ABSTRACT
The Epilogue summarizes the conclusions of the nine chapters, suggesting a periodization of the construction of historical memory in Greece in relation to the consolidation of national identity. Personal memories, memories of local social groups and state mnemonic policies together composed a complex web of conflict and consensus, exclusions and negotiations. The Epilogue shows that war memory claimed an important place in this process, evidenced by public commemorations of the Greek Revolution during the 19th century or various mnemonic acts orchestrated by the military in the interwar period. Specific emphasis is placed on the “spectacle of history”, reenactments, representations and performances of the past, some of which were perceived as “revivals”. However, the different historical pasts recalled in the present were not equal; against antiquity’s undeniable glory, the revolution claimed and gained sentimental priority while Byzantium retreated. Finally, through the example of invented national costumes, it is demonstrated that the creation of a canon of historical memory was the result of the convergence of “top-down” and “bottom-up” factors.
