That is Greece

This video gives some magnificent facts about Greece, about the modern Greece, which has been the centre of attention for the past year and a half in respect to the economic crisis. However these facts are not widely known and could give a different view of the Balkan state's economy to the world.  

Biggest cheese in the world!

Zoniana, a small town in Crete, has claimed a place in the Guinness World Records. Whoever was in Zoniana on the 31st of July had the opportunity to taste the biggest cheese in the world, the traditional kefalotiri. It is an initiative taken by the municipality celebrating the 4th Shepherd and Cheese Festival, organised by the local cultural association. 

In order to make this large cheese they Cretans used about eight tonnes of milk, having a diameter of two meters and weighing over a tonne.  

The Greek National Anthem

The National Anthem of Greece is part of the poem "Hymn to Freedom", in specific the two first paragraphs. It was written in May 1823 in Zante by the famous Greek poet Dionysios Solomos. A year later it was published in Mesolongi and the same year Foriel included it in a collection of Greek folk songs. In 1828 Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos Mantzaros from Corfu, a musician and Solomo's friend, set the music to the poem based on folk motifs, for a four-voice male chorus. Since then the "Hymn to Freedom" was heard regularly on national holidays.

In 1844 different music was given to the poem by Mantzaro and was presented to King Otto, hoping to establish it as the national anthem. Despite Matzaros receiving an honorary award, the Silver Cross of the Order of Christ  and Solomos the Gold Cross of the same Order, the poem together with the melody given was not adopted as the national anthem, instead it was given the title "Thourios".

In 1861 the Minister of War requested from Mantzaro to compose a march melody on the "Hymn to Freedom". The musician altered the rhythm of Solomo's hymn and gave it a melody used for marching. After the union of the Ionian Islands with Greece (1864) it was established as the national anthem. 

The poem consists of 158 four-liner paragraphs, of these the first 24 were established as the National Anthem. Specifically the two first are those used when lowering and raising the flag and during official ceremonies. Within this poem it is evident that Solomos combines elements of romanticism and classicism. 

Dionysios Solomos, by writing the "Hymn of Freedom", contributed towards the national liberation struggle of 1821. 

FYROM or Macedonia?

On 18 July 2011 the United States House of Representatives published a Bill to authorise appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes. On pages 52-54 of the Bill it analyses the topic of FYROM, referring also to its relations with Greece. 

The text states : 

SEC. 807. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE TO THE FORMER 

16 YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA. 

17 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

18 (1) Greece has demonstrated an enormous good 

19 will gesture in agreeing that ‘‘Macedonia’’ may be 

20 included in the future name of the Former Yugoslav 

21 Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as long as that 

22 term is combined with a geographic qualifier that 

23 makes it clear that there are no territorial ambitions 

24 on the part of the FYROM with regard to the his-

1 torical boundaries of the Greek province of Mac-

2 edonia. 

3 (2) The FYROM continues to utilize materials 

4 that violate provisions of the United Nations-bro-

5 kered Interim Agreement between the FYROM and 

6 Greece regarding incendiary rallies, rhetoric, or 

7 propaganda, and United Nations-led negotiations be-

8 tween the FYROM and Greece have so far failed to 

9 achieve the longstanding goals of the United States 

10 and the United Nations to find a mutually accept-

11 able, new official name for the FYROM. 

12 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-

13 gress that all United States assistance to the FYROM 

14 should be conditioned on the FYROM’s willingness to en-

15 gage in meaningful discussions with Greece in accordance 

16 with United Nations Security Council Resolution 817. 

17 (c) LIMITATION.—The Secretary of State may not 

18 use funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act 

19 for programs and activities that directly or indirectly pro-

20 mote incendiary rallies, rhetoric, or propaganda by state- 

21 controlled agencies of the FYROM or encourage acts by 

22 private entities likely to incite violence, hatred, or hostility, 

23 including support for printing and publishing of textbooks, 

24 maps, and teaching aids that may include inaccurate in-

1 formation on the histories and geographies of Greece and 

2 FYROM. 

What is important is to see that, although the US has recognised (in 2004 with President Bush) FYROM as Macedonia, here it uses the term FYROM. The United Macedonian Diaspora published a leaflet, signed by Metodija A. Koloski (President) explaining that the Greek lobby in Washington is to be blamed for this, expressing in bold letters "Are we going to let the pro-Greek lobby in Washington, D.C. succeed?! NO!" 

However it is, from a Greek point, questionable how President Bush came to the conclusion that FYROM should be recognised as Macedonia. That being said it is again questionable how around 130 countries have accepted this name for the small Balkan state.   

