What an Anniversary that was today at Trinity College, University of Cambridge on the occasion of Lord Byron’s death in Messolonghi in 1824.
The Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias was present and delivered a short but more than an interesting speech, stressing Lord Byron’s special relationship with Greece and his contribution to Greece’s Liberation from the Ottoman yoke. Concluding his speech he read a verse from Lord Byron’s poem “The Islets of Greece” *
“The mountains look on Marathon—
And Marathon looks on the sea;
And musing there an hour alone,
I dream’d that Greece might still be free;
For standing on the Persians’ grave,
I could not deem myself a slave.”
Present were the alternate Minster of Culture of Greece Christos Dimas, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, H.E. the Greek Ambassador in the United Kingdom Yannis Tsaousis, the former Mayor of Cambridge George Pippas, Professor Napoleon Katsos, the president of the College Dame Sally Davies, the Representative of the Holy City of Messolonghi Kyriaki Mitsou and the Representative of the “Hellenism and Philhellenism” Society Konstantinos Velentzas also addressing the gathering, and Lefki Papaharalampous.
In the evening, Mr. Dendias attended the holy liturgy of the Akathist Hymn at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia in London’s Moscow Road (see picture above).
Moreover, H.E Yannis Tsaousis, the Greek Ambassador to mark the Bicentenary of Lord Byron’s death, held an event “Parallel readings: From English Byron to Greek Vyronas” at the Hellenic Residence, to which we shall revert soon.
*That was also one of the first poems taught to me by my late father, Captain Nicholas M. Faraclas.
