Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2002/01/21/wandering_the_back_streets_of_athens.php
Monday, January 21, 2002
Bosnia with Beaches
Greece is Bosnia with beaches.
Now that might not be fair—to the Bosnians that is—but as I studied more modern Greek history, the phrase struck me. While the Bosnians blame their neighbors for much of their recent suffering, the Greeks punish themselves.
Flying into Athens means flying into the brand-new, and very nice, E. Venizelos Airport. This is an odd introduction to Greece: it is new, clean, and efficient. Of course, the airport was built and designed by Germans. The old airport, Hellikon, better represented the country, with its deteriorating facilities, poor security, and overall chaos.
The new airport is also noteworthy in its naming. Venizelos was Greece's Prime Minister around World War I and during the inter-war period. He is best known for his Megali Ideah, or literally, Great Idea. The Great Idea was the expansion of Greece's borders to the size of its historical antecedent- the time of Alexander the Great. What this meant in practice was the conquest of territories held by neighboring countries including Bulgaria and Turkey. After success in securing some of the Aegean islands that Greece claimed, Venizelos marched the troops into Anatolia. At first, along the coast, the Greeks continued their success. Eventually though, they moved towards Ankara, in some sort of bad imitation of Xenophon's Ten Thousand. Hemingway memorably mocked how badly the Greeks had overextended their supply lines, and the whole adventure ended in catastrophe with the city of Smyrna (now Izmir) sacked, the Greek army routed, and an influx of over a million refugees.
In a sense, Venizelos was a model for future Balkan leaders, like Milosevic or Tudjman, who sought a Greater Serbia and Greater Croatia. And like his successors, Venizelos's idea brought ruin upon the people he led.
Greek politics are hysterical: instead of looking towards Washington as a basis of comparison, it is easier to consider the self-defeating actions of Bosnian leaders. Greece is the only country in Eastern Europe where unreconstructed Communists, in the form of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), poll so well.
During the 2000 Parliamentary Elections, both major parties, the ND and PASOK flew Greeks living in Europe back to their home villages to vote. From Germany, Austria, and elsewhere, Greeks boarded charter flights to make the journey to whatever little town in which they were registered to vote. Both parties, however neglected to arrange return transportation and thousands were stranded all over Greece.
If the Megali Ideah is not sufficient evidence of Greece's Balkan-ness, consider the situation with their tiny neighbor to the north, Macedonia (or Republika Makedonija or the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or Vardar Macedonia, depending with whom you are speaking). As the constituent republics of Yugoslavia became independent, Macedonia was in a bind. Bulgaria recognized the existence of the country, but denied that the Macedonians were a people or had a language (Sofia claimed they were all Bulgarian). Greece threw a fit saying that the name represented a claim on the Greek province of Macedonia and its capital, Thessaloniki (or Solun in Macedonian). Greece blocked repeated efforts to have the EU and UN recognize the new country, suggesting instead that it should be called the Republic of Skopje. The compromise was the 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,' which is the country's officially recognized name, even though it calls itself Republika Makedonija. That Greece, a member of NATO and the EU, was willing to go to such lengths over a trivial matter, shows the depth of nationalist feeling in the country.
Athens, the capital, is a charming city that was absolutely deserted a mere hundred and fifty years ago. Initially, the Great Powers that agitated for Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire wanted the town of Nauplion to be the capital. But when the German prince selected to be the Greek king, Otto, arrived, it was obvious that the Philhellene movement that had successfully liberated Greece would not want Nauplion to be the capital when Athens was available. German designers came up with a city plan for the new European capital that was quickly forgotten, resulting in the sprawl and irrationality of the city today. From the Acropolis, one can see Piraeus (on a clear day) and the mass of the city that climbs up the surrounding hills. The smog is so bad from the million-plus cars clogging the streets that the Parthenon is melting. The city recently built a subway system to supplement the century-old Athens-Piraeus rail line.
The Athens Flea Market in Monastiraki has the highest density of kitsch in the known world. Stall after stall of broken phones, records, books, and clothes are interspersed with gyro stands and small cafes. Everyone circulates the narrow alleyways looking for what they need. Oddly, there is a high density of army surplus clothing. I could have outfitted myself as a colonel, with all the requisite insignia, uniforms, and Kevlar helmet with two or three quick stops at the little stores. I'm certain more exotic and illegal items are also available to those in the know, but I'm not one of those, here.
For all the overdone tourism of Plaka and the Acropolis, there are nicer parts of the city. Tucked away behind the Benaki Museum are the older residential neighborhoods of Athens, full of sharply-appointed boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. The streets are clean and tree-lined. The British and American Schools are also to be found here.
As clichéd as it is, there is still something remarkable about walking down from the Acropolis at dusk. Strolling past the ancient Agora, the library of Hadrian, and tiny Byzantine churches, it is hard not to notice the modern homes, hotels, and cafes pressed against the walls and fences. Concentrating on the intersection of old and new, it is easy to appreciate the uniqueness of Greece in the Balkan world. Unraveling the threads of difference, continuity, and discord is a worthy and difficult task.
Such work must be done in other countries in the region, but it is much more pleasant in Greece. The food and beaches are better.