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The British Museum and the abduction of Persephone

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The British Museum and the abduction of Persephone

By George Vardas

According to Greek mythology the goddess Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of fertility and harvest, and almighty Zeus.  Persephone was hauntingly beautiful and so pure and lovely that, as Stephen Fry has written, the gods took to calling her Kore, which means simply the “maiden”.

But to everyone’s dismay Hades abducted Persephone and carried her off to the dark and gloomy realm of the underworld.  Demeter was distraught at her loss although the young goddess would re-emerge for part of the revolving year to be beside her mother and the other immortals.

Persephone and Hades of the Underworld

As the modern American poet Louise Glück wrote in Averno “there are places like this everywhere, places you enter as a young girl from which you never return”.

Demeter and Persephone are often thought of together as the “Two Goddesses” because they were inseparable and symbolised the power of a mother’s love for her only child after she was carried off by Hades.

The Ancient Greeks revered their gods in statuary and sculpture and art and Persephone was no exception because of her rare beauty and intensity.  The Two Goddesses famously adorned the East Pediment of the Parthenon atop the Acropolis in their “marbl’d immortality” until they were forcibly removed by Lord Elgin and his men, beginning in 1802. 

As the bride of the underworld Persephone was often cast in stone and her image used as a grave marker.  One such statue dating from the second century BC was recently the subject of legal proceedings involving the British Museum in London.

A sublime three quarter length marble funerary statue depicting a girl wearing a hood and flowing gown, with two snake-like bracelets was illegally excavated in the ancient Greek colony of Cyrenaica (Cyrene) on the Mediterranean coast of present-day Libya – and now a World Heritage site – in the chaos that followed the overthrow of the dictator Gaddafi.  It was seized by British authorities at Heathrow airport in 2013 and eventually was placed in the British Museum for safe custody and closer examination pending the outcome of legal proceedings to determine the statue’s true provenance. 

The case came before the Westminster Magistrate’s Court in 2015 and evidence was given by a number of experts, including Dr Peter Higgs, curator of Greek sculpture at the Department of Greece and Rome in the British Museum, who opined that the statue was either the goddess Demeter or her daughter Persephone and looked as though it had been excavated in recent years.

Dr Higgs added: 

“It is stunning. It is a beautiful, three-quarter-length statue, very well preserved with just a few fingers missing. It is technically brilliant in the way it has been carved, with very sharp details, and the face is very well preserved considering many Greek statues have lost noses.”

The overall consensus appears to be that it is indeed Persephone, depicted as emerging from the underworld.

The Court took the unusual step of hearing part of the case in the British Museum in order to view the statue and hear evidence from experts about its provenance and when it had been excavated.  In the end Judge Zani was satisfied that the statue was unlawfully excavated by persons unknown and ruled that the sculpture was owned by the state of Libya and should be forfeited until arrangements were made to return the statue to its rightful owners.

Libya finally took possession of their lost goddess in early May 2021 after formally announcing its repatriation.  Dr Higgs was moved to comment: 

“It is just lovely to be part of a story which has a happy ending. It will go back to Libya and stand in one of its museums as a star piece, it is a lovely feeling to be part of that.”

In contrast, after reports appeared that the “British Museum Returns Looted Ancient Greek Statue to Libya”, Hannah Boulton, Head of Press and Marketing at the British Museum, was quick to play down any possible linkage (God forbid) with the long-standing case of the Elgin Marbles, declaring:

 “This is not a sculpture that is being returned from the British Museum collection; this is part of our work in helping to identify and return illicit trade coming into the UK for potential sale.”

The Director of the British Museum, Dr Hartwig Fischer, also chimed in to point out that an “important part of the museum’s work on cultural heritage involves our close partnership with law enforcement agencies concerned with illicit trafficking”.  

That is well and good.  The British Museum has properly facilitated the return of a rare cultural artefact which was not part of its permanent collection and so there is no precedent created (unlike the case of the rare Benin Bronze plaques that were sold off as ‘duplicates’ by the British Museum back in the 1950s, but that is another story). 

The sad reality remains that the Greek Goddesses Demeter and Persephone, together with the other Parthenon Sculptures, continue to languish in the sterile underworld of the Duveen Gallery in the British Museum more than 200 years after they were carried off by Lord Elgin, totally decontextualised in the museum’s collection. 



The day is surely approaching when the Two Goddesses will be returned to Greece – their country of origin – as part of the reunification of all of the known surviving Parthenon Marbles in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum in Athens.  

If only a hearing could be held in the Duveen Gallery the stones would surely speak for themselves.

