For These We Fought. Antiquities and the Greek Revolution

This book is the catalogue of the exhibition organized by the National Archaeological Museum in 2020 to honor the great anniversary of national rebirth. The title borrows the famous motto of General Makriyannis, as the museological narrative focuses on the role that Greek antiquities played in the ideological strengthening of the great uprising. The publication combines in five thematic sections 26 selected antiquities with 26 modern works from the 18th and 19th centuries. This combinatory approach selectively illuminates the adventurous coexistence of the ancient world with the modern era, revealing important aspects of the multifaceted relationship between antiquities and the Greek Revolution: the "discovery" of monuments and their systematic looting, destruction and trade by foreign travelers, the multifaceted connection of ancient classical tradition with the Philhellenism movement, the empowerment of Greek self-awareness and their agonizing efforts to claim and protect ancient heritage.