Greece’s Roman Road

In 1882, the Tatoi Manor of the Athens royal family, situated on the north hillside of Athens, covers an expansive 4,500 hectares. The manor boasts lush forests and verdant grass.

The serene Tatoi Palace serves as the residence for the Greek royal family. During midsummer, the royal family retreats here to escape the heat.

Relaxing on a wooden chair in the Tatoi Palace garden, Wang Lin takes a nap, reflecting on the bizarre turn of events in his life—almost like a tale from Arabian Nights.

Originally I was an 21st-century tourist exploring Athens. However, a sudden mishap occurred while attempting to climb a tree for an improved view of Tatoi Palace—unfortunately, I slipped and landed forcefully on my head then to my horror I found myself himself in body of an infant.

Now, I am son of King George I of Greece.

George I, the inaugural monarch of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderberg-Glücksburg dynasty in Greece, ascended to the throne in 1862 after the dethronement of King Otto I. Crowned at the age of 18, Prince George of Denmark became the king chosen by the British.

Through his mother's lineage, George I had ties to the Byzantine Empire, tracing his ancestry to Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, a descendant of the Comninian dynasty. On his father's side, through Amedio VI, Count of Savoy, he descended from the Palaeologian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire.

Constantine, as Wang Lin is now named, has spent fifteen years in Athens, acclimating to life. However, memories of his past experiences make him marvel at the unpredictable nature of the world.

Constantine's name was chosen at the behest of the Greek people, symbolizing a connection to the Roman royal bloodline. The hope is that one day, Crown Prince Constantine, bearing the blood of a Roman emperor, will rule Constantinople, the city now under Ottoman Empire rule.

Living as a European monarch, especially in a small and vulnerable country, is far from easy. Greece, having gained independence from Ottoman Turkey in 1830, faces numerous challenges.

In 1881, at the request of the Greek people, the Berlin Conference agreed to cede Thessaly from Ottoman Turkey to the Kingdom of Greece. Despite its historical significance, Greece in 1882 is a small, impoverished European country, easily overlooked if not for its rich history.

Driven by a deep-rooted desire to restore past glory, the Greeks aim to reclaim territories predominantly inhabited by Greeks and still under Ottoman rule. Their aspirations include parts of Ottoman Turkey, Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, and various islands in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas.

Constantine reflects on the vast gap between Greek ideals and the stark reality. Despite their ambitions, the Kingdom of Greece, as of 1882, only includes recently recovered Thessaly, with around 800,000 inhabitants. The challenging terrain—80% of which is mountainous—and limited fertile land present significant obstacles to sustained agricultural development.

Constantine acknowledges the difficulty of leading Greece to prosperity and fulfilling its grand ideals. The decline of the Ottoman Empire provides an opportunity, but the path ahead seems arduous.