Bereavement and Grief in Greece

Abstract

Bereavement and grief are universal phenomena but they are conceptualized differently according to the culture and society. This chapter begins with a discussion of the perception of death in classical Greece, dating back to the eighth century bc. This is followed by a look at how thinking changed during the transition to Christianity. The Greeks have suffered numerous losses in their long and turbulent history, and so the chapter continues with a focus on important historical implications of loss in Greek culture. This is followed by a presentation on bereavement in contemporary Greece and how loss is expressed among Greeks today. The chapter concludes with a mother telling the story of her young son’s death from cancer, and a daughter telling how she endures the loss of her mother, who died in a car crash many years ago.