S U M M E R e 2 0 0 4 GennadeionGennadeion NewsNews A SPECIAL INSERT TO THE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS Star chart lithographed by Gennadeion Dionysos Pyrrhos. Launches New Photo courtesy of the Gennadius Library Program cum in hospitals in Milan. While eginning in Summer 2005, in Milan, he studied at the same the Gennadius Library time practical astronomy at the Bis organizing a bi-annual Observatory of Milan, with per- Summer Session dedicated to the mission of the Italian Minister of study of Medieval Greek. the Interior himself. The breadth Conceived by incoming of his interests and knowl- Director Maria Georgopoulou, edge is reflected in the titles of the four-week session aims the books that he wrote and to familiarize students with published, among which were Medieval Greek language and Φαρµακσπα (Pharmacopeia), philology by exposing them to Μεθδικ Γεωγραα (System of primary sources, different kinds Geometry), Αριθµητικ (Arith- of literary genres, paleography, metic), µλγα της Πστεως and epigraphy as well as biblio- (Confession of Faith), Τα ρη graphic and electronic tools. The τυ ανθρπυ (The Obligations of program will also include site Mankind), Γραµµατικ (Gram- and museum visits. Led by two mar), and Πρακτικ ιατρικ και professors to be selected in Fall τανικ (The Practice of Medi- 2004, the summer session will “Aστρνµα, Eπιστµη Μεγλη cine and Botany). have ten members. και Hδνικ” In the “Study of Planets,” The program will also include Pyrrhos lists all the planets and visits to area museums and li- stronomy: The Great primer, which, in addition to 296 comets, the mythology around braries including the Byzantine, and Delightful Science”: pages of text, has a folding star them, their measurements, their the Benaki, and the Epigraphy thus was astronomy chart lithographed by Pyrrhos movements, and how to calcu- “A late their distance from the earth Museums and the National Li- characterized in a book written himself as well as lithographed brary, as well as visits to sites, by Dionysios Pyrrhos and pub- plates showing Greek deities as- or other nearby planets. “The museums, and monuments of lished in Athens in 1896, with sociated with individual planets Study of the Heavens” includes the Byzantine era outside Athens the title Πρακτικ Αστρνµα and constellations. a description of the Zodiac cycle including Thessaloniki, Hosios ... ερανισθεσα εκ διαρων In his early years a monk, and the constellations along with Loucas, and Daphni. συγγραων και συντεθεσα εις Dionysios Pyrrhos (1774–1853) the mythological stories associ- Offered at the intermediate µρη δ εις Πλανητγρααν later was ordained as a priest. He ated with them. Sometimes, level, the program is geared to και υρανγρααν, υπ τυ studied ancient Greek, physics, as he is describing a star or a students enrolled in a graduate αριµανδρτυ και ιατρδιδασκλυ mathematics, geometry, theology, constellation, Pyrrhos will inter- program in any field of Byzantine ∆ινυσυ Πρρυ τυ Θετταλ medicine, and astronomy, in- weave what he deemed historical studies in a North American or (“The Study of Astronomy, com- structed by well-known teachers information. In the chapter on European university. A minimum piled from various authors and wherever they happened to be, the constellation “Heart of Al- of two years of college-level produced in two parts, ‘Study in Greece or in Italy. As he him- exander,” for example, Pyrrhos Classical Greek or the equivalent of the Planets’ and ‘Study of the self wrote, in Περιγησις ιτρικ wrote that after God finished is required. If there are avail- Heavens,’ by the archimandrite και Βγραα (Historical and with the creation of the world able spots, college professors in and medical teacher Dionysios Biographical Voyages), published seven great persons lived upon North America or Europe may the Earth: Xerxes, the Persian Pyrrhos of Thessaly”). A recent in Athens in 1848, he studied continued on page G3 also be considered. acquisition of the Gennadius medicine and graduated from the king; Themistocles the Athenian, For further information see Library, the book is an extremely University of Padua, School of who defeated Xerxes; Alexander the website: www.ascsa.edu.gr. e rare illustrated astronomical Medicine, going on to a practi- continued on page G2 G2 G E N N A D E I O N N E W S NEH Fellow Delves into Kapetanakis Archive Recipient of a 2003–04 Senior Research Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Stathis Gourgouris (Columbia Univer- sity) reports on his progress toward publication of the extant works of Demetrios Kapetanakis, whose archives are housed in the Gennadius Library. emetrios Kapetanakis Kapetanakis’ writings on Brit- Archival work—specifically, with the astonishment of having (1912–1944) is by all ish literature: some 25 essays, this kind of editorship of posthu- encountered, in concrete and Daccounts a unique figure most