In 1963, the Greek poet Yorgos Seferisupon receiving the Nobel Prize in Literatureexpressed a reflection that encapsulates centuries of history and culture: the award was not just for him, but for the language in which he wrote, a language “famous throughout the centuries, but not widespread in its current form.”
These words, spoken in Stockholm, underlined the deep connection between the Greek people and their language, a bond that has endured for more than 3,500 years. and whose relationship is the central axis of the new book of Roderick Beaton, Los grisks (Atticus of Books), a work that explores the history and influence of Greek speakers throughout the centuries.
The Greek language, in its many forms and dialects, became a language of global reach, especially during the Hellenistic era. Its influence extended from the Hindu Kush mountains in modern-day Pakistan to the south of France.
In this vast territory he left cultural traces that persist to this day, such as the names of emblematic cities: Alexandria, Naples and Nice, all of them marked by the imprint of that civilization. A prominent example of this influence is the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible carried out between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC in Egypt, a text that emerged to satisfy the needs of the Egyptian Jews who, having lost their command of Hebrew, They required a comprehensible version of the scriptures. In that context, “understandable” meant Greek.
The cultural impact of the Greeks was not limited to their language: their architecture, their political institutions, and their academic traditions have left an indelible mark on the world. Beaton highlights in his work that “the Greeks have reached virtually everywhere,” underscoring their ability to influence and be influenced by the cultures with which they have interacted over the centuries.
The book uses the Greek language as a common thread that connects the speakers of this language through time and space. This perspective allows the author to analyze the evolution of the Greeks from ancient times to the present day, passing through key historical moments such as the interaction with the Hittites in the second millennium BC, the cultural diversity of the Hellenistic world, the early Christian era, the Renaissance under Venetian and Ottoman rule, and modern Europe. At each stage, the Greeks have demonstrated a remarkable capacity for adaptation, transforming themselves depending on historical and cultural circumstances.
One of the fundamental questions Beaton addresses in his work is the definition of what it means to be Greek. Today, Greek nationalism tends to link this identity with the Orthodox religion and an ancestral connection with the territory that today constitutes Greece.
However, Beaton proposes a broader and more flexible view, one that recognizes the multiple identities that the Greeks have adopted throughout their history. This perspective reflects the complexity and richness of its cultural legacy, as Seferis expressed in his Nobel speech: “Greece is a small country, but its tradition is immense.”
The poet Yorgos Seferis, whose life and work are a recurring theme in Beaton’s book, also reflected on the challenges Greece faced in modernity. Returning to his country in 1962 after decades as a diplomat, Seferis was deeply affected by the changes he observed, especially the impact of tourism on national identity.
In a dream he had that summer, he imagined a crowd at the Acropolis attending an auction in which the Greek government was selling the Parthenon to the highest bidder, an American toothpaste entrepreneur. Although fictional, this vision turned out to be eerily prophetic. In 2010, during the Greek financial crisis, two German politicians suggested that Greece could pay off its debts by selling its ancient monuments and islands, sparking a wave of outrage and a boycott of German products.
These tensions raise fundamental questions about the relationship between Greece’s past and present: who owns the Greek legacy? How does that past connect to modern Greece? And ultimately, who are the Greeks? Beaton, through his historical and linguistic analysis, offers answers that highlight the diversity and continuity of this people over the centuries.
In his work, Beaton captures the essence of the Greeks as a people in constant motion, adapting and redefining themselves over time. As Seferis put it: “Greece is traveling, always traveling.” This dynamism, combined with a deeply rooted cultural tradition, has allowed the Greeks to leave an indelible mark on human history. So, The Greeks is a testament to this heritage, a comprehensive exploration of a people whose influence remains as relevant today as it was in the past.
