Archive

2025-26

September 23        Social event. Welcoming cheese and wine. Musical odyssey with Faidra Roumpeka and Harris Koliadimas

October 21             Dr Maria Mili (University of Glasgow) : Who is the Thessalian goddess Ebodia?

November 18         Scottish evening. Jim Mearns (Glasgow Archaelogical Society) : What the Romans did for us!

January 13             Vasilopitta evening (Elia restaurant)

February 17            Karkalas lecture. Professor Niels Gaul (University of Edinburgh) : Byzantine-Scottish (dis)connections from 306 to

                               James VI and beyond

March 17                Professor Lisa Hau (University of Glasgow) : Vulgar and Womanish or didactically vivid? Rethinking Hellenistic 

                               Historiography

April 21                   AGM

2024-25

October 8       Welcome cheese and wine at Strathclyde University

November 12 Prof Gerasimos Tsourapas, University of Glasgow, Greek-Turkish relations and the importance of migration in shaping the                                  two countries' history and politics (Karkalas lecture)

December 10 Social event at Bearsden Bowling Club

January 14       Vasilopitta evening, at Elia Restaurant

February 11       Effie Koursari CEng, Amey Climate change effects on bridge infrastructure-scour

March 11     Antonis Xenos, A timeless presence: evolution of language writing in the Hellenic peninsual (joint meeting with Classical Association)

March 25   Round table discussion with Prof Niels Gaul-Edinburgh University, Alexandros Ioannidis-Consul General of Greece in Manchester, Prof Vassiliki Kolokotroni-University of Glasgow, Dr Michalis Sotiropoulos-University of Edinburgh, Dr Katerina Stergiopoulou-University on Edinburgh. Theme: Scottish philhellenism and the Greek revolution of 1821

April 8       AGM, then Tales from the olive grove by Dr Richard Jones and Chris Lebessis. Dinner at local restaurant

April 20       Easter lunch at Engine Works

June 25       Tribute to Maria Callas by Elena Xanthoudakis-Soprano at Strathclyde University, with proceeds to the Malawi Millenium                                      Project

2023-2024

October 17 Professor Elizabeth Moignard, Exekias

November 21 Film showing, Maria Callas Documentary

December 3 Christmas dinner dance by the St. Luke Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Glasgow) at the Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew

January 9 Vasilopitta, Elia restaurant, George Square, Glasgow

January 27 Launch of Hellenic Tartan by the Hellenic Alliance of Scotland at the Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew (www.hellenicalliancescotland.org)

February 20 MacDowel Professor of Greek, Professor Andrew Morrison, Friendship, Philosophy and Forgery; Greek letter collections to AD 400

March 19 Peter Ireland, Epirus and Macedonia with Ardante Travels

April 9 Annual General Meeting

Dr Alex Imrie, University of Edinburgh, The design of the Hellenic Tartan

2022-2023

September 2 Evening cruise along the Clyde and Forth canal

October 11 Dr Lyvia Morgan (Brighton) A room with a view: the social context of the wall paintings from Ayia Irini on Kea (Zoom session)

November 8 Dr David Lewis (Classics, Edinburgh University) The Cretan way of war: Ancient Greek warfare beyond the hoplite phalanx

January 7 Vasilopitta at Elia Restaurant

February 14 Dr Stella Demesticha (Archaeology, University of Cyprus) One ship, two seas and hundreds of amphorae; a 4th century BC                               shipwreck off  Mazotos in Cyprus (Zoom session)

March 14 Very Rev Dr Marcus Mitchell Mount Athos: inside and out

April 18 Annual General Meeting and after-meeting dinner

Secretary’s Report SHS (Glasgow) 2022-2023

We live in challenging times. None of us realised in March 2020 that a virus pandemic would disrupt our planning and that virtual meetings on Zoom would continue for so long.  But we are still here, and thanks to our Chairman’s wide range of contacts we were able to continue to hold virtual meetings, including some speakers who would have found it impossible to be with us, in Glasgow. We are delighted that we are now able to be together in person.

