Welcome To The Website of The Hellenic Society Prometheas
Upcoming Events
Thursday, September 24, 2020, 7:00 pm: A Neolithic “Pompei” – The Remarkable Findings in Alepotrypa Cave, Diros Bay, the Mani Peninsula
The Hellenic Society Prometheas will host a webcast with a presentation by Dr. William Parkinson, Curator and Professor of Anthropology at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Parkinson will discuss the results of collaborative, Greek and American, archaeological research at Diros Bay, particularly in the massive cave of Alepotrypa, one of the largest Neolithic burial sites and one of the oldest prehistoric villages in Europe.
You can attend the presentation using the following link: https://youtu.be/MsCk2YZaPeM
Questions can be submitted using the following form (ready to use a few days before the event):
https://forms.gle/64XKqnjgZnjzrJeq8.
You will also be able to enter your questions in the YouTube chatbox during the presentation.
Event flyer: 
Prometheas: Parkinson_on Diros Caves
Announcement
Condemnation of Turkish President’s Action to Turn Hagia Sophia into a Mosque
The Hellenic Society Prometheas strongly condemns Turkish President Erdogan’s action that converts Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque. This deplorable act, announced on July 10, 2020 by President Erdogan, has shocked and saddened the entire world and prompted criticism by religious and political leaders, academic institutions and cultural organizations worldwide.
Built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral in 537 A.D., Hagia Sophia is widely regarded as the foremost example of Byzantine Christian architecture in the world and is of immense historical value. Ιn 1972, Hagia Sophia was declared by UNESCO as a museum and world cultural monument. Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, described the building as “an architectural masterpiece, and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its heritage and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue.” As Prof. Judith Herrin of King’s College wrote in an article in the Washington Post, “converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque is an act of cultural cleansing that threatens Turkish minorities and the country’s secular character. Hagia Sophia belongs to the world.”
The action by the Turkish leader is an affront to the Turkish people, to Erdogan himself – who won his first Premiership with the promise to modernize Turkey and bring it closer to democratic Europe. We at Prometheas, as a Greek cultural organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, urge President Erdogan to reverse his decision and maintain the status of Hagia Sophia as a UNESCO world heritage site.
On behalf of the Board,
Magdalene Kantartzi
President
The Hellenic Society Prometheas
A message to our members
Dear friends,
The Hellenic Society Prometheas has been serving its mission statement for over 40 years, by organizing numerous events that promote both the ideals of Hellenism and Hellenic culture, as wells as the ties among its members and the community. Unfortunately, we are currently in the midst of a global pandemic that has profoundly impacted our daily activities and perhaps our lives in the future.
Back in March, we made a conscious decision to cancel all our scheduled events to protect our members from exposure to this disease. However, we wouldn’t be true to our mission if we remained inactive indefinitely. For that reason, we decided to start hosting web presentations, to deliver interesting events right to your house or wherever your computer, tablet, or phone may be!
We thought it would be of major importance to devote our first presentation to Coronavirus and the new developments for treatment and vaccination, and provide reliable information on how to better protect ourselves in the coming months. We were very fortunate to have Dr. George Pavlakis, an expert on the pandemic, address these issues in a special webcast, which was attended by more than 90 people. Details about this event are found below, together with a video of his presentation.
As the summer winds down and we are moving into fall, we are adding presentations on a number of interesting topics which we will host online in the form of webcasts similar to our inaugural one. Stay tuned for more information.
Stay healthy and safe!
The H.S. Prometheas Board
Mission
The Hellenic Society Prometheas is a social and cultural nonprofit organization created in 1978 and based in Washington, D.C. Its goals are to promote the ideals of Hellenism and Hellenic culture both past and present, as well as to provide society members with a forum through which to pursue matters of common interest.
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Recent Events
Thursday, August 6, 2020: Greek Taxation Laws for Greeks Abroad
The Hellenic Society Prometheas hosted a webcast with a presentation by Mrs. Arsinoi Lainiotis and Mr. Theodore Vakrinos, Attorneys at Law, who discussed various issues relating to taxation for Greeks abroad, followed by a question and answer period on topics relevant to Greek law for Greeks abroad.
Event flyer: Prometheas Tax Webcast – Lainiotis & Vakrinos
Podcast of the presentation: Prometheas Tax Webcast – Lainiotis & Vakrinos – YouTube Podcast
Thursday, June 25, 2020: Coronavirus: Present and Future
The Hellenic Society Prometheas hosted its first webcast with a presentation by Dr. George Pavlakis, Chief of the Human Retrovirus Section of the National Cancer Institute, who discussed new developments for treatment and vaccination for Covid-19, and how to better protect ourselves in the coming months.
Event flyer: Prometheas – Dr. Pavlakis on Coronavirus 2020
Video or presentation: Pavlakis Presentation
Sunday, March 1, 2020: Annual Apokriatiko Party – Mardi Gras Celebration
The Hellenic Society Prometheas hosted its annual Apokriatiko Party – Mardi Gras celebration, Sunday, March 1, at 6:30 pm, at St. Sophia’s Frosene Ballroom. The celebration included festive music by D.J. Stavros and a buffet dinner, as well as prizes for best costumes!
Event flyer: Prometheas Apokriatiko Party – Mardi Gras Celebration 2020
Saturday, January 25, 2020: Greek Letters Day (Day of the Three Hierarchs)
Mary Norris, former Copy Editor at the New Yorker, and author of “Greek to Me” and the best-selling “Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen”, presented “Greek to Me”, a discussion on the timelessness of the Greek language, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church. The Hellenic Society Prometheas presented its Hellenic Language and Culture Awards to students of Greek schools of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, followed by the traditional cut of the Vassilopitta and Reception.
News Release: GLD 2020 News Release
Sunday, December 15, 2019: Prometheas Christmas Dinner
The Hellenic Society Prometheas hosted its Christmas Dinner Party at the Greek Taverna in McLean, VA, with a special dinner menu and live music. Event flyer: Prometheas Christmas Dinner Party
Sunday, December 1, 2019: Prometheas Board elections
The Hellenic Society Prometheas convened the Biannual General Assembly on Sunday, December 1, at the Hellenic Center in Bethesda, MD, to conduct elections for a new Board for the next two years. Special newsletter: Prometheas Elections 2019