Currency - Greece - 100 Drachma - Year 1978

Item Code: 167/gr-2

Year	1978
Obverse	Head of Athena of Piraeus, goddess of wisdom and crafts, war and strategy, and inventions in science, industry, art and agriculture, a bronze statue from an Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, wearing a crested Corinthian helmet, with Medusa's locks visible at her neck. Neoclassical headquarters of the University of Athens.
Reverse	Adamantios Korais, Church of Arkadi Monastery in Crete, a symbol of Greek independence from Turkey.
Size	158 x 67 mm (Material: Cotton paper)

Obverse description

Piraeus Athena 

Piraeus Athena

The Piraeus Athena is a bronze statue dated to the fourth century BCE. It currently resides in the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus.

Discovery: The Piraeus Athena was discovered in 1959, by workers who were drilling underground to install pipes. Bronze was first hit 1.5 meters below the ground; a few days later, they uncovered the statue at the intersection of Georgiou I Street and Philonos Street. The excavation of the statue was led by Efthymios Mastrokostas. The Piraeus Athena was found with three more large bronze statues, along with other artifacts. 

History and dating: There are various theories about the origins of the Piraeus Athena. Because the room the statue was found in was very close to the main harbor, many scholars believe that the statue had been stored in a harbor’s stoa and were just about to be shipped. Additionally, the Piraeus Athena and other statues were not in random order but seemed to be packed. A coin found near the statues had a date equivalent to 87/86 BC on it, along with a picture of King Mithridates VI. Because it is known that Piraeus was captured by Sulla in 86 BC, many have further speculated two theories. One theory is that the statues were going to be shipped in order to save them from the Roman attack. The second theory is that the statues were being shipped by the Romans to Italy as part of their spoils. It is thought that the statue may have originally come from the sanctuary of Zeus Soter and Athena Soteira in Piraeus. This is because the peplos in the statue is similar to the drapery of the peplos in the statue of Eirene by Cephisodotus the Elder, who was also known to have made a statue of Athena that resided in the sanctuary of Zeus Soter and Athena Soteira. Other scholars believe that the statue may have come from Delos, since three of the statues found with the Piraeus Athena were of Artemis, and Delos was considered the birthplace of Artemis. Additionally, the Romans had captured Delos in 88 BC and therefore the statues could have been part of the scared funds Mithradates’ general had sent to Delos. Due to the dating, it has been estimated that the Piraeus Athena probably dates back to 360-340 BCE. 

University of Athens

Central building of the University of Athens. The 19th-century University of Athens historic building designed by Christian Hansen, as seen in 2014. It was once the only University building but now serves as a ceremony hall and rectory.

The University of Athens was founded on May 3, 1837 by King Otto of Greece and was named in his honour Othonian University. It was the first university in the liberated Greek state and in the surrounding area of the Southeast Europe as well. It was also the second academic institution after the Ionian Academy. This fledging university consisted of four faculties; Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts (which included applied sciences and mathematics). During its first year of operation, the institution was staffed by 33 professors, while courses were attended by 52 students and 75 non-matriculated "auditors".

Reverse description

Adamantios Korais

Adamantios Korais 

Adamantios Korais (27 April 1748 – 6 April 1833) was a Greek humanist scholar credited with laying the foundations of Modern Greek literature and a major figure in the Greek Enlightenment. His activities paved the way for the Greek War of Independence and the emergence of a purified form of the Greek language, known as Katharevousa.

Korais was born in Smyrna, in 1748. He was exceptionally passionate about philosophy, literacy and linguistics and studied greatly throughout his youth. He initially studied in his home place, where he graduated from the Evangelical Greek School. As an adult Korais traveled to Paris where he would continue his enthusiasm for knowledge. He translated ancient Greek authors and produced thirty volumes of those translations.

Korais studied at the school of medicine of the University of Montpellier from 1782 to 1787. His 1786 diploma thesis was entitled Pyretologiae Synopsis, while his 1787 doctoral thesis was entitled Medicus Hippocraticus. After 1788 he was to spend most of his life as an expatriate in Paris. A classical scholar, Korais was repelled by the Byzantine influence in Greek society and was a fierce critic of the ignorance of the clergy and their subservience to the Ottoman Empire, although he conceded it was the Orthodox Church that preserved the national identity of Greeks.

While in Paris, he was witness to the French Revolution. He was influenced by the revolutionary and liberal sentiments of his age. He admired Thomas Jefferson; and exchanged political and philosophical thoughts with the American statesman. A typical man of the Enlightenment, Korais encouraged wealthy Greeks to open new libraries and schools throughout Greece. Korais believed that education would ensure not only the achievement of independence but also the establishment of a proper constitution for the new liberated Greek state. He envisioned a democratic Greece, recapturing the glory of the Golden Age of Pericles.

Korais died in Paris aged 84 soon after publishing the first volume of his autobiography. In 1877, his remains were sent to Greece, to be buried there.

Arkadi Monastery

The Arkadi Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, situated on a fertile plateau 23 km (14 mi) to the southeast of Rethymnon on the island of Crete in Greece.

The current catholicon (church) dates back to the 16th century and is marked by the influence of the Renaissance. This influence is visible in the architecture, which mixes both Roman and baroque elements. As early as the 16th century, the monastery was a place for science and art and had a school and a rich library. Situated on a plateau, the monastery is well fortified, being surrounded by a thick and high wall.

The monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance of Ottoman rule during the Cretan revolt of 1866. 943 Greeks, mostly women and children, sought refuge in the monastery. After three days of battle and under orders from the hegumen (abbot) of the monastery, the Cretans blew up barrels of gunpowder, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender.

The monastery became a national sanctuary in honor of the Cretan resistance. 8 November is a day of commemorative parties in Arkadi and Rethymno. The explosion did not end the Cretan insurrection, but it attracted the attention of the rest of the world.

Return to Greece Bank Note Page