Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias Attends Event for 200th Anniversary of the Death of Lord Byron at Trinity College, Cambridge

Home >2nd position> Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias Attends Event for 200th Anniversary of the Death of Lord Byron at Trinity College, Cambridge

Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias Attends Event for 200th Anniversary of the Death of Lord Byron at Trinity College, Cambridge

April 22, 2024

On Friday, 19 April 2024, the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, attended an event at Trinity College of the University of Cambridge for the 200^thanniversary of the death of Lord Byron.

In his address, the Minister spoke of the special relationship Lord Byron had with Greece and his contribution to the Greek War of Independence.

Mr. Dendias concluded his address with lines from Lord Byron's poem "The isles of Greece".

The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Christos Dimas, and His Eminence, the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, Mr. Nikitas.

After the ceremony in memory of Lord Byron, who died in Mesolonghi on 19 April 1824, the Minister of National Defence laid a wreath at his statue at Trinity College in Cambridge, which was his alma mater.

Addresses were also given by Professor Napoleon Katsos, the Master of Trinity College, Dame Sally Davies, the Ambassador of Greece to the United Kingdom, Ioannis Tsaousis, the Representative of the Sacred City of Mesolonghi, Kyriaki Mitsou, and the Representative of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism, Konstantinos Velentzas.

In particular, in his address, the Minister of National Defence stated the following:

"I am very glad to be here today.Allow me to say that, since my school days, I've been an admirer of Lord Byron and later on, as I grew older, of his poetry.

I was aware of his affiliation with Trinity College, but I also found out about a story concerning him, the College, and his dog, Boatswain.

The story goes as follows: He wanted to take his dog, whom he loved dearly, with him during his studies, but College rules did not allow it. His response was to return with a bird, which was not against rules.

But for us, Greeks, Lord Byron means much more. He was the most well-known philhellene and a professor of history. A friend of mine keeps telling me: On 19 April 2024 we lost Lord Byron, but it was clear that we gained our independence.

I remember the lines from a poem that is very well-known to us. 'The isles of Greece':

'The mountains look at Marathon

And Marathon looks on the sea,

And musing there an hour alone,

I dream'd that Greece might still be free;

For standing on the Persians' grave,

I could not deem myself a slave.'

His poems speak to the Greek soul and Greece remembers and honours Byron, always.

Thank you very much".