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Friday, 22 November 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-04-29Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Dr. Stephen G. Miller: From Berkeley to Ancient NemeaHe came to Greece in the 70s as a young archaeologist aspiring to bring to light the city of the legendary Ulysses or at least the palaces of King Phillip of Macedon. Destiny, however, and the University of California at Berkeley led the footsteps of Dr. Stephen G. Miller to Nemea in the Peloponnese, southern Greece, where he unearthed the ancient stadium of the Nemean Panhellenic Games.In an interview with ANA-MPA's "Greek Diaspora" magazine, he said that the digging was carried out very cautiously, and frequently with bare hands. "The first time I visited Greece I felt a sense of national identity," he said, adding: "I felt that I've always belonged there and will belong there forever." Dr. Miler has spent nine months at the site, despite the fact that he is no longer the director of the excavations. He has played a decisive role in the revival of the Nemean Games in their ancient form. Participating athletes are obligated to wear robes similar to those worn by their fellow athletes in antiquity. "I believe that this re-enactment and revival of the Ancient Nemean Games makes us all feel a part of this magnificent Greek history," he says. Referring to Macedonia, he said that the ancient Greeks in the 7th century BC considered the Macedons Greeks, adding that "their Greek identity is obvious given that the inscriptions of the ancient Macedons were written in Greek". Furthermore, based on the archaeological findings, the Macedons participated in the Games of Nemea as one of the Greek tribes and this is an indisputable fact. He said that the new Acropolis Museum is exceptional and stressed that the British Museum no longer has any excuse to keep the Parthenon Marbles, "the epitome of ancient perfection, the cornerstone of Western civilization, of beauty and symmetry", in London. "If my hand was missing, wouldn't I ask for it back? The answer is self-evident," he continued. He stated that isolated sculptures such as the Aphrodite of Milos or Nike of Samothraki could continue to be on display at the Louvre, or other such artifacts in museums throughout the world, in order to showcase the perfection of the Ancient Greek spirit. But the Parthenon Marbles must be returned to their home, to be housed in the New Acropolis Museum, to complete their historic whole. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |