On March 11th, 2026, the UC Berkeley Modern Greek and Hellenic Studies Program welcomed Professor Nikolaos Panou, Senior Lecturer at the Stanley J. Seeger ’52 Center for Hellenic Studies and Associate Director for Teaching, Learning, and Public Service at Princeton University, to UC Berkeley’s Wheeler Hall to present a lecture entitled “Collective Representations of the Greek War of Independence.” Attended by fifty people, he lecture was given as the 2026 edition of the annual Nikos Kazantzakis Lecture, examining various documents and records that demonstrate how Byzantium and Greek history were used to gain support for independence.
The lecture opened with a joint welcome from the Consul General of Greece in San Francisco Grigorios Tassiopoulos, and UC Berkeley History Professor Christine Philliou. Panou began with a brief introduction to the 1821 Greek Revolution and the common message that was spread in its era: “Fight for Faith and Homeland.” During the first half of the lecture, Panou focused on how the movement used Ancient Greece as a “valid passport” to advocate for Greek independence. Panou presented a translation of the Greek Constitution that revolutionary leaders sent to John Quincy Adams via Harvard Professor Edward Everett. Furthermore, he presented documents identifying potential relatives of Byzantines in Cornwall and Barbados, whom Greek revolutionary leaders contacted to build support for the cause.
The second half of the lecture examined the symbols used during the Greek War of Independence. Panou analyzed a painting by Louis Dupré, depicting Nikolakis Mitropoulos, a Greek Orthodox priest, raising the flag at Salona. The details illustrated the struggle for independence from the Ottomans, portraying a broader conflict between Islam and Christianity, and between the East and the West. He then presented additional artworks that included subtle references to Byzantine influence in promoting Greek national identity during the fight for independence. Panou concluded the lecture with reflections on the impact of Greek history and the differing roles of Byzantium and Ancient Greece in shaping national identity during the war, followed by an audience driven question-and-answer session.