The Panem Et Circenses Policy of the Regime of the Colonels in Greek Sport, 1967-1974
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
PART I – HISTORY AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF SPORT Studies in Physical Culture and Tourism Vol. 19, No. 4, 2012, 174-178 ISSN 0867-1079 Copyright © 2012 Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Poznaniu Copyright © 2012 Cornetis The panem et circenses policy of the Regime of the Colonels in Greek sport, 1967-1974 Georgios Logothetis, Apostolos Matsaridis, Vasileios Kaimakakis Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece ABSTRACT “Panem at Circenses” was the policy applied by the Greek military junta between 1967 and 1973. The bread and circuses policy was a well-known recipe with its roots in the Roman era. It included sport displays, rewarding athletes, formal participation of “the Aprilians” (the members of Greek military junta) in sport games, along with the celebration of anniversaries of “The 21st of April 1967 Revolution” all over Greece, which included gymnastic exhibitions. It must be pointed out that the April 21 regime shared a number of similarities with Metaxas’s regime of August 4. Because the “Aprilians” were advo- cates of Metaxas’s “NO” response, they tried to imitate him and utilize cultural exhibitions, especially sports, as means of promoting the regime’s propaganda to acquire a social face. Both regimes utilized mass celebrations based on traditions of ancient Greece, the Byzantine period and Greek-Orthodox culture. KEY WORDS sport, national interventionism, dictatorship, politics. Introduction and problems of daily life. Nowadays, this expression is used for cases of political pauperization focusing only on The coup d’etat of April 21, 1967 and the ensuing mili- temporary pleasures, when politicians intentionally offer tary government ruling Greece for seven years, at least at entertainments to the public. The expression has entered the beginning, invested heavily in the politics of massive the language of journalism all over the world [3]. emancipation. Apart from the mass media, the dictatorial Kitsch is a cultural production based on the worthless regime also invested in mass spectacles, e.g. in football, imitation of art. It was deified during the Greek colonels’ which was perceived as the basic form of national enter- dictatorship and formed the main symbol of the regime1. tainment. The peak of the regime’s interest in football was The enforcement of kitsch by the Greek military government the spring of 1971, when Panathinaikos F.C. reached the mesmerized the whole nation, along with the “post-martial European Cup finals. Also Greek basketball reached the Greek virtues”, “the bird of the last seven years”, “Pattakos’ top position during the “Seven Years”, with AEK Athens spatula” and “Papadopoulos’ dance”. The colonels wanted to winning the European Champions’ Cup in 1968. Besides follow the safe version of “bread and circuses”. In tailcoats these achievements the regime organized “Greek celebra- and tall hats, they took part in church services, parades and tions of martial virtue” at the Pan-Athenian stadium, April celebrations. 21st celebrations and Song Olympiads. The athletes were awarded by the colonels with spacious decorations every Easter, and the decoration ceremonies were broadcast Anniversaries of the April 21 coup nationwide. In this way, a mass emancipation was used to An interesting case of “bread and circuses” policy of re-design “Greek national history” with symbols, spectacles, the Greek military regime was the celebration of the sec- repetitions and kitsch – a form of aesthetic aphasia. In other ond anniversary of the April 21 coup at the Pan-Athenian words, the Greek military regime combined mass culture stadium and meticulously organized by the Athenian town with the national narrative [1]. hall2. Crowds of people gathered in the stadium, among The phrase “bread and circuses” has its roots in the them President Georgios Papadopoulos and many other Roman era and is the translation of the Latin expression panem et circenses. According to Giouvaneli [2], the Roman 1 Sunday Free Press, 23/04/2006. www.enet.gr Emperors offered wheat (bread) during amphitheatric spec- 2 21st of April, Parliament in Khaki, (National Archives of ΕΡΤ 174 tacles to people to take their minds from society’s worries documentary), 1/1/2002. Vol. 19, No. 4, 2012, 174-178 The panem et circenses policy of the Regime of the Colonels in Greek sport, 1967-1974 congregational and political leaders. The Evzones corps and The Football Cup of Greater Greece a military band were parading in the stadium while young girls and boys in traditional costumes were carrying the The Football Cup of Greater Greece, officially known Greek national flag. Additionally, commemorative floats la- as the Cup of Friendship between Mother Greece and beled “21st of April”, “National Education”, “Agriculture”, “Greek Daughter Cyprus, was a football cup contested between the Marine” as well as “the Greek electricity organization” were winner of the