The President of the Hellenic Republic at the British School at Athens
A special evening with the President of the Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Mr. Constantinos Tassoulas, for BSA Supporters and special guests
On Friday 25 September 2026, the British School at Athens was honoured to welcome the President of the Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Mr. Constantinos Tassoulas, for a special evening in the atmospheric setting of the BSA Library. The event was hosted by the Chair of Council, Professor Sir Roderick Beaton, and the Director, Professor Rebecca Sweetman, and introduced by Ms. Robyn Goldsmith, Chargée d’affaires of the British Embassy Athens.
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- Ms. Robyn Goldsmith and Professor Rebecca Sweetman greeting Mr. Constantinos Tassoulas
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- Ms. Robyn Goldsmith in the BSA Library
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- Professor Rebecca Sweetman in the BSA Library
Ms. Goldsmith opened the evening by highlighting the long and rich relationship between Greece and the United Kingdom, embodied in institutions such as the BSA.
Director of the BSA, Professor Rebecca Sweetman, reflected on the BSA’s 140 years of scholarship, collaboration and connection with Greece. Thanks to the warm hospitality of its Greek hosts, the BSA has grown from an archaeological institution into an interdisciplinary community spanning archaeology, anthropology, history, linguistics, literature, heritage and scientific research. She paid particular tribute to the contributions of women, pointing to the exhibition Women Philhellenes and their Impact on Society, on display at the reception.
Professor Sir Roderick Beaton brought a personal touch to the evening recalling his own Greek Citizenship Ceremony, which Mr. Tassoulas, then Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, attended and celebrated with him. He went on to introduce the President, tracing the highlights of a distinguished career.
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- Professor Sir Roderick Beaton and Mr. Tassoulas exchanging gifts
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- Mr. Yiannis Stournaras and Mr. Constantinos Tassoulas looking at the BSA’s rare book collection
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- Mrs. Hassapoyanes and Mr. Blandford enjoying the Women Philhellenes exhibition
Mr. Tassoulas spoke on the establishment and contribution of the foreign archaeological schools to Greece’s cultural memory. He took us on a historical journey from the first European travellers, who from the fifteenth century sought out monuments forgotten for centuries, to the Age of Enlightenment, when curious and wealthy visitors set off on the “Grand Tour” in search of the ancient world. By the late eighteenth century Greece was seen not only as the birthplace of a lost civilisation but as a living nation on the eve of its uprising, a change in outlook that helped ignite the philhellenic movement.
He then referenced the Greek nation’s awakening to protect and preserve their cultural heritage, which allowed for the establishment of the first foreign archaeological schools. He describes these schools as “an institution that began with philhellenism, matured through science, and today functions as a global community of memory and knowledge.”
The President described archaeology as a science that is poetic as well as technical, and paid tribute to the archaeologists who worked in Greece through great hardship. He closed by thanking the foreign schools for helping to rebuild the memory of Greece and Europe and to revitalise Greek identity and culture. The seeds of the future, he said, lie in the memory of the past.
Professor Beaton gave the closing remarks, thanking the President for his insights and historical perspective.
The event brought together distinguished representatives from Greece’s business sector, as well as representatives of foundations with significant contributions to society and culture, including the A. G. Leventis Foundation, the I. F. Costopoulos Foundation, and the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, BSA Supporters, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Directors of other Foreign Schools and members of the BSA Council. It marked a significant moment in the School’s contribution to archaeological research, cultural exchange and Anglo-Hellenic academic ties.
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- Ms. Anna Kalliani, Mr. Dimitris Iatrides, Mr. Constantinos Tassoulas and Ms. Anastasia Andritsou
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- Dr Tulsi Parikh, Professor Sir Roderick Beatin, Mr Constantinos Tassoulas, Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Dr Estelle Strazdins
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- Reception in the Upper House Garden
A reception followed in the garden of the Upper House, the Director’s residence, with the wine kindly sponsored by Kokotos Estate. Guests viewed the exhibition curated by the Hassapoyanes-Blandford Fellow Dr. Tulsi Parikh, Women Philhellenes and their Impact on Society, and mingled with BSA staff from the Archive, Library and Fitch Laboratory, as well as fellows and students.
The success of the evening reflects the BSA’s increasingly diverse interests and how we continue to build stronger connections within Greece.
Read the full speech by Mr. Tassoulas here.
photographs: Andreas Schoinas © British School at Athens