As a tribute to Greece’s Olympic legacy, here’s a toast to another: the Greek language which has given so many words and phrases to English and other languages. This is a speech by Xenophon Zolotas (1904-2004), an old Greek academic and politician who was a member of the IMF in its early stages. He gave […]
The Trojan Camel
Theofáneia (January 6th) is one of the most important religious celebrations in Greece. It commemorates the visit of the Three Kings to baby Jesus and the confirmation of his divinity. Everybody appreciates the presents of myrrh (we do after all still give each other perfumes) and gold (no competition there), but many are understandably confused […]
Christopher Hitchens and the Elgin Marbles
I am not one of the giants of the literary establishment who regularly consorted with Christopher Hitchens, the great polemicist who died on December 15 after a two-year battle with cancer. I am just one of the lucky ones who met him fleetingly and were dazzled by his personality. Unlike many, I didn’t argue with […]