ γλώσσας, καὶ σχεδὸν ἅπαν γένος ἀνθρώπων εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ ὅσον οὔπω τηνικαῦτα µέλλοντος εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουµένης ἐξελθεῖν φθόγγου παρασκευάσασα (ὡς ἐξ ἐκείνου µάλιστα, τοῦθ’ ὅπερ καλῶς παρατηρεῖ, µᾶλλον δὲ βλέπει, ὁ µόνους τοὺς Ἕλληνας τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν ἁπάντων κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν ἀποκηρύττων, µηδὲν εἶναι κλίµα, οὐ θρησκείαν, οὐκ ἔθνος Ἀσίας καὶ Εὐρώπης , ὅπερ µὴ καί τι Ἑλληνικὸν ἐν φωνῇ, ἐν ἤθεσιν, ἐν πολιτικαῖς διοικήσεσιν, ἐν τελεταῖς καὶ πᾶσι, ξυλλήβδην φάναι, τοῖς δι’ ὧν ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος κοσµεῖται, διοικεῖται καὶ διεξάγεται µέχρι καὶ τῆς ἐνεστώσης, ἀποσῶζον ζώπυρον) ἀλλ’ ἔτι καὶ πολλῷ πρὸ τούτου κοινὴ καὶ πρωτίστη µήτηρ Ἑλληνισµοῦ παντὸς χρηµατίσασα, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἑκασταχοῦ τῆς Ἑλλάδος διαλέκτων παραφυάδας, ἐκ µιᾶς, τῆς πᾶσι τὸ πρῶτον τοῖς Ἕλλησι κοινῆς, (ὡς Κόρινθος ἐν τῷ 4 Ἀναστάσιος Μιχαήλ, Βασιλικὸν Θέατρον (Royal Show), Amsterdam, 1710, p. 35-36. περὶ διαλέκτων διευκρινεῖ) γλώσσης πηγάσασα, αὕτη, φηµί, µετὰ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς προσωνυµίας ἀπηλλωτρίωτο5. [It goes without saying that the Greek language appeared as a common language before the dialect of Attica, the Aeolean, the Ionian and the Doreian dialects; also, (as Thucydides writes in the first book of his History) the Hellen existed in Thessaly before Kranaus and there were Hellenes in Macedonia even before the so-called Grecus, because of whom (according to Aristotle, Meteorologica, book 1, chapter 14) they were called Greeks, those that were later called Hellenes. Thus, Philip is much more Greek than Demosthenes, the Macedonian than the Athenian. [ …] Macedonia conquered along with the rest of Greece almost the whole world [the so-called oecumene] and as it was foretold by the Prophet Daniel, the multisound copper, it expanded Hellenism to the world and spread the Greek language to almost every race and nation (which is a fact that the writer, who refuses the Greek language to the Greeks totally unreasonably, observes and even sees as till our days there is no diocese, no religion or nation in Europe and Asia, whose language, ethics, constitutions, rituals and every act of civilization, which is still ongoing, is not influenced by Hellenism). Thus, although Macedonia was the common and foremost mother of Hellenism, and as the Greek dialects derived from the first common Greek (as Corithus in his work On Dialects explains), this Macedonia, even lost the priviledge of being called Greek]! Ἱερόθεος Κοµνηνὸς (17th cent.) Οὐκ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἀνὴρ µυρεψὸς, ἅπαντα µὲν τῶν ἀρωµάτων τὰ εὐωδέστερα, καὶ τερπνότερα ἐαυτῷ περιφέρων, µύροις δὲ παντοδαποῖς καὶ βαλσάµοις, καὶ αὐτῷ δὴ τῷ περιλαλήτῳ σιλφίῳ, ἐς βάθος καὶ δισεκνίπτως ἐµβεβαµµένας εἴη ἐσθῆτας περιβαλλόµενος, κᾄν αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ Μακεδόνος Ἀλεξάνδρου ἀναλάβηται σῶµα, καὶ τὸν δι’ οὖ δίεισιν, οἶός τ’ ἐστὶν ἐµπιµπλᾷν εὐωδίας ἀέρα, ὅσον ἀνὴρ σοφός, καὶ πανυτοίοις ἀρετῶν, τῶν ἐκ τε φύσεως, ἔκ τε φιλοπονίας αὐτῷ προσγεγενηµένων κάλλεσι, καὶ λόγων ἰδέαις ὡραϊσµένος· ταῖς δι’ ὦν παρέρχεται, καὶ χώραις, καὶ πόλεσι, τοῖς τε ἔγγιστα, καὶ ταῖς πόρρω, τῶν παρ’ αὐτῷ θαυµασίων χαρίτων, καὶ τῆς ἐνοικούσης σοφίας, καὶ ὠφελείας, διαδιδόναι κοινωνικῶς, τὰς τῶν ἀκροωµένων τοῖς ἡδίστοις τε καὶ ἀρίστοις τῶν λόγων κατευωδιάζειν οἶδε ψυχάς, καὶ εἰς θαῦµα, καὶ ἔπαινον ἑαυτοῦ διεγείρειν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας· τοιαύτην ἐγὼ τίθεµαι τὴν σὴν θεσπεσίαν, καὶ πάνσοφον τῷ ὄντι ψυχήν, µεγαλοπάροχε, καὶ σοφώτατε ἡγεµόν6. [No perfumer could gather so many and