Dimitris Pandermalis embodied values ​​and achieved goals that serve the entire society. This full life is a great legacy that he leaves not only to Greece, but also to the international community, and not only to his contemporaries, but also to future generations. Because Professor Dimitris Pantermalis was a prudent and generous man, he attracted public attention and influenced the next generation of archaeologists and scientists regarding the complex issue of national heritage and its management.

His death, which occurred at the age of 82, caused a pan-Hellenic sensation and not only in the scientific community, since Dimitris Pantermalis was identified with two main achievements: the promotion and popularization of the archaeological site of Dion in Macedonia and the new Acropolis Museum, which he supported with all his might. General Director of the Museum Prof. Nikolaos Chr. Stambolides, mentioning that he was fortunate to have known Dimitris Pandermalis since the early 70s when he was a student, highlighted in his statement “the love, care and devotion with which he surrounded the Acropolis Museum in the years before its creation and throughout its 13 years “. years of operation. In its decision, the Board of Directors of the Acropolis Museum decided to name the museum’s amphitheater after Dimitris Pandermalis and establish a scholarship in classical archeology named after him.

Dimitris Pandermalis was a deeply philosophical man, moderate in his statements, wisely keeping aloof from the hustle and bustle. Focused on his goals and with knowledge of international experience, he used his long experience of excavation, teaching and research in the public interest. His extensive work in design and scale at Dion (and the extraordinary discovery of an ancient hydraulica) not only mapped an important archaeological site (and a 500-acre archaeological park), but also expanded public consciousness and global knowledge of ancient history. Macedonia. It was his life’s work, from which he emerged fully justified with full recognition. After all, it was the honest harvest of his path: faith in his abilities, the prestige that surrounded his choice.

His worldview

He bequeathed two life projects: the promotion of the archaeological site of Dios in Macedonia and the new Acropolis Museum.

An excerpt from an interview he gave in 2009 with his colleague Yota Mirtsiotis for K shows his worldview and way of working: “I have been asked many times what kept me in Dion for so many years,” he said. “The answer is always the same: the place and its people. I remember that during my first visit I was fascinated by the image of the Hellenistic city wall in the waters of the river. Since then, this place has never ceased to fascinate me, especially since it began to reveal its well-hidden archaeological secrets. Again, his people, a small society, happy, scandalous, resourceful, a real piece of nature, for hours gave me the feeling of people of an ancient era. Over the years, I became convinced that only they can extract ancient Zeus through the soil and water.

Decades of work in Dion, along with an academic career (he was President of the Department of History and Archaeology and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Aristotelian University), further endowed him with perseverance and faith, the qualities and gifts necessary to resist the effort to give birth to the new Acropolis Museum, of which he was president. The success of the museum, despite many difficulties, both inherent and unnecessary, justified its commitment to the goal and made Athens and our country one of the most popular museums in Europe. The museum’s brilliant international presence has also served from the outset to serve the ongoing national request for the return of the Parthenon sculptures, a difficult undertaking that Dimitris Pantermalis has always handled with skill and sobriety.

The work of the new Acropolis Museum under his leadership during the first years of its gradual maturation established, strengthened and made widely accepted a new model of public museum work. The museum itself has also educated new generations of visitors, cultivating an understanding of the Attic land palimpsest, sculpture through its connotations and engagement with open society.

Dimitris Pantermalis was a servant of his country in the noble and original sense of the term. He set an example of national contribution, dedication to his science and advocacy of the great virtue of being able to see far, the ultimate goal and the big picture.