The call of the marbles: COSMOTE TV’s new documentary series on the dispersion of Greek antiquities in the West

The dispersion of Greek antiquities over the last five centuries, the role that Ancient Greece played in shaping the modern European cultural identity, as well as the creation of the Greek State, are the focal topics of the new documentary series “The call of the marbles”, produced by COSMOTE TV. The new 10-episode series premieres on COSMOTE HISTORY HD on Tuesday, November 5 at 22.00, with the first episode simultaneously available on COSMOTE TV’s official YouTube channel.

Throughout the documentary, distinguished Greek and European historians and archaeologists, including directors of leading archeological Schools (American School of Classical Studies in Athens, British School of Athens, French School of Athens, German Archaeological Academy, Italian Archaeological School of Athens) give their views on the interest shown by Western Europe in the acquisition of Greek antiquities as far back as the 13th century. Today, Ancient Greece’s influence is evident in many European cities, mainly through architectural monuments and buildings.

“If you go around London today, you will find little Parthenons, little Erechtheia and little Propylaea. Not only in London, but also in Edinburgh, Bath and elsewhere. It is transferring an aesthetic and the aesthetic it isn’t about something that is beautiful but about something that is perfect. Coming into contact with perfect, as the Ancients used to say, you are ‘approved’ as a human being, you get “paideia”. But when this is transferred to a modern place like London the “paideia” quickly gets lost and ends up being a decorative element”, says William St Clair, a British historian, senior research fellow at the Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London.

 

What is more, special mention is made to the seizure and transportation of the Parthenon marbles by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin (1803), while emphasis is put on the fact that their arrival in London was a milestone in the development of the city.

 

“Athens became the paradigm city for London. And when the Parthenon’s sculptures arrived at the museum, they were considered part of the Athenian identity. What did London have? Some toll stations and some medieval street plans and eventually the British Museum had very little to show. So, they took the example of the flatty little Athens with its little streets and little houses, the flatty brave Athens and its glory “, says Dr. Ian Jenkins, Honorary Superintendent of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities of the British Museum.

 

The first episode of the series, titled “The Awakening of Antiquity”, follows distinguished personalities, such as the antiquarian Kyriakos of Agona and the cartographer Christopher Boondelmond, presenting the “birth” of Western Europe’s interest in the Greek antiquity.   

 

The episodes of the new series, written and directed by Kleanthis Danopoulos, air in first TV broadcast on COSMOTE HISTORY HD every Tuesday night at 22.00 and will rerun every Friday at 19.00. Once broadcast on the channel, all episodes will be available on demand through the COSMOTE TV PLUS service.

 

The new series “Call of the marbles” belongs to the quality package of original shows and documentaries of COSMOTE HISTORY HD, the only Greek documentary channel that focuses on Greece. Since 2016, more than 80 original documentaries or series have been broadcasted at the channel, in production or co-production of COSMOTE TV and more than 1,000 documentaries signed by top Greek and foreign creators.

Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Curator of Antiquities, Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia, Eirini Galli, Archaeologist, Head of the Department of Pre-Classical, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman Antiquities, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Eleni Korka, Honorary General Director of the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Manolis Korres,  EMP Professor, member of the Academy of Athens, Theodoros Koutsogiannis, Art Historian, Curator of the Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, Maria Lagogianni, Director of Archaeological Museum, Roula Leventouri, Curator of Antiquities, Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia, Fani Mallouchou-Tufano, Vice Chairman of the Acropolis Monuments Conservation Committee (ESMA), Paraskevas Matalas, Historian, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of the Aegean, Dimitris Pantermalis, Archeology Professor APTH, Director of the Acropolis Museuam, Konstantinos Paschalidis, Archaeologist, Curator of Antiquities at the Archaeological Museum of Athens, George Tolias, Historical Director of Research National Research Foundation, Panagiotis Tournikiotis, Architect-Professor of Architecture NTUA, Kostas G. Tsiknakis Historian, Institute of Historical Research National Research Foundation, John Hamilakis, Modern Greek Studies Archeology Professor, Brown University, Kostis Christakis, Curator of Knossos for the British School of Athens, Anastasia Christofilopoulou, Curator of Greek, Roman and Cypriot Collection of the Museum Fitzwilliam, Cambridge, John Bennet, Archaeologist, Principal of the British School of Athens, Filippo M. Carinci, Professor of Archeology University of Ca ‘Foscar Venice, William St. Clair, Institute of English Studies, University of London, Alexandre Farnoux, Principal of the French School of Athens, Joel Gebauer, Curator of the State Collections of Antiquities and at the Munich Sculpture-safe, Ian Jenkins, Curator, Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museam, Prof. Emanuele Papi, Principal, Italian School of Archeology in Athens, Dr Marcella De Paoli, National Archaeological Museum of Venice, Amélie Perrier, Archaeologist, Director of Ancient and Byzantine Studies, French School of Athens, Dr Alison Pollard, Classical Studies Researcher, University of Oxford and Ashmolean Museaum, Etienne Roland, Honorary Professor of Classical Archeology, University of Sorbonne, Dr. Guy Sanders, Former Director of the American School of Classical Studies, Alain Schnapp, Honorary Professor of Greek Archeology, Sorbonne University, PD DR. Reinhard Senff, Scientific Director of the Athens Archaeological Institute, Katja Sporn, Classical Archaeologist, Director of the German School of Athens, James Wright, Principal of the American School of Classical Studies, Alessia Zambon, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin (UVSQ).

 

Production: COSMOTE TV

Company of Executive Production: BOO Productions

Producer: Takis Nikolakopoulos

Screenplay-direction: Kleanthis Danopoulos

Photography Director: Evgenios Dionisopoulos

Scientific consultants: Mary Adamopoulou, Marinos Argiriadis-Kachrilas

Research of archival material: Marinos Argiriadis-Kachrilas

Interview Curator: Mary Adamopoulou

Production Management: Petros Mantouvalos, Eleni Tsatsoula

Narration: Giorgos Liantos, Nikos Tsines

Montage: Thanassis Papathanasiou, Mixalis Papadakis

Assistant Directors: Dimitris Paparoidamis, Ilias Stathis

Production coordination: Vaso Vasilopoulou, Keraso Matiatou, Christina Anastopoulou