The Re enactment of Ypsilantis and his sacred band taking the revolutionary oath will take place in Melbourne tomorrow. Many Greek-Australians are expected to watch Lansdowne Street in East Melbourne transform into a street bursting with colour, dancing, and music in an event that commemorates the 200 year anniversary of the Greek War of Independence and the Feast Day of the Holy Church of the ‘Annunciation of our Lady’.
The Sacred Band (Greek: Ιερός Λόχος) was a battalion founded by Alexander Ypsilantis at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, in February 1821 in Wallachia, now part of Romania. It was named after the Sacred Band of Thebes, and composed of young Greek volunteers who rallied to Ypsilantis’ call for revolutionary struggle. It was the first organized military unit of the revolution, with troops bearing a common outfit and equipment, plus a fair level of military discipline. The volunteers were mostly students coming from the Greek populations of the Black Sea, and the first core of the battalion had 500 people (later reaching up to 2,000). G. Kantakouzinos was the first commander of the Sacred Band, with Athanasios Tsakalov (one of the founders of the Filiki Eteria) as the second in command.
The program for the day is as follows:
9:00
11:00: Church service
11:30:
Choir performance
11:40:
VIP speeches
12:00:
Re enactment of Ypsilantis and his sacred band taking the revolutionary oath
12:45
Manasis School of Greek Dance and Culture
1:05
PanCretan Association of Melbourne
1:30
Pan Macedonian Association
2:00
Pegasus Dance Academy
As well as a program filled with dance and drama, there will also be loukoumades from St Gerry’s,
koulouria, Greek flags, and much more!