of them short and concise, mous manuscripts—does not tangible fashion, persons and in Modern Greek letters. Born and many of them in complete generally characterize my aca- epochs of another order alto- in Smyrna and raised in Athens or nearly complete form. This demic research patterns. Indeed, gether. It is as much a work that after the Asia Minor War (1922), group of essays will form the this year provided me with first- takes place in the mind, as it is Kapetanakis was educated in basis of an English-language hand experience in something so dramatically hands-on. There philosophy at the University of edition of Kapetanakis’ posthu- that was in many ways awe- is something immensely gripping Athens (as a student of future mous writings. The rest of the inspiring. No doubt, this had a about the real, existing traces of prime minister Panagiotis Kanel- Gennadius holdings consists of lot to do with this unique mate- history having been made and lopoulos) and at the University the most substantial part of his rial, but I also discovered that yet having remained undiscov- of Heidelberg (1934–36), under correspondence (more than one it has as much to do with the ered. And there is also something the tutelage of Karl Jaspers, com- hundred letters), as well as a archival experience itself. Work- deeply personal in the encounter, pleting a dissertation with the variety of essays and poems that ing on posthumous archives is something that quickly becomes variant Heideggerian title Liebe overlap in part with the archive a solitary task, which leaves one internalized in the researcher. e und Zeit. In 1939, he moved to in Firestone Library. This second England (Cambridge and then group of writings includes mostly London) on a British Council material on Greek literature and Pyrrhos Scholarship. He became involved painting, as well as quite a few continued from page G1 in English literary modernist poems and drafts of poems, many circles and began to write poetry of which remain unpublished. Russia, whose virtues and deeds in English, which was published So far, I have set aside six reached the sky and who defeat- to great acclaim and drew exten- Greek essays for inclusion as ed Napoleon. The work is filled sive praise at the time from the part of a collection of posthu- with many similar vignettes of Bloomsbury Circle and Dame mous works to be published by history and mythology. Edith Sitwell. Kapetanakis was Estia Press, under my editorial At the end of the book there the first to translate into English supervision. From the essays on is a list of subscribers, people the poetry of his friends George British poetry, I have selected the who had paid up front for the Seferis and Odysseus Elytis, most integral ones for translation production of the book. At the which was, according to his close into Greek; these will become time, Greek authors and publish- friend and executor John Lehm- part of this publication as well. ers followed Western (particu- ann, a groundbreaking gesture The rest will consist of mate- larly Italian) methods for fund- in preparing the postwar recep- rial from the Firestone archive, ing publication, and needed to tion of the two poets in England. which contains most of the secure buyers ahead of time for Demetrios Kapetanakis died of drafts of philosophical works or their books in order to meet the leukemia in a London hospital works on aesthetics, written vari- enormous cost of production, at the age of 32, leaving behind a ably in Greek, English, French, since there was no developed vast and unrealized potential, yet and German. I am nearing the system for sales and distribution. concrete traces of a far-reaching, final selection process and have Subscriber lists acknowledge uniquely configured vision. begun translation work, on those individuals who had un- Plate showing the Greek deity Zeus. derwritten the book, a method The Gennadius Library, to- which I will have the aid of two Photo courtesy of the Gennadius Library. gether with Firestone Library colleagues. Upon my return to devised particularly for scholarly at Princeton University, holds the United States, I will begin publications. Today, these lists of ninety percent of the extant organizing the English-language the Great, who defeated all the subscribers are valuable sources Kapetanakis archive, a unique publication, toward which kings of Asia and Africa; King for studying the social history and extraordinary collection that Princeton University Press has Charles of France, who liber- of Greek cultural life in the eight- e has yet to receive the research shown interest. Depending on ated Europe from the barbarians; eenth and nineteenth centuries. attention it deserves. There is how work proceeds, I expect the Peter the Great of Russia, who little overlap between the two English and Greek publications elevated Russia to the sky; Napo- —Sophie Papageorgiou archives.