Konstantinos Paparrigopulos (review)

Reviews 321 it reflects, especially political ones"; the award of an international prize or other similar distinction to the author; previous success of a work published in translation in another language; and the "importance and reputation" of a work in the corpus of Greek writing. The editor surmises that the last factor "seems of particular concern to neo-hellenists, many of whom make a practice of translation." She notes that the growth of modern Greek studies in foreign countries has contributed greatly to translations, but decries the "fact that only a handful of contemporary writers has been translated into a certain language, to the exclusion of important works by others." Solomos and Sikelianos are cited as examples of authors whose full range of work is "barely known to foreign readers" (p. 18—19). While Stavropoulou's brief observations on the history and trends of modern Greek literary translations are both interesting and informative, the book's overall contribution lies in its intended use: that of a reference work. As a register of translations, it achieves as much completeness as any similar effort to produce a first rate reference work ever hopes to achieve. Its publication fills an important gap in the field of Greek bibliography and should prove immensely useful to teachers and scholars of modern Greek literature. This reviewer is delighted to report that the Greek Literary and Historical Archives Society (the bibliography's sponsor and publisher) intends continually to update this guide as new titles and other additional bibliographic details are collected. It is thus expected that the Society will fulfill the heretofore missing role of a central competent body for the regular collection and dissemination of information for use in the study of modern Greek literature outside of Greece. John G. Zenelis Temple University K. Th. Dimaras, Konstantinos Paparrigopulos (In Greek). Athens: Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Greece. 1986. Pp. 524. For a long time, modern Greek history between the end of the War of Independence and the end of the 19th century was neglected by historians. This period lacked the dramatic events of the War of Independence and the complex domestic and international developments of the early 20th century. But the publication of John A. 322 Reviews Petropulos' brilliant Politics and Statecraft in the Kingdom of Greece, 1933—1843 and, more recently, Charles Frazee's work on the Church question and William W. McGrew's on the land issue attest to the emergence of serious new scholarly interest in this period. The cultural and intellectual developments in mid-19th century Greece, the formative period of the new Greek state, continue, however, to be neglected, save for the attention of K. Th. Dimaras, the oustanding literary historian of Greece. In his articles coUected in Modern Greek Enlightenment (2nd edition, 1980) and Greek Romanticism (1982), he examines the general cultural, literary and ideological developments of 19th century Greece and the prominent figures in this drama. Dimaras has for some time paid special attention to Konstantinos Paparrigopulos, a key figure in this story. He collected materials on the life of Paparrigopulos and prepared bibliographical articles on his personal and intellectual biography. His reflections on the important role Paparrigopulos played in the development of a new Greek identity are now offered in a book length study of the life and work of this great 19th century historian. The book is divided into four parts: a long introduction called "Greece Awaits Her Historian"; Part One, "1815-1860: The Early Years"; Part Two, "1860-1875: The history of the Greek Nation"; and Part Three, "1875-1891: Old Age." The long introduction deals with the historical background, "the spiritual and psychological climate" (p. 53), in which Paparrigopulos matured. Dimaras elucidates the complex problems and challenges, both internal and external, that the Greek nation faced before and after independence. He also traces the pioneering work of many Greek scholars, especially historians, who grappled with the many political and ideological issues challenging the new nation and whose work provided the foundation upon which Paparrigopulos built his synthesis of Hellenism. Part One investigates the early, formative years of the life of Paparrigopulos. Dimaras constructs a vivid picture of the dramatic early years of his personal...