Echoes of Cyprus in Greek heroines

Source: Cyprus Mail

New book looks at legendary women, heritage and belonging

What does it mean to belong? For many, identity is fluid – shaped by history, heritage and the stories passed down through generations. For those in Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot diaspora, this question is even more complex, woven with nostalgia, migration and cultural ties that stretch beyond borders.

In her book My Greek Girls, author and painter Maria Socratous delves into this very idea. More than a collection of stories about remarkable Greek women, it is a deeply personal reflection, one that speaks to anyone who has ever felt caught between two places, two cultures, or two versions of home.

Raised in London with Cypriot roots, Maria grew up drawn to the stories of women who shaped Greek history – warriors, queens, artists, rebels. Through their lives, she sought to understand her own heritage and, in doing so, uncovered a narrative that may resonate with many Cypriots. The book weaves together history and memory, celebrating figures such as Empress Theodora, novelist Penelope Delta, legendary singer Sophia Vembo, and Maria’s own grandmother, who she fondly calls the Contessa of Kontea.

But My Greek Girls is more than a tribute to the past or a celebration of Greek heritage. It’s a meditation on identity and the invisible threads that connect us to our roots. For Cypriot readers, it may stir familiar memories – of summers spent in village courtyards, old photographs tucked away in family homes, and a longing for a place that is both familiar and foreign. The book may be a reminder that history isn’t just something we read about – it’s something we carry with us.

“I’ve been writing about these women for 10 years,” Maria says. “It didn’t start as a book. I collected so much over the years and then I decided to go wild in my 70s and finally publish.”

Decades of admiration and fascination for Greek heroines – women many of us grew up watching, reading about and listening to – culminated in this publication. The book is divided into seven sections, each featuring historical figures, artists, revolutionaries and unsung heroines.

But what about inspiring Cypriot women? “Did you know Empress Theodora was Cypriot?” she asks. Her story – a prostitute-turned-royal who championed women’s rights – resonates across cultures. Maria calls her a “Byzantine feminist.”

Similarly, many of the women in My Greek Girls visited Cyprus, influenced its history or were part of its cultural fabric. Cypriot schoolchildren still learn about Bouboulina’s battles, often (and confusingly) adopting Greek history as their own – a reflection of the complex interplay between Cypriot and Greek identity.

In a way, the book touches on this continual debate of what is Greek, Turkish, Arab and so on. What is Cypriot is caught somewhere in there as well, much like the way a Cypriot dedicates a book to Greek women. “I grew up in England, I read about these women and some are internationally known, or should be. Where they are from, shouldn’t matter. It’s their stories that ought to be remembered.”

Among the book’s celebrated women is Aliki Vougiouklaki, Greece’s beloved actress, who Maria describes as “the Elizabeth Taylor of the Greek world.” Maria remembers watching her in the first Greek film she saw: Astero.

“I went to the cinema, watched that film, and thought, ‘This is what I love. This is who I want to be.’ Its Greekness drew me in, even though I lived in the middle of London.”

Beyond her glamorous screen presence, Vougiouklaki was a force behind the scenes – negotiating her contracts and demanding higher pay in a male-dominated industry.

“I resonate with all of them a little bit. I guess I’m a feminist, and I like a woman who stands up for herself, whether it’s Theodora who had the power, or somebody who was more demure, like Machi.”

She’s referring to Machi Papanicolaou, the woman behind the man who invented the Pap smear test and who quite literally dedicated her vagina to science. Maria describes her in the book as having “forfeited her own womanhood for the sake of womankind.”

These women’s legacies have withstood time – whether through history books, revolutionary music or resurfacing feminist narratives.

“Everybody’s written about the men,” says Maria. “Now, it’s time for the women.”

Yet, sometimes, inspiration is closer to home. Maria’s greatest influences are her mother and grandmother. Does that sound familiar? Cyprus may still be a patriarchal society in many ways but it is the women who rule the family.

In the summer, like many ex-pat kids, Maria would visit her grandmother in Cyprus, Dali in her case, writing about her time on the island in the book and her ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ style London stories. These personal additions add colour to the book, adding stories of ‘coming back home’ that so many can relate to.

Now, she’s been here for over 40 years though she didn’t initially want to settle on the island – another common story. ‘It was never in my plans, I just came here one day and never left’is a tale we hear all too often, Cyprus has that effect on people.

“It was home before it became home.”

My Greek Girls is available in Cyprus bookstores and via www.mariasocratous.com