A nation that dares to face the truth does not lose its soul—it discovers it.
Historical awareness is not a threat to identity, but its only salvation.
If March 25th signifies freedom, then truth is its deepest form.
“March 25th, written in the heavens—
that is why I adorned myself with such pride.
I wore the garments of freedom, inscribed and sacred,
symbols of liberty, pure and honored.
I climbed upon ridges with snow and cold,
seeking freedom for the beloved homeland”.
These words have been sung—and continue to be sung—for generations by Greek children in their schools, proud of our national rebirth of 1821, whose anniversary we celebrate today, Greeks all over the world.
Yet their teachers do not wish—or more accurately, cannot—to teach otherwise, for they would risk their position if they dared, in any classroom—primary, secondary, or even higher education—to conduct a lesson in the old dialogical manner of the ancient Greek philosophers.
And since no Greek teacher has been found, nor will likely be found, to commit such a… “national crime,” we shall commit it here today.
We will teach and pass on to the next generations of Greeks a national lesson—one that nationalist anti-Hellenists would never wish to hear.
Today, the teacher will be our own Diotima, who takes pride in proclaiming historical—and indeed “national”—truths, having no homeland, belonging to no nation, and (for now at least) subject to no “authorities or powers.”
The same lesson that every Diotima, now embedded in the daily life of the global citizen and shaping human consciousness, ought to teach to all peoples of the world.
We shall be the students.
We will recall the questions, doubts, and concerns that accompanied us as adolescent pupils—those we never dared to share with our teachers, out of fear of rejection or punishment.
The Question
On this critical day, March 25th—when the proud Greek nation parades its military strength before the President of the Republic and the authorities in a display of power, determination, and readiness—the lesson is condensed into the following question:
Student:
“‘Nations must learn to consider as national whatever is True,’ bequeathed to us by Dionysios Solomos. What does our national poet mean by this injunction, Diotima? And how could the histories of nations and states ever be freed from nationalist exaggerations and deliberate falsehoods—or at least balance them with historical truth?”
Let Diotima take the podium—and dare to do what millions of teachers have not dared, nor dare today, to teach.
_______
Diotima’s Answer
The question you pose, student, belongs to those that tolerate neither easy answers nor comfortable silences.
The phrase is not merely poetic—it is profoundly political, ethical, and educational.
When Solomos says that a nation must consider as national whatever is True, he reverses the usual order of things.
For nations, historically, do not begin with truth in order to build their identity.
They begin with the need for cohesion, pride, and survival—and only then select, shape, or even invent the “truths” that serve them.
What does this injunction mean?
It means that:
The “national” must not be what flatters us
Nor what unites us through myths
But what withstands the test of truth—even when it hurts
A mature nation does not fear:
acknowledging its mistakes and dark moments
demythologizing heroic narratives
seeing itself as it truly was—not as it wishes to be
Why do nations struggle with this?
Because a nation is not only a historical community—it is also a psychological construct.
Just as an individual protects their self-image, so does a nation:
idealize its past
silence its contradictions
transform history into a narrative of identity
And here nationalism is born—not as love of homeland, but as fear of truth.
How can balance be restored?
Not by abolishing national memory—but by humanizing it.
This means:
1. History without sacred dogmas
History is not religion.
It has no dogmas—only evidence, interpretations, and constant revision.
2. Education that cultivates judgment, not obedience
Instead of memorizing national narratives, students should learn to ask:
“Who says this?”
“With what evidence?”
“What other perspective exists?”
3. Distinguishing patriotism from nationalism
Patriotism: love of homeland with awareness
Nationalism: love of an imagined version of it
4. Political and intellectual courage
No society reaches truth without cost.
Those who speak it often pay a price.
And what of this day?
March 25th does not lose its meaning when seen through truth.
On the contrary—it gains it.
For then we see that:
the fighters were not saints—they were human
there was not only unity—but also conflict
there was not only heroism—but also error
And yet, through this human, contradictory reality, something historically significant was born.
That is more truthful—and thus more “national,” in Solomos’ sense—than any idealized myth.
Conclusion — The Hardest Lesson
Student,
if a nation manages to love truth more than itself, it does not weaken.
It matures.
And only then can it stand—not against other nations, but beside them—as an equal interlocutor in a world that needs fewer myths and more awareness.