Did Ioannis Kapodistrias know about the existence of a “Minoan” civilisation in Crete? Κarl Hoeck, Arthur Evans and the “construction” of the “Minoan” civilisation (in Greek)
Swedish Institute at Athens (Μitseon 9, Acropolis Metro station)
In his recent film entitled “Kapodistrias”, the award-winning director Yiannis Smaragdis presented a meeting between Ioannis Kapodistrias and the Austrian Chancellor, Klemens von Metternich, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. There, Metternich, arguing that no Greek race exists, received the following reply from Kapodistrias: “The race I speak of is descended from three civilisations: the Minoan, the classical Greek and the Byzantine. What other people possess a triple civilisation?” Could this immensely important Greek politician, in 1815 –or even at any point up to the end of his life– has given such an answer?
