The National Archaeological Museum presents the new temporary exhibition titled “Glorious Victories. Between Myth and History”, which is part of the celebration program for the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae and the Naval Battle of Salamis.

The exhibition, which was inaugurated on Monday 19/10 by the Minister of Culture and Sport, Lina Mendoni, will run through to February 28, 2021. It showcases 105 ancient works and a model of an Athenian trireme of the 5th century BC which are related, and bring to the fore, aspects of the victorious struggle of the Greeks against the Persians.

Arrow tips from Thermopylae Battle, 480 BCE

The museological narrative tries to remain close to the descriptions of the ancient writers. The choice of the ancient works that are directly or indirectly associated with the period, focuses on the sentiment of the spectator, the imagination and mainly the memories that emerge about the moments that people lived through back then. These moments determined their lives, ideas and beliefs, which were subsequently passed on to the modern western culture.

The exhibition consists of eight sections in total. The first six are dedicated to different episodes and battles of the Persian Wars, while the two final sections which present the resonance of the Persian Wars in pictorial art —ancient and modern— and their ideological significance.

The exhibition is enhanced by digital projections that contribute to the creation of a scenic ambience, in order for the visitors to perceive the dramatic atmosphere of the events and the inspiring meaning of Nike (Victory), offering also in some cases complementary interpretive material.

It is accompanied by a scholarly catalogue of 512 pages that includes 18 essays by eminent scholars in the field of archeology and art history, highlighting the ways in which the Glorious Victories of the Persian Wars influenced political life, society and art.