When Harvati became Mycenae (1916). Toponyms and nation building in early-20th century Greece

Abstract

This article examines Greek perceptions and politics related to place names in the early 20th century. Although the tendency to rename places was already strong during the War of Independence in the 1820s, it finally became a systematic process in June 1909, when the “Toponyms of Greece Committee” was established and staffed by distinguished academics. The case of Harvati-Mycenae, though not unique in modern Greek history, presents an indicative example of the interaction between administrative expediency and national aspirations in the reshaping of the map of Greece. The history of this small village in Argolida [Argolída], which in 1916 was renamed from Harvati to Mycenae, is part of the long-lasting practice of changing names and adapting geography to the political and ideological necessities of the state. We argue that this process was an integral part of a ruling ideology that stressed continuity and kinship of the modern Greeks with an alleged glorious national past.