Héctor Herrera Cajas


Héctor Enrique Herrera Cajas was a Chilean historian whose specialty was Byzantinistics.
Disciple of Greek historian Fotios Malleros, he is considered by experts as the first Latin American Byzantinist. His works on History of Byzantium specifically address two areas: Foreign Relations History and Byzantine art. At Universidad de Chile, his alma mater, he taught regular courses and was Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies co-founder, Latin America's only one institution of its kind. Later, he was a professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile since 1954.
Among the many works published by Herrera Cajas, one of his more important articles are "Tacitus' Germany. The problem of the meaning of the shield" and "Res Privata–Res publica–Imperium". The first article cited is considered by experts as a pioneering study of history of mentalities in Chilean historiography. There, he thoroughly examines Tacitus work in order to analyze what symbolized the shield in early Germans. Since this he project their customs towards medieval history. In words of his disciple José Marín, he makes "the source speak in a really remarkable way, since Tacitus himself says little about the subject in question". Meanwhile, the second mentioned article examines in a conceptual way the Roman institutions trajectory since its foundation in 753 B.C. until the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In work development, it addresses private world particularities and its relationship with public institutions that, at Empire's end, would perish to re-privatize themselves socially. This re-privatization, exposed Herrera, occurred due to influence exerted then by Germanic peoples with their private institutions and completely discards the theories of rupture or continuity between one world and another.
Since 1958, Herrera Cajas studied Byzantine Civilization topics as its imperial ideology foundations, its relations with Church, art as one of its central elements, its imperial power symbols, the palatial ceremonial or its dynamics in its foreign affairs mainly with the Frankish Kingdom and Abbasid Caliphate. Among his most notable works are "Imperial power symbology in Byzantium: the crowns' earrings" or "The Eurasian steppes: a peculiar historical space", a work that has as putative daughter "The steppe towns and Byzantine art foundation: from tent to Christian church".
He was Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educacion Rector. There he founded the Classical Studies Center. A few days after his death, Universidad Finis Terrae opened the celebration of Jornadas de Historia Héctor Herrera Cajas. In 1989 he was accepted as a full member of Academia Chilena de la Historia. Since November 1997, PUCV History Institute's main classroom holds his name.
Among his influenced students is National History Prize, Gabriel Salazar, who in 2006, year he received the award, after affirming Mario Góngora was influential in him "for his academic quality" maintained that he preferred Herrera Cajas "for his human quality and his quality in the way he used to made lessons". This appreciation wasn't exempt from antagonistic political thought between both, since Salazar was a MIR member while Herrera Cajas was a staunch opponent to 1960s rebel movements. Likewise, once military dictatorship occurred, during its course he was an ally of Chilean Ministry of Education doctrinal line at a time when the institution was aligned with General Augusto Pinochet.

Biography & Academic career

Early life, rise and political tensions

Born in Pelequén, town located on south of Capital city Santiago, he made his first studies at Hermanos Maristas School from San Fernando, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region. There, he highlighted as outstanding student with drawing skills according to their marks report. Being very young his teaching vocation was already manifested, so that during his last years in school he served as a mathematics teacher in an afternoon establishment.
He moved to Santiago once finished his high-school education and in 1948 he joined Universidad de Chile, when he graduated from there in 1953 as History, Geography and Social Sciences Teacher. Apart his regular and compulsory courses, he devoted interest, time, and enthusiasm towards study of languages, specifically Latin, Greek, German and even Sanskrit. In addition, he became an English, French and Italian fluent speaker. He also was interested in Chinese, Arab and Russian, but he didn't reach to dominate them. His philology studies were decisive in his intellectual training. Around his classes, according José Marín, the etymology of words used to were key in his narration of history. During his undergraduate period, Herrera was notably influenced by teachers like Eugenio Pereira, Mario Góngora, Juan Gómez Millas or Fotios Malleros.
In 1953, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso hired him with the goal to organize its then nascent History Institute. In 1960, he became PUCV Faculty of Philosophy and Education Dean and, default, Colegio Rubén Castro Rector due to that institution's dependence from Faculty already mentioned.
He continued his studies in Germany, where he visited several universities. On his return, and after having married Mrs. Ivonne Lavanchy, a member of the Fullbright Commission in 1967, he traveled to Washington DC to dedicate to research for seven months at the Dumbarton Oaks, world's most important Byzantine study center. There, he met prominent Byzantinists. The following year, accompanied by his family, he traveled to France, where he obtained his PhD at University of Bordeaux. That year, Herrera was a May 68 witness and, by the way, his epistolary shows how he tenaciously opposed the so-called “Reform” that parallelly was carried out in Chile. This reform was promoted by christian-democrat government of President Eduardo Frei Montalva, whose party was involved in 1968 PUCV Rector Elections. This election had as candidates to Alberto Vial, near to Achitecture, and Raúl Allard Newmann, the future winner. Despite his reform opposition, according Alejandro Guzmán Brito in 2013 Roman Studies Week, he supported Vial through his collaboration with Oscar Godoy, with whom he met in Arica.

