The Canadian Institute in Greece Bulletin de l’Institut canadien en Grèce Spring 2009, No. 23 printemps 2009, n o 23 President’s Message Room 1 – CIG House, Athens - April 29, for me, though certainly within one or two of 2009. Day 2 of my 40 th trip to Greece. it, but I still remember my first visit very clearly in 1972, after digging for two months Athens is remarkably green and cool (15-20 in Italy, getting off the ferry in Patras, taking a degrees) this time of year. The dark red cheap bus to Athens and sleeping on a roof top poppies and several varieties of yellow wild at a hostel for $2.00 a night at the foot of the flowers carpet the fields and orchards coming Acropolis. I knew no one, spoke no Greek, had in from the new airport. Clouds blanket large no idea where to go, or how to get there, but areas of the sky, giving promise of rain. People had a maple leaf on my duffle bag just in case I wear sweaters or light jackets in the streets. passed another Canadian along the way. I saw The academic schedule is chock full of events. the Parthenon, got kicked out of the Agora At an American School lecture last night, Jack excavation area, found the bus to Marathon, Davis, the Director, thanked the audience for took a stormy ferry to Crete, slept on the beach attending, noting that there were 10 scholarly at Mallia never realizing till later there was a functions the night before, and hardly any Minoan palace nearby, had many adventures fewer this evening to attract people’s interest. and met many people, but was always just a The god Pan, a personal favourite, in various little lonesome. of his guises, was the subject of the lecture by Rebecca Ammerman. Amphoras, Hermes, So much is different now from those youthful caves, and nymphs were the topics of several days in ‘72, but the best change for me is the conversations at the reception afterwards. As a first and last stop on every trip to Greece, at 7 wind-down from this rich food for thought, Dionysiou Aiginetou, the CANADIAN there was the Canadian Institute-led regular INSTITUTE, a second home for fellow Tuesday-night darts-and-drinks event at the students of Greece. Red Lion, followed at last by a couple hours of wireless internet email and hockey play-off Gerry Schaus updates, then the relaxing comfort of a warm bed and quiet peaceful sleep at CIG House. P.S.Thessalonica, May 16, 2009. I look This is home away from home, not just for me, forward to showing Dr. Jacques Perreault’s but for many who come over from Canada to (Université de Montréal) site of Argilos today study and travel in Greece. to my current travelling companions, a rich result of his fine work, carried out under the This may not be exactly the 40 th trip to Greece auspices of the Canadian Institute! 1 The Canadian Institute in Greece From the Editor L’Institut canadien en Grèce 59 Oueen’s Park Crescent Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C4 Although not CANADA apparent to our Tel./téléphone (416) 978-8150 Fax / télécopieur (416) 978-7307 readers, this issue of E-mail/ poste éléctronique: [email protected] the CIG Bulletin differs from its In Athens: L’Institut canadien en Grèce/ The Canadian Institute in Greece predecessors in Odos Dion. Aiginitou 7 being circulated GR - 115 28 Athènes/ Athens electronically to GRECE/ GREECE téléphone/ tel. 011-30-210-722-3201 some of our télécopieur/ fax 011-30-210-725-7968 members. poste électronique/ E-mail: [email protected] Again we have Web site: http://www.cig-icg.gr heures d’ouverture: de mardi à vendredi, 9h à 13h to mourn the opening hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00-13:00 passing of two more Director of the Institute: Dr. David Rupp of our generous Assistant Director: Dr. Jonathan E. Tomlinson members, Neda The Canadian Institute in Greece is a non-profit, charitable organization Leipen and Dan incorporated in Canada and dedicated to promoting Greek-related archaeology and Geagan. We scholarly research. It has legal and financial responsibility for the Canadian Institute in Greece, the body, active since 1976, through which the Greek welcome a new government awards permits to Canadian scholars for field work. CIG maintains Treasurer, Gary premises in Athens that include a research library, meeting rooms and a small Hendin, and a new hostel. In both Greece and Canada it supports public activities that promote understanding of the history and culture of the Greek peninsula and islands. President of our The Bulletin is published semi-annually by the Canadian Academic Institute in Friends in Ottawa, Athens. The editor welcomes articles in English or French on relevant