New Books in History Sean Mathews, "The New Byzantines: The Rise of Greece and Return of the Near East" (Hurst, 2025)
Jan 19, 2026
In this engaging discussion, Sean Mathews, a Greek-American journalist and correspondent for Middle East Eye, explores the often-overlooked connections between Greece and the Near East. He argues that Greece's historical and cultural roots are deeply intertwined with countries like Turkey, Egypt, and Palestine. Mathews delves into the complex geopolitical landscape, analyzing factors that draw Greece eastward and examining the Ottoman legacy. He also highlights the vibrant Greek diaspora in Egypt and the impact of Turkish relations on modern Greece.
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Greece Is A Near East Country
- Greece's history, religion, and culture place it inside the Near East rather than solely in the West.
- Geopolitics, demographics, and economics are pulling Greece back toward the Eastern Mediterranean sphere.
Demographics Drive Regional Realignment
- Demographics and shifting geopolitical power are central to Greece's reorientation eastward.
- Athens sits as close to Cairo as to Rome while populations and markets to the south are far younger and growing.
Founding Greece Was A Hybrid Struggle
- The Greek Revolution mixed Enlightenment ideals with Byzantine Orthodox revivalism.
- Western intervention (Navarino) and a Bavarian king shaped the modern Greek state after a brutal Near Eastern war.
