PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
01-349230/1
Haigazian University: Professor Marc Nichanian lectures on "From
Constantinople to Venice in the days of Lord Byron."
Beirut, November 9, 2007- Renowned Professor Marc Nichanian, delivered
his first public lecture entitled, "From Constantinople to Venice in the
days of Lord Byron", on October 31, in Haigazian University Auditorium,
among a capacity audience of Armenian intellectuals, writers, faculty,
staff and students.
Dr. Nichanian, who is currently a visiting professor in the Armenian
Studies Department, explored the events of the second decade of the
nineteenth century, i.e. the period when Armenian national philology was
invented.
Nichanian noted that that this philology was established through a
strange play of gazes and sub-stitutions between Europeans, Greeks, and
Armenians, or between the raging Phil-hellenism of the time and a
nascent "Philarmenism" that the Mekhitarist fathers wanted to foster.
Nichanian highlighted on the fact that Lord Byron was one of the main
representatives of this Phil-hellen-ism in Europe, and was soon
converted into a propagator of "Philarmenism".
Nichanian shared with the audience the mysterious aspect of Lord Byron’s
desire of learning Armenian, immediately upon his arrival to Ven-ice in
November 1816.
During the course of the lecture, based on the heeds of a recent article
by Giancarlo Bolognesi, Marc Nichanian expounded the historical and
contextual reas-ons behind this desire, presenting the colorful
personality of Ludovico Arborio di Breme, who played a crucial role as
the intermediary between Lord Byron and the Mekhitarist Fathers.