The Codex Gr. 5 of the Hellenic Institute of Venice, created in the Middle Ages, narrates, through a rich illustration, the life and great deeds of Alexander the Great. The codex is now digitally displayed to the public in an exhibition organized by Hellenic Institute for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Education.
As a representative of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Diaspora Greeks, Antonis Diamataris, inaugurated the digital exhibition in Thessaloniki in the context of the 84th Thessaloniki International Fair (HELEXPO).
According to researchers and scientists involved in the study of the codex, it is the life story of Alexander the Great, which describes in detail the events before and during his expedition which ended in faraway India. Alexander the Great managed to spread the ideals and values of the Greek philosophy taught by Aristotle throughout the world. This narrative became the most popular novel in the Middle Ages, translated into 30 languages, overcoming the boundaries of religions and cultures, and became a source of inspiration for historians, writers and even filmmakers.
The manuscript contains 250 gold leaf miniatures and texts, and narrates, almost in a cinematic fashion, the life of a Macedonian king. The material has been digitized and presented in the exhibition “The Legend of Alexander the Great as Part of Byzantine Heritage. The Testimony of a Byzantine Manuscript”. The life events are exhibited to the visitor through holograms and 3D views. The exhibition will travel around the world, namely in New York, China, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria.
“As deputy minister of Diaspora Greeks, I would like to describe Alexander the Great as someone that you may not know or accept: as one of the Greek expatriares, because he travelled for many years. Alexander the Great as a legend is also a Greek expatriate,” said Antonis Diamataris, during the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Secretary-General for Greeks Abroad Ioannis Chrysoulakis.
Antonis Diamataris said that he was impressed by the exhibition and the way it was presented, with the help of technology. He congratulated the organizers and stressed that “this exhibition will help, thanks to its artistic integrity, the foreign public to understand how important Alexander the Great and Macedonia is for us the Greeks.” Specifically, he announced that in mid-October the exhibition would travel to New York and noted that it should travel everywhere, because it is a young people friendly exhibition. He said that the story of Alexander the Great should be heard throughout the world.
Under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the exhibition is held at the Alexandreio Melathron Nick Galis Hall and will be open to the public from 10 AM to 8 PM until September 16. Admission is free.
SOURCE: ANA-MPA
