Finally, Athens has its statue of Alexander the Great

It is hard to believe that although the Greeks are very fanatic about “their” Alexander the Great, no statue was ever erected to his honor in Athens. Macedonian Greece has several, such as in Thessaloniki, Pella, Edessa and Giannitsa, but not in the Greek capital.

[Picture from Ekathimerini]

In 1992, the sculptor Yannis Pappas, donated the bronze equestrian statue he had made of the great conqueror to the city of Athens. Then a dispute arose as to where it should be placed – a polemic that lasted several years (see my earlier blog: A statue of Alexander the Great in Athens?)

The municipal council of Athens has finally agreed on the appropriate spot for this statue, and in the presence of the Mayor of the city, it was unveiled close to the Temple of Zeus (at the intersection of Amalias and Vasilissis Olgas Avenues for those who know Athens more intimately).

Zeus may know why it took so long to put up the 3.5-meter-tall Alexander and Bucephalus for this work of art did not cost them a penny. It was a gift of Yannis Pappas, and his family paid for the installation since the sculptor died in 2005 without having seen his wish become reality.

Instead of being proud, Athens should be ashamed to make such an unnecessary fuss to erect a statue to greatest man and the greatest Greek who ever lived.