In 2019-22 subscriptions were paid by 47 members. In 2020-21 we had 28 members who paid their subscriptions. In 2021-22 subscriptions were waived because we were not able to meet in person and so did not need to rent a venue to hold meetings. However 18 members continues to pay them as a donation. In 2022-23 we have 36 subscribing members. This includes 6 new members.

In April 2022 our Chairman completed the major task of documenting SHS (Glasgow) Archives including minutes from 1961 and digital files from 2001. These have now been transferred to Glasgow University Library Archive.

Session 2022-23 opened with a new venture for our annual Scottish meeting. On the evening of Saturday 3rd September members and friends sailed down the Forth and Clyde Canal on “The Voyager”, stopping at Kirkintilloch to pick up a cargo of excellent fish suppers. This had been rescheduled twice because of lockdown and we hope it may become a regular feature in our programme.

You can see highlights of the cruise in the Gallery of our website: www.scottishhellenic-glasgow.org

In October Dr Lyvia Morgan speaking from Brighton by the wonders of Zoom illustrated A Room with a View: The social context of the wall paintings from Ayia Irini on Kea. The Miniature Frieze at Ayia Irini shows an exceptional account of ancient life depicting a town, ships, ceremonial meetings of men and a unique scene of cooking in cauldrons, along with an animal hunt and remarkable landscapes. The paintings were found in a fragmentary state but have now been visualized in a series of reconstructions, recently published by the speaker. 

Our first meeting in person took place in November with a different venue at Glasgow University, Molema Building (formerly Geology Building). Dr David Lewis (Classics, Edinburgh University) presented The Cretan way of war: Ancient Greek warfare beyond the hoplite phalanx. Crete subverts the stereotype of classical Greek warfare. Cretans were expert archers and did not fight in phalanx formations. Furthermore, they engaged in all manner of disreputable tactics, from ambushes and tricks to piracy, kidnapping and assassination.

In January we held our annual Vasilopita evening in Elias Greek Restaurant.

In February, once more by Zoom,  Dr Stella Demesticha (Archaeology, University of Cyprus) presented One ship, two seas and hundreds of amphorae: a 4th century BC shipwreck, off Mazotos, Cyprus.  The shipwreck from the first half of 4th century BC is still under excavation.  Detailed recording using digital photogrammetry and 3D visual techniques for the mapping and documentation of the excavation has allowed the site to remain undisturbed in the sea. Before it wrecked, the ship transported a nearly homogeneous cargo of wine amphorae from the Aegean island of Chios, complemented by at least one type of secondary cargo of jugs.

In March Father Markos (St Luke’s Cathedral, Glasgow)  joined us in the Molema Building to speak on - ‘Mount Athos Inside and Out’

Mount Athos, or The Holy Mountain’ as it is called in Greece, is a peninsula in Northern Greece, which for over a thousand years has been consecrated entirely to monasticism. The area is closed off from the rest of the world, although it receives pilgrims (male only) from the world for short stays by special permit. The speaker has visited many times and also lived the monastic life there for two years. He will attempt to describe both the physical and practical aspects of life there, as well as the mysterious, interior life which is not visible to visitors. After the talk he showed us charming pictures of informal life on the Holy Mountain.

2021-2022

November 9  Dr Stelios Lekakis (Newcastle University)

On monuments and islands: the case of Naxos Island in Greece

December  14 (Scottish Evening)   John Huntley   Walter Scott and the Hellenisation of Scotland

February 15 Vasilopitta at Elia Restaurant, 6:30 for 7:00pm, £20.00 per person

2020-2021

October 13

Dr Richard Jones (University of Glasgow) "The Persians in Greece: from Xerxes’ Canal to the Battle of Salamis" (on-line)

November 10

Dr Emma Aston (University of Reading) "How Thessalian was Jason?" (on-line)

December 8

Nondas Pitticas (University West of Scotland), "Aegina, first capital of modern Greece, through the aeons" (on-line)

February 9

Dr Guy Sanders (ex. Director of American Excavations in Ancient Corinth), "Day wages, pottery prices and household goods in archaelogical and historical context" (on-line)

