ABSTRACT
An interpretation of the Greek civil war as an exemplary case of cultural trauma is attempted in this chapter. This is done through illuminating comparisons with other civil wars and by showcasing the politics of memory, the antagonistic regime of signification by which the war has been designated, and the emotional dynamics during the war and after the war was over. It is argued that, after a quarter of a century period of silence, the trauma drama of the Greek civil war underwent two phases: the phase of selective construction (1974–1990), and the reflexive construction phase (1990 onwards). Among others, the interpretation is based on qualitative interviews with informants who took part on both sides of the civil war.
