Abstract
Historical research on European philhellenism has progressed considerably in recent years, taking robust steps and following fruitful directions, highlighting in particular the complexity of the Greek Revolution and the transnational movement supporting it. However, the multi-primary, political and artistic, philhellenic lobby and its impact on nineteenth-century Greek ideology have not systematically concerned scholars. Which was the “Greece” of the philhellenes? What European aspirations was the Greek War of Independence called upon to legitimise? This chapter examines some critical aspects of the pro-Hellenic discourse of the 1820s and attempts to identify the main ideological patterns, claims and assumptions of the European perspective, which could be related to the subsequent Greek Great Idea, the irredentist argumentation and expansionist plans of the Greek nation-state.
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- 1.
Regarding this question see in detail Karafoulidou (2018: 45–100, passim), which is the main source of the present paper. I would like to thank Fani Karamanoli for the translation from Greek.
- 2.
Generally speaking, on the need to review our established views with regard to the national ideology of the nineteenth century, which attributes particular significance to the meaning of the Christian faith, not from the philhellenes’ perspective as examined here, but from the point of view of the Greeks themselves (Gazi 2009: 95–98). Particular importance to the function of traditional Christian rhetoric within the framework of Greek national discourse is also attributed by Hatzopoulos (2009: 81–93).
- 3.
See the exemplary remarks of N. Giakovaki (2006: 54–55) regarding the entry “Europe” in the Encyclopaedia, with reference to religion, its role and its significance.
- 4.
A good example of the debate on the content, importance and preferable aspects of Christian faith, which is exploited as a political argument in favour of the revolutionary Greeks, is the work of Barginet (1821: 47).
- 5.
It should be noted however that within the framework of an open and continuous dialogue between philhellenism and the enlightened intellectual leadership of the subjugated Greeks, the European narrative of the Greek “superiority” vis-à-vis the Ottomans and the rest of the Balkan peoples is aligned with the relevant Greek ideology and both influence the formulation of the Greek national idea and its territorial connotations during this critical period (Karafoulidou 2018: 144–160). For more on the ideologically and politically defined relation between the Greeks and the rest of the Balkan nations, and its particularly interesting course through time (Gounaris 2007: 21–107).
- 6.
In line with this European perspective, regarding the Greek imperialist plans of the early years of the Greek Revolution (Karafoulidou 2018: 188–212). Furthermore, regarding the influence of the imperialist model on shaping the national states in the Balkan area and the national historiographies of the nineteenth century (Stamatopoulos 2009).
- 7.
On the civilising mission that Europe assigns itself vis-à-vis the rest of the world, as a general feature of nineteenth century thought (Osterhammel 2014: 826–837).
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Karafoulidou, V. (2020). The European Origins of the Great Idea. In: Panagiotopoulos, P., Sotiropoulos, D. (eds) Political and Cultural Aspects of Greek Exoticism. Reform and Transition in the Mediterranean. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19864-0_3
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