different flowers and sweet smelling flavours in order to produce essences and balsams and even the famous silphium to thoroughly perfume his clothes, not even in case he reincarnated in Alexander’s body and smelt as he did, who was able to disseminate and fill the air with fragrance, as the wise man, who is decorated with all virtues by nature and who acquire with his labor all beauties and the gift of speech. He knows how to “perfume” with his inner wisdom and excellent grace all the cities and lands he passes by, closeby and far from him, and he spreads the delightful and best essence of his speech provoking the praise and the 5 Χ. Μηνάογλου, Ὁ Ἀναστάσιος Μιχαὴλ ὁ Μακεδὼν καὶ ὁ Λόγος περὶ Ἑλληνισμοῦ (Anastasios Michael the Macedonian and his Speech on Hellenism), Athens, 2014, p. 186-187. 6 Ἱερόθεος Κοµνηνός, “Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Νικόλαον Μαυροκορδάτον” (“Letter to Nicolaos Maurocordatos”), in Cronicarii Greci carii au scris despre Romani in epoca fanariota, ed. C. Erbiceanu, Bucharest, 1888, p. 111-112. benefit in the souls of his audience. That is how I estimate your beauteous and really wise soul, magnanimous and wisest Prince!] Πέτρος Δεπάστας (18th cent.) Καὶ γὰρ εἰ δεξοµανίας Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μακεδόνος Ἀχιλλεῖ ἐπιφθονήσαντος καὶ τῆς καθ’ Ὅµηρον ὠδῆς ἐκεῖνον τετυχηκέναι καταζηλώσαντος, οὐκ ἂν καθήψατο µῶµος, οὐδὲ ἐνίους κατέτρωσε τῶν ἡρώων, κᾄν ἰδίοις ὑποµνήµασιν (ᾖ Καῖσαρ καὶ Σύλλας) τοὺς σφῶν αὐτῶν ἄθλους ἀποταµιευσάµενοι, τῷ ρῷ τοῦ χρόνου παρέθεντο, οὐκ ἂν ἦπου εἴη σκολιοῖς τισι καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἀποδυσπετοῦσι, σκευωρίας καὶ ψόγου παρόρµησις, εἰ ἄλλος δὴ τίς, κᾄν σοῦ τοῦτο διαµπερὲς ἀναδυοµένου καὶ µὴ τῷ βουλήµατι προστιθεµένου, τὰς ἐν τοσαύταις ἡγεµονίαις ἀναφανείσας δήπουθεν πράξεις, τῷ ὡς εἰκὸς διατηροῦντι αἰῶνι ἐπεκδηλῶσαι καὶ παρακατιθέσθαι προέλοιτο7. [If the fury for glory of Alexander of Macedonia, which drove him to envy Achilles and to wish Homer to have sung his own exploits, was not reprehensible - as it occurred to many of the heroes - neither were Caesar and Sulla, who wrote themselves about their own feats and made their own memory immortal, no one could accuse me on such a difficult task that all take as a chance of fabrication and reproach, and reprimand me for choosing to write down and underline your pious and glorious acts during your reign over numerous principalities although your acts were obvious and well-known and you did not want to exaggerate them.] 2. Mixed Humanistic and Vulgar Greek Παΐσιος Ἁγιαποστολίτης (16th cent.) Ἀπάρας δὲ καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, φίλε, τοῦ Τζιµπιλίου, ὁπόταν φέγγος χρύσεον ἀνίσχῃ τοῦ ἡλίου πορεύου τὴν κατὰ δυσµὰς φέρουσάν σὲ πορείαν (οὔτε ὕδωρ ἐνέχουσαν, οὔτε καρποφορίαν, ἀλλ’ ἔρηµος διαβατὴ ἔστιν ἀνικµοτάτη), ὁδὸν τριηµερεύουσαν ἄγουσαν βραδυτῆτι. Καὶ ὅταν τὸ µεσαίτατον τῆς ὁδοῦ διανύσῃς, Πρόσεχε ἐξ ἀριστερῶν µὴ σεαυτὸν πλανήσῃς· ἐκεῖ γὰρ φρέαρ ἀχανὲς ἰσόγαιον τυγχάνει, ἄνυδρον καὶ βαθύτατον καὶ τεταµένον πάνυ, ὅπερ ἀνώρυξε ποτὲ ὁ µέγας βασιλέων Ἀλέξανδρος βουλόµενος ἑλκῦσαι ὕδωρ πλέον Τοῦ πίνειν ἅπας ὁ λαὸς ὁ ἐκεῖθεν παράγων, Εἰς µνήµην ἀξιάκουστον τοὺς πιόντας ἐπάγων. Ἀλλ’ οὗτος µὲν ἀπέτυχε τῆς χρηστῆς εὐβουλίας Τὴν πᾶσαν ἀπολωλεκὼς δαπάνην τῆς δουλείας, ἔµεινε δ’ εἰς µαρτύριον τὸ φρέαρ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, Πέτρος Δεπάστας, “Δακικῶν Ἀπομνημονευμάτων Ξυγγραφή” (“Memoirs of Dacia”), in Cronicarii Greci carii au scris despre Romani in epoca fanariota, ed. C. Erbiceanu, Bucharest, 1888, p. 297. 