Like their spiritual descendant, Persephone of Cyrenaica, these sculptures deserve to be reunited in their original birthplace  to be appreciated in their true context as integral parts of the Parthenon monument.   

Only then will there be a happy ending with the Marbles reunited and the Trustees of the British Museum lauded for their valuable contribution to the world’s cultural heritage.  

When that day arrives, the abduction of Persephone will have finally been avenged.

Insight or Perspective: What makes a children’s book good?

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Insight or Perspective: What makes a children’s book good?

By Eleni Elefterias

Which books to choose for your children and how to present them and read them to your children is another matter. You cannot just hand a child a book and expect they will enjoy it, even though there are always exceptions. 

A book, especially one that may be challenging or foreign to a child should be unravelled in order to be enjoyed. 

As promised last week, I will give you some examples of good children’s books for learning Greek and for keeping up Greek cultural traditions or simply to show children more about Greece. 

Firstly, there are no perfect books. Some will be good for Greek and others for English. Some will have wonderful illustrations, but weaker text and others will have great text but lack imagination in the Illustrations.

Children need to be inspired by both the text and the illustrations. Sometimes it is good to leave out parts if the text if it is too complicated for the age of the child. Simplify it. Go back to it later when the child understands more and read it again.

Repetition is the key. Young children love to repeat the same story again and again. They may even learn it off by heart or may be able to retell it in their own words.

A few local authors of bilingual books are Yannis Nikolakopoulos of Grammatakia publishers who has two books out, The Greek Salad and The Alpha in Athens, Anthea Matthews with the book, A Holiday in Greece, with exceptional illustrations, Catch That Cat by Melina Mallos (separate English abd Greek versions) and My Grandma is A Musician, by the writer of this opinion piece.

Keep an eye out for a new bilingual children’s storybook about to come out by Greek Australian, local author Yota Krili called Fairytales from Near and Far with the English translation by Anna Couani. All books available on www.bilingualbookshop.com.au

*Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis is a teacher of Modern Greek, a University lecturer and the author of the bilingual children’s book ‘My Grandma is a Musician – Η γιαγιά μου είναι μουσικός’ 

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Arthur Spyrou meets with Nikos Dendias and other Five Eyes Ambassadors

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Arthur Spyrou meets with Nikos Dendias and other Five Eyes Ambassadors

Australia’s Ambassador to Greece Arthur Spyrou met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and other Five Eyes Ambassadors on Friday to discuss the Greek diaspora and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The lunch function was an opportunity for each country to discuss bilateral relations with Greece, as well as exchange views on the growth of the Greek diaspora.

All ambassadors from the participating countries look to share great relations, with New Zealand’s Ambassador Anthony Simpson saying on Twitter the evening was filled with “charming company, and fascinating conversation”.

Similarly, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said the lunch was the perfect setting to “review many of the 5 eyes issues where our shared interests converge with those in Greece”.

The ‘Five Eyes’ (FVEY) is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Under the alliance, all the listed countries are bound by the multilateral UKUSA Agreement for joint cooperation in signals intelligence, military intelligence, and human intelligence.

The surveillance capabilities of the Five Eyes were used in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as during the cold war.

Traditional Greek Recipes: Strapatsada (Tomato and Feta Egg Scramble)

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Traditional Greek Recipes: Strapatsada (Tomato and Feta Egg Scramble)

In a hurry?

This flavorful Greek version of scrambled eggs is made with plenty of delicious fresh tomato, and often some crumbled feta cheese. In the Peloponnese, where it is particularly common, it’s known as as “kagianas“. Ready in 20 minutes and perfect for a quick, light meal!

Preparation & Instructions:

*Cut your tomatoes in half and discard the seeds. Grate them or chop them finely. If using canned tomatoes, discard most of the juices from the can, and chop finely.

*Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat.

*Pour your tomatoes into the pan, and season with salt and pepper.

*Cook, stirring occasionally, until the juice from the tomatoes has evaporated, and they start to stick to the pan. This should take about 8-10 minutes (don’t overcook them, so as not to lose the fresh flavor of the tomato).

*Beat the eggs lightly and add them to the pan.

*Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are cooked through. Add the feta cheese towards the end.

*Top with some fresh herbs (optional) and serve with some nice crusty bread.

Committee to release design for new Battle of Crete Memorial in WA

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Committee to release design for new Battle of Crete Memorial in WA

To mark the 80th Anniversary of the World War II battle, the Battle of Crete Memorial Committee (WA) (BCMC) will release its preferred design for a new memorial later this month.

