Learn all about The Athens Polytechnic Uprising
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Greece Series at GreekPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Greek holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 18- The Athens Polytechnic Uprising. In Greek, this day is called [Επέτειος του Πολυτεχνείου]. |
| Every year on November 17, Greek people honor the anniversary of a student uprising that took place at the National Technical University of Athens or [Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο]. The uprising took place on November 17, 1973 and was directed against the military dictatorship that had dominated the country since 1967. Today, this day is designated as a school holiday. |
| In this lesson, you will learn about the anniversary of November 17. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| Why was the National Technical University of Athens named [Μετσόβιο] in Greek? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| This dictatorship in the 1970s, known as [χούντα] in Greek, abolished civil liberties and political parties. Politicians and civilians were being tortured, imprisoned, or even exiled because of their political beliefs. On November 14, 1973, the students at the university named [Πολυτεχνείο] occupied the campus and called upon the people to join together in an uprising via a radio transmitter. On November 17, the military knocked down the central gate with a tank, breaching this academic asylum, and carried out an evacuation of the school. Carnage followed with police officers and snipers attacking those students who were trying to escape. |
| Nowadays, schools carry out events commemorating the anniversary with audiovisual material and songs from the 1970s, the era of this uprising. Songs include "Of Justice" [Της δικαιοσύνης] "The Road" [Ο δρόμος] , "One Swallow" [Ένα το χελιδόνι] and so on. Historical radio recordings from this historical day are also played back during these events. Banners are often hung with the slogan of the uprising, "Bread-Education-Freedom" [Ψωμί-Παιδεία-Ελευθερία], or with the message "Polytechneio here, Polytechneio here!" [Εδώ Πολυτεχνείο, εδώ Πολυτεχνείο!] written across them. |
| On the morning of the 17th, in the forecourt of the Polytechnic, a time for speeches and wreath-laying takes place, as people flock to leave carnation flowers, called [γαρίφαλα] in Greek. The surrounding streets, as well as many others in Athens, are closed off, and the police are kept on standby to maintain order during large and well-established demonstrations held at the American Embassy. These demonstrations are a sign of protest, mainly by the left-wing but from others as well, who believe that Americans supported the dictatorship. During these demonstrations there are often many incidents, usually caused by groups of anarchists, which can spoil the day and bring about mixed emotions among the Greeks. |
| Apart from jeering against the military and the police, |
| the students at the Polytechnic also threw...bitter oranges or in Greek [νεράντζια]! These were very accessible because, in the streets of Athens there wereーand still areーmany bitter orange trees. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Why was the National Technical University of Athens named [Μετσόβιο] in Greek? |
| It was named this because the benefactors of the institution were originally from a village in Epirus, in an area called [Μέτσοβο]. |
| How did you like this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Have similar student uprisings taken place in your country? |
| Leave us your comments on GreekPod101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson. |
Comments
Hide