Marios Philippides

Marios Philippides

Greenfield, MA - Marios Philippides, 72, passed away on Tuesday, December 27, after a brief illness. He was born in Athens, Greece to Despo Diamantidou and Andreas Philippides. Marios came to New York City to study at age 19. He received his doctorate in Classics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He taught for 39 years in the Department of Classics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Hundreds of students at a time registered for his courses on Greek civilization and Greek mythology.

Professor Philippides has written nine books, including his monumental 2011 study, The Siege and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, Historiography, Topography, and Military Studies. Other areas of his scholarly inquiry included ancient religion, archaeology, the ancient Greek novelist Longus, Mycenaean frescoes and 5th Century B.C. vases. He was a commentator in both seasons of the current Netflix series Rise of Empires: Ottoman. He felt it was an homage to his parents and grandfather, who were actors.

Marios was a certified scuba diver and enjoyed his trips to the Bahamas. He viewed it as a privilege to have acted as dogsitter to three beloved dogs. He leaves his wife of 50 years, Corinne Lynam Philippides. They met as students in an undergraduate class in Latin. They considered themselves very fortunate to have shared 23 trips to Greece.

Funeral services will be private. Burial will be held at the convenience of the family.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Kostanski Funeral Home. For condolences, please visit www.kostanskifuneralhome.com.