Greek Heritage in European Culture and Identity

The heritage of ancient Greece is commonly acclaimed as a ‘pillar’ of common European culture and identity.

The complex historical processes of cultural reception and appropriation that shaped this notion are, however, still hardly understood.

The project ‘Greek Heritage in European Culture and Identity’ (GrECI) explores a key phase in this process: the reception and appropriation of ancient Greek culture in early modern Europe (15th-17th century), from the so-called ‘rediscovery’ of Greek language and literature to their full incorporation in the European cultural landscape.

It aims at creating the interdisciplinary and international framework required to address this complex historical subject and its implications for present-day ideas of European identity.

To achieve this, three Twinning Partners from Cyprus (University of Cyprus), Norway (University of Oslo), and France (University of Franche-Comté) join forces in a unique combination of scholarly strengths and academic potential.

Together they unite several vibrant disciplines that are pivotal to understanding early modern Hellenism but are seldom joined to shed light on the subject: the history of the book and material heritage studies, language and literature studies, and intellectual history (Reformation studies) with a shared emphasis on the reception and appropriation of Greek heritage in early modern Europe.

By a carefully designed research and excellence programme, GrECI will both cement UCY’s international profile in the field of early modern history and make UCY, together with its partners, leading research milieus in the emerging but still fragmented field of early modern Hellenism.