A note I never wanted to write. It was sometime in the late ’80s; I was in elementary school, and our summers were wonderful. With my parents and their big, boisterous group of archaeologists, historians, and friends, we’d travel around the country, the islands, the taverns, and the beaches—and we’d always end up at our favorite spots. Kythera.
One day, during a field trip to the Trikala Gate, the parents in our group all wore the same T-shirts—they gave some to us kids, too—with «Pikoulas Tours» printed on them. It was a joke for their friend, the tireless traveler and professor of Ancient History at the University of Thessaly, Yiannis Pikoulas, who organized countless trips that had it all. For Yannis, who passed away yesterday at the age of 66—prematurely, suddenly, and unexpectedly—those who are qualified will speak later about his remarkable scholarly work (countless publications, books, and monographs) and his full life will be discussed later by those who should.
An outstanding teacher—both inside and outside the university classroom—and one of the few researchers in the field of Greek archaeology. A founding member of the Hellenic Epigraphic Society and of the pioneering international journal of archaeology *Horos*, Pikoulas—an Athenian but with «strong Peloponnesian and refugee roots»—will focus particularly on the fields of historical topography and epigraphy throughout Greece. Few know the road network of the Peloponnese—and especially Laconia—as well as he does. Extremely sociable, persistent, at times strict, with boundless energy. He loved the trails, the climbs, the excursions, the material traces of the past, the estates, and fishing—all while working tirelessly. To his wife, our Eleni, and to his children, Florentia and Antonis, we offer our encouragement.
By Kostas Zafeiropoulos
