Madison Collins: Philotimo (φιλότιμο)
One night at dinner, I ran into a construction worker at the Plaza hotel on the island. We talked for a bit while we were feeding a little black cat some chicken. He asked me what I was in town for, and I explained that I was on an independent study abroad trip and that I would be taking classes through the University of the Aegean. He asked what classes I was taking and I told him, and he gave me a puzzling look. He asked, “Why did you come to Greece to study democracy?” I responded with a questioning facial expression, as I figured a Greek citizen would understand the importance of it. He then said, “Greece today is more like a dictatorship than a democracy.” I was astounded, because how did the country that founded the core value of America not hold that same perspective anymore? The construction worker went on to explain issues within the Greek government, like the migrant crisis and media restrictions, and how true democracy has changed up until today. This is the moment that registered why the citizens of strong democracies may cast shadowing doubts on their own leadership, and not just why, but the fact that such doubt is needed for a democracy to be strong.
The little black cat at the hotel
Earlier, before I started my classes on the island, I participated in a study tour throughout many cities on the mainland of Greece. Entering into Athens, we walked out of the metro station directly into a political rally. The rally looked more like a protest than just a civil rally, with people screaming over the candidate, running, and yelling rude names. The rally made me ask questions about what was going on and why so many people seemed displeased, and at this point in time my knowledge of the Greek language was very little and useless. Ilias, the director of the study abroad program, later explained that the candidate was running under the Communist Party of Greece, and that many of his people did not agree with this form of government. Through the chaos, shouting, and booing, we finally made it to the other subway on the other side of the center of the city. I tried so hard to understand what a communist democracy could actually be, but in the midst of all the craziness, we just kept going until we reached our hotel. I knew that it could not be great with all the utter frustration going through the streets of Athens, and the fact that communism is tied directly in the title.
Growing up, I had the thought that the United States was the best at everything, the strongest and most powerful country in the world. As I got older, this thought was seared into my mind, through society, politics, and the norms or values that we all seem to share in some way. Throughout high school and college, I became very open to doubt about this country we say is the most powerful. We began to learn about the corruption that our government has been a part of through the years, creating a sense of distrust and creating a plethora of questions that have yet to be answered. Instances such as the Watergate Scandal, or the terrorist attacks on 9/11 (which some still claim to have been planned by our own government), or issues during World War II concerning the well-being of people. It began to seem that those factors focused on disagreement. We learned the history of the massacres and sieges that happened to minority groups and the results of those conflicts. We learned the faults that this great country has without totally realizing what they were at the time. I finally found my passion for law through these experiences, as everything in history had or resulted in some form of litigation or policy when it needed to be changed. All of the events and conflicts that our great country has been involved with, such as the Civil Rights or Women's Rights movement, are created from different perspectives of patriotism and legal actions that stem from those perspectives of societal norms. So many changes begin with disagreement.
As I traveled to the island of Rhodes, I was curious about what my Law of Ancient Athens class would entail. The class description in the brochure noted that we would cover philosophy and the beginnings of democracy. This is what intrigued me most, because as I began to acknowledge the doubts of the United States more in depth, it also made me wonder how much better the United States could actually be. The basis of our fundamentals as a country focuses on democracy, but how does society weigh into our democracy? It became easier to see this outright after diving in the famous philosophies of Solon and Draco, which highlighted the need for some form of social control. When Cleisthenes introduced Athenian democracy, many things about Greece began to change.
Abby at the first Supreme Court, Areios Pagos, with the famous Parthenon in the background
People had their assertive rights, but it was also known that those who were not native did not have the same rights. This highlights a large fault that the United States still faces today. While producing a form of social control, these laws formed by Cleisthenes and other lawmakers produced a society that would be willing to participate in a democracy. This is where society weighs in according to the most natural rule of democracy, that the people have a say in the processes. Throughout my educational career during my time abroad, I learned about the Areios Pagos, or what can be considered the first supreme court of the world. From the past to the present in the same areas, laws have changed drastically. Greece was one of the first nations to allow women some form of rights, from speechwrights speaking on their behalf, to today being able to vote. Greece was also an ancient nation that could disagree with someone without killing, instead using forms of the court to allow for some form of justice. This showed me the importance of disagreement throughout democracy.
Every country has its own culture, laws, and ways of doing life. All countries have laws that may not make sense, but they’ve been put in place due to a preceding matter. Every country has its own government systems, and those with democracy all share significant similarities and differences. Every country has disagreements. Greece ultimately reminded me of home in so many ways, bringing comfort towards the end of my travels. Throughout all of our differences as people and as societies, we still can come together for one thing: being human. As I wrapped up my written assignment for my Ancient Law class, it was clear to me what was meant when my professor spoke about a word that the Greeks use that translates to “love of honor.” Philotimo.
Abby standing in front the birthplace of democracy, Athens
Madison “Abby” Collins is a criminology major at Lander University with a minor in human services who expects to graduate in May 2024. She completed an independent study abroad during the summer of 2023 for five weeks in Greece, more specifically focused on the island of Rhodes. During this time, she studied the language and culture of Greece as well as the beginnings of Athenian democracy in ancient times. Abby hopes to further her education by attending law school after graduation, hoping to emphasize in the discipline of international and comparative law.