Opinions - Testimonies

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• Jacqueline de Romilly, professor at the Sorbonne (1957), first woman professor at the Collège de France (1973), member of the French Academy (1988), honorary Greek citizen (1995) and Ambassador of Hellenism (2000):
  
  Dear Sir, I strongly wish that accents be preserved... read it
• ✝Peter Fraser, emeritus lecturer at Oxford University:
  
  I was glad to hear about your Movement for the reintroduction of the polytonic system of accentuation... read it
• Alain Segonds, directeur de recherche du CNRS, directeur général des Éditions Les Belles Lettres:
  
  Cher ami, j'avais longuement traîné à vous écrire sur cette délicate question [des accents], non que... read it
• Gregorios Sifakis, prof. emeritus of classical Greek philology at the University of Thessaloniki and New York University:
  
  Why do I insist on the polytonic accentuation system? A short—as well as precise—answer would be:... read it
• Zyranna Zateli, writer:
  
  I use accents and breathings in my writing because, first of all, I like them and love them... read it
• Vangelis Hadzigiannidis, writer:
  
  I remember I was in the swimming pool for my weekly hydrotherapy session, when... read it
• Yorgos Brounias, writer:
  
  I would say, now that I’m asked about it—because before I considered it as a fact without too many explanations—... read it
• Carlos Steel, professor of ancient philosophy, University of Leuven:
  
  I am a scholar in ancient Greek philosophy and an editor of ancient Greek texts in numerous prestigious international series... read it
• Concetta Luna, researcher at Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy):
  
  Like millions of other Italians who went through the Classical Lyceum (high school), I learned ancient Greek... read it
• Philippe Brunet, professor of ancient Greek at Rouen university:
  
  The decision to switch from the polytonic to the monotonic system belongs to the Greeks and I have no right to interfere into their choices, but I can... read it
• François Patte, mathematician-sanskritist, professor at Paris V University:
  
  Some years ago I went to see a greek newspaper and was very astonished... read it
• Vernon E. Kooy, Retired Philosopher and Font Designer - Hastings, Nebraska, USA:
  
  By legislating in favor of the monotonic system, Greek has been “dummied down” short and simple... read it
• Phidias N. Bourlas, computer engineer:
  
  Twenty years later I found my beloved, lost, polytonic system again!... read it
• Chrissostomos Papaspyrou, chemist/linguist, educator at the Athens Special Lyceum for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing:
  
  I’m deaf. When I was three years old, I permanently lost my hearing. I don’t remember anymore... read it
• Nikos Dimitriadis, classical scholar:
  
  The goal of the Organization for the Internationalization of Greek Language is to widespread... read it
• Dimitrios Filippou, engineer:
  
  First of all I have to say that I am not a follower of the polytonic system, but... read it
• Nikolaos Ventouras, computer engineer:
  
  The arguments of both the (so-called) progressists as of the (so-called) rightists all start from... read it
• Yannis Gekas, private sector employee:
  
  I was born after the establishment of the monotonic system and so I was taught polytonic... read it
• Andreas Stalidis, mathematician - analyst:
  
  I will not speak about the reasons why the polytonic system should be re-introduced. There are well-argumented analyses on that, by worthy people... read it
• Yorgos Valsamis, director of ellopos.net:
  
  The wealth of the Greek language grown through all the periods of Greek history, doesn’t mean just a larger amount of words... read it
• Katerina Sokratidou, employee in a shipping agency:
  
  When the monotonic system was introduced I was in secondary school, which means that I have already been taught accents for about 7 years. At start it was quite difficult to prevent my hand from adding breathings and accents. But I got used to it like most Greeks. I never sat down to analyze whether introducing the monotonic system was right or wrong. After all I never heard anyone being against it. This doesn't mean that there haven't been any reactions, only that I wasn't aware of them.

  And that way I arrived to the third year of university where older friends explained the utility of the polytonic system to me. I thus returned to polytonism in my personal writings, since it was forbidden to do so in public ones. I continued to use it for many years, mostly from habit, without fully understanding its advantages. Until the demerits of monotonism and technocratic education became obvious. I then started to realize in what extend the never generations had less culture than my own one. And also, similarly, how much less culture my generation had, compared to the ones of my parents and grand-parents. I remember that my grand-mother who has only been to primary school wrote and spoke perfectly, with a rich local idiom, expressivity and accentuation. Not to mention people from those times who went to university.

  What is the relation between that education and the current one? And what is our own responsability? More and more voices raise against the equalization of education, the simplification of language, the de-hellenization of Greeks. Why not have the bravery and promptitude to make another revolution? To fight against facility, against laziness, against epicureanism, against consumarism. To resist everything the system presents as indispensable material good. To get over the narrow individualistic benefit which leads us to a infertile and miserable life and to recover our spiritual ideals. To take control over culture and education of ourselves, of our children, of our grand-children. What do we expect from the government? There may be no Ottoman yoke anymore but there is, nevertheless, the Damoclean sword of globalization. Which is a quite sneaky phenomenon, which brides consciences with the promess of material goods. The modern Greek man or woman remains paralyzed and hypnotized in front of the perspective of obtaining the latest model of mobile phone, the biggest plasma TV screen, the most recent multimodular car. And that way, he/she forgets, or rather does not understand, that he/she loses his/her identity, loses him/herself. There is no individual anymore which will gain hapiness through material possessions. Because material goods fill us with joy and hapiness only when they are the means to achieve a spiritual goal.

  In 1821, Greeks have fought for their freedom, not for material goods. The same thing happened in 1940. The desire for freedom has kept alive the resistance against Nazis. Ever since the dawn of time it is the spiritual battle which fullfils the Greek, gives him a meaning and a goal. By removing his spirituality and culture, one removes his rôle in history, his goal in life.

  The question if whether one should choose to betray his rôle and become resident of the “country of lotus-eaters”. A country without memory with people sunken in torpidity of pleasures.

  It is because I believe that Greece deserves something better than that, that I call all Greeks to resist and to fight for their identity and their rôle. Because, [as our great poet Andreas Kalvos said] freedom, and especially spiritual freedom, needs virtue and boldness.

• Nikos Theodorou, mathematician:
  
  I got acquainted with the polytonic system very young, in primary school, when my mother... read it
• Jacob J. Adams, high school student:
  
  Our world is one of many choices.  We choose what to eat and what to wear.  We choose our careers and hobbies.... read it
• Hadjinikolaou Dimitrios, teacher of English language:
  
  Why I do not approve of monotonous, spiritless spelling. ... read it
• Avgoustinos Tsirimokos, reporter:
  
  ... read it
• Nikolaos Papadopoulos, sports teacher:
  
  ... read it
• Archimidis Anagnostou, (doctor, microbiologist):
  
  ... read it
• Ioannis Vamvakas:
  
  EN1... read it
• Dimitris Tabaoglou Computer engineer:
  
  EN1... read it
• Maria Kontarini, employee in the private sector, retired:
  
  EN1... read it
• Dimitris Armaos, Philologist, poet, essayist:
  
  EN1... read it
• Yannis Flytzanis, Student in Law:
  
  ... read it
• Athina Antoniadou, Conservation of antiquities:
  
  ... read it