topics of Helen Tryphonas, interest and scholarship and on CAIA-related activities. Please send contributions to: e-mail: [email protected] We are grateful to D.J.I. Begg, Editor,39793 Fingal Line, St.Thomas, ON, Canada N5P 3S5 tel. (519) our past Treasurer 631-2434; George Allan for his Canadian Publications Mail Product No. 03108171 enthusiastic efforts, L Institut canadien en Grèce est un organisme philanthropique à but non-lucratif and to Laura Gagné, incorporé au Canada et voué à la promotion de I'archéologie grecque et à la who this past year recherche scientifique. L 'organisme assume la responsabilité juridique et financière pour I’Institut canadien d archéologie à Athènes. Depuis 1976 ce dernier so ably took up the sert d'intermédiaire au gouvernement de la Grèce lors de l'octroie de permis de mantle of the travail à des canadiens pour des fins scientifiques. L'organisme maintient des Ottawa Friends left locaux à Athènes dont une bibliothèque, des salles de réunion et une petite auberge. En Grèce comme au Canada, il subventionne des activités publiques by Helen Webster. visant à une meilleure appréciation de l’histoire et de la culture de la péninsule et les îles grecques. Le Bulletin est publié deux fois par année. Le rédacteur invite les lecteurs à envoyer des articles en français ou en anglais portant sur des sujets d’intérêt ou les Ian Begg activités de I’Institut. Ces articles devront être envoyés à: poste éléctronique: Editor [email protected] D.J.I. Begg, rédacteur,39793 Fingal Line, St.Thomas, ON, Canada, N5P 3S5 téléphone: (519) 631-2434; Produit de poste-publications canadienne: n˚ 03108171 2 Neda Leipen published, even appearing as presenting victory to her people. One of illustrations in high school textbooks the knottiest problems was Athena's for Latin. By 1967, Neda Leipen had shield. Ancient texts say it was adorned risen to become Curator in Charge of with scenes from a battle between the the Greek and Roman Department. Athenians and Amazons. From Her best known academic work fragments and legends, and from was her research on the Athena marble plaques shipwrecked in Parthenos, the colossal statue of antiquity, Mrs Leipen built up a list of Athena, made of ivory and gold, which 28 figures which showed the Amazons stood in the Parthenon in classical fighting their way up the Acropolis Athens. The Varsity Graduate, Spring cliffs on one side of the shield and 1962, had a cover story article about the being cast down on the other." colouring of the Acropolis model. It The actual statue is long gone, but includes two photos of her with the Neda’s meticulous reconstruction on Parthenos and of her receiving her paper, based on ancient sources, has degree. The relevant text is as follows: acquired almost universal agreement "Mrs Neda Leipen, Dr. Graham's amongst scholars of that period. That assistant curator at the Museum, kind of agreement amongst a group of agreed to do the research on the academics is an achievement in its own Parthenos. Mrs. Leipen can work in right. Neda Leipen (nee Madirazza), was French, Italian, German, Greek, She worked on the small finds born in Zagreb, Croatia. She completed English, and the Slavic languages: for from the Agora, a project that has yet to her studies at the University of Zagreb. the Athena assignment she used all of be published. In collaboration with the In 1950 she escaped from what was them. She hoped to finish the study in a ROM artist, Sylvia Hahn, a scale model then Communist Yugoslavia, by year: working part-time, mostly in of the Athena Parthenos was completed secretly crossing the border, on her summer holidays, it took almost four in 1962. This model is still exhibited in own, and with only a few possessions, a years. Mrs. Leipen read everything she the current Greek Galleries. Images of dangerous undertaking in those days. could find on the statue, from a this and the model of the Acropolis in She spent some months in the refugee Baedeker-style travelogue of Greece the ROM galleries are used to teach art camp in Trieste, Italy. There, because written 1,800 years ago to the most history classes around the world. The she spoke several languages, she was recent scholarly articles. She studied results of Neda’s research were able to find work in the administration ancient copies, and fragments of copies, published in the volume Athena office, a privileged position. A year of the statue in stone and terra cotta, Parthenos. A Reconstruction (1971). later she arrived in Canada, in carved in relief on plaques and gems, And if you look at any website which Winnipeg, where she, like most cast in metal for coins.