The epigraphy seminar, that takes place once a month at the Epigraphic Museum, is organised by the Epigraphic Museum (EM), the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (IHR/NHRF), and the French School at Athens (EFA).

February 18, 2026
15:00

Epigraphic Museum (EM), Lecture Hall

The 13th International Round Table on Polychromy in Ancient Sculpture and Architecture: “Polychromy and the Senses: Integrating Scientific, Cognitive, and Aesthetic Perspectives on Ancient Colour”, seeks submissions for papers related to innovative projects and methods in interdisciplinary polychromy research under two rubrics, the principal theme “Polychromy and the Senses” and, as customary, “News from Current Research”.

In this podcast, Paschalis Paschidis, Director of Research in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about the ancient Macedonians. Who were they? What language did they speak? How did southern Greeks view the inhabitants of Macedonia? Why did Demosthenes call the Macedonians ‘barbarians’? Is it important that Macedonia was ruled by a monarchy? How can we write the history of ancient Macedonia?

Listen on Spotify  Listen on YouTube

The AmphiPoly research project aims to scientifically document the reconstruction of the monument’s original appearance, including its polychromy and iconography, in all its chronological phases. Digital, three-dimensional representation and aesthetic restoration is implemented, based on archaeometric measurements, digital tools, and historical-archaeological research.

Νοοτροπίες, συναισθήματα και δίκτυα επικοινωνίας ουμανιστών και καλλιτεχνών στο Βυζάντιο και στην Ιταλία την περίοδο της «Αναγέννησης» (13ος-16ος αι.)

February 18 – June 03, 2026
On Wednesdays, 16.00-18.00

University of Athens Historical Archive

Stefania De Vido, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia

February 10, 2026
19:00

French School in Athens & Online

Lecture Series in Byzantine History, literature, art and archaeology

Organised by: Kostis Smyrlis, Marina Koumanoudi and Stratis Papaioannou
Institute of Historical Research, NHRF

February 16 - June 22, 2026
18:00

Princeton Athens Center

A Muhabbet conversation between: Cengiz Aktar and Elias Kolovos (Research Director IHR/NHRF), about the historical background of Greek-Turkish relations and the issues stemming from this historic past.

Moderator: İlay Romain Örs (Institute of Hellenic Culture and Liberal Arts, The American College of Greece)

February 13, 2026
18:30

The Demos Center

Co-organized by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA), the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) and the École française d’Athènes (EFA).

February 09, 2026
19:00

French School in Athens & Online

In this podcast, Maria Christina Chatziioannou, Research Director Emerita of the Institute of Historical Research, talks about the history of Karytaina, a small mountainous community in Arcadia. Why do European travellers visit Karytaina during the 19th century? What was the strategic importance of the settlement and the castle? What do the inhabitants do for a living? What can archival research tell us about the history of the settlement and its people? Why do the inhabitants of Karytaina emigrate to Athens? What is the role of the millinery factory Pil Poul?

Listen on Spotify  Listen on YouTube

In this podcast, Valentin Schneider, Research Collaborator in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about the German Occupation Database. What is this database? What kind of information does it include? How does the digitisation of the archive help research? How does the German administration record war crimes? How are the excessive German losses during the Battle of Crete justified? Is the German occupation of Greece and eastern Europe different than the one in western Europe? How many German soldiers came to Greece during the war?

The new, annual, open-access journal Witnessing: A Journal of Critical Humanities and Socially Engaged Arts has been published in December 2025.

Thoroughly interdisciplinary, the journal deals with the study of the past and present, through the looking glass of history, sound, listening and the notion of witnessing. Witnessing aims at enriching and critically informing perceptions about listening, sound, violence, resistance, and marginalization, cultivating a space for critical thinking and critical o/auralities, rupturing and transgressing the boundaries of national archives and archives of violence.

Muhabbet is an initiative aiming at bringing together scholars, students, and people interested in the shared social history and cultural heritage of the East Mediterranean. We wish to hold discussions about our common legacies in an informal and friendly environment, like that of the coffeehouses, which originated in the Ottoman East Mediterranean, where people used to come together to develop amicable conversations called muhabbet.

The initiative is endorsed by the Demos Center, the Institute of Hellenic Culture and Liberal Arts, ACG; the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation.

January 27 - May 26, 2026

In this podcast, Hariclia Brecoulaki, Senior Research in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about colour in antiquity. What is colour? How was it made? Where was colour used? How did ancient writers talk about colour? Is it true that they thought that the sea is red? Was the Parthenon really painted with bright colours?

In this podcast, Vyron Antoniadis, Senior Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about ancient roads, with particular reference to Crete. What is a road? How do we study roads in antiquity? How do modern tools, such as GIS, contribute to archaeological research? What is the relationship between roads and cemetaries?

Δημήτρης Δαμάσκος, Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών

Η διάλεξη θα δοθεί στα Ελληνικά

January 20, 2026
19:00 EET

French School in Athens,  (6 Didotou str.) & Online

In this podcast, Kostis Gotsinas, Associate Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, Kostas Tampakis, Senior Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, discuss with Christy Constantakopoulou the history of drug use and addiction in Greece during the early 20th century. Why was drug use prohibited in Greece? What was the role of mental institutions? Did women ever use drugs? What were the networks of distribution and production of drugs in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean more generally?

N. Papazarkadas, Institute of Historical Research Director [IHR | NHRF]

Colloquium “Πέρα από τον Αλγόριθμο: ΤΝ, Προσωπικότητα, Έρευνα, Συναίσθημα και Τέχνη”

January 17, 2026

Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture, 28, Tripodon Str., 10558 Plaka

Nikos Livanos, Institute for Historical Research [IHR | NHRF]

The Agora – Institute for Historical Research Seminars 2025-2026

January 17, 2026
19:00 EET

Online

The Numismatic meetings are co-organized by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA), the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) and the École française d’Athènes (EFA).

January 12, 2026
19:00

French School in Athens,  (6 Didotou str.) & Online

Niki Tsironi, Institute of Historical Research [IHR | NHRF]

Colloquium “Πέρα από τον Αλγόριθμο: ΤΝ, Προσωπικότητα, Έρευνα, Συναίσθημα και Τέχνη”

January 17, 2026

Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture, 28, Tripodon Str., 10558 Plaka

In this podcast, Sophia Kremydi, Director of Studies in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about Alexander the Great. What do we know about his life? Which stories are true and which are fictitious? What were the sources that ancient writers used (such as Plutarch) to write about the life of Alexander? Do we have any Persian sources? What did Babylonian news reports write about the illness and death of Alexander?

In this podcast, Eleutherios Despotakis, Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about the practice of matheteia, training, in Venetian Crete, during the late medieval period (14th-15th centuries). What exactly was the practice of matheteia? What was the relationship between matheteia and the society of Chandax (modern Herakleion)? Did girls learn to read and write? Who were the teachers and how were they paid?

In this podcast, Christy Constantakopoulou, Senior Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, and Vyron Antoniadis, Senior Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, talk about the history of Delos during the archaic and classical periods.

In this podcast, Kostas Tampakis, Senior Researcher in the Institute of Historical Research, talks about the relationship between scientific research and Orthodox religion in the 19th and 20th century. What was the relationship between sciences and orthodoxy in the modern Greek state? Why were there trials for atheism in Volos in the 20th century? Does anti-communist speech and propaganda have anything to do with Orthodox religion and sciences?

Lecturer
Julian Baker, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

December 08, 2025
18:00

Princeton Athens Center (3 Timarchou street, 116 34 Athens)