Then, Athenians last month gasped when they heard that Coca Cola was absconding with the Parthenon. A widely circulated advertisement showed the temple of Athena supported by columns in the shape of soft-drink bottles. Great was the outcry. “Having bought the 1996 Olympics,” scoffed the conscience of Hellenism, Melina Mercouri, “they are now taking the Parthenon.” Rumors that the whole Acropolis would be moved to Atlanta were denied, and the ‘Pop-Drink of Hubris’ (Athenian press rhetoric) apologized.
Finally, Athenians completely lost patience when they found out that Mr Gligorov and his Skopje Scallywags had run off with the star of Vergina and glued it up on their flag in place of their tatty five-pointed Communist one.
This was merely the latest and most flagrant jab by the self-proclaimed Republic of Macedonia. Long a thorn in the Hellenic flesh, it received support last month from an unexpected source, Rusia.
Philhellene Mikhail Gorbatchev had gone on record saying that Macedonia is Greek and Greek only. Not so Boris Yeltsin. While paying an official visit to Bulgaria on August 7 the Russian president said that the former southernmost Yugoslav republic should be recognized as ‘Macedonia’. He went on to ask the EC to reverse its Lisbon decision which supported the Greek appeal to block recognition of a state that has purlioned a name which Greeks feel to be only theirs.
Athens was taken aback by the statement, having understood that Mr Yeltsin had previously endorsed the EC stand.
“This act is a huge political mistake,” an official statement here fumed, “which threatens to undermine the efforts for peace and stability in the region.
“Greece expresses its deep sorrow at this action,” the text continued, “which also threatens to cast a deep shadow on the traditionally friendly ties between our two countries.”
Notwithstanding the reaction, Moscow formally announced recognition of ‘Macedonia’ the following day, Bulgaria having been the only country to do so to date.
President Karamanlis rarely makes public statements on such purely political matters, but on this occasion he was impelled to say, “I think that Russia has made a serious error, before putting its own house in order, to put on a show of strength for the democratic West by provoking Greece.”
As they often do, the president’s words reflected unofficial but broadly held opinion (and fears, in this case) that Moscow’s act is an attempt to reestablish its supremacy over the Slavic people of the Balkans and to revive tribal dreams to establish themselves on the shores of the Aegean, just as Tito did a generation ago, and Skopje has continued to do in the meantime.
Skopje’s flamboyant gesture to abscond with history and disort it as well takes a lot of bravado. If, in consequence, Richter-like rumblings are detected (for those with ears to hear them) amongst the tombs at Vergina, the loudest are emanating from the freshest one; namely, that of recently deceased Manolis Andronikos, the archaeologist who discovered the star embazoned on the larnax of Philip II. Although it is one of the most celebrated finds in the annals of Greek archaeology, the moment of revelation in the words of the discoverer himself are well worth repeating. It took place on the night of November 8, 1977, the Feast of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.
“We had yet to open the marble sarcophagus. When I judged us ready for this final act, I descended into the tomb with two assistants. Foreseeing that its contents would be especially valuable, and wishing to keep it secret for reasons of security, I ordered the opening of the tomb to be closed… We managed in short time to raise the lid. And then we saw a sight which it is not possible for me to have imagined, because until then such an ossuary had never been found; an all-gold larnax with an impressive relief star… with sixteen rays, eight smaller rays lying between eight larger, and at the center a circle and within a double rosette with gold petals…”
The Star of Vergina had itself become the symbol of Hellenic resistence to Skopje’s campaign to be recognized as an independent state under the name ‘Macedonia’. The theft therefore is doubly contemptible. Although it provides to date the most glaring evidence of Skopje’s 40 years of expansionist propaganda, it may possibly poke the EC ostrich into pulling its head out of the sand and start looking around at things like history. Unfortunately, as Mr Karamanlis has warned in none too veiled a way, there are forces, perhaps powerful, at work which would like to see the Balkan conflict move south.
The more light-hearted are pleased to hear that Skopje is now coming out with blue-and-gold passports had for the asking, stamped with the word ‘Macedonia’. In this case, all true Macedonians – that is, the inhabitants of the northern Greek province – should be issued those passports and bestowed with citizenship. In that case, they can elect a majority in the Skopje parliament and thus solve the issue once and for all.
