Gennadius Library hosts tribute to Ioannis Makriyiannis

Walking through the iron gate and into the pretty garden of the Gennadius Library feels like stepping into a literary adventure. According to its director, Maria Georgopoulou, "there is always the possibility that right beside the book you are looking for, you may find the one you were supposed to find."

In my case, it wasn't a book, but an exhibition, tucked away in an elegant room in the west wing of the historic building in the leafy Kolonaki district of central Athens. "Ioannis Makriyiannis: Vital Expression," running through September 29, is the first of a series of exhibitions being planned at the library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. How it came about is fascinating.

It was March 1839 and General Ioannis Makriyiannis was hosting a rich banquet at his Athens home near the Temple of Olympian Zeus, attended by 250 distinguished guests,...