The Sword, The Cross and the Flag: The Theme of Martyrdom in the Greek War of Independence
During the 1820s Greek War of Independence, the works of many European artists and writers played an important role in alerting the Western world to the plight of the Greeks. The success of their efforts was in large measure due to their portrayals of Greeks as heroic martyrs, dying in defense of their Christian faith. This thesis examines the history of the war and the theme of persecution and martyrdom as related to several well known Greek War tragedies. It also discusses possible reasons why this was one of the last major conflicts of the modem era in which figures of religious and secular martyrs were so successful in promoting a people’s crusade for freedom. -Thesis excerpt-
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