March 9 - Karkalas lecture

Petros Bouras-Vallianatos, "Treating disease in Byzantine hospitals"

The Annual General Meeting was held in October (on-line) with 18 people attending. It was  followed by an illustrated talk "The Persians in Greece: from Xerxes' Canal to the Battle of Salamis" given by our Chairman Dr. Richard Jones.  He showed that the Persians left very little archaeological trace of their military or naval presence in Greece right through to their defeat at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC.  But one exception is Xerxes’ Canal in northern Greece. Though Herodotus described this canal as cutting across the Mount Athos peninsula allowing Xerxes’ fleet to sail safely through, this has often been disputed. Richard’s account of the seismic exploration of the area disclosed evidence of the canal, though it is now buried some depth below the present ground level. The canal had a short lifetime: once Xerxes’ fleet had passed through the canal it went rapidly out of use.  Building it was a formidable engineering undertaking but it was in the end a vanity project!

 In November Dr Emma Aston (University of Reading) spoke on "How Thessalian was Jason?". Jason and the Argonauts are among ancient Greece’s most famous heroes but it is less well known that Jason along with another mythical figure, Achilles, the great warrior at the siege of Troy, were from Thessaly.  Since this region of Greece took no part in the colonising movements of the Archaic period, let alone Jason’s travel to the Black Sea and beyond,  Thessaly was content to exploit the myth’s local dimensions.  The people of Thessaly used Jason as a mirror of how they saw themselves and how they wished to be seen by other Greeks.

Nondas Pitticas (The society’s Vice-chair) used videos, photographs and a talk with sub titles to speak comprehensively on "Aegina, first capital of modern Greece, through the aeons". He showed us the rich archaeological sites on the island – there were wonderful images of what the famous temple of Aphaia would have looked like complete with its painted decoration.  Then he moved to the 19th century to view the civic buildings that came with Kapodistrias, the first leader of modern Greece, when Aegina temporarily became Greece’s capital. Nondas also showed us pictures of the current underwater project exploring Aegina’s early harbours.

As some members were not able to hear this the speaker was kind enough to forward the text and illustrations to me. If any member (or interested other) would like to have a copy I can email them using WeTransfer, or alternatively post them a CD.

The lockdown continued and our annual Taverna evening to celebrate Vasilopita didn’t take place.

Dr. Guy Sanders, who was until recently Director of the American Excavations at Ancient Corinth spoke in February on "Day wages, pottery prices and household goods in archaelogical and historical context ". A benefit of using Zoom was that Dr. Sanders gave his talk from his home in Corinth. Because pottery has often been used to tell the story of how people in the past lived, it was fascinating to hear how, in Byzantine Corinth, pottery was too expensive to be in common use. People would use leather for bottles and jugs, wood for platters and drinking vessels, and these are perishable. For those who missed this fascinating lecture and are interested in everyday life of 14th century Greece, you may like to go to this link.

Byvanck Lecture 2015 binnenwerk (babesch.org)

The Karkalas lecture this year was given by Dr Petros Bouras-Vallianatos (University of Edinburgh)  on the topic "Treating disease in Byzantine hospitals". He gave us a fascinating glimpse of recipes and the diseases they were used to treat, a colour chart for diagnosing ailments from the colour of urine and the organisation of the hospital in the Monastery of the Pantocrator in 12th Century Constantinople. He touched on the way the practice of pharmacology was influenced by both Islamic and classical medicine. He also mentioned the drugs developed to treat epidemic diseases such as the Black Death plague.

2019-2020

Tuesday 15th October at 7:00pm

Welcome with light refreshments, joint meeting with Classical Association

THE KARKALAS LECTURE

Lisa Hau (University of Glasgow), "Athenian imperialism and Thucydides' creativity: the Mytilene debate"

Tuesday 12th November at 7:30pm

Michael Boyd (University of Cambridge), "The sanctuary at Keros in the early bronze age"

Tuesday 14th January at 7:00pm

Vasilopitta evening at Elia Greek Restaurant, George Square, Glasgow

Tuesday 11th February at 7:30pm

Bob Ewing, "The mystery of scotch"

Tuesday 24th March at 7:30pm

Michail Mersinis (Glasgow School of Art) and Moira Dalgetty "Silk and Soufli"

THIS LECTURE WAS CANCELLED (COVID-19 lockdown)

Tuesday 14th April at 7:00pm

AGM followed by...

