With an “ode” to ancient Greece, a special reference to the Socratic method of maieutics, and an evocation of the glory Achilles chose, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used his platform in Athens to highlight the depth of Greek civilization and philosophy. One man who knows him well speaks to that special bond with Greece — Chrysostomos “Chris” Alahouzos.
The former mayor of the “Greek” city of Tarpon Springs, Florida — one of the most distinctive centers of Hellenism in the United States — speaks to Parapolitika about Rubio’s deep commitment to the Greek-American community and his repeated visits to the area. He describes the Secretary of State as a politician who has always maintained open lines of communication with Greek-Americans. “I’ve known Marco Rubio not just before he became Secretary of State, but before he even entered the Senate,” says Alahouzos. “We are close,” he adds, explaining that Rubio “was always a friend of the Greeks.”
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Marco Rubio and the deep Greek roots of Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Springs, where Alahouzos once served as mayor, is a city with profoundly deep Greek roots. Its history is intertwined with the Greek sponge divers who settled there in the early 20th century and built one of the most cohesive Greek communities in America. The Greek presence remains strong to this day, and the annual Epiphany celebrations have become a landmark event for the entire Greek-American community. Alahouzos also highlights Florida’s Greek-American Congressman Gus Bilirakis, who maintains a close working relationship with Rubio and stands as one of the most active Greek-American voices in Washington, having championed issues related to Greece and Cyprus for years.
The two Florida Republican politicians, Rubio and Bilirakis, have collaborated on issues concerning U.S. policy in the Eastern Mediterranean. For Alahouzos, these relationships illustrate how the Greek-American community has successfully gained meaningful access to the American political system. Particularly telling is Rubio’s relationship with AHEPA, one of the oldest and most respected Greek-American organizations. In 2022, as a senator, Rubio co-signed a resolution alongside Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen marking the organization’s 100th anniversary, and in 2024, AHEPA honored him with its prestigious Pericles Award.
Rubio has also cultivated strong ties with organizations connected to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 2017, as a senator, he participated in Washington in an international conference of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate held at the Trump Hotel Washington, where he spoke about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and the urgent need to protect religious communities.