7 νοτίδος ἄµοιρον ὀφθέν· φεῦ τῶν µεγάλων κόπων8! [Leaving, my friend, from Gibili/ in the golden light of the early morning sun / follow the path to the West/ where there is no water, no fruits/ but just dry desert/ to pass in three days time at low pace./ And in the middle of the road/ watch out to your left not to lose your way/ there is a well too deep reaching the center of the earth/ which is dry and too deep and very harsh/ that the greatest of the kings dag/ Alexander willing to find water/ in order for all the people living there to drink / making himself memorable to anyone who drinks./ But he did not succeed in his worthy plan / wasting all his hard work / and the well was left as a testimony of his attempt/ with no humidity; no matter the hard work]. Γεώργιος Κονταρῆς (17th cent.) Εἰς ἐκείνου γοῦν τοῦ καιροῦ διάστηµα, ἔστωντας νὰ εἶχαν κάµῃ ἐπανάστασιν οἱ Μεγαρεῖς πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον, καὶ δὲν ἐστάθησαν εἰς τὴν ὑποταγήν, καθὼς τοὺς εἶχεν ὑποτάξῃ, ἔστειλε τὸν Υἱὸν του τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον, ὁποῦ ἦτον εἰς τὴν ἀνθηρὰν ἡλικίαν τότε, ἕως δεκάξη χρονῶν δηλαδή, ὁ ὁποῖος στρατεύωντας καταπάνω τῶν Μεγαρέων, τοὺς ἐνίκησε, καὶ ὑποκάτω πάλιν τῆς Μακεδονικῆς ἐξουσίας τοὺς ἔβαλε· καὶ τούτου χάριν, ἀφ’ οὖ ἔλαβε καὶ τὴν Χώραν ἐκείνων τῶν Μεγαρέων, ὁποῦ ὠνοµάζετο πρότερον Μεγαρική, αὐτὸς τὴν ὠνόµασε εἰς τὸ ὄνοµά του Ἀλεξανδρόπολιν, καὶ οὕτως ἐφάνη ἀπὸ τότε ἡ µεγάλη εὐτυχία του. Ὅµως, πῶς νὰ ἦτον εὐτυχὴς πλέον παρὰ κάθε ἄλλον Βασιλέα, καὶ πῶς νὰ ἐκυρίευσεν ὅλον τὸν κόσµον καὶ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουµένην, ἅπαντες τὸ ἠξεύρουσι, καὶ δὲν εἶναι ἀναγκαῖον νὰ τὰ διηγηθοῦµεν ἡµεῖς τώρα, ἀλλὰ οὔτε τῆς ἐδικῆς µας ὑποθέσεως εἶναι ἔργον νὰ γράψωµεν ὅλα τὰ ἐκείνου κατορθώµατα. Τοῦτο δὲ µόνον γράφοµεν εἰς δύο στίχους, διὰ νὰ ἰδοῦσιν ὅλοι τοῦ καιροῦ µας οἱ νέοι, νὰ µὴν φέρνουν πρόφασιν ὅτι ἔχουν πολλάς φροντίδας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐµαλοῦσι τὴν σπουδήν, ἐπειδὴ οὐδεὶς ἄλλος θέλει ἔχῃ ταῖς φροντίδαις τοῦ µεγάλου Ἀλεξάνδρου, καὶ ταῖς µεγάλαις του ἀξίαις, καὶ τὰ µεγαλεῖα του. Ὁ ὁποῖος ἂν καλὰ καὶ νὰ τὰ εἶχεν ὅλα ἐκεῖνα, πάλιν δὲν ἀµέλησε καὶ τῆν σπουδὴν, ἀλλὰ µάλιστα ἐκείνην ἠγάπησε πλέον, παρὰ κάθε ἄλλο πρᾶγµα· διὰ τοῦτο ἐδιάλεξε καὶ τὸν ἄριστον τῶν φιλοσόφων, τὸν Ἀριστοτέλην, δηλαδὴ διὰ Διδάσκαλον, ἀπὸ τὸν ὁποῖον παιδευόµενος, τόσον ἐπρόκοψεν εἰς τὴν Φιλοσοφίαν, ὅσον ἐπρόκοψε καὶ εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν· ἐπειδὴ, καθὼς εἰς τὴν Βασιλείαν δὲν εὑρέθη ἄλλος νὰ τὸν ἀπεράσῃ, οὕτως ἀκόµη καὶ εἰς τὴν Φιλοσοφίαν9. [During that period, the Megarians rebelled against Philip and they were freed from his sovereignty; then he sent his son Alexander against them, who was then a sixteenyear-old adolescent. Alexander attacked Megara and defeated them and made them once again accept the Macedonian suzereinty; and due to his capturing the land of Megara that had been called earlier Megariki, he renamed it after his own name Alexandropolis, and thus his great success was revealed. But how he became more glorious than any other king and conquered the whole world are things well-known to everyone, and thus we do not need to narrate it now; in any case, we do not aim at writing down all his achievements. We just mention that in a couple on lines in order for the youngsters to see it and do not pretend to have many concerns and due to these Παΐσιος Ἁγιαποστολίτης, Ἱστορία τοῦ ἁγίου ὄρους Σινᾶ καὶ τῶν περιχώρων αὐτοῦ 1577-1592 (History of Mount Sinai and the surrounding area 1577-1592), ed. A. Papadopoulos- Kerameus, Petersburg, 1891, p. 82-83. 9 Γεώργιος Κονταρῆς, Ἱστορίαι παλαιαὶ τῆς περιφήµου πόλεως Ἀθήνης (Old stories of the famous city of Athens), Venice, 1675, p. 312-313. 