The memorial, to be located within the Saw Avenue precinct at Perth’s King’s Park, will commemorate the courage, sacrifice and commitment of those who served and endured the battle. In particular, Australian service personnel with direct links to Western Australia and the people of Crete, who on so many occasions risked their lives to assist them.

In March 1941, the Australian 6th Division and the New Zealand 2nd Division were deployed from Egypt to mainland Greece to counter the threat of an invasion by Nazi Germany. When the invasion came, the Allied forces were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned by a modern war machine with total control of the skies. Amongst the Australian forces was the 2nd/11th (City of Perth) Battalion, made up predominantly of Western Australians. By late April 1941, the Allied forces were forced to evacuate Greece, leaving all of their vehicles and most of their heavy weapons and communications equipment behind.

German paratroops, part of the German airborne invasion of Crete, parachuting onto the village of Souda. Source: Australian War Memorial.

Some of the Australian forces were withdrawn to Egypt, whilst others were landed on the Greek island of Crete. Under the command of the New Zealand Major General Bernard Freyberg VC, the Allied forces reorganised themselves as best they could and prepared for an imminent German attack. That attack came on 20 May 1941 with the Germans employing massed paratroop drops, supported by constant air attacks, in four locations.

All locations saw heavy fighting, but at the end of the first day, the Australians, had the upper hand in their sector around the airfield at Rethymno. However, the tide soon turned and on 28 May 1941, General Freyberg issued an order for Allied forces to evacuate Crete. Unfortunately, the order did not reach the Australians at Rethymno and by 29 May 1941, they were all but trapped. Having run out of ammunition and food, Major Ray Sandover, the Commanding Officer of the 2nd/11th Battalion, gave his men the option of either surrendering, or escaping into the hills and then to attempt to make their way back to Egypt by whatever means.

With the cessation of the evacuation by the Royal Navy on 30 May 1941, thousands of Allied troops were captured. However, there were hundreds seeking to evade the enemy in the mountains. Many of these were sheltered and fed by poor Cretan families, this they did knowing that they would be executed if discovered doing so by the enemy. Eventually small groups of Allied personnel made their way to the south of the island. Of these, a number were sheltered by the Monks of Preveli Monastery, these included Major Sandover and over 50 members of his Battalion, who later managed to escape to Egypt.

Troops on the shore of Souda Bay awaiting evacuation, May 1941. Source: Australian War Memorial.

Recollections of the story behind the memorial may have dimmed over time, but its significance for the people of Western Australia and Crete remains strong.

Mr Bill Evangel, the President of the Greek Australian RSL and chair of the BCMC said, “This story of heroism, on and off the battlefield, is a reminder to us all, that of the generosity of strangers should never be forgotten”.

The proposed memorial has received support from the Commonwealth and the WA State Governments as well as the RSL(WA). In principle support for the project has also been received from the King’s Park Board. Prominent WA artists Smith Sculptors have been chosen to develop the design. The BCMC has also partnered with the National Trust (WA) and has commenced fundraising to make this memorial a reality.

To launch the memorial concept, the BCMC will be hosting an unveiling of the design on Thursday 27th May in Perth.

Couple holds 19th Century wedding in honour of Greek Revolution

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Couple holds 19th Century wedding in honour of Greek Revolution

Apostolos Costarellos and his wife, Arianna, recently got married in the Byzantine Church of Porta Panagia, just outside Trikala. But their wedding wasn’t like any other seen in the last 200 years.

Instead of a simple wedding, the proud Greek couple hosted it in historical fashion, with all attendees dressed in attire from Greece’s War of Independence.

Not only dressing the part, however, the couple carried out all traditions and customs that took place in Greece during the early 19th century. The Greek Revolution theme was done to honour 200 years since the Greek War of Independence, where Greece successfully rose above the Ottomans to claim back their land.

The groom started from his village, Gorgogyri, armed and dressed in traditional costume and riding a horse. Following a long three hour walk through the forest to the church, he arrived with his brother, friends and best men Alkis Argyriou and Stefanos Polygenis.

There he welcomed his beautiful bride Arianna, originally from Russia, who arrived in a traditional 19th century carriage. It’s noted that this is the first time such a carriage appeared in Trikala.

Holding an intimate wedding with few guests, due to coronavirus restrictions, the elegant church complemented the couple’s intrinsically detailed attire and love for each other.

The wedding was filmed by ‘Up Stories’ and can be watched below:

Top 5 Cities Founded by Alexander the Great

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Top 5 Cities Founded by Alexander the Great

By John Voutos

Alexander the Great, the King of Macedonia (20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), was the world’s most powerful leader. He bulldozed his way through empires across the Middle East and found cities in several countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Syria, and India. Below are five cities founded by the great leader.

