The Delphic Idea: From Antiquity to Sikelianos and the Post-Human Era

How can a vision born in the depths of antiquity inspire a new global dialogue in today’s age of artificial intelligence and radical change?

Τετάρτη, Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | 18:00 – 20:00
Acropolis Museum – ‘Dimitrios Pandermalis’ Auditorium, Athens

An event dedicated to the Delphic Idea – the vision of the spiritual gathering of peoples, which remains timely and vibrant through the ages.

Angelos Sikelianos was the visionary behind the modern revival of the Delphic Idea, bringing it to life through the First and Second Delphic Festivals in 1927 and 1930, featuring performances of ancient drama at the Delphi Theatre.

The European Cultural Delphi Centre (E.C.D.C.) was officially founded in 1977 with the aim of creating a global intellectual hub in Delphi, continuing Sikelianos’ vision. As the institutional successor of the Delphic Idea, the Centre assumed early on the role of guardian of this cultural and spiritual legacy. Since 1985, through the International Meetings on Ancient Drama, the Centre has consistently revitalized the spirit of the Delphic Festivals, linking ancient drama with contemporary artistic, philosophical, and intercultural approaches. Its enduring course – from its founding to the present – proves the living continuity of the Delphic Idea in the modern world.

The year 2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Delphic Festivals and the 50th anniversary of the founding of the E.C.D.C. This event launches a series of actions culminating in that dual, historically significant, anniversary.

Goal of the event: To highlight the timeless journey of the Delphic Idea – from ancient oracles, to Sikelianos’ vision, to the Centre’s modern international initiatives, and into the future in a post-human era.

Speakers:

• Eri Stavropoulou
  Em. Professor of Modern Greek Literature, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  “The Delphic Idea of Angelos Sikelianos”. A presentation of the origins and ideological development of the Delphic Idea in the poet’s work.
• Walter Puchner
  Em. Professor of Theatre Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  “Theatrical Performances of the Delphic Festivals 1927 and 1930: Prehistory, Context and Continuity”
  An analysis of the performances as forms of modern ritual, theatrical innovation, and cultural revival.
• Evanthis Hatzivassiliou
  Professor of Postwar World History, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  “The Delphic Festivals and Their Era”
  The historical and cultural context of the interwar period and the need for a new spiritual vision after the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
• Panagiotis Roilos
  Professor of Greek Studies and Comparative Literature, Harvard University
  “The Future of the Delphic Idea: The Post-Human Transition”
  Proposals for reinterpreting the Delphic Idea in the 21st century through the work and international initiatives of the European Cultural Centre of Delphi.

Moderator: Andreas Gofas, Professor of International Relations at Panteion University and Director of the E.C.D.C.

Admission is free to the public.

Photos from the ECCD archives