This project was born out of three interrelated convictions. The first was that a better understanding of Philhellenism can enhance our understanding of the Greek Revolution and in particular of its international and transnational character. Philhellenism has for long drawn the attention of scholars working on the Greek Revolution of 1821. Despite this, much uncertainty remains about what Philhellenism was and how it contributed to the course and outcome of the Revolution. We still lack knowledge of the personal affinities and the experiences of many of the Philhellenes, the reasons why they mobilised in favour of the Greeks, as well as what exactly they did in revolutionary Greece and how effective it was. The same goes for their political ideas. If the Greek Revolution became a sort of laboratory for the production of novel political ideas, much remains to be understood about the transnational dimension of these ideas and these activities.
Here lies also the second conviction, namely that Philhellenism is a very productive way to connect the Greek Revolution with the burgeoning literature on the Age of Revolution—one that has expanded the geographical scope and our understanding of the revolutionary age by embracing the insights of transnational and global history. Although the Greek Revolution was a key moment in this age, it has all too often been neglected by scholars working on the wider field. Recent work has begun to turn this state of affairs around. This project aims to build on these developments and take them farther.