1. Punjab, India

Alexander the Great launched his campaign into the Indian subcontinent of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan in 327 BC. Alexander contested King Porus for reign over Punjab, known then by the ancient Greeks as Pentapotamia in the Battle of the Hydaspes a year later. The Battle of Hydaspes saw Alexander allow King Porus to co-govern as a “satrap”. Three years later, after the death of Alexander the Great, Chandragupta Maurya of Magadha founded the Maurya Empre in India. Punjab today lies on India’s northern border with Pakistan, a few hundred kilometres from the capital of New Delhi. Punjab is on the western bank of the Beas/Hyphasis River. It’s important to note that Punjab is home to one of the earliest known civilisations, the Indus Valley civilisation, in South Asia.

The Battle of Hydapes, 1673 painting by French painter Charles Le Brun.

2. Alexandria, Egypt

Alexandria, Egypt’s third-largest city and Africa’s seventh-largest, is probably his most popular discovery. Alexander found his namesake in 331 BC during his conquest of the Achaemenid Empire. Alexandria became the seat of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, an ancient Hellenistic state, and one of the most important and greatest centres of Hellenic civilisation. Alexander had other cities in sight, though, and commenced his Persian conquest a few months later. Alexander died upstream in Babylon in 323 BC before general Ptolemy stole his body and laid it to rest in Alexandria. Alexander’s tomb became a temple for the Egpytians before the sands of time buried ancient Alexandria 35 feet under.

The foundation walls of a monumental building dating to the era of Alexander the Great in Alexandria [Courtesy of National Geographic].

3. Qalatga Darband, Iraq

Qalatga Darband is one of the more recent cities to be linked to Alexander the Great. Qalatga Darband is an ancient city located in Iraqi Kurdistan founded by Alexander in about 331 BC on his warparth to Darius III, King of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. The Qalatga Darband, “castle of the mountain pass” in Kurdish, is a large-walled city of the Hellenistic/Parthian period 330 kilometres from Baghdad that has been the focus of archaeologists from the British Museum for years now. The discovery of two Hellenistic statues, supposedly of Aphrodite and Alexander the Great, helps link Qalatga Darband as Alexander’s “lost city”.

4. Several in Afghanistan

Alexander the Great invaded Afghanistan in 330 BC as part of his conquest of the Persian Empire. He would reign King of Persia for the next seven years until his elusive death in June 323 BC. During this period he found many cities in modern-day Afghanistan, includign Kandahar, Herat, Ai-Kahnoum, Bagram, Ghazni, and possibly Farah. He discovered many by ‘accident’ and many for strategic purposes. Many are important citiies today, including Herat, which is the third-largest city in Afghanistan today.

5. Thrace Alexandroupolis, Medians

Alexandropolis in the Thracian region of Maedians was the first town founded by Alexander the Great in 340 BC, after defeating a local Thracian tribe at just 16 years old. The area is disputed to have been a military colony rather than a city. The location of Thrace Alexandropoulis is unknown today but is speculated to be apart of modern-day Bulgaria. It is not to be confused with Thrace in southeastern Europe.

‘It’s like we played two matches’: Djokovic clinches win against Tsitsipas in two-day quarter-final

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‘It’s like we played two matches’: Djokovic clinches win against Tsitsipas in two-day quarter-final

Novak Djokovic has clinched a Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-final win against Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, despite being a set down before rain postponed the match to the following day.

In what can only be referred to as a match of two halves, Tsitsipas came out strong on Friday night against the Serbian, who made some grave errors to cost himself the first set.

Djokovic’s bad luck continued into the second set where he lost his third game, resulting in the World No. 1 being a game behind with Tsitsipas next to serve. The Greek never got his chance to serve, however, as heavy rain hit the Italian capital, forcing the game to be postponed to Saturday.

Photo: Getty Images

The following day, Tsitsipas continued his strong run of form to into a 4-2 lead in the second set. While the Greek looked to finish the game in two sets, Djokovic expertly came from behind to win two marathon games on Tsitsipas’ serve, pushing the match to a deciding set.

Tsitsipas twice led by a break in the deciding set and served for the match at 5-4, but Djokovic rallied on both occasions to take a 6-5 lead. As Tsitsipas served to force a final-set tie-break, the World No. 1 fired a backhand winner down the line and played with consistent depth to extract crucial Tsitsipas errors.

