Introduction

When, on August 22, 2014, the leading Greek philologist Emmanouel Kriaras died, at the age of 108, the intellectual, academic and educational world of the country acknowledged, without any exaggeration, that one of the most important figures of Greek intellectual life of the 20th century had passed away, a man who had left his indelible mark with his rich work and multifarious activities in the fields of philology, linguistics and education, not only in their strictly research and scientific dimension, but also and equally, in their practical implementation.

The decision of the great teacher to bequeath his library and a substantial part of his personal archive to the Institute of Modern Greek Studies constitutes, in turn, ultimate proof of his trust in the Institute and clear recognition of the work it produces. It is a self-evident duty for the Institute to bring to the fore, and make available to the scientific and wider community Emmanouel Kriaras’ library and archive, with the decisive contribution of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, which undertook to cover the cost of the endeavour.