Héctor Herrera Cajas

Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso Casa Central, first headquarter of the current PUCV Institute of History.

Born in Pelequén, town located on south of Capital city Santiago,[13] he made his first studies at Hermanos Maristas School from San Fernando, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region.[13] There, he highlighted as outstanding student with drawing skills according to their marks report.[13] 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.[13]

He moved to Santiago once finished his high-school education and in 1948 he joined Universidad de Chile,[3] 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.[13] In addition, he became an English, French and Italian fluent speaker.[13] He also was interested in Chinese, Arab and Russian, but he didn't reach to dominate them.[13] His philology studies were decisive in his intellectual training. Around his classes, according to José Marín (one of his students and close friend in his life),[14] the etymology of words used to were key in his narration of history.[13] During his undergraduate period, Herrera was notably influenced by teachers like Eugenio Pereira, Mario Góngora,[lower-alpha 2] Juan Gómez Millas or Fotios Malleros.[13]

The Dumbarton Oaks compound.

In 1953, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV) hired him with the goal to organize its then nascent History Institute.[3][15] In 1960, he became PUCV Faculty of Philosophy and Education Dean[2] and, default, Colegio Rubén Castro Rector[2] due to that institution's dependence from Faculty already mentioned.[2]

He continued his studies in Germany (1957–1958), where he visited several universities.[6] On his return, and after having married Mrs. Ivonne Lavanchy, a member of the Fulbright 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.[6] There, he met prominent Byzantinists.[6] The following year, accompanied by his family, he traveled to France, where he obtained his PhD at University of Bordeaux.[6] 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.[6] This reform was promoted by christian-democrat government of President Eduardo Frei Montalva (DC), whose party was involved in 1968 PUCV Rector Elections. This election had as candidates to Alberto Vial, near to Achitecture, and Raúl Allard Newmann (DC), the future winner. Despite his reform opposition, according to Alejandro Guzmán Brito in 2013 Roman Studies Week, he supported Vial through his collaboration with Oscar Godoy, with whom he met in Arica.[16]

Cover of Roman Studies Week first volume published in 1977.

Despite his discomfort in then-rebellious France, he finished his thesis on Byzantine Empire international relations during migration period.[1] 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,[1] which in Marín words: "It's a study of great intellectual rigor, with an impeccable critical apparatus which all existing sources for the subject are cited and commented; in short, it's a highest level research which has deservedly placed its author among most important Byzantinists of (20th) century second half".[1] 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 (Byzantine) 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".[1] 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.[1]

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.[17] 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.[1] In 1976, the PUCV Federation of Students elected him as "best teacher".[1]

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 1986, he was appointed by authorities as the Rector of Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación for a period of three years according to Decree No. 754 of August 22 of that year.[18]

According to a note corresponding to No. 159 Edition of Analysis Magazine (opposed to Pinochet), his rectorate had to face the alleged controversy of discriminatory practices engaging towards the admission and permanence of students.[19] According to testimonies, its indirect restrictions were based on measures such as the requirement of an annual tuition of $15,000.[19] This amount made it, for a good number of students, practically inaccessible entering the institution. Likewise, he was criticized for applying an additional Spanish test, which result was weighted in an extra way to Academic Aptitude Test score.[19] Likewise, he is accused of having promoted a moral and psychological assessment test whose evaluation verified the "reviewing the political background of the students" according to Alejandro Millán, then president of UMCE's Visual Arts Student Center.[19] These reasons explain that current academics from that university, such as Luis Rubilar Solís, describe Herrera as a "repressor par excellence".[20]

Regarding budgeting, another questioned measure of Herrera was the School of Philosophy closure, academic unit that stopped receiving students from the year when Herrera was appointed as the university's highest authority.[19] To the above, there were confusing cases of exonerations that involved speeches at public events.[19] This situation would have directly affected not only student leaders but also academics and civil servants. In his detractors' opinion, the financial reasons given by his rectorate are not convincing considering that he inherited the surplus budget of 1985, that is, $700 million that were used to build two new casinos.[19]

On April 25, 1989, Herrera Cajas submitted his resignation from charge according Decree No. 341 provisions.[21]

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 (1998).

