The Greek Community of Melbourne, the oldest Greek organization in Australia (founded in 1897), is organizing the next seminar in the “History and Culture Seminars 2026” series, titled “What Made the Greeks So Anxious?” The event will take place on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., on the 12th floor of The Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, with free admission.

The speaker is Dr. Robert Nelson, Principal Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne, an expert in medieval and Byzantine art, former art critic for The Age, and collaborator with the artist Polixeni Papapetrou. In the seminar, Dr. Nelson makes three central points: first, that the ancient Greeks did not have the concept of anxiety, even though there was always much to fear; second, that historically the idea of anxiety stems from a sense of care rather than a sense of fear, with concern for what is worthy of our care developing dramatically during the Christian era; and third, that anxiety is primarily a Byzantine invention, because the doctrine of divine providence—which replaced the pagan motif of fate—generated more anxiety than comfort. As he points out, God’s grace is infinite, but it may also depend on whether we are worthy of it; the responsibility for repentance lies with us, and there is constant pressure on our good faith before God, who knows our conscience.