City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Publications and Research New York City College of Technology 2012 On the Social Construction of Hellenism Cold War Narratives of Modernity, Development and Democracy for Greece Despina Lalaki The New York City College of Technology How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/ny_pubs/95 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact:
[email protected] Journal of Historical Sociology Vol. 25 No. 4 December 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6443.2012.01432.x On the Social Construction of Hellenism Cold War Narratives of Modernity, Development and Democracy for Greecejohs_1432 552..577 DESPINA LALAKI* Abstract Hellenism is one of those overarching, ever-changing narratives always subject to historical circumstances, intellectual fashions and political needs. Con- versely, it is fraught with meaning and conditioning powers, enabling and constrain- ing imagination and practical life. In this essay I tease out the hold that the idea of Hellas has had on post-war Greece and I explore the ways in which the American anti-communist rhetoric and discussions about political and economic stabilization appropriated and rearticulated Hellenism. Central to this history of transformations are the archaeologists; the archaeologists as intellectuals, as producers of culture who, while stepping in and out of their disciplinary boundaries, rewrote and legiti- mized the new ideological properties of Hellenism while tapping into the resources of their profession. ***** We feel humiliated and we understand that things cannot remain the same as they were before...butwegave the world democracy, and we expect the European Union to support us.