#philhellene

Read the story of James Jacob Williams, an African American Philhellene from Baltimore, Maryland who fought in the Greek War of Independence. His memorial stone can be found in the cemetery of the town of Argos, near the city of Nafplion.

William James Stillman an American journalist, diplomat, author, historian, and photographer captured the magic of Acropolis in 1870 in a series of carbon prints.

Relatively unknown in Greece, Stillman was a great Philhellene who served as the United States ambassador in Crete during the Cretan insurrections of the 19th Century and later married a Greek artist in London.

Fragment from Balustrade of the Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis, Athens, ca. 1882. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gilman Collection. During his tenure in Crete he was an avowed champion of the Christians in the island and of Cretan independence. Consequently, he was regarded with hostility both by the Muslim population and by the Turkish authorities.

Philhellenism is the love of Greek culture and Philhellenethe admirer of Greeks and everything Greek. From the Greek φίλος philos "friend, lover" and ἑλληνισμός hellenism "Greek", Philhellenism was an intellectual fashion prominent mostly at the turn of the 19th century. It contributed to the sentiments that led Europeans such as Lord Byron or Charles Nicolas Fabvier to advocate for Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire.

If I had the option to 'love' this place, I definitely would!

A favourite of mine and only five minutes from home (how lucky am I?).

Having dined here multiple times with both friends and family, Philhellene has shifted traditional Greek food from out of my sights into my direct line of vision.

From the recommended Greek wine to the Mixed Grill, the endless Special's Board and the incredibly knowledgeable staff, each of my experiences here has been a successful one.

Please keep doing what you do, everyone deserves to experience your take on such a great cuisine!

A happy smile on his broad face, Sam Chekwas swings around the counter of his Seaburn bookstore in Astoria to ring up another customer: a 10-year-old boy purchasing an arcane volume by Paolo Coehlo. “Who’s reading this? You?” Chekwas asks. And when the boy nods solemnly, Chekwas is delighted. “That’s wonderful! You get a 10 % discount. And whenever you come in, ask for your discount. Okay?”