Academic maturity

Despite his discomfort in then-rebellious France, he finished his thesis on Byzantine Empire international relations during migration period. This work was published in 1972 in Santiago by Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies, being Chile's first work of its kind published as well as in Latin America, which in Marín words: "Its a study of great intellectual rigor, with an impeccable critical apparatus which all existing sources for the subject are cited and commented; in short, its a highest level research which has deservedly placed its author among most important Byzantinists of century second half". His thesis was the only one work in Spanish language which German historian Günther Weiss included in his specialized bibliographic repertoire. This includes everything relevant that occurred in Byzantinistics between 1968 and 1985. Weiss points out: "On Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies Centre publication in Santiago, scholar Professor Héctor Herrera Cajas presents all the important diplomatic relations at great migrations time, treated from Persian border to Danube. The text is worked directly from sources and illustrates very well each moment's political background. Byzantine diplomacy oscillates between demand for universality, and harshest, often painful and distressing". It should be noted for other works included in his repertoire, Weiss hardly makes a comment on a few words or, at most, a phrase.
In 1973, at PUCV he released Roman Studies Week which is currently held every one year and has become one of Latin America's most prestigious academic exchange relative to History of ancient Rome. Herrera presented works in each of the seasons of Roman Studies Week celebrated between 1973 and 1997. It occurred the same with Medieval Studies Colloquia, which since 1990 has been held every two years in Chillán. In 1976, the PUCV Federation of Students elected him as "best teacher".
In 1986, XVII Byzantine International Congress' Administrative Committee, held in Dumbarton Oaks, accepted his presentation on "The Steppe Peoples and Byzantine Art Formation: From the Tent to Christian Church", but its author didn't could attend to read it.
In 1989, he was accepted as Chilean Academy of History's Full Member. In 1992, the Government of Greece decorated him as Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in appreciation for permanent work of Greek culture spreading values in our country. In 1995, now officially invited by the Government of Greece, he visited Balkans Peninsula's country, having the opportunity to personally admire the most important Byzantine monuments. During that trip he met Nicolas Oikonomides, then Director of Center for Byzantine Studies in Athens and who, later, would write commendable words of remembrance, which were published in the book Dimensions of Byzantine Culture.

Death

On October 6th, 1997, he died of myocardial infarction at Vina del Mar.
The Italian historian, Umberto Laffi, in a condolences letter sent to then PUCV Rector, Bernardo Donoso, stated: "The sad news of Prof. Héctor Herrera death has deeply moved us. His loss is a severe blow to Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and, more generally, to Ancient History in Chile, and leaves a feeling of deep affliction in those of us who were fortunate enough to enjoy its high human qualities on memorable occasions.The Roman Studies Week, which he founded and continued to organize with self-denial and a high concept of value of classic studies for many years, constitute a lasting monument that has our universities linked in a scientific set of profitable relationships and exchanges. The efforts that we will continue dedicating together with pursuit of his work will represent fairest tribute to his memory".

Works

Books