Demon Entrepreneurs: Refashioning the ‘Greek Genius’ in Modern Times

Basil C. Gounaris (DPhil Oxon) is Professor of Modern History at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and vice-chair (2021-23) of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (Council of Europe). His books include Steam over Macedonia: Socio-Economic Change and the Railway Factor, Boulder & New York: East European Monographs, 1993; The Balkans of the Greeks: From the Enlightenment to World War I (in Greek), Thessaloniki: Epikentro, 2007; ‘See how the Gods Favour Sacrilege’: English Views and Politics on Candia under Siege (1645-1669), Athens: NRF, 2012; ‘Today is not like yesteryear’: Greek Armatole-Klephts and Albanian Rebels (in Greek), Athens: NRF, 2019. Ioannis D. Stefanidis (PhD LSE) is Professor in Diplomatic History, Department of International Studies, School of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His publications include: Isle of Discord: Nationalism, Imperialism and the Making of the Cyprus Question (London and New York, 1999); Stirring the Greek Nation: Political Culture, Irredentism and Anti-Americanism in Post-War Greece, 1945-67 (Aldershot, 2007); Substitute for Power: British Propaganda to the Balkans, 1939-1944 (Aldershot, 2012), ‘America’s Projection and Democracy Promotion: The ‘Voice of America’, Greece under the Colonels and Ceauşescu’s Romania’, Modern Greek Studies Yearbook, xxxii, no.33 (2016/17), 167-237.

Greece, a Nation of Commercial and other Geniuses in a State Fit for Petty Traders and Poor Devils: An Introduction / Greek Subtlety and Ingenuity: Anglo-French Variations on a Classical Theme / Greeks on Seventeenth Century Dutch Ships and Print(s) / Representations of Greek Entrepreneurship between Projection and Reception in Eighteenth-Century German Sources. / Pious and Heroic Contrabands: The Greek Character in Russian Perspective (c.1800) / Nineteenth Century British Travellers’ View of the Greek Character / The ‘Greek Genius’ in the Service of the Nation: The Greek Enlightenment / Explaining, Enhancing, Disseminating the ‘Greek Genius’ through Textbooks (c.1870-1980) / Profiling the ‘Greek Genius’: Nineteenth Century Biographies of Illustrious Greeks / Ingenious Emigrants / Orthodox Christian Ambiguities: The ‘Greek Genius’ between Achievements and Morals / Class or Inherent Vice? The Marxist View of the ‘Greek Genius’ / Genius and Demonic Routes in Modern Greek Prose (c. 1880-1940) / Demon Entrepreneurs and Poor Devils in Post World War II Greek Cinema / Aspects of Ingenuity in Greek Popular Culture / Indigenous and Incoming Demon Businessmen during Trikoupis’ Modernising Era / Perceptions of the ‘Greek Genius’ during the Interwar Economic Crisis / A ‘Daimonion’ for Times of Recovery and Growth, 1945-67 / ‘Greek Genius’ vs the Troika in the 2010s