“Archaeological excavations are being carried out because underneath we have an entire state, the state of Plato, which we have covered,” Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis said about the redevelopment in the district of the Greek capital Plato Academy.
Instead of going to a bookstore or even do a google search, Bakoyannis believes that in the excavations at Plato’s Academy he will find Plato’s “Republic“, a Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BCE, concerning justice (δικαιοσύνη), the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man.
It is Plato’s best-known work, and one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically.
Costas Bakoyiannis has become viral on Greek Twitter on Tuesday, after a user uploaded his relevant excerpt from his speech at the Delphi Forum.
“Archaeological excavations are being carried out because underneath we have an entire state, the state of Plato, which we have covered,” Bakoyannis is heard saying.
… στον Κολωνό αυτά. στην Ακαδημία Πλάτωνος.
…αδιάφορο αν η Πολιτεία του Πλάτωνα είναι βιβλίο. pic.twitter.com/qsK41asMPV— flâneutariat (@flaneutariat) May 15, 2023
It’s apparently no just a faux pas, as a press release issued by the Municipality of Athens includes the same quote.
Στο μεταξύ, πρόσεξέ με – ΕΣΤΕΙΛΑΝ ΔΤ στα "ειδησεογραφικά" που γράφει ακριβώς αυτό. pic.twitter.com/C92GbXlbpP
— Hero Grigoraki (@herogrig) May 16, 2023
No wonder Greek Twitter is on fire with many ironic comments. Υοu can read them with automatic translation.