2 Euro Proof

Penelope Delta was born in Alexandria into a wealthy Greek merchant family. Her father, Emmanouil Benakis, was an entrepreneur and later became politically active; her brother Antonis Benakis founded the Benaki-Museum in Athen. Delta lived at various times in Alexandria, Frankfurt am Main and Athen. Her origins in the Greek diaspora, as well as her family’s political and social contacts, shaped her engagement with Greek history and national identity.

In her books, Delta combined fictional characters and adventure plots with historical subjects. Several works are set in the Byzantine Empire (Byzantinisches Reich) or deal with the conflicts surrounding Ottoman Macedonia at the beginning of the 20th century. For the novel “The Secrets of the Swamp”, she collected accounts from participants in the so-called Macedonian Struggle (Makedonischer Kampf). Other stories, including “Trellantonis” and “Mangas”, draw on experiences from family life and the milieu of the Greek bourgeoisie.

Delta wrote in the modern Greek vernacular, Dimotiki. At the time, its use was part of a prolonged language dispute: the spoken language was opposed by Katharevousa, which was oriented towards older forms and long predominated in administration, education and literature. Delta’s accessible narrative style helped establish Dimotiki as a literary language for a young audience.

Her historical novels were written in an era of wars, shifting borders and political conflicts. They reflect the Greek national idea of her time and are close to the political milieu of Eleftherios Venizelos. Some depictions of other population groups and historical opponents are viewed critically today because of their national perspective.

Delta also kept diaries and extensive correspondence, which provide insights into the political and cultural life of Greece. During the German invasion of Athen in 1941, she took poison and died a few days later. The coin issue places her within the state commemoration of the development of modern Greek literature and language.