Voordrachten

De Samos-Kameleon

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Abstract

The author examines, based on anecdotical and apocryphal material, the degree to which authenticity is a defining phenomenon regarding Greek islands Samos and Leros. Authebnticity and purity are in fact questionable: due to their historical and geographical position, the Greek islands in question have had to change character and colour, very much like the Samos-Chameleon.

This chameleon phenomenon is loosely juxtaposed to the way the Greeks look at the past and the future: firmly with their backs to the future, facing the past. This, in turn, serves as a basis for the way the Greek islands deal with modern phenomena such as the refugee crisis. The author argues that the Greek islands are well equipped to deal with such crises, due to their combination of being used to 'change colour' and being well-versed in their own history.

How to Cite:

Wallis de Vries, R., (2026) “De Samos-Kameleon”, Tetradio 34(1), 55-60. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tetradio.99707