Dr. Corin Throsby, a distinguished academic at the University of Cambridge, delivered the keynote address at a Bicentenary Anniversary Event, hosted by New York College at the Old Parliament, under the auspices of the Armed Forces of Greece. She was joined on the podium by Professor G. E. Holmes, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton-Greater Manchester, and Elias Foutsis, President and Founder of the NYC Educational Group.

The Assembly Hall of the Old Parliament in Athens during the bicentenary commemoration of Lord Byron on April 16, 2024.

Dr. Corin Throsby, a distinguished academic at the University of Cambridge specializing in Lord Byron—her dissertation at the University of Oxford focused on Byron—and BBC broadcaster, flew from Australia to Greece to deliver a groundbreaking bicentenary lecture on Byron last Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (Fig. 1).

The event, entitled “Byron, the Unparalleled Phenomenon: From Great Poet to National Leader in the Greek War of Independence” and organized by NEW YORK COLLEGE (NYC), took place in the Assembly Hall of the Old Parliament in Athens (photo above). This historic venue now houses Greece’s National Historical Museum, which boasts a special wing showcasing Byron’s personal artifacts.

Photo 1: Dr. Corin Throsby delivering her keynote speech in the  Assembly Hall of the Old Parliament on April 16, 2024.

Major General Economides, officially representing General Demetrios Choupis, the Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of Greece, joined Dr. Throsby on the panel, symbolizing the event’s significance (Fig. 3).

Photo 3: Major General Demetrios Economides and Dr. Corin Throsby on the panel.

In the event, Professor George E. Holmes DL DSc, President and Vice-Chancellor of the UNIVERSITY OF BOLTON, Greater Manchester, portrayed Byron as a geostrategic genius and the architect of the enduring friendship and alliance between Great Britain and Greece. Additionally, Elias Foutsis, Hon PhD, President of the NYC Educational Group, likened Byron’s relationship with the University of Cambridge (Byron’s Alma Mater) to that of Alexander’s with Aristotle, and emphasized the university’s role in forming Byron’s intellectual foundation in his remarkable journey from poet to national icon in a war of liberation (Fig. 4).

Photo 4: From left to right: Professor George E. Holmes DL DSc, Dr. Corin Throsby and Elias Foutsis, Hon PhD.

Dr. Vasilios Skianis, Dean of Academic Affairs of NYC, and Dr. Antonia Svensson, Head of the Psychology Department and Associate Dean of NYC, also made significant contributions to the panel. During her speech, Dr. Svensson highlighted Byron’s humanitarian efforts towards the prisoners of war, irrespective of their nationality, be they Greeks or Turks. She underscored how these actions preceded the establishment of the International Red Cross by many decades.

Furthermore, Lt General (Ret) Nikolaos Pitsolis, also on the panel, noted that Lord Byron was officially proclaimed by the warring Greeks as their "political and military Chief" in Western Greece on January 25, 1824.

Dr. Throsby’s lecture aimed to reshape perceptions of Byron both in Greece and beyond. Her insights shed light on Byron’s multifaceted influence, portraying him as the first celebrity of modern history, whose impact rivalled even today's influencers and stars. She emphasized how Byron’s global renown and interest in championing underdog causes made him the natural choice to spearhead Greece’s liberation efforts during the Greek War of Independence. She also showed how Byron’s celebrity induced other foreigners to join the Greek War in emulation of him, and garnered international sympathy for the Greek cause.

Next day Dr. Throsby flew from Athens to London, in order to attend the two-day Byron Festival Conference at Trinity College Cambridge, where she delivered an academic paper on Byron and social networking. Notably, the Defence Minister of Greece, Nikos Dendias, graced the opening of the Byron Festival at Trinity (Photo 5), where he said: “on April 19, 1824, we lost Lord Byron, but it was now clear that we had gained our independence.”

Photo 5: Defence Minister of Greece Nikos Dendias delivers his address on Lord Byron in the Wren Library of Trinity College Cambridge.