Indigenous and Incoming Demon Businessmen during Trikoupis' Modernising Era

This chapter examines the ‘Greek genius’ in late 19^th-century public discourse related to the modernisation of both the self-image of the Greeks and the economic structures of the Greek kingdom. To trace its multiple facets, we analyse the arguments which were formulated to cope with the crucial issues of establishing the historical continuity of the Greek nation and developing the Greek economy. The ambiguity of the concept, which has been noted in most studies here, often highlighted the differences between the diligent indigenous citizens and the heterochthonous magnates, particularly during Trikoupis' modernisation era.