Nondas Pitticas (University West of Scotland), "Aegina, first capital of modern Greece, through the aeons"

BOTH THESE EVENTS WERE CANCELLED (COVID-19 lockdown)

2018-2019

October 9

Dr Michael Given (Glasgow University), "Fire, soil and water: people and environment in the forests of Cyprus"

November 13

Mark Baines (Glasgow School of Art), "Greek influences in Glasgow's architecture"

January 8

Vasilopitta evening at Elia Rstaurant, George Square, Glasgow

January 14

Dr Maroula Perisanidi (University of Leeds), "Hunting Churchmen: pleasure and religious authority in Byzantium"    

February 12

Nikos Kyriacou, "Oral History project - Stories of Greek and Cypriot migration in Greater Glasgow"

March 9

Tony Xenos and Chris Lebessis with culinary treats from ancient recipes

April 9

Annual General Meeting

2017-2018

Oct 17, 2017 

Welcome cheese and wine reception followed by Natalia Tsoumpra's lecture "The curious case of female sexuality in classical Athens: religion, medicine and magic "

Nov 21, 2017

Prof John Huntley "Admiral Bouboulina: a half-remembered hero?"

Jan 30, 2018

Scottish evening - Liz Lochhead "Burns and women", after a Burns supper in the Bridie Room at 7:30pm. £2 admission at the door. Spaces may be limited.

Feb 27, 2018 

Vasilopitta evening at Elia Greek Restaurant, George Square, Glasgow

Mar 13, 2018

Showing of the film Phaedra, introduced by Dr Costas Panayotakis (in English, no subtitles). Joint meeting with the Classical Association Scotland.

THE KARKALAS LECTURE by Dr Renee Hirschon "Women in the social life of Asia Minor refugees in Piraeus" was cancelled, due to the speaker's inability to attend.

Apr 10, 2018

Annual General Meeting followed by a talk on Kokkinia, by John Huntley

May 19 & 20, 2018 

Scottish Hellenic Symposium, supported by the British Archaeological School of Athens (for details, see tab <Symposium 2018> at top of page.

2016-2017

Oct 18, 2016 Robert Sutherland, "Maria Callas, as I knew her"     

Nov 15,2016 Dr Maria Economou, Glasgow University "Greek Museums today: changing roles and challenges"

Jan 10, 2017  Vasilopitta evening at Elia Greek Restaurant, George Square

Jan 31, 2017  KARKALAS LECTURE by Dr Despoina Ignatiadou, National Archaeological Museum of Athens "Elite doctors in ancient Macedonia"

Feb 14, 2017  Nicolas Maraziotis with Jose Javier Ucendo "Greek music of the 20th century" with live performance

Mar 14, 2017 Jennifer Barclay "An octopus in my ouzo" with signing opportunity by the author

Apr 11, 2017 Annual General Meeting at 19:00, followed by Dr Zosia Archibald, University of Liverpool "The rise and fall of ancient Olynthos: new evidence" at 19:30

2015-2016

Oct 13, 2015    Prof Elizabeth Moignard, University of Glasgow 'Fun and Games: some of the things which happened at a symposium'

Nov 10, 2015    Film night "A touch of spice", introduced by John Huntley

Nov 24, 2015    Master chef night, Tony Xenos and Chris Lebessis

Jan 5, 2016      Vasilopitta evening at Elia Greek Restaurant, George Square

Feb 16, 2016    An evening with Alex Kapranos

Mar 15, 2016    KARKALAS LECTURE, Dr John Wilkins, University of Exeter 'Archestratus: fragments from the life of luxury'.

