The Hellenic Republic is now more than two centuries old, as 202 years have passed since the First National Assembly that took place in Nea Epidaurus and in which the first constitution of Greece was defined.

The events that took place today in this historic village of Argolis, were honored with her presence by the President of the Republic, Mr. Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The government was represented by the Minister of Culture, Ms. Lina Mendoni, while the Greek Parliament was represented by the vice-president of the body, Mr. Giorgos Georgantas. Representatives of the parties, the Prefectural and Local governments were also present.

During the work of the First National Assembly, which began on December 20, 1821 and ended on January 15, 1822, the “Declaration of the National Assembly” was written and the mode of temporary operation of the newly established Greek state was defined. On the first of January 1822, the first Constitution of Greece was voted, while at the same time the shape and colors of our national symbol, the Greek Flag, were agreed upon.

The Constitution that was passed determined the form of the state, and provided for the protection of individual liberties and the separation of powers. Specifically, it was defined that the “Administration” would be carried out by the “Parliament” and the “Executive”, while the “Judicial” would be an independent body.

The so-called bystanders participated in the assembly, who also had the right to vote on the final texts of the Assembly. They were proxies or representatives from various regions, namely Eastern Hersos (central-eastern Greece and Macedonia), Western Hersos (Western Greece and Epirus), Peloponnese and the maritime islands (Hydra, Spetses, Psara, Kasos).

Alexandros Mavtokordatos was elected president of the Assembly, Athanasios Kanakaris vice-president and Anagnostis Papagiannopoulos, Ioannis Orlandos and Ioannis Logothetis were elected executive members.

From September 1821, the proceedings for the Assembly had begun. Initially, Argos was designated as the venue, but finally, for security reasons, the village of Piada, today’s Nea Epidauros Argolis, was chosen. The village square has been declared a preserved monument, while in the surrounding open space a votive column has been placed with the Phoenix reborn from its ashes, symbolizing the rebirth of the nation, freedom and democracy. Due to his honor, in 1823, at the suggestion of Ioannis Kolettis, Piada was declared a Municipality and renamed Nea Epidauros.

THE President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulouafter participating in the doxology at the Holy Church of Evangelistria and then laying a wreath on the Votive column in the square of the First National Assembly, made the following statement:

“The Constitution of Epidaurus constitutes the founding act of the Greek constitution. It captures the will of the Greeks not only for independence, but also for political sovereignty and freedom. The “Provisional Government of Greece”, together with the Declaration of Independence, is imbued with the values ​​of the Enlightenment and the great revolutions. At his beginnings, the foundations of the modern Greek state were laid. Today’s anniversary reminds us of the glorious struggle of the Greeks and the origins of our coexistence”.

THE Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, after making a short review of the historical events, he emphasized that just 9 months after the start of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the First National Assembly was held, essentially turning the previously belligerent inhabitants into citizens of Greece. He also added that the celebration connects today’s Republic with the struggles of our forefathers.

From the side of Mr. Georgantas characterized the National Assembly of Epidaurus as a peak moment of the Greek state and the text that was written as pioneering, the main elements of which were Democracy, Freedom and Equality, which is a guide to the future and a source of inspiration for the coming generations.