{"id":256,"date":"2017-06-25T14:48:03","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T18:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/globalreporting2017\/?p=256"},"modified":"2022-03-25T14:27:53","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T18:27:53","slug":"athenian-civic-action-two-ways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/globalreporting2017\/athenian-civic-action-two-ways\/","title":{"rendered":"Athenian Civic Action, Two Ways"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Talya Nevins<\/em><\/p>\n

ATHENS, Greece —<\/strong> On June 19, nearly 50,000 Athenians turned out to pay tribute to Mikis Theodorakis, a renowned composer and icon of Greek revolutionary nationalism, at a concert held in honor of the composer\u2019s 92nd birthday.<\/p>\n

The next day, activists with the Greek Paraititheite movement rallied outside Parliament, calling for the government led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to step down.<\/p>\n

Together, those outwardly unconnected events highlighted themes of revolution, resistance and perseverance that are central to this ancient city\u2019s cultural and political identity.<\/p>\n

Theodorakis, with his wild, shock-white hair and imposing eyebrows, is Greece\u2019s foremost composer. He also is a political icon for left-leaning Greeks. Theodorakis was detained during the Greek civil war in the 1940s, according to an interview with The New York Times, and the music he composed grew increasingly political in the decades that followed. Theodorakis regularly drew themes or lyrics for his music from classical Greek poetry and, during the military dictatorship from 1967-1974, he and his music were banned. Theodorakis later was elected twice to parliament under the Communist party.<\/p>\n

The Greek National Opera organized the June 19 concert, called \u201c1000 voices honor Mikis Theodorakis.\u201d The audience nearly filled Kalimarmaro, the marble stadium that was constructed for the first modern Olympic games in 1896. The massive choir and a full orchestra performed Theodorakis\u2019 music for more than two hours. The crowd swayed in synchrony. Young children and elderly men alike hummed along with the starting notes of each song.<\/p>\n

One composition, T\u03bf \u03c0\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03ba\u03ac\u03c1\u03b9 \u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b7\u03bc\u03cc (The Heartbroken Boy), with words by poet Manos Eleftheriou, spoke of a young unemployed man who could not afford even a cigarette, yet \u201chis eyes are two birds\u201d and he lived with hope.<\/p>\n