“There are many things to say about today or yesterday’s match. It kind of felt like we played two matches… The one yesterday, where he was the better player. He started better today also. I managed to somehow to hold my nerves [and] break his serve in the important moments in the second and third sets,” Djokovic said in his post-match interview.

“The support of the crowd was amazing. It was great to play in front of a crowd. [It was a] fantastic atmosphere. It was a bit of luck, a bit of mental strength and the right tactics at the right time. One shot, not even a point, one shot really decided the winner today. I am just glad to be on the better side.”

Djokovic added that the match was probably his toughest of the year so far.

Antipodean Palette 2021, Metamorphosis, taking art to the streets of Melbourne

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Antipodean Palette 2021, Metamorphosis, taking art to the streets of Melbourne

Despite being held online, last year’s Antipodean Palette was an outstanding success for the Greek-Australian Cultural League (GACL), and this year it will continue at Melbourne’s Duckboard Place, among other city locations.

The theme of Metamorphosis was chosen for a very different Antipodean Palette for 2021, which is dedicated to the Liberation of the Hellenes from Ottoman rule.

Work from selected artists will be displayed on posters with QR codes to access the work and artists’ statements on the GACL’s website.

Aphroditi Karalis, who is coordinating this year’s Antipodean Palette, in conjunction with Vasy Petros, says that the GACL’s positive adaptation to change is a tribute to the resilience of its President of 23 years, Cathy Alexopoulos, who encourages the arts-oriented committee to continually aspire to new ideas, and maintain the momentum in building a unique cultural and arts-focussed organisation that has relevance in today’s world.

See below for artworks from three of this years participating artists: Virginia Polendakis, Efrossini Chaniotis and Maritsa Micos.

The Greek-Australian Cultural League (GACL), is an organisation which has endured for more than 50 years, promoting, supporting and fostering the creative endeavours of Greek-Australian writers and artists whose work primarily reflect the confluence of the Greek and Australian cultures and contribute to the enrichment of Literature, the visual arts and the performing arts.

COVID-19 put a halt to many planned events last year, as members hunkered down in their homes shell-shocked with the global phenomenon. Even without events, Cathy Alexopoulos kept members informed behind the scenes, overseeing the annual publication of the bilingual periodical Antipodes, organising the annual Literary Competition and keeping the group together and motivated to look to the future.

Simultaneously, Vasy Petros established the Greek-Australian Art Register (GAAD) and Kids art classes. The first of its kind, the GAAD brings together Greek Australian artists past and present.

Peter V’landys loses defamation case against ABC story exposing racehorse cruelty

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Peter V’landys loses defamation case against ABC story exposing racehorse cruelty

Racing NSW and Australian Rugby League Commission boss Peter V’landys has lost the defamation case he brought against the ABC over an episode of 7.30 featuring graphic footage of horses being slaughtered at an abattoir in Queensland.

Federal Court Justice Michael Wigney said the program may not have portrayed Mr V’landys in a positive light but did not defame him in a judgment handed down on Friday afternoon.

The program, aired on October 17, 2019, was titled The Final Race and featured shocking footage of distressed horses being slaughtered at the Meramist Abbatoir, north of Brisbane.

A recorded interview with Mr V’landys was juxtaposed with the graphic footage throughout. The Racing boss alleged the program defamed him and damaged his reputation as a regulator.

Peter V’landys sued the ABC for defamation over an episode of 7.30 about cruel treatment of retired racehorses. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled.

He claimed he was denied procedural fairness because he was not shown hidden camera footage recorded in a Meramist abattoir before or during his interview.

The judge said the overall impression of the report was that the slaughter of thoroughbreds in knackeries was occurring because rules put in place by the industry were “inadequate and ineffective”.

The imputations alleged to have been conveyed included that Mr V’landys “callously permitted the wholesale slaughter of thoroughbred horses” and “ignored the cruelty to which thoroughbred horses were subjected to in a Queensland abattoir”.

The 7.30 story showed vision of former racehorses being sent to abattoirs. Photo: ABC News

Mr V’landys also argued the ABC and Ms Meldrum-Hanna acted with malice in publishing the story, but Justice Wigney said the evidence did not support any allegation of dishonesty or deceit on behalf of the ABC or Meldrum-Hanna.

In a statement, an ABC spokesperson welcomed the decision.

“‘The Final Race’ was an important and ground-breaking investigation, forensically and conscientiously reported, which exposed the cruel treatment and miserable fates of many of Australia’s retired racehorses in slaughterhouses and abattoirs,” the spokesperson said.

Sourced By: ABC News

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