‘All Greece Clothed in Mourning, All Inconsolable’: Two Funeral Orations for the Greatest Philhellenes, Lord Byron and Captain Frank Abney Hastings

Two distinguished young Britons, Lord Byron, a renowned poet, and Captain Frank Abney Hastings, a dedicated naval officer, significantly contributed to the Greek War of Independence. Their commitment was so profound that they were both honoured with solemn funeral ceremonies in Greece; Lord Byron in 1824 and Captain Hastings in 1829. The scholar and politician Spyridon Tricoupis delivered heartfelt eulogies at these ceremonies. This essay takes for granted the commonalities shared by Byron and Hastings: their youth, British origin, high social standing, unwavering dedication to the Greek cause, their tragic association with the beleaguered city of Missolonghi, and their ultimate death on Greek soil during the Revolution. It focuses on the ways in which Tricoupis navigated the solemn responsibility of commemorating each of these illustrious figures in his funeral orations. The essay explores the extent to which these eulogies differ from or mirror each other in their approach and sentiment.