Hellenophile

/hɛˈlɛnəˌfaɪl/ noun

Definition

A person who loves, admires, or is devoted to Greek language, culture, history, and civilization.

Etymology

From Helleno- (Greek) plus -phile (lover of). The term describes someone with passionate affection for all things Greek, similar to Anglophile or Francophile.

Kelly Says

Hellenophiles were especially common in the 18th and 19th centuries—educated Europeans would travel to Greece, learn ancient Greek, and base their entire lives on recreating what they imagined ancient Athens to be. Some even fought in Greek independence wars because they loved the idea of Greece so much.

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