8 concerns to neglect their studies, because no one has the concers, the merits and the majesty of Alexander the Great. Even though he had these things, he was not reluctant to study too, and he really loved studying more than anything else. This was the reason he chose the best philosopher, Aristotle, as his teacher, by whom he was so cultivated that he evolved equally in Philosophy and in Kingship. And no one surpassed him either in Kingship or Philosophy]. Κωνστάντιος Σιναΐτης (early 19th cent.) Δὲν δύναται νὰ κρατηθῇ ὁ κάλαµός µου κατά τινων φιλαύτων νεωτέρων Εὐρωπαίων ἱστορικῶν, οἵτινες διωκόµενοι ὑπὸ τῆς ἐξηπατηµένης σκιᾶς τῶν ἐπινοιῶν αὐτῶν, παίζουσι τὸν κάλαµον κατὰ τὰς ἐνεργείας τῆς φαντασίας αὐτῶν, καὶ τοιουτοτρόπως περιπλανούµενοι εἰς τὰς προληπτικὰς εἰδέας αὐτῶν, ἀδικοῦσι τὰ µέγιστα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ µεγάλου, ἀνδρὸς καὶ φίλου τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, εἰς τὸν ὁποῖον ἡ φύσις ἀνέστησε τὸν ἥρωα τῆς Μακεδονίας, παριστάντες αὐτὸν ἂνευ κρίσεως, µανικὸν ὑπὸ κενοδοξίας καὶ φρενόληπτον, διατρέχοντα τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐπὶ σκοπῷ νὰ καθυποτάξῃ µὲν τὴν οἰκουµένην, ἀλλ’ ἐν ᾧ νὰ λεηλατήσῃ ταύτην καὶ νὰ ἐξαφανίσῃ· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῆς ἀδίκου αὐτῶν γνώµης καὶ χειρὸς ἀρκεῖ ἡ τοῦ Ἀῤῥιανοῦ Νικοµηδέως καὶ Πλουτάρχου ἀπολογία, ἡ ἐξυµνοῦσα τάς τε πολεµικὰς πράξεις καὶ πολιτικὰς βουλὰς τοῦ ἥρωος· ἀρκεῖ καὶ ἡ πόλις αὔτη τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἡ ἀνεγερθεῖσα οὐχὶ τόσον ἀπὸ φιλοτιµίαν πρὸς δόξαν τοῦ ὀνόµατος αὐτοῦ, ὅσο πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς Ἀφρικῆς ἐκείνης παράλια10. [I cannot hold my pen from writing against some selfish modern European historians, who being driven by their deluded minds write whatever they imagine of. This way, they insist on their superstitious ideas and totally misjudge the great man and friend of all mankind, whom nature raised to be the hero of Macedonia, by displaying him unable to think, mad from his vanity and a psychopath, crossing Asia in order to conquer the world with a view to basically plundering and devastating it. But, against their unfair judgement and statements, the testimonies written by the hand of Arrian of Nicomedeia and Plutarch are a fair apology glorifying the military acts and the political program of the hero; even the city of Alexandria itself is an appropriate proof, as it was built not so much by his will to glorify his name but to benefit mankind making good use of these shores of Africa.] Γρηγόριος Παλιουρίτης (early 19th cent.) Ἦν ποτε καιρός, ὦ εὐγενεῖς Ἑλλήνων ἀπόγονοι, ὅτε ἡ κοινὴ µήτηρ ἡµῶν Ἑλλάς, µήτηρ ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐνοµίζετο, σοφίας οἴκηµα ἐκαλεῖτο, ἀνθρωπίνης ἐπιστήµης ταµεῖον ἐλέγετο, καὶ πᾶν ὅ,τι ἂν εἴποι τὶς ἱερὸν καὶ σοφὸν ὄνοµα αὐτῇ ἐδίδετο. Ἦν καιρός, ὅτε Ἀπόλλων µὲν µετὰ µουσῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἑλικῶνος καὶ Παρνασσοῦ τοὺς Ἡσιόδους, Πινδάρους, καὶ ἄλλους τοιούτους ἀναριθµήτους τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπιστήµην ἐδίδασκεν, Ἄρης δὲ καὶ Παλλὰς τοὺς Μιλτιάδας, Θεµιστοκλεῖς καὶ Ἀριστείδας, εἰς Μαραθῶνα, καὶ Σαλαµῖνα ἐστεφάνουν· ἦν, λέγω, καιρός, ὅτε ἀπὸ πάσης γῆς οἱ ἂνθρωποι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα τρέχοντες, τὰ νάµατα τῆς ἀνθρώπινης γνώσεως ἤρυον· ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν ἄλλο τότε ἡ Ἑλλάς, παρὰ σοφίαν, ἀνδρείαν, καὶ ἀρετήν, ὡς πηγὴ πολύκρουνος καὶ πολυχεύµων ἀνέβλυεν· ἀλλὰ φεῦ τοῦ βασκάνου 10 Κωνστάντιος, Ἀρχαία Ἀλεξάνδρεια (Ancient Alexandreia), Moscow, 1803, p. ΙΙΙ. δαίµονος! Δειµὸς καὶ καυσώδης πνεύσας ἄνεµος ἐκ τῶν ξηρωτάτων ἐρήµων, πάντα ταῦτα τὰ καλὰ ὡς ἂνθη ἐαρινὰ κατέκαυσε, καὶ τὴν µὲν πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας καὶ τὸν λειµῶνα τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις χαρίτων ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἐθνῶν ἐποίησε, τοὺς δὲ υἱοὺς αὐτῆς τῇδε κᾀκεῖσε διεσκόρπισε, παρ’ ἄλλων καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις ζητοῦντας, ὧν αὐτοὶ κληρονόµοι γνήσιοι ἐγεννήθησαν. […] Οὕτω καὶ ἡ Ἑλλὰς φύσει µουσῶν καὶ µαθήσεως κατοικία γεννηθεῖσα, ἂν καὶ πρὸς καιρὸν ὑπὸ τῆς δεινῆς τοῦ καιροῦ µεταβολῆς ἀγρία καὶ ἔρηµος τῶν τοῦ κόσµου χαρίτων καὶ καλῶν διὰ τὴν τούτων στέρησιν ἐφάνη, νῦν πάλιν αὐτὴ ἀφ’ ἑαυτῆς ν’ ἀναλάβῃ, καὶ τὴν κατοικίαν τούτων µονιµωτέραν καὶ ἀσφαλεστέραν νὰ κτίζῃ ἤρξατο, καὶ τὰς ἐκ τούτων ἀρετὰς λαµπροτέρας, τηλαυγεστέρας καὶ δαψιλεστέρας ὑπόσχεται. Οὐ γοῦν δὴ ἡ Ἑλλὰς Αἴγυπτος, εἰς ἣν ἐπιστροφὴν τὰ καλὰ οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ’ ὅσον σφοδρὰ καὶ δεινὰ τοῦ πνεύµατος ἡ ὁρµὴ κατ’ αὐτῆς ἐγένετο, ὡς καὶ παντελῆ τὸν ἀφανισµὸν αὐτῆς ἐπηπείλει, τοσοῦτον παρ’ ἐλπίδα πάντων γενναίως ἀντέστη, καὶ οὐδεµίαν οὐσιώδη ἀλλοίωσιν, ἵν’ οὕτως εἴπω, ὑπέµεινεν (τὴν γὰρ Ὀρθοδοξίαν αὐτὴ ἀκεραίως φυλάττει, καθ’ ἣν λάµπουσα καὶ πᾶσαν καινοτοµίαν ἀποδιώκουσα, γνησία θυγάτηρ καὶ κληρονόµος τῶν Ἀποστολικῶν καὶ Πατρικῶν Παραδόσεων γνωρίζεται), ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅ,τι τῶν ἔξω καλῶν αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ καιροῦ µεταβολῆς ἠµαυρώθη, τοῦτο νῦν ἀνακράζει, καὶ µὲ ἀνοικτὰς ἀγκάλας ἀνακαλεῖ. Νῦν πάλιν ἡ Ἑλλὰς ὁσηµέραι τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῆς εἰς τὰ πανταχοῦ µέρη πέµπουσα, ὡς ἄλλους Σόλονας, Λυκούργους, καὶ Πλάτωνας, παραγγέλλει, ν’ ἀποσινάξωσι µὲν ὅσα τῶν καλῶν αὐτῆς ἁρµόζουσι, τὰ δὲ ψυχόλεθρα καὶ βλαπτικὰ ἀποῤῥίπτοντες νὰ λέγωσιν, “Ἑλλάδι ταῦτ’ ἀνοίκεια. Καὶ ἢν Θεὸς δῷ, Ἄγγελος ὡς ἱερὰν σώζειν γῆν Ἑλλάδος ἦκε”. Καὶ οὐ µόνον νῦν οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι ὄντες τοῦτον τὸν θεῖον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν συνέλαβον ἔρωτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἀπανταχοῦ γῆς ἄποικοι αὐτῆς διὰ τοῦτον γνήσια τέκνα αὐτῆς γνωρίζονται, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ εἰς βελτίωσιν αὐτῆς ἀγωνίζονται. Οἱ Ἕλληνες γοῦν ὅπου καὶ ἂν ὦσι τὸν αὐτὸν τῆς ἑλληνικῆς εὐγενείας χαρακτῆρα φυλάττουσι· καὶ ἂν εἰς τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς εὑρεθῶσιν, ὁ πρώτιστος καὶ κύριος αὐτῶν σκοπὸς ἐκ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν δὲν ἐξαλείφεται, ἀλλ’ ἕκαστος πρὸς τὴν µητέρα καὶ πατρίδα ἀφορᾷ, καὶ πάντα ἐπ’ ἀγαθῷ αὐτῆς ἐνεργεῖ καὶ πράττει· Ἑλλήνων γοῦν τὸ φιλοπάτριδες εἶναι ξεχωριστὸν ἰδίωµα, καὶ δι’ αὐτοὺς ὁ ἱερὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐλέχθη λόγος· “Μάχου ὑπὲρ Πίστεως καὶ Πατρίδος”11. [There was a time, You, noble descendants of the Greeks, when our common mother Hellas was considered the mother of all mankind, it was called the home of wisdom, the shelter of human science, and it was generally attributed every pious and wise name. There was a time when Apollo accompanied by the Muses was teaching Hesiod, Pindar and numerous others his own Art; Ares and Athena rewarded Miltiades, Themistocles and Aristides in Marathon and Salamis. There was a time, I repeat, when men from across the earth were hurrying towards Hellas to receive the gift of knowledge; because back then Hellas gushed only wisdom, bravery and virtue just like a multi-spring fountain flowing richly; but alas the evil eye of the daemon! Fear and a heated wind blowing from the dry deserts burnt down all these good things like spring flowers and turned the fountain of wisdom and the meadow of graces into the sovereignty of the nations! It also scattered the sons of this land (the Greeks), who moved to other places searching for what was their own heritage! ... Hellas also being the homeland of the Arts and Learning by nature, even though it had lost all its virtue and charm due to the change of times, nowadays it has started building itself up and making a home for virtue and wisdom, and promises that these virtues will be far Γρηγόριος Παλιουρίτης, Ἐπιτομὴ Ἱστορίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος (Epitome of the History of Greece), vol. 1, Venice, 1807, p. ζ΄-ιδ΄. 