Apr 12, 2016    John Huntley, 'Kalliope and Euterpe: Poetry with Music in Greece'

May 7, 2016      Scottish Hellenic Societies of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews, and Friends of the British School at Athens

2014-2015

Oct 14, 2014        Dr Robin Barber: Sense and sentimentality: British scholars' reactions to Greece, 1885 – 1986 

Nov 4, 2014        Lyn Dunachie: The Great Tapestry of Scotland and Scottish diaspora (Scottish Evening) 

Dec 2, 2014        Professor John Prag (The Manchester Museum): Philip of Macedon: the face of a king?

Jan 6, 2015        Vasilopitta evening at Elia Restaurant, George Square

Feb 17, 2015      Dr Neil Brodie (Glasgow University): Cycladic figurines in and out of context 

Mar 10, 2015    John Liddell (Scottish Opera): Greek Costume in Opera: La Belle Hélène

April 24, 2015    Dr Myrto Tsakatika (Glasgow University): A new chapter? The Greek political system after the economic crisis

2013-2014

Oct 15, 2013    Prof. Jan R. Stenger (Glasgow), On the Use and Abuse of the Philosophy for Life: John Chrysostom's Paradoxical View of Knowledge (Joint Meeting with the Classical Association)

Nov 05, 2013    Dr. Thomas Kiely (British Museum), Robert Hamilton Lang: The Glaswegian Director of The Imperial Ottoman Bank at Larnaca

Nov 26, 2013    Dr. Nick Hytiris (Glasgow Caledonian), The Straddling of the Corinthian Gulf

Jan 07, 2014    Vasilopitta Evening

Feb 11, 2014    Prof. Elizabeth Moignard (Glasgow), How to be a Hero: The Iliad Freize at Holmwood.

Mar 11, 2014     Dr John Henderson (Nottingham), City beneath the Waves: Pavlopetri

Mar 29, 2014    Joint SHS and BSA all day meeting in Edinburgh

April 22, 2014  Lyn Dunachie (Glasgow), A Few Days in Western Anatolia.

2012-2013

Oct 23, 2012    Prof. Sandy Stoddart, Apollo in Caledonia: Grecian Intimations in the Far North (Joint Meeting with Classical Association)

Nov 05, 2012    Dr. Peter Cochran (Glasgow), Byron in Greece (Meeting in Edinburgh)

Nov 27, 2012    Dr. Effie Photo-Jones, Lemnian Earth and the Inorganic Healing Substances in the Aegean: Historial curiosites, archaeological artefacts or (potentially) modern medicines? (John Karkalas Lecture)

Jan 08, 2013    Vasilopitta Evening

Feb 26, 2013    Dr. Marie Martin (Glasgow), Trance, Ecstasy and Possession in Ancient Greek Religion

Mar 26, 2013    Mr Nikos Anagnostou (Glasgow), Engineering in the Ancient World -  The Tunnel of Eupalinos

Apr 23, 2013    AGM & Mr Nondas Pitticas (Glasgow), Democrats cannot be Idiots: a lexicon of etymology

2011 - 2012

Oct 26, 2011    Dr. Kirsten Bedigan (Glasgow), Religion and Medicine during the Fifth and Fourth Centuries BC (Joint Meeting with the Classical Association)

Nov 22, 2011    Prof. Elizabeth Moignard (Glasgow), Glasgow's Greek Vases

Jan 04, 2012    Vasilopitta Evening

Jan 10, 2012    Dr. Ian Ruffell (Glasgow), Greek Comic Bodies: Real and Unreal

Feb 07, 2012    Mr. John Lowrey (Edinburgh), The Polis and the Portico: Greek Revival Architecture and Scottish Education (Scottish Evening)

Mar --, 2012    Dr. Dionysios Stathakopolos (King's College London), Quid Pro Quo, Remembrance and the Quest for Salvation in the Late Byzantine Period (John Karkalas Meeting)

Apr --, 2012    AGM / Mr. Tony Xenos, Early 19th Century Greece through the Lens of Fred Boissonas (A Lecture and Exhibition)

2010 - 2011

Oct 20, 2010    Dr. Ronnie Scott (Glasgow), City of the Dead: The Origins and Development of the Glasgow Necropolis (Joint Meeting with the Classical Association)

