Dissertation title:
“The versification of Cavafy’s poetry”
Supervisor: Evripidis Garantoudis
The main objectives of the dissertation are the detailed examination of the versification of Cavafy’s poetry and the connection between metrical features of his poems and general characteristics of his poetry. The study of the metrical and rhythmical construction of Cavafy’s poems (Repudiated, Hidden, Unfinished poems and the poems of the Canon) shows the gradual transformation of the morphological means and the progress of Cavafy’s versification from his first appearance in Modern Greek Literature until his latest poems. Furthermore, a complex web of similarities and differences is formed, because the functional relationship between the poet’s morphological choices and the means of expression andconsequently the relationship between the morphological choices and the meaning of the poems is very often an important factor for the formation of Cavafy’s poetry. The consideration of the research results ultimately enables us to evaluate the fundamental role of the form in configuration of Cavafy’s poetryand at the same time, we have the opportunity to review the contribution of Cavafy’s versification to the general change of the versification in Greek poetry during a crucial time period, at the end of the traditional verse form and before the advent of free verse.
Dimitra Razaki / Department of Philology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Dissertation title:
“The reception of Cretan Literature by the Modern Greek and European critical discourse in the 19th century: From popular literature to the national literary Canon”
Supervisor: Stefanos Kaklamanis
This dissertation investigates the critical reception of Cretan Literature from the end of the 18th century and in the 19th century, until the critical edition of Erotokritos (1915) by Stephanos Xanthoudides. This essay aspires to concentrate, systemize and study the whole of the critical discourse that was articulated for the five Cretan literary works, for which the most extended critical discourse was produced: Bergades’ Apokopos, anonymous’ Voskopoula, George Chortatses’ Erofili, anonymous’ Thisia tou Avraam and Vincenzo Cornaro’s Erotokritos. It is an effort to chart and explain the historical, textual and ideological processes that produced these critical approaches of the Greek and European scholarship and study them in terms of discourse networks. The charting of the evolution of the Modern Greek and European critical discourse, concerning the Cretan Literature, is extremely fruitful concerning the ideologies and the cognitive variations that constituted the Modern Greek cultural identity.
Alexandros Katsigiannis / Department of Philology, University of Crete.
Dissertation title:
''The Itinerary of Constantine Manasses. Critical edition - translation - commentary, Thessaloniki 2015''
Supervisor: Ioannis Vassis
The aim of the present study is the critical edition, the translation, and the commentary of the Itinerary, a poem by the well-known 12th century learned poet and orator Constantine Manasses, in which the poet recites his experiences from his trip to the Holy Land, as a member of a delegation that was sent there in 1160, with the purpose of finding a bride for Emperor Manuel Komnenos (1143-1180). An introduction is prefixed to the critical edition. The study also comprises three indices (of proper nouns, passages and text words), as well as a map of place names.
Konstantinos Chryssogelos / Department of Philology, University of Thessaloniki.
Dissertation title:
“Alekos Xenos’ life and work in connection with his political ideology and his aesthetic criteria”
Supervisor: Anastasia Siopsi
Alekos Xenos (1912-1995) was a Greek musician and composer with a long presence in the musical life of Greece. He was an important member of the Left movement, through the lines of the Greek Communist Party (KKE), and also a member of the Resistance movement with the National Liberation Front (EAM). His musical output is considered to be directly connected with his ideological world. In this dissertation we focus on his life events (which some of them are connected with milestones of Modern Greek history) and also to specific compositions that engulf his ideological world and his aesthetic choices.
Alexandros Charkiolakis / Department of Music Studies, Ionian University
Dissertation Title:
"The periodical Hevdomas (1884-1892) and its contribution to the intellectual movement of the period"
Supervisor: Stessi Athini, Assistant Professor of Modern Greek Literature
Hevdomas is a representative case of a family periodical with literary content. It was published in Athens during two periods of time: 1884-1886, during which time publisher and director was D. Gr. Kambouroglous, and 1887-1892, during which time J. M. Damvergis had the same role. The research initially focused on the very contents of the periodical, creating comprehensive indexes. Subsequently, the research questions raised concerned the publishing conditions, the goal of the periodical, the publishers, the collaborators, the selection of translations, the genre of the published texts as well as issues of ideology and political stance of the periodical. The main objective is to determine which are the specific characteristics of the periodical Hevdomas, what kind of trends are expressed through it, in which way this periodical contributed to the cultural milieu of its time and to what extent it attempted to challenge the established literary and cultural values.
Sofia Gkinko / Department of Philology, University of Patras
