The next Greek History and Culture Seminar is set to take place on Thursday 7 July, and will cover the topic of ‘Iakovos Vasilikos, the Samian King of Moldovia’.
While traditional historiography has presented Hellenism as completely cut off from the west during the early years of Ottoman rule, a number of outstanding Greeks actually made lasting contributions to the history of Western Europe and were thoroughly integrated into its society.
Iakovos Vasilikos, also known as John Jacob Heraclides, was one of these individuals, who was a scholar, theologian, knight, diplomat and court intriguer.
Almost single-handedly, Vasilikos managed to hatch a plan to liberate Greece, which implicated and included most of the crowned heads of Europe and culminated in him becoming not only the King of Moldavia, but also the first official Protestant monarch in Europe.
And it would be some two-and-a-half centuries later that elements of Vasilikos’ plan would be replicated by the Filiki Etaireia in proclaiming the liberation of Greece from exactly the same geographic location.
The presentation will be given by Dean Kalimniou, director of Toorak Law and well-known poet and short story writer within the Greek community.
He writes a weekly column in Neos Kosmos and has published four poetry collections: Kipos Esokleistos (Garden Enclosed), Alexipyrina (Flameproof), Apteros Niki (Wingless Victory), Anisixasmos and Plektani.
The lecture will take place on Thursday 7 July at the Greek Centre (Mezzanine, 168 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC) at 7pm. Attendance is free of charge.