Greece has shown up to now that it will not tolerate this historical false name and the fact that another country wishes to adopt part of Greek history. This was emphatically shown when the previous PM Konstantinos Karamanlis vetoed FYROM's acceptance within NATO in 2008 in Bucharest.  

For those who like history it is essential to express the following, which are issues supported by the Greek side and the international community, i.e. professors (even in FYROM) and people who have actually read a book or two.!

It is proven by historic documents and archaeological discoveries which can be found in all the history books and museums in Greece and around the world that ancient Macedonians were Greek. The most important archaeological discovery in Macedonia is the tomb of King Philippos II. It was excavated in Vergina, Greece in 1978, and it proves beyond any doubt the Greekness of Ancient Macedonia. All the finding are characteristic of the Greek culture and all the inscriptions are written using the Greek language. Among the discoveries of this tomb is the Vergina sun, which was the symbol that FYROM attempted to use on its flag, initially. 

According to historical books, including those analysing the Ecclesiastical History of the Slavs, the Slavs descended into the Balkan region not before the 6th century, long after ancient Macedonia was homogenized with the rest of Greece. This is evident through Byzantine sources explaining the relations between the Byzantine Empire and the new neighbours, i.e. the Slavic groups. They do not have any historical, cultural or linguistic ties with ancient Macedonia and they would be really foolish if they officially claimed that they did. There is no historic or archaeological evidence connecting them with ancient Macedonia. In any case occupying 25% of ancient Macedonia land does not give them the right to steal the Greek-Macedonian history and culture. The Macedonian civilization was part of the ancient Greek civilization. It is part of Greece's national inheritance and it cannot be used by anyone else. 

It is a shame that many countries have recognised FYROM as Macedonia, showing their ignorance to historical facts, making them non-reliable. I am sure England would not accept the Nazis state that Winston Churchill was German, or the USA would not accept its Founding Fathers being stolen by the Japanese. Why should Greece then accept this historical, cultural, linguistic and religious fallacy? However Greece is not the only country which has been bullied into this problematic relationship and status. Bulgaria is also a neighbouring country expressing its dissatisfaction. A paradigm is found here.

First cinema in Athens

Just before the official opening of the first cinema in Athens, the Athenians came in contact with the whole aspect of a cinema in 1897. The first projection of a moving image caused vivid reactions. The new entertainment was a central topic within the Athenian society and a cause of countless publications. 

In 1907 the first cinema opened in the Greek capital. Although cinemas were spreading all over the city, many theatres had special screenings in order to cater for the demand. 

Today it has become one of the main form of entertainment not only in Athens but world wide! 

Save Greece

A new movement in Hollywood, which is believed to be created and initiated by the famous Greek comedian and actor Zach Galifianakis, is "Save Greece". 

The stars of Hollywood mobilized to contribute to the extinction of the Greek financial debt. The whole movement has a logo of the map of Greece and the inscription "Save Greece", holding banknotes and a tie (symbolising the people who wear ties and who contributed towards the downfall and the spread of Greece's economy). 

The t-shirt with the logo have become a fashion in Hollywood. They cost $100 and proceeds from sales go towards repaying the country's debt.  

Currently many famous actors are photographed wearing them, some being Charlie Sheen, Gisele, Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Bono, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and the list is expanding rapidly. Currently they are only sold in the U.S. but they will soon be available in Europe. 

Some believe that this is a farce and that the pictures are fake. Even if this is true, it is interesting to see how awareness concerning a serious matter as this can spread, not only in political and economic circles, but everywhere.  

Barbers in Ancient Athens

Athenians, in order to have longer hair, they anointed their hair with a mixture of olive oil and fragrances. During the 6th century B.C. men used to have long locks, but after the Battle of Marathon they began to cut them shorter. Later, after Alexander the Great's epoch, they used to shave their moustaches and their beards; Greeks did not have a moustache without a beard. Also the barber took care of the client's hands and then passed a mirror to the customer in order for him to admire his new look. Due to the fact that many waited for their turn, barbers became very sociable and knew all the local gossip, which they then passed on with a twist. That is why they had a reputation of being chatty and quite rude at times. 

