A Tribute to the Island of Samos

The Embassy of Greece is proud to present a tribute to the enchanting island of Samos! On Thursday, April 14, from 6:30pm-8:30pm, the Embassy of Greece celebrates the island with a book presentation on Thomas Bahler's novel, Anything is Possible.

Anything is Possible re-imagines the life and times of a man whose stories have guided kings and peasants, grownups and children, for over 2600 years. This man is Aesop. He was born on the island of Samos, just off the Ionian coast, in 620 BCE. Time and place came together for Aesop as he rose from the depths of slavery to serve as ambassador to the wealthiest and most powerful king of the day, Creosus of Lydia. When Aesop was born, Miletus and Samos had become the most active and profitable ports in Ionia. International trade was flourishing, and merchants from as far away as India and Egypt, together with representatives from the most powerful city-states, came together in Samos. Thus it was that Ionia became the birthplace of philosophy. Sharing thoughts and stories from their diverse cultural heritage, these traders gave birth to what we now regard as "new thought". The slave Aesop transcended the boundaries of his position to embrace that new way of thinking and to weave into it stories that would help shape the future of mankind. The fable enables the listener to discover the meaning behind the story, and that is why Aesop's enduring humanity lives with us today.

The event will also feature a screening of Panos Zenelis' 2009 documentary on Samos and its traditional products. Samos continues to provide prodigious amounts of olive oil, wine, black pine, cheese, fish, sheep, and goats, just as it did in the time of Aesop. Time has hardly changed the flavors of Samos. Why? Well, if it works, it tends to keep working! Come and pay Samos a visit as Aesop unveils his story. You might just find yourself in two places at once: Then and Now.

The event will take place at the Embassy of Greece, located at 2217 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington D.C., 20008. Please RSVP to rsvpculture@greekembassy.org.