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A Possession for Ever: Charles Bean, the Ancient Greeks, and Military Commemoration in Australia
Author(s) -
Londey Peter
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
australian journal of politics and history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1467-8497
pISSN - 0004-9522
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8497.2007.00462.x
Subject(s) - parallels , greeks , possession (linguistics) , ancient history , history , classics , spanish civil war , democracy , law , political science , politics , archaeology , philosophy , engineering , mechanical engineering , linguistics
For many people after the First World War, the classical world of Greece and Rome provided a language of commemoration; those who fought on Gallipoli were often keen to see parallels with the Trojan war of 3,000 years earlier. Charles Bean, Australia's classically‐educated war correspondent, Official Historian, and chief visionary behind the Australian War Memorial, was as imbued with the classics as any. What is striking, however, is that Bean largely ignored parallels with Troy, focusing instead almost exclusively on fifth‐century BC Athens. Bean wanted more than a language of commemoration; he desired an historical backdrop which would emphasise the place in history of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Only the Athenians could provide a fitting parallel for the youthful democracy of Australia.