On October 6, 1997, he died[1] of myocardial infarction at Vina del Mar.[1]

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".[17]

Although he was not a member of any political party, Professor Herrera supported ibañismo during 1950s. Likewise, in the 1964 presidential elections, he assumed directive functions in nationalist candidate Jorge Prat's campaign,[33] the grandson of Chilean national hero Arturo Prat Chacon and former collaborator of the second government of General Carlos Ibanez del Campo (1952–1958), administration where he was member of anticommunist faction of a national-popular government that had two phases: a) one of a statist poliices[34] that received support from the Chilean Socialist Party[35][36] and was close to Peronism (1953–1955),[37][38][39] and b) another marked by proto–neoliberal economic reforms linked to the Klein-Saks Mission (1955–1958).[40]

Years later, between 1973 and 1990, Herrera Cajas was a collaborator of Gral. Augusto Pinochet dictatorship's educational policy,[12] who —through Military Junta— decided to take on free market reforms that neither Ibáñez nor the centre–right President Jorge Alessandri (1958–1964) were determined to apply. Thus, the initial nationalist line of the 1974 curricular framework was later contradicted by neoliberal economic principles enshrined by the Military Junta in the 1980 Constitution. However, during the entire regime there was no major contradiction in the anti-Marxist narrative, which was consensual between classical Western values and the predominance of civic duties over rights (then curtailed).[12] Proof of Herrera Cajas' consonance with at least two of these three points (except anti-Marxism) are given by two of his testimonies in a seminar carried out in September 1987 and entitled "The role of culture in the new institutionality". In that instance participated prominent politicians from the Old Republic (1925–1973) such as Mario Arnello Romo, former political leader of the National Party (1966–1973) and, at that time, professor of DIBAM (Spanish acronym of National Service of Cultural Heritage).[12] Here Herrera declared:

To be aware of what country and nation are, it is necessary to reach a certain level of historical existence. This is due that not all peoples fully understand what it means to belong to a nation, because this occurs to the extent that it feels there is something that one has to defend, because it identifies with its own being that is what we call 'the national being'[12]

According to Isabel Jara Hinojosa, source's author that accredits the statements, in her referenced article "Nationalism and artistic-cultural policy of the Chilean dictatorship: the secretariat of cultural relations", Herrera Cajas in the first appointment would show an "evident Francoist spirit"[12] which, in his opinion, was reinforced when he later delved into the concept of tradition.[12] On that concept where Herrera emphasizes to give importance of national duty value, he specifically states:

To be aware of what country and nation are, it is necessary to reach a certain level of historical existence. This is due to the fact that not all peoples fully understand what it means to belong to a nation, because this occurs to the extent that it feels that there is something that one has to defend, because it identifies with its own being that is what we call 'the national being'.[12]

He was a promotor of Christian moral of jesuits which founded the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso in 1928, so that he thoughts:

with Jesuits there were produced the first signs of change. They discussed the meaning, the mission or the distinctiveness of the Catholic University of Valparaíso in the national context, they spoke of raising the academic level, ordering the careers and modernizing; they wanted to regulate, fix and structure.[41]

Historian Eduardo Cavieres, student and assistant of Herrera Cajas at Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso History Institute, told about his teacher:

"I believe Mr. Héctor Herrera exercised on me a way of being a teacher in a very limited field like theory of History. What defined me within the Institute of History was his theory of History".

Marxist historian and 2006 Chilean Historiy Prize, Gabriel Salazar, was assistant of Herrera Cajas during his years at university.

Historian Gabriel Salazar, assistant of Herrera Cajas at Universidad de Chile, highlighted the human quality of his teacher and his way to teach the lessons despite his different political positions.

"He taught me that in human relationships we should being careful, refined and, somehow, artistic. That is very important for education and very important for the interpretation of History where we should finding sensible human things and not only the fact. I learned this from him and I recognize it despite he was a fucking fascist [sic]. I also respect that he had recognized the talent of leftist assistants; it was an honor to work with a teacher like him".[11][42]

Marín, his aforementioned disciple and friend, as well as an academic at the PUCV Institute of History, maintains about Herrera:

"(...) he felt more comfortable teaching —and in his classes he used to gave a full account of his research— than sitting and writing. He liked the action and tension generated in each class, as well as the contact with the students. His students remember with admiration and appreciation his stately demeanor, his powerful voice, the deep and inspired word, the conceptual rigor and, above all, the affection with which he dictated his lessons. The message was always clear: the teacher's work is serious —as well as joyful—, rigorous and dignified.[1]

Herrera Cajas and his colleagues in an official photo of the Roman Studies Week.