11 more shining and abundant in Hellas. Because, Greece is not like Egypt, where there was no return of virtue, but no matter how strong the attack against it was, an attack strong enough to threaten it with elimination, to the amazement of everyone, Greece fought back, resisted and suffered no substantial alteration, to tell you so, (it kept Orthodoxy intact by its giving light and fighting all novelty (heretical teachings) and it is being recognized as the real daughter and heiress of the Apostolic and Holy Fathers’ traditions); and whatever virtue outside its lands was blurred by this change of time, Greece is recalling it and welcomes it with open arms. Nowadays Greece sends her sons everywhere in the world like another Solon, Lycurgus and Plato ordering them to collect everything good that matches Greece and reject everything evil and harmful saying that “these are not appropriate for Greece. And when God permits an Angel will come to save Greece as a sacred land”. And not only did the Greeks living in Greece keep this divine love in their hearts, but also all the Greeks living far away from it do everything in their power to improve it as they are recognized as real offspring of it. Greeks, no matter where they live, they keep the same noble Greek character; even if they are found in the most distant place on earth, their first and main goal is never eliminated from their hearts and this goal is the forethought of their motherland, always acting and doing everything in the best interest of it; Greeks’ love for their homeland is a special quality and for Greeks the pious saying was said: “Fight for Faith and the Homeland”.] 3. Vulgar Greek Ἰωαννίκιος Καρτάνος (16th cent.) Καὶ εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν εἶχεν γεννηθεῖ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, ὥσπερ εἴπαµεν ἄνωθεν. Καὶ µετὰ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἔρχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος, ὁποὺ ἐχάλασε τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴµ καὶ ἔκαµε πολλὰ καλά, ἤγουν πολέµους εἰς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴµ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ἐσέβη εἰς τὸν ναὸν καὶ ὑπῆρε πολλoὺς ἀνθρώπους διὰ σκλάβους του12. [And at that time Alexander was born, as we mentioned above. And after Alexander Antiochus reigned, who destroyed Jerusalem and he made many good things: he gave battles in Jerusalem and Judea and he invaded the Temple (of Solomon) and he enslaved many people]. Ζήνων (17th cent.) Ποῦ ’σαι, Κορνήλιε Κατερίν, τῶν πολεµάρχω ἡ δόξα, ποὺ ἤµπαινες ἀντήρητα εἰς τῶν Τουρκῶν τὰ τόξα κ’ ἐβάστας τὸ κοντάρι µου κ’ ἐπλήγωνες τσ’ ὀχθρούς σου, καὶ τὴν πατρίδα τοῦ Διὸς πάντα ἔβανες στὸ νοῦ σου νὰ βγάλεις ὀχ τσ’ Ἀγαρηνούς, τὸ αἷµα σου νὰ χύσεις, τῶν Κρητικῶν τὴ λευτεριὰ νὰ δώσεις, νὰ χαρίσεις; Ἔβγα, ψυχὴ οὐράνιος, µίλησε µοναχή σου: 12 Ἰωαννίκιος Καρτάνος, Ἡ Παλαιά τε καὶ Νέα Διαθήκη (The Old and New Testament), ed. Ἑ. Κακουλίδη-Πάνου, Thessaloniki, 2000 (first edition 1536), p. 319. Ἀλέξανδρος γὴ ὁ Ἡρακλῆς εἶχε τὴ δυναµή σου; Ποιός αὐτοκράτωρ, βασιλιὰς ποιός εἶχε τὴν ἀντρειά σου; Τ’ ἀγγελικό σου πρόσωπο ποιός εἶχε τὴ θωριά σου;13 [Where are you, Cornelius Caterin, the glory of warlords, / you, who faced the Turkish bows without hesitation / and held my javelin and wounded your enemies, / and you always kept the homeland of Zeus in mind / how to repel the sons of Agar (the Turks) by sacrificing