Epic blunder: the mayor of Athens is trying to unearth the “state of Plato”

“Archaeological excavations are carried out because under us there is a whole state, the state of Plato, which we discovered“, – said the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, about the redevelopment in the Plato Academy area.

Instead of going to a bookstore or even doing a Google search, Bakoyannis believes that during the excavations at Plato’s Academy he will find “State“(Πολιτεία) of Plato, described in the book of the same name (dialogues) by the great Greek philosopher around 375 BC: about justice, order and character of a just city-state, and a just person.

It is Plato’s most famous work and one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically. Kostas Bakoyannis has become the target of merciless criticism on Greek Twitter after a user uploaded a relevant excerpt from his Delphic forum speech. “Archaeological excavations are being carried out because there is a whole state under us, the state of Plato, which we discovered,” says Bakoyannis.

… στον Κολωνό αυτά. στην Ακαδημία Πλάτωνος.
…αδιάφορο αν η Πολιτεία του Πλάτωνα είναι βιβλίο. pic.twitter.com/qsK41asMPV

— flâneutariat (@flaneutariat) May 15, 2023

… in these Kolonos, in the Academy of Plato. …it doesn’t matter if Plato’s Republic is a book.

Obviously this is not just an oversight, as the press release issued by the municipality of Athens contains the same quote. Apparently, both Bakoyannis himself and his speaker and assistant skipped history lessons

.
Η πολιτεία του Πλάτωνα.
Θα τρελαθώ! pic.twitter.com/sNAdSJMSSK

— Toolα James Keenan (μπλε τικ) (@kafraki6) May 16, 2023

The mayor said that there is a state under Athens.
State of Plato.
I’m going crazy!

No wonder that Greek Twitter replete with many ironic comments. You can read them with automatic translation.

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