The news of the catastrophe in Sicily was given to the Athenians by a barber from the port of Piraeus.  He was told the disastrous, for Athens, news from a deserter's slave; without sparing any valuable time he ran to Athens in order to be the first one to give them the news. No one in Athens knew about the catastrophe, that is why they were asking him many questions, however he did not even know the slave's name. After people a couple of hours of non stop questioning without receiving any additional information the crowds shouted "send the liar for interrogation! Torture him!" The poor barber was then tied to a wheel when a few soldiers who made it back confirmed the terrible truth. The Athenians were saddened tremendously by the awful news, they returned to their homes to mourn the dead, forgetting about the barber; nevertheless they remembered him late at night. When the executioner went to free him, the barber asked whether anyone knew about Nikias and that he was dead, showing how he had more gossip to spread. 

Barbers knew everything within the local community and had a view about anything. Another small story emphasising this fact explains how a barber asked the King of Macedonia, " How would you like me to cut your hair" and the King relied, "without speaking".          

Syntagma Square Metro

It is evident that Greece will be the centre of attention for the next months if not years, due to the economic crisis that has hit the Mediterranean country since the global economic crisis in 2008. Because of this I though I'd write about the capital's central Metro Station, in Syntagma Square, where all the riots take place. This is an important place, seen as one of the reasons for Greece's economic downfall, i,e, the establishment of the Metro system in the Greek capital due to the Olympic Games of 2004. 

Needless to say that once you start digging in the centre of Athens you will most probably hit on something of historical value. As a result, in an unprecedented move, teams of archaeologists worked alongside the metro engineers for years in what became not only Athens' first subway, but also the largest archaeological excavation in the city's history. Tens of thousands of artefacts were discovered and the end result is both a greater knowledge of Athens' buried history and metro stations which double as museums. 

Syntagma Square is the stop for the Greek Parliament and the city's centre. In ancient times this area lay outside the city's walls; it was a natural location for cemeteries. The station, which is also a museum, exhibits several finds, including grave goods and ancient Greek plumbing. Visitors can clearly see the myriad layers of human history at this site, including Byzantine, Roman, ancient Greek and finally prehistoric periods. Also the open grave of the ancient necropolis which existed here originally is evident. However it does not only have ancient monuments, it is a place where many exhibitions take place, making it a cultural centre, combining the ancient and the modern!

Plans to assassinate Konstantinos Karamanlis

A top secret document from EYP, Ethinki Ipiresia Pliroforion, i.e. the Greek National Intelligence Service, with the code name "Eidiko Deltio Enimerosis" (No 219/5 February 2009) has been published in the magazine Epikaira in Greece, informing Karamanli's Government that there was a plan (Pythia 1) to assassinate the Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, leader of the New Democracy party. EYP was informed from FSB, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, who found details of a plan to stop the new energy policy of Greece, which was oriented towards Moscow.

They refer to the singing of the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipe line and the South Stream and the singing of the transnational convention on the TOMA BM-3HEL, which was decided on 6 months earlier. 

According to this article a small Russian team went to Greece in order to monitor the situation. Between the 20 and 25 April 2008 the Russians were embroiled with some unknown people who were tailing the former PM. The people got way, however the vehicle that they abandoned had maps with the routes Karamanlis took, information concerning his security men, weapons, night vision binoculars and explosives, including C4. 

The plan to destabilise the country, as claimed by the FSB, involved four points:

1. Political instability, which allegedly was achieved through the Vatopaidi (monastery of Mount Athos) scandal.

2. Economic and commercial instability which was achieved through the current economic crisis.

3. Social destabilisation via the social unrest and terrorism.

4. Problems concerning foreign policy. 

However EYP cannot control the validity of this information. Nevertheless if this is true then we have to try and find who these people were, or who they were working for. It is ironic to see that, although the assassination did not take place, Greece has been destabilised in all 4 points stated above. 

Ancient Olympia

Greece responds to Spain

It all started on the 21 of May in Spain where people from all ages gathered in the centre of Madrid in order to demonstrate against the new political and economic regulations which are supported and promoted by their government. 

That is where the Spanish demonstrators posted a massive banner which stated " Be quiet, let us not wake up the Greeks". A couple of days after this gesture, which was seen as a great insult in Greece, a response was given. Even the Spanish newspaper El Pais had an article analysing the demonstration in Athens. Over 30.000 people gathered in the centre of Athens, Sintagma Square, and in all the big squares of cities around Greece. The answer on a massive Spanish flag banner was, "We are awake. What time is it? Time for them to leave". 

However next to this banner another one stated " Be quiet, let us not wake up the Italians". The latter was placed under the Greek Parliament. This is the movement of the "Aganaktismeni", i.e. the frustrated which seems to be exploding around Europe.  