The Roman Studies Weeks became one of the great milestones in Herrera Cajas academic career considering he made of that instance a unique space in Chile and the international concert. As there were not enough researchers dedicated to this area of knowledge, these conferences meant a meeting space for both those seeking to disseminate their knowledge and for those who were not specialists in the field and had some interest.

This crossed national borders and attracted specialists from places like Argentina, Brazil or Europe, for example, professors Cesare Letta, Narciso Santos Yanguas or Umberto Laffi.

Locally, this academic instance has influenced his disciples formed at PUCV Institute of History or other academic units at other Chilean universities. Among them we can count Marín, Raúl Buono-Core, Luis Rojas Donat or Alejandro Bancalari.

• El mundo del ayer. Manual de Historia Antigua y Medieval para Educación Básica. Ediciones Pedagógicas (1971)
• Las Relaciones Internacionales del Imperio Bizantino durante la Época de las Grandes Invasiones. Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies Editions (1972)
• Antigüedad y Edad Media. Manual de Historia Universal, I. Academia Superior de Ciencias Pedagógicas (1983)
• Dimensiones de la Responsabilidad Educacional. Editorial Universitaria (1988)
• Dimensiones de la Cultura Bizantina. Arte, Poder y Legado Histórico. Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies Editions and Universidad Gabriela Mistral Editions (1998)
• El Imperio Bizantino. Introducción Histórica y Selección de Documentos. Universidad de Chile Center for Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies Editions (1998)
• Ensayos sobre el Mundo Medieval de Héctor Herrera Cajas. Colección de escritos inéditos, compilado por Leonardo Carrera Airola (2018)

• La Germania de Tácito. El problema del significado del escudo (1957)[lower-alpha 3]
• El Chou-King y la concepción del poder real (1953)
• Acerca del Duelo (1955)
• El problema del significado del escudo en La Germania de Tácito (1957)
• Las relaciones internacionales del Imperio Bizantino (1958)
• El Presente, tiempo de la acción (1963)
• Engaño y desengaño en la historiografía actual (1969)
• Synésios de Cirene. Un crítico del Imperio (1970)
• Dagoberto y Heraclio. Un capítulo de Historia Diplomática (1971)
• La caída del Imperio Romano en Occidente (1976)
• Res privata-Res publica-Imperium (1977)
• San Benito y la formación de Occidente (1980)
• Bizancio y la formación de Rusia (Los tratados bizantino-rusos del s. X) (1982)
• Las estepas euroasiáticas. Un peculiar espacio histórico (1982)
• El sentido de la crisis en Occidente (1983)
• Apelación a la Historia en el De Officiis de Cicerón (1984)
• Los orígenes del arte bizantino, ensayo sobre la formación del arte cristiano (1985)
• Aproximación al Espíritu Imperial Bizantino (1986)
• Temas de Claudiano (1986)
• La Constitución del ámbito cívico en el Mundo Grecorromano (1986)
• Una utopía medievalː la "Orden Nueva" concebida por Joachim of Fiore (1988)
• El totalitarismo como persistencia de la mentalidad primitiva (1988)
• José Ignacio Víctor Eyzaguirre, Historiador (1989)
• Los pueblos de las estepas y la formación del arte bizantino. De la tienda a la iglesia cristiana (1990)
• Notas sobre el significado de la guerra (1990)
• La arquitectura del "Discurso sobre la Historia Universal" de Bossuet (1990)
• Los estudios superiores en Bizancio (1990–1992)
• Los árabes y el Islam (1991)
• La Espiritualidad Bizantina (1993)
• La Doctrina Gelasiana (1994)
• La idea imperial bizantinaː representación y concentración del poder (1995)
• La espiritualidad bizantina en el arte (1995)
• Simbología política del poder imperial en Bizancioː los pendientes de las coronas (1993–1996)
• Príncipe e Imperio en el panegírico de Trajano de Plinio el Joven (1996)
• El Milenarismo en la Historia Antigua y Medieval (1996)
• Fiestas imperiales en Constantinopla (1997)
• Cómo leer a Floro (1998)
• Lo cotidiano, ayer y hoy, aquí y allá (1997–1998)
• Ética y educación. Una reflexión sobre los valores en nuestra sociedad (1998)
• San Benito y el Ordo Romano (1999)