Cypriot Cup and the winner of the Greek Cup on the parade. Dancing bands performed Greek traditional held between 1969 and 1972. The cup matches against the dances. Athens was represented by parading buggy driv- Cypriot clubs were played by the Greek clubs of Olympiakos, ers in outfits from the early 20th century. Finally, splendid Panathinaikos, Aris, APOEL, Pezoporikos and Anorthosis. fireworks marked the end of the show. The winners of the cup were exclusively Greek teams Numerous male and female students attended the show (Olympiakos in 1969, and 1972, Panathinaikos in 1970 and in the Pan-Athenian stadium3. Georgios Papadopoulos ac- Aris in 1971). companied by many officials including, the Undersecretary of the Department of Education, gave a speech in front of the masses and was loudly applauded. Parachutes with Other athletic shows in the times of the Greek inscribed Greek flags inscribed were soaring above the military dictatorship stadium. Papadopoulos gave his speech to the youth “as In April 19698, the opening ceremony of the “International a father to his children”. He promised further development of Student, Spiritual and Sport Show” was held at the Acropolis. the education system and asked the young to get properly The event was organized by the Coordinating Committee of prepared for tomorrow, considering the fact that the youth Collegiate Sports and attended by Greek and Cypriot athlete of the country “was the best of the world”. He also asked students as well as by deans and professors of Greek and them not to fall into eudemonism, by rather to having faith foreign universities. An international dolichos race (ancient in Greek Orthodox ideals so that they would become the Greek race over the distance of 4,614 meters) and pan- gem of the world. The authorities of the Athenian suburb Hellenic student races were organized. The winners, both of Moschato organized then a spectacle for the April 21 an- graduate and undergraduate students, were awarded with niversary, with men in traditional costumes performing trophies funded by the National Bank of Greece. The partici- Greek dances. pants in this international athletic event visited among oth- The same year in Thessaloniki a crowd of people filled ers the Oracle of Delphi and admired the monuments that the Kaftanzoglio Stadium to witness another celebration of reminded them that Greece had been the spiritual nurse the April 21 anniversary. The spectacle was attended by the of the entire humanity. Nikitas Sioris, regime officials and metropolitan authorities of Thessaloniki and many other of- students attended the opening ceremony, whereas Ioannis ficials were also present. Students took part in the gymnastic Agathagelou awarded the athletes. shows in the stadium4. In 1969, the 9th European Athletics Championships were also held in the Karaiskaki Stadium and were attended by the regime authorities and many other officials. Young boys Celebrations of the Olympic Day and girls dressed in traditional costumes (members of dance One of components of the “bread and circuses” groups) paraded in the stadium along with young people policy was also the celebration of the Olympic Day at the with Greek flags and the participating teams. The athlete Panathenian Stadium in the Greek capital. This celebration Chris Papanikolaou recited the athletic oath. The balloons was initiated on the April 6, 1967 by King Constantine II to soaring in the air marked the opening of the championships, commemorate the modern revival of the Olympic Games while the athletes took part in shot put, heel-and-toe, speed in 1896. The athletic events during the celebration included races, discus throw, and high jump shows. fencing, Greco-Roman wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, track In October 1969, the European Zonal Chess and field events (men’s shot put, men’s and women’s 100 m Championships were held in the Zappeion Hall and were run, men’s and women’s 3000 m run, men’s broad jump, and attended by the Secretary General of Athletics, Konstantinos pole vault), friendly basketball matches, gymnastic perfor- Aslanidis. Top chess players from 16 countries competed mances by students of the National Academy of Sports for the chess champion title. In May 1971 the inauguration Education and also the biannual National Marathon along of the Painting Exhibition of Greek Athletics was held in the classic route between Marathon and the Pan-Athenian Aslanidis’s presence of in a hotel in Athens9. Stadium. The games were attended by all the regime of- In June and July 1971 the Piraeus sailing club success- ficials including Georgios Zoitakis, Konstantinos Aslanidis fully organized the 3rd International Sailing Rally, in which and Stelios Pattakos5,6,7. 24 Greek and foreign crews participated. The starting point for the competing yachts in Tourkolimano was chosen by the Regent of Greece, Giorgios Zoitakisby. The rally participants 3 Oblation to the 21st of April (National Archives of ΕΡΤ’s document), 1/1/1999. 4 Free World, 22/4/1969, pp. 1, 4. 8 Free World, 4/4/1969, p. 2. 5 Nation, 6/4/1968, p.