"The promised land of valour, of the arts and of liberty” : Lord Byron’s letters 1823-1824 and the Greek War of Independence

Abstract

Lord Byron played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence. His letters from 1823–1824 offer an understanding of the various roles he adopted during his time in Greece. Lord Byron became a personification of philhellenic sentiment. The Greeks' war against the Ottoman Empire caused much stir in Europe. A glorified view of ancient Greece permeated into nineteenth-century political ideology for some, and to restore the ancient civilisation from centuries of dormancy became a dream of the volunteers known as philhellenes. Philhellenes are undoubtedly most referred to when discussing the Greek War of Independence, as they arguably played a decisive role in the cause, or at the very least were so vocal about their sympathy they could not go unnoticed by contemporaries and historians alike. Philhellenism was a unique manifestation of European solidarity, in which mere sentiment drove volunteers to campaign, to fight and possibly ultimately to die for a foreign cause. Through studying his letters, his involvement in the Greek War of Independence can be analysed through the lens of personal experience. He adopted various roles and tasks to aid the Greeks in their cause. This paper introduces these roles and investigates the significance of Lord Byron to the Greek road to independence.