History
Greek history is fascinating, and Greeks today are proud of that history, stretching back over three millennia. Of course, you do not need to know Greek history in detail to know your client, but this information does provide an insight into your client’s experience and heritage. See Ancient Greece to WWI.
The first Greeks arrived in Europe some time before 1500 BC. At its peak ancient Greek civilisation spread from Greece to Egypt and the Hindu Kush mountains in Pakistan. Greek minorities ever since have remained in former Greek territories, including Turkey, Italy and Libya. More recently Greeks have emigrated to many countries across the world. Today most Greeks live in the modern states of Greece and Cyprus but, famously, Melbourne is the third largest ‘Greek’ city after Athens and Thessolonika.
Recent Greek History is especially illuminating. You cannot understand Greeks today, especially migrant Greek communities, without knowing something of the period leading to their departure from the Greek homeland. Indeed, to truly understand the lives and personalities of the Greek elders in your care information about the momentous historical events that shaped their lives is crucial.
These highly traumatic events and circumstance left their mark both positively and negatively, spurring first generation migrants on to re-establish their lives and provide better circumstances for their children, but also leaving scars that often re-emerge in later years. Migration, family relations, language issues and attachment to cultural traditions can only be understood if you take the time to find out about this context.