The history of the Theosophical Society in Greece had many ups and downs. The T.S. in Greece played a major role into the awakening of the ancient Greek wisdom, supressed for so long by the Christian church which destroyed thousands of Ancient Hellenic temples to build churches upon them, and murdered the hierophants of the ancient Hellenic mysteries.

The earlier members of the Theosophical Society, and later members, worked ardently against the Christian opression (not against Christianism, but against its opression) to re-establish the freedom of thought and expression in the Hellenic Society.

The history of the Theosophical Society in Greece can be divided in three periods. The first period started in 1877, two years after the foundation of The Theosophical Society in N. York (1875). The first lodge was founded in Corfu and denominated Ionic. In 1906 was founded the Lodge "Ben Berit" in Thessalonica, and remained active during a short period of time.

The second period began in 1914 when two new lodges were founded in Athens: Lodge 'Hermes' (July 1914) with presiding board Mrs. Olga Vafiadaki and Mrs E. Ioanidi, and the Lodge 'Apollo' (February 1914) with Presiding board Mr Nagos, Mr Vaciles, Mr. Ploumo, Mr Theoxaropulos. These Lodges later became inactive.

The third period started in June, 1923 with the foundation of the Lodge 'Plato', with Presiding board Mr V.D.Kribas, Mr I.N. Haritos and Mrs G.N. Harito, under the supervision of the Theosophical Society in France. During this period there were no books related to the new theosophical movement published in the Hellenic language. Also the members were not allowed to meet as Lodge, because the military law did not allow any group concentration or action. For this reason the members were studying alone the books sent to them by the Theosophical Society in France, and waiting for more favorable conditions. Later it a small office was rented in the 16 Bucharest street, to attend the needs of Lodges and in order to accommodate the small library that had begun to be formed.

The regular meetings of the Lodges were held in the Palace's hall of the Archaeological Society with the help of their Chairman and member of Lodge, Mrs. D. Papulia. In 1924 was founded in Larnaka, Cyprus, the Lodge 'Zinon' with chairman Mr Paul Valdasseridi. Meanwhile the General Secretary of Theosophical Society in France proposed the foundation of the Theosophical Lodges Union in Greece, and his proposal was approved. Later, in 1925 the Lodge 'Blavatsky-Olcott' was founded by Mr. I.N. Haritos.

The needs of the Union increased with the presence of many new members, and with the help and generosity of many brothers, in March 1926, the Union acquired a small apartment for its provisional accommodation. At the same time it was great the need to translate and publish books related to the new theosophical movement in the Hellenic language, so the Theosophical Publishing house was founded on January 1927.

On November 1927, the Lodge "Orpheus" ws founded, with chairman Mr Priranis and later on the Lodge 'Maitreya' founded by Mr L. Devindas and P. Hatzipetros. In Thessalonica the Lodge 'Socrates' was founded in March 1928. In 1928 the Greek Union of Theosophical Lodges received the visit of the General Secretary of the Federation of the Theosophical Societies of Europe, Mrs. C. W. Dijkgraaf, who during her presence in Greece contributed to the foundation of The Theosophical Society in Greece, after a meeting between all Lodges on May 4, 1928. During the same meeting, the Union submitted an application for the International President of the Theosophical Society, to recognize the Theosophical Society in Greece as a new Section.

The by-laws were proposed and approved and began to be in effect on 7 June 1928, the same day that the Union received the new diploma from Adyar, India naming the new section as Theosophical Society in Greece. The first administrative council of Theosophical Society in Greece was constituted by Mr. V.D. Kribas, Mr I.N. Charitos, Mrs G.N. Charitos, Mr N. Karvounis, and Mrs. I. Diomidous. In August of the same year the Theosophical Society in Greece participated for the first time in the Congress of European Federation, with the presence of Mr. P. Hatzipetrou as its representative.

Briefly this is the history of the T.S. in Greece. The third period continued without interruption until today. The T.S. holds its meetings in its own office at 25, Voukourestiou Str in Athens.

 

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