To the man who identified his name with one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, but also to the teacher who inspired generations of students, the event held today, in the context of the celebration of the 100 years of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, was dedicated.

In an evening of memory and honor, the speakers highlighted the multifaceted work and multifaceted personality of Manolis Andronikos – the scientist, the intellectual and the man who, as it was typically said, “illuminated the history of Macedonia, Greece and the entire world with a new light”.

Through speeches, testimonies and archival material, the aspects of a university teacher who was not limited to his science, but saw archeology as a means of understanding the identity and continuity of Hellenism, were presented.

“We honor an outstanding personality of Aristotle University. A professor who left an indelible mark, not only on the university campus, not only on his male and female students, but on all of humanity with his achievement of finding something from the history of Macedonia, something from our past and something that gives us too many characteristics to say that we are Greek. Therefore, the tombs of Vergina, which he discovered in 1977, were really the culmination of his academic career”, said the Rector of AUTH, Kyriakos Anastasiadis, shortly before the event, emphasizing his academic integrity and his ethics as a teacher.

Vice-Chancellor Iakovos Michaelidis described Manolis Andronikos as a “point of reference” for Aristotle University and a “living symbol of academic excellence and research courage”.

“With the excavation of Vergina and the revelation of the Macedonian Tomb, he connected the past with our present, proving indisputably the timeless continuity of Greek culture in Macedonia. As a university teacher he was a model of scientific responsibility and pedagogical dedication. He imparted to his students not only knowledge, but also passion for truth, love for history and respect for our cultural heritage,” he noted.

The students of Manolis Andronikos remember the archaeologist, the teacher and above all the man

Among the speakers of the event were several of his students, who with emotion referred to the teacher and the man Manolis Andronikos. “He was a teacher in our daily life as well,” Professor Emeritus, former MEP and former Director of the University Excavation of Vergina, Chrysoula Paliadeli, told APE-MPE.

“I met Manolis Andronikos, professor of Classical Archeology at AUTH, in the mid-1960s. I did not imagine that that forty-five-year-old man at the time, with the big bony myopic glasses and expressive hands, who spoke to us standing up and with passion about ancient Greek art, would mark my life,” she said in her speech, describing with emotion his “charm of speech” of, which captivated students and listeners.

As the speakers reminded, after the great discovery of Philip’s untouched tomb in Vergina in 1977, Manolis Andronikos did not keep the findings within the narrow confines of the scientific community. Instead, he chose to present them to the general public, in the then crowded auditorium of the Old Philosophy. “It was a move equally symbolic and essential, which reflected his perception that science and research are goods of society, to which the public university must deliver based on its mission”, pointed out the Rector of AUTH, adding that he “felt the burden of responsibility towards both his students and society itself”.

Bettina Tsigarida, currently head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Pella, was also present at that presentation. “We were freshmen at the time, we were in awe of the great archaeologist. He seemed distant and unapproachable to us, extraordinary. When over the years we got to know him in his classes, we understood that he was a simple person, outgoing, direct, with a great love for young people.

Perhaps because young people have not yet become conventional, and he had never been conventional. One could say he stayed forever young,” she said excitedly, sharing memories of their collaboration in Vergina, Oxford and his home on Papafi Street in Thessaloniki.

Michalis Tiberios, President of the Academy of Athens and emeritus professor of AUTH, expressed a similar emotion. “I was lucky to have teachers who were not only excellent scientists and researchers, but also people. This is very important. Democratic people – in every sense of the word. Not with labels. Because what everyone is shows with their daily behavior”, he said excitedly.

The event was organized by the AUTH Alumni Association with the assistance of the Rector’s Office, in the context of the 100th anniversary of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and closed with the “Yiannis Mantakas” choir of the University.