Nov 09, 2010    Mr. Dave Lightbody (Glasgow),  Stepping Stones across an Iron Age Sea: Early Egyptian, Cypriot and Greek Cultural Exchange

Dec 14, 2010    Prof. John Huntley (Glasgow), A Caledonian at the Court of King Otto

Jan 04, 2011    Vasilopitta Evening

Feb 08, 2011    Mr. Nikolaos Angnostou (Glasgow), Engineering in the Ancient World: Building the Parthenon

Mar 08, 2011    Prof. Judith Herrin (King's College London), Constantinople: The Great Metropolis of Medieval Europe (John Karkalas Meeting)

Apr 05, 2011    AGM / Mr. James Clive (Glasgow), A Song of Crotal and White Revisited (Scottish Evening)

2009 - 2010

Oct 12, 2009    Ms. Charlotte Higgins (Journalist/Author), Barack Obama: the Debt to the Ancients (Joint Meeting with Classical Association)

Nov 10, 2009    Mr. Nikos Vallianos (Aberdeen), Sea Turtles in Greece and the Work of ARCHELON

Dec 15, 2009     Prof. Willy Maley (Glasgow), Cypriots, Patriots and Scots: Nationalism and Internationalism in the International Brigades (Scottish Evening)

Jan 05, 2010    Vasilopitta Evening

Feb 08, 2010    Prof. Vivian Nutton (UCL), Whither ancient Greek Medicine? (John Karkalas Lecture)

Feb 16, 2010    Mr. Nikolaos Anagnostou (Glasgow), Engineering in the Ancient World: the Antikythera Mechanism

Mar 09, 2010    Dr. Stephanie Winder (Edinburgh), Callimachus on the Rue Lepsius

Apr 20, 2010    AGM / Ms. Jackie Dennett (Glasgow), 21st Century Museums in Athens, Greece

2008 - 2009

Oct 15, 2008    Dr. Richard Jones (Glasgow), A View of Greek Archaeology from Underwater

Nov 24, 2008    Ms. Kirsten Bedigan (Glasgow), Pots, People and Pigs: Understanding the Kabeiric Cult through its Pottery (Joint Meeting with the Classical Association)

Dec 03, 2008    Dr. Rowena Loverance (London), Byzantine Art (in connection with the current exhibition at the Royal Academy on Byzantium) (Joint Meeting with the Dept of History of Art)

Jan 07, 2009    Vasilopitta Evening

Feb 11, 2009    Dr. David Breeze (Historic Heritage Scotland), The Antonine Wall - A World Site! (Scottish Evening)

Mar 04, 2009    Dr. Evi Markou (Cyprus), The Importance of Coinage for the History of Archaic and Classical Cyprus) (Joint Meeting with the Hellenic Society)

Apr 22, 2009    AGM / Dr. Julia Shear (Glasgow), War, Revolution and Remembrance in Classical Athens

2007 - 2008

Oct 17, 2007    Dr. Jim MacDonald (Glasgow), The Greek Volcanic Arc

Nov 14, 2007    Civic Reception at Glasgow City Chambers

Nov 28, 2007    Dr. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (Edinburgh), The Big and Beautiful Women of Asia: Picturing Female Sexuality in Greco-Persian Seals (Joint Meeting with Classical Association)

Dec 12, 2007     Dr. Sally-Anne Coupar (Glasgow), A Cabinet of Curiousities - 200 Years of the Hunterian Museum (Scottish Evening)

Jan 10, 2008    Vasilopitta Evening

Feb 06, 2008    Dr. Peggy Sotirakopoulou (Goulandric Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens), Marble and Mystery on the Cycladic Island of Keos: The Story of the 'Keros Hoard' (Joint Meeting with the Hellenic Society)

Mar 12, 2008    Dr. Costas Panayotakis (Glasgow), Translating Roman Comedy into Modern Greek

Apr 10, 2008    Prof. John Underhill (Edinburgh), Where was Odysseus' Homeland? The Geological, Geomorphological, and Geophysical Evidence for relocating Homer's Ithaca (Joint Meeting with the Geological Society)