"The Greeks were the creators of the European spirit. Much of what we are, we owe to them." So stated the great philologist Werner Jaeger, author of one of the most important works on Greek education. Indeed, our cultural identity as Europeans has its roots in Greece: a Greece that extends far beyond its geographical boundaries through its intellectual legacy.
Unfortunately, nowadays, declaring that our identity was created in Greece has become a cliché and, as such, risks obscuring our understanding of how Greek culture continues to shape our worldview, our systems of governance, and our very conception of what it means to be human. Never before, in this historical moment, when the rules of civil life in which we have believed seem to be crumbling, has it been more necessary to return to those roots, to trust in human reason as a tool for deciphering reality, in line with the thought of the great Greek philosophers. We must remember, along with them, that the legitimacy of a decision depends not on force or divine right, but on persuasion and rational debate.
This reflection also extends to the aesthetic sphere. It was Greek art that placed the human form at the center of the universe, as the measure of all things, establishing over time a canon that Europe has continued to pursue and emulate, from the Roman Empire to the Renaissance, and down to the present day.
For these reasons, the "Hellenic Cosmos Center" initiative, promoted by the Development Organization of the Region of Attica "New Metropolitan Attica S.A." and the Regional Development Fund of Attica, is a welcome development. We hope this project will become a genuine meeting point for all participants. By working together, we aim to give due prominence to ancient Greek culture and the values that unite us. I am confident that, with a fruitful exchange of ideas and shared experiences, we can build an even stronger and lasting bond between European countries, in the name of our common cultural roots.
Eugenio La Rocca
Professor of Archaeology
La Sapienza University, Rome