During the period of the Greek military dictatorship (1967–1974), two notable attempts were made to overthrow the regime: the Generals' Plot and the Navy Democratic Coup. The first, orchestrated by high-ranking army officers, took place on 13 December 1967, while the second – and more serious – attempt occurred on 23 May 1973. Despite their failure, both events revealed the regime’s growing isolation, even within the Armed Forces themselves. This illusion of security maintained by the Greek Junta is reflected in the issue of the postage stamp series Greek Mythology II, released in June 1973, featuring themes drawn from ancient vase painting. Although mythological subjects were commonly used in Greek stamp design, this particular series conveys symbolic messages relating to authority and the punishment of rebellion. It reflects both the ideological aims of the regime and its propagandistic manipulation of current events. This paper demonstrates how ancient iconographic motifs were politically appropriated, serving as a visual language of power within the framework of dictatorial propaganda.
Georgoudakis et al. (Tue,) studied this question.