This B.A. thesis focuses on ancient and modern Greek elements in the oeuvre of Anton Aškerc, who stands out among the Slovenian literary figures of the late 19th and early 20th century due to his frequent use of foreign material. Aškerc is very likely the first Slovenian poet to have used modern Greek motifs in his poetry. The first poems that showcase Aškerc' interest in Greece appear in his second collection of poems, Lirske in epske poezije, printed in 1896. Later, both ancient and modern Greek motifs come to the forefront in Akropolis in piramide (1908), as the entire second half of the book is dedicated to Aškerc' stay in Athens, where he travelled to in the spring of the same year. Akropolis in piramide resembles an itinerary in verse form, revealing a unique perspective of Greece as seen by a Slovene intellectual at the beginning of the 20th century. While this perspective may show signs of Orientalist discourse in one case only, it remains completely favourable towards Greeks, respecting both their ancient past and their contemporary present.
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