The figurehead stands proudly in front of the sea, embodying the personalized soul of the ship that wards off evil, protects the crew, brings wealth, and bestows victories in times of war. Inextricably linked to ship captains and the naval struggle for Independence, figureheads depicting mythical or historical heroic figures symbolize the continuity of Hellenism from antiquity to the year 1821 and rise as symbols of liberation from Turkish oppression. By studying the few surviving figureheads that have endured to this day and stand out as a living testimony of our popular culture, along with written sources and their depictions in art, Professor Themelis offers us a comprehensive study of the modern Greek figurehead, placing it within the broader framework of European and modern Greek navigation and art.