your life, / in order to offer freedom to the Cretan people? / Come on, divine soul, speak for yourself: / Did Alexander or Hercules posess your strength? / Who among the emperors and kings had your bravery? / Who had your angelic face and your body structure?] Μαρίνος Τζανὲς Μπουνιαλῆς (17th cent.) Στῶν ποιητάδων τὲς γραφὲς εἶδα πὼς εἶχε δώσει τ’ Ἀριστοτέλους µάθησις τ’ Ἀλέξανδρου τὴ γνώση, κ’ ἐβγῆκε κ’ ἐπολέµησε µόνο γιὰ τὴν τιµή του, τοὺς βασιλιάδες ἔκοψεν ἡ τύχη ἡ ἐδική του, κ’ ἔφερε κέρδητα πολλὰ στὰ µέρη τὰ δικά του, κι ἀθάνατον ἀπόµεινε καὶ στέκει τ’ ὄνοµά του14. [In poetry I read that / Aristotle’s teaching had given Alexander knowledge, / and he went out and only fought for his honour, / and hisfortune was the end for other kings, / and he made his fatherland prosperous,/ and his name remained immortal]. Λαόνικος Ζαµίτρης (17th cent.) Καὶ ὡς καθὼς πάλαι ὁ Κωνσταντῖνος µὲ τὸ ζωηφόρον καὶ νικηφόρον σηµάδι τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐκαταπάτησε τοὺς ἐχθρούς, ἔτζι καὶ σὺ ἀσήκωσε τὸ σηµάδι ποῦ σοῦ προσφέρνω ἐναντίον εἰς τοὺς ἀπίστους, διατὶ εἶναι βέβαιον πῶς θέλεις τοὺς νικήσῃς καὶ θέλεις τοὺς ἀφανίσῃς, ὄντας αὐτὸ κατὰ βαρβάρων ἡ νίκη, τώρα ποῦ ἡ γαληνοτάτη ἐτούτη πολιτεία τοὺς ἐνίκησεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ὅλο ἕνα ἀκολουθᾷ νικῶντας τους καὶ καταχαλῶντας τους. Τοῦτο ἂν καὶ µία παραµικρὰ ἐπίδειξις εἶναι τῆς ἐδικῆς µου δουλείας πρὸς τὴν σὴν ὑψηλότητα, µεγάλυνέ την µὲ τὸ ὕψος τῆς µεγαλοπρεπείας σου, καὶ ἂς εἶσαι βέβαιος πῶς κατεβαίνει ἀπὸ µίαν µεγάλην µου προθυµίαν µὲ τὴν ὁποίαν µὲ θερµὰ δάκρυα καὶ ἀναστεναγµοὺς παρακαλῶ ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸν ἐγὼ διὰ ἐσένα ζωὴν καὶ νῖκες, καὶ διὰ ἐµένα διάσωσιν εἰς τὸν κόσµον, διὰ νὰ ἰδῶ ἐκείνην τὴν ἡµέραν ὁπόταν διὰ τὸ µέγα του ἔλεος θέλει σ’ ἀξιώσῃ νὰ γενῇς ἐκδικητὴς τῆς πίστεώς του καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐµοῦ καὶ ὅλης τῆς Ἑλλάδος15. [And as Constantine once defeated his enemies with the life-giving and victorious symbol of the Cross, so should you raise the symbol I am offering you against the unfaithful, because it is certain that you wish to defeat and eliminate them–since this would really be a victory over the barbarians– now that this serene state has defeated 13 Ζήνων: Κρητοεπτανησιακὴ τραγωδία (Xenon: a Creto-Ionian tragedy), ed. Σ. Ἀλεξίου and Μ. Ἀποσκίτη, Athens, 1991, p. 284. 14 Μαρίνος Τζανὲς Μπουνιαλῆς, Ὁ Κρητικὸς Πόλεµος (The Cretan War), ed. Σ. Ἀλεξίου and Μ. Ἀποσκίτη, Athens, 1995, p. 127. Λ. Ζαμίτρης, “Ἡ ναυτικὴ νίκη ὁποὺ ἐγίνηκε ἀπὸ τὸν στόλον τῆς γαληνότατης. πολιτείας τῶν Ἐνετῶν” (“The victorious battle of the Venetian fleet”), in Bibliographie Hellénique: ou description raisonnée des ouvrages publiés par des Grecs au dix-septième siècle, ed. É. Legrand, vol. 2, Paris, 1894, p.53-54. 15 them at sea and constantly follows them to defeat and eliminate them. Although this book is a small sign of my service to your Highness, please accept it and embrace it with your majesty, and rest assured that it comes from my deepest desire with which has me plead with God, through my tears and sighs, to grant you longevity and victories and help me live to see the day when he enables you by his mercy to avenge his faith and the freedom of mine and all Greeks]. Ἀντώνιος Στρατηγὸς (18th cent.) Ἡ Βαβυλὼν ἐπάρθηκεν ἀπὸ τὸν Κύρον τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Περσῶν, ὁποῦ ἔβαλεν εἰς ἐλευθερίαν τοὺς Ἑβραίους, καὶ τοὺς ἄφησε νὰ γυρίσουν εἰς τὸν τόπον τους, καὶ νὰ κτίσουν τὸν Ναόν, καὶ τὴν χώραν τῆς Ἱερουσαλήµ. Ὁ µέγας Ἀλέξανδρος ἦλθεν ἔπειτα, καὶ ὑπόταξεν εἰς τὸ βασίλειον τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὸ περισσότερον µέρος τοῦ Κόσµου. Οἱ Ἑβραῖοι ἀγκαλὰ καὶ νὰ ἦταν ἀνακατωµένοι µὲ τὰ ἄπιστα