This was one demonstration organised by Greeks and not by the political parties, which unfortunately is the norm, especially in the Greek capital. Although it was provoked by the Spaniards, it was aimed not at them but towards the European Union and the IMF. The funny thing is that this demonstration was organised and formed through Facebook and Twitter.

Greeks are now in dialogue with Spain, but also with the rest of Europe. It was a demonstration supporting and defending democracy. Maybe now in this dialogue we will see people from other countries, such as Portugal, Ireland and who ever else will join the P.I.I.G.S. team, which in many aspects is inevitable. 

Memories

Every summer, if not every then most, I spent at my fathers village which is called Ag. Triada near Nafplio, Southern Greece. One of the images I always have and a place I visit every time I am there is my grandfather's mini farm. Its totally different to the farms many are used to but this is a typical village style farm which will always stay in my memory! 

The posters are for decoration but also for the "mati" (the evil eye) as I was told by relatives.

 This cage has a story and reminds me of my naive childhood. One summer I told my grandfather to keep the male rabbit that he had in there and that it would be mine. The next summer I found that my rabbit had become a lovely stifado and was replaced by the next male rabbit successor. Every time I see this cage I remember this small story!

Aristotle Onassis

36 years ago (and one day) is when the richest Greek died. Aristotle Onassis was born in Smyrni in Asia Minor (today Izmir in Turkey) on the 20th of January 1906. Aristotle studied at the Evangelic School of Smyrni and helped his father with the cigarette business. After the Asia Minor war and catastrophe he relocated to Athens with his family where he worked as an usher at the newspaper  "Eleftheros Logos". After a year he travelled with a tanker to Napoli, Italy, and from there he headed of to Argentina. 

In Buenos Aires, whilst knowing English and French, he worked at a call centre called United Telecom. After five years collecting his money and opening a cigarette factory he made a small fortune. In 1928 he helped the Greek government to sign an intergovernmental agreement with Argentina, which made him General Consul. Slowly but steadily he expanded to the shipping industry and in 1932 he bought his first tanker, giving it the name Kallirroi. 

During the Second World War the Allied Nations used his tankers and ships. Many were destroyed. With the money he received from the insurance he bought 17 tankers, hotels, casinos and theatres in Monte Carlo. In 1950 he published a series of articles concerning shipping. In 1957 he founded Olympic Airways, flying to all five continents. 

In 1946 he married Tina Livanou and gave birth to Christina and Alexandros, but in 1960 they got divorced. That was the period where he was going out with Maria Callas, who he did not marry. However he did marry Jacqueline Kennedy, President Kennedy's widow. 

However not everything was easy and magical for one of the richest men in history. In 1973 he was informed that his son was seriously injured after a plane crash, whilst he was flying it. Seeing that there was no hope for his son he said.." My life has no meaning anymore...". After his death his daughter, during a troubled period in her life, was found dead in her bath in Buenos Aires.

Today Aristotle's wealth has passed down to his grand-daughter, Athina, who is Christina's daughter, making her one of the wealthiest women in the world. 

Greek Dancing

These are a great and funny representatives of Greek Dancing...Enjoy!!!

OPA!

Lost Metopes from the Parthenon were found

Lost metopes from the Parthenon were found on the wall of the Acropolis, the Holy Hill according to the ancient Greeks. They were found after a long process, by taking 2.250 pictures. It is evident that five metopes were erected from the site and are believed that they derive from the Southern side of the temple. 

They were used for the fortification of the Acropolis during the 18th century, when the walls were restored. It is clear that they are different from the rest of the wall since they are made from the same marble as the Parthenon, i.e. a well crafted marble from Penteli. 

Archaeologists believed until recently that the metopes from the Southern part of the Temple were destroyed during the explosion that took place on the Acropolis in 1687. What the five metopes depict will be revealed when they are taken of the wall. 

Let us only hope that the other Parthenon Marbles will, one day, be returned to Athens. We can only hope..! 

A 22 year old has...61 children with 52 women

Iakovos Georgiou from Kalohori in Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece, is a unique case, breaking a world record. He became a father for the first time when he was 18 and it seems he liked it so much that he became a father in total 61 times in four years with 52 women.

The media found out about this when the police arrested the 22 year old boy for not being able to pay child support. Many local residents asked for Iakovo's castration. The funny thing is that since this has been published by the local press many other women have called the police and claimed that the father of their child is in fact Iakovos. 

Greek Tattoos

Many people in the world have a tattoo, most of them are plain and small. But the ones shown here have a theme...Greek Mythology, History and Religion..