Correspondence between Schaeffer and Karageorghis on the 1972 Cyprus colloquiumClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer and Vassos Karageorghis

I do not need to go into further details, all members of the Symposium have a sound judgement and know exactly what happened.

But I feel it is pathetic that you found it fit to express such feelings towards the man who has done so much to help your work in Cyprus for the last twenty years. I do not want to enumerate my personal services to you and your work in the field of archaeology. You yourself expressed your gratitude on several occasions and you remember that some times I even risked my own position in order to keep the peace at a time when your personal relations with my predecessor were strained. It seems that now it is my turn! But instead of following my predecessor's example I come forward with an open heart to reassure you that I have the highest respect for all scholars who have worked in Cyprus and in my office they will find collaboration and friendship. You have been ill-advised to take a hostile attitude towards me. You will not find many people all round you who will share this attitude; and there is a whole army of scholars who can contradict you having experienced the friendly atmosphere which they find in my office. I assure you that when you start to publish the 25 years' excavations at Enkomi, you will find all the collaboration you need from me and my staff. I can assure you that one would feel so happy if one did not allow scholarly differences to damage personal relations. This is something that young scholars are experiencing with real joy.

I conclude with a word of regret that you have decided to withdraw your paper from the Acts of the Symposium.

Yours sincerely,

Vassos Karageorghis

(Vassos Karageorghis).

Professor Cl.F. Schaeffer, Membre de l'Institut, Le Castel Blanc, 14 Rue Turgot, Germain-en-Laye, (S. et O.), France.

VK/MAT.