ἔθνη, δὲν ἄφησαν ὅµως νὰ φυλάγουν πιστὰ τὴν εὐσέβειάν τῶν· καὶ ὕστερα ἀπὸ τὴν σκλαβιὰν δὲν ἔπεσαν πλέα εἰς τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν16. [Babylon was conquered by Cyrus the Persian king, who freed the Jews and let them return to their homeland and build the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Alexander the Great came later and subjugated most of the world to the Greek Kingdom. Although the Jews were mixed with the unfaithful nations, they did not stop to maintain their faith and piety; after the (Babylonian) captivity they never fell back to paganism again.] Κωνσταντῖνος Καρατζᾶς (18th cent.) Τὸ βράδυ ἦτον µεγάλη ὄπερα ἰταλικὴ τοῦ Δαρείου ὀνοµαζοµένη, ὁ δὲ περίφηµος τραγωδὸς Μπαµπίνης ἐπαράστηνεν τὸν µέγαν Ἀλέξανδρον. Αἱ δεκορατζιόναι ἦτον θαυµάσιαι, αἱ παρατάξεις τῶν στρατευµάτων τόσον τῶν περσικῶν µὲ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας καὶ καµήλους τῶν, ὅσον καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων µὲ τὰ τάγµατά τῶν, µὲ τοὺς τοξότας, πελταστὰς καὶ ἄλλους ἦτον ὡραιότατα. Αἱ στρατοπεδεύσεις τῶν µὲ τὰς σκηνάς, τὸ βουνὸ ὁποῦ ἐκατέβη ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, αἱ γέφυραι, τέλος πάντων ὁ πόλεµος µέσα εἰς τὸ θέατρον, ἔπειτα ὅταν ἐπῆγεν µετὰ τοῦ Ἡφαιστίωνος εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Δαρείου καὶ εἶδεν τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ ὅλην τὴν φαµελλίαν του, ὅλα αὐτὰ εἶναι µεγαλοπρεπῆ, πολυέξοδα, καὶ ὡραιότατα17. [In the evening, the great Italian opera of Darius was played and the famous tenor Babini played Alexander the Great. The decoration was excellent; the array of the troops, both of the Persian armies with their elephants and camels, and of the Greek ones with their battalions, their archers and spearmen and other forces, were marvelous. Their camps with the tents, the mountain that Alexander came down from, the bridges and especially the scene of the battle in the theatre, and also Alexander’s visit accompanied by Hephaistion to the tent of Darius, where he met his wife and his whole family, all these are magnificent, expensive and spectacular.] Ἀντώνιος Στρατηγός, Ἱστορικὴ Μυσταγωγία (Historical Mystagogy), Venice, 1750, p. 37-38. Κωνσταντῖνος Καρατζᾶς, Ἐφημερίδες (Diaries), Ἐθνικὴ Βιβλιοθήκη τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ms. 3106, fol. 116r-v. 16 17 

Form and Genre in Humanist Greek. Program Day 1 June 2 16.00 CET (Berlin, Paris, Lund)/17.00 EET (Athens, Tartu) Opening (Janika Päll) 16.00–17.30 Hexameter poetry in Humanist Greek Stefan Weise, The Greek Hexameter Paean by Theodosius Fabricius: Formal Experiments and Literary Manierism in Humanist Greek, Abstract Janika Päll, Oratio metrica Graeca for religious festivals, Abstract Martin Steinrück, Battieris Form, Abstract 17.30 Discussion A short virtual tour to the web exhibition of Tartu University Library's Plantine prints https://plantiinid.weebly.com/ Introduction of HUMGRAECA Database testversion Day 2, August 26 16.00 CET (Berlin, Paris, Lund)/17.00 EET (Athens, Tartu) Opening 16.00–17.30 Humanist Greek Prose and Poetry Charalampos Minaoglou, Early Modern Greeks using Humanistic Greek: causes, aims, realities Abstract Roberto Peressin, The life and works of Nicolaus Zoravius (1595-1665) within the tradition of Humanist Greek in Poland Abstract Marcela Slavíková, Τοίη οὖν Πράγης ἐπεὶ ἐστ᾿ Ἀκαδημία ἡμῖν: Genres and Metres in Humanist Greek Graduation Poems Originating from the University of Prague and Beyond (1537-1622) Abstract 17.30 Discussion Day 3, September 9 (N! Change of schedule!) Day 4, September 16 (N! Change of Schedule!) Day 5, November (N! New, exact date and program will be added in September) https://sisu.ut.ee/humgraeca2020/program?admin_panel=1