Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies
The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, commonly known as the Hellenic Society, is a UK-based nonprofit organization founded in 1879 to advance the study of Greek language, literature, history, art, and archaeology across Ancient, Byzantine, and Modern periods[1][4]. Registered as a charity (No. 245623), it supports scholarly research, publishes academic works, and facilitates international collaboration in Hellenic studies[4].

History

Established with J. B. Lightfoot, Bishop of Durham, as its first president, the society was co-founded by Greek diplomat Ioannis Gennadius[4]. By the mid-20th century, it collaborated with the University of London to establish the Institute of Classical Studies (ICS), integrating its library into a Combined Library in 1958[5]. In 1997, the library relocated to larger premises in the university’s Senate House alongside the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies[5].

Activities

The society supports Hellenic scholarship through grants, lecture series, conferences, and collaborations with the Classical Association[4]. It publishes the Journal of Hellenic Studies, a leading academic periodical launched in 1880, and Archaeological Reports, a supplementary series initiated in the 1950s[4][5]. Its library, jointly maintained with the Roman Society, holds over 30,000 volumes specializing in classical archaeology, epigraphy, and papyrology[5].

Governance

Current leadership includes scholars such as Professor Paul Cartledge, who has served as president[4]. The society operates under charitable objectives to promote education and research in Hellenic studies globally[1][4].

[1] https://www.jstor.org/publisher/hellenic [2] https://www.hellenicsociety.org.uk [3] http://www.hellenicsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/an_outline_of_the_history_of_the_hellenic_society.pdf [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_the_Promotion_of_Hellenic_Studies [5] https://www.hellenicandromanlibrary.org/About-the-Library/History