My Greek Drama: Life, Love, and One Woman's Olympic Effort to Bring Glory to Her Country by Angelopoulos Gianna

Author:Angelopoulos, Gianna [Angelopoulos, Gianna]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781608325818
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Published: 2013-05-06T21:00:00+00:00

I WASN’T HOME THE AFTERNOON THE PHONE CALL CAME. My secretary, Sannah, told me it was from Athens, but neither of us recognized the name of the caller—Andreas Fouras. Today we would have Googled the name and quickly learned most of what we needed to know. But back then my way of securing such information was to make several calls to close associates in Greece to inquire about the gentleman. According to them, he was no gentleman. “A typical Socialist” said one, reflecting the eternal enmity between political parties in Greece. Beyond the harsh partisan assessment, I learned that Fouras had recently been named Deputy Minister of Culture—in charge of sports—in the new government of Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

Simitis had just succeeded the veteran left-leaning Socialist Andreas Papandreou, who had resigned due to ill health and would die just five months later. Ever since the restoration of democracy more than two decades earlier, Papandreou had been the face of socialism in Greece. He headed the Pan Hellenic Socialist Movement from 1974 until his death and had served as Prime Minister three times, holding that office for more than a decade. His family has been the most prominent in Greek politics over the last half century. Papandreou’s father, Georgios, served three short terms as Prime Minister, the first just after World War II and the last ending in 1965, when he was driven from office by the turbulent events leading up to the ’67 coup. Papandreou’s son, George, became Prime Minister in 2009. He too was forced to resign after a troubled two-year tenure when, amid the frenzy of the debt crisis, he wavered on implementing the austerity program demanded before Greece would receive further European aid and reach an accord with its debt-holders.

None of this background provided a glimmer of a clue as to why Mr. Fouras would be calling me. Though I had been willing to talk to and work with the opposition during my political career, it was always surprising—in the Greek political universe—to hear from the “enemy.” Because Simitis wasn’t the polarizing figure his predecessor was, I didn’t hesitate to return his Minister’s call.

The message from Athens proved to be another surprise. “Mrs. Angelopoulos,” Fouras said with considerable pomposity, “the Prime Minister proposes that you join the Athens bid committee.”

“What bid committee?” I asked, which must have been a rather deflating response.

“The bid committee for the 2004 Olympic Games,” he replied.

Until that moment, I was only vaguely aware that Athens had been contemplating a bid for the 2004 Summer Games. But like most Greeks, I knew a great deal about Greece’s Olympic history—ancient, modern, and, quite important, recent. I learned of the ancient Olympics at my father’s side in Olympia. The Games date back to the eighth century BC and were held every four years—an Olympiad in the Greek timetable—on the plains of Olympia as a tribute to Zeus and other ancient Greek gods. The competition pitted men from rival city-states. Only free men who spoke Greek were allowed to compete, and the men raced naked.

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