Calendar of Events

NOTES on GREEK SPRING

DAPHNIS AND CHLOE – The earliest surviving manuscript of Daphnis and Chloe, which was discovered by Paul-Louis Courier in the Laurenziana Library in Florence in 1809, dates from the thirteenth century. In the story, Daphnis and Chloe, both infants, were left by their well-born parents, who were unable to take care of them, and were rescued and brought up by shepherds on the island Lesvos. They grew up together and fell into very innocent love. Adventures befell both, including a visit by pirates, and towards the end of the story the two sets of parents were re-found, and Daphnis and Chloe married. This romance has long attracted illustrators, from 18th century French artists to Marc Chagall in the 20th century. It has almost never been out of print. Even as late as 1988, Susan Allix’s beautiful edition was not only re-illustrated but even re-translated.

"An offering to love, the nymphs and Pan, a possession to delight all, which will heal the sick and comfort the distressed, stir the memory of those who have been in love, and give instruction to those who have not. For certainly, no one has ever escaped Love, nor ever shall, so long as beauty exists and eyes can see." So Longus describes his novel.

A RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – 2 Greek American Photographers – Garyfallia Pagonis and George Panagakos. Curated by Lily Bonga, intern and graduate student in Cultural Production at Brandeis University.

Garyfallia Pagonis immigrated from Athens, Greece to the U.S. and settled in Brooklyn, NY. She always knew that she wanted to be an artist. After finishing the Parsons School of Design in New York, with an emphasis in photography, she came to Boston, and now works as a graphic artist in the Office of Publications at Boston University. In September 2007, she traveled to Greece with her mother to reconnect with her extended Greek family, and decided to document her journey through photography. Ms. Pagnonis wants her work "to captivate the viewer with the richness of the nuances found in Byzantine architecture, and in the scenery and rhythm of everyday life in Greece through the use of interesting angles and thought provoking close-ups."

George Panagakos has also "over a number of years, with camera in hand, recorded his love for the land of heartbreaking beauty, which is Greece, – her people, her places, her faith." At the moment, Mr. Panagakos represents a studio which produces iconography, mosaics, and other church art, while continuing to work in photography. He recently completed a major project for which he was commissioned to photograph the 63 Greek Orthodox churches in New England, inside and out. A publication with images and histories of the parishes will follow.

MORE EROS – GREEK SONGS – The Greek Music Ensemble will present some of the most beautiful love songs in the Greek musical repertoire of the last 50 years. The songs of MIkis Theodorakis, Mimis Plessas, Akis Panou, Vasilis Tsitsanis, Giorgos Zambetas, Manos Hadjidakis and Dionysis Savopoulos will be included.

May 19, 7:30pm – "SHIPS OF MERCY: The True Story of the Rescue of the Greeks, Smyrna, September 1922" by Christos Papoutsy. This reading and book signing will also be accompanied by a visual presentation.

"Ships of Mercy" reveals the true heroes of Smyrna, later forgotten by history. It is based on more than 10 years of research by Christos and Mary Papoutsy, who traveled around the globe in their efforts to uncover and document the factual story of those who saved hundreds of thousands of Greeks from the quay in Smyrna… This book uncovers surprising answers and displays previously unpublished materials. Vintage photographs, naval war diaries, captains’ logs, letters, and other artifacts appear for the first time in the pages of this volume. Ships of Mercy, dispels common myths about the evacuation of the refugees and clearly documents the real saviors during this enormous tragedy."

For more information please call The Greek Institute at 617.547.4770.