book presentation

The Anthos Library of Fougaro and the "Friends of the General State Archives of Argolis” invite you to the presentation of the book Ritual, power and memory; the ceremonies for the Landing of Otto (1833-1862) by Maria Velioti-Georgopoulou, professor of Social Anthropology at the University of the Peloponnese.

The event will be addressed by:

• Μάνος Σπυριδάκης, professor of Social Anthropology, University of Athens
• Panayotis Kimourtzis,  professor of History of Education, University of Athens
• Pepi Gavala, Dr of History, Archivist, Head of the General State Archives of Laconia
• The event will be moderated by Dimitris Georgopoulos, president of the Friends of the General State Archives of Argolis

About the book:

Based on anthropological thinking, the book examines power dynamics through the prism of ritual, which in a broader sense goes beyond magic/religion to encompass secular rites. Indeed, as these rites are repeated over the years, the management of ritualistic memory becomes a major concern for the power that instituted them.

This question is explored through the study of the rite of Otto’s landing in Nafplio as the first king of Greece on 25 January 1833 and the nationwide Landing celebrations that commemorated this event throughout Otto’s reign.

Moving in the field of historical anthropology, the study is based on a rich archive material, mainly from the 1833-1862 period, kept in the headquarters and the Argolis branch of the General State Archives.

Starting from this primary material, the study is called upon to answer a series of questions, such as: Why did the landing rite and its annual commemorations become top among the dynastic rites of Otto’s reign, to the point of being described as national? How does one explain their lasting so long? What was the authority that organised them, often staging them down to the smallest detail? What was the aim of their institution and their repetition? How were they received by the public, and what was the public’s involvement in the celebrations? Who were the rite masters and who the recipients? Also, how were these rituals connected to questions of establishing and acknowledging the ‘Greekness’ of a king who was not of Greek descent? Finally, how was this ritual linked to the anti-Otto movement that led to the king’s expulsion? (from the back cover of the book)