Vlachoi: the Greeks with the Latin-based Language

Usually the term "vlachos" for someone from Southern Greece means a person from a village or a sheep-herder, but the people of Northern Greece recognize the term "vlachoi" as the previously-nomadic group of people that live near Grevena and in Thessaly. Vlachoi have their own traditions and even their own language. Yet, they consider themselves Greek and, of course, speak Greek, too. The question historians have been researching is: Where did they come from?

They're called...

First of all, there are Vlachoi in Greece, in Romania, in Albania and in FYROM. The ones in Greece were given the name "Koutsovlachoi" from a misinterpretation of the Turkish word for"Little Vlachia," which is what the Turks called the area of Thessaly during the occupation, as opposed to "Big Vlachia," which was the area around the Danube River. Vlachoi call themselves "Armani" in their dialect, which comes from the Byzantine and Roman times, and it was the name given to those who spoke latin in the eastern empire. The word Vlachos,is thought to have come from the Slavic word Vlah (which meant foreigner) or the German word Walechen (which means non-German, Latin).

Location, location, location

Today, most Vlachoi live in Thessaly and Northern Greece. They were nomads and herd-keepers, some of whom turned into wealthy merchants. For these people the most important thing was keeping their herds of sheep well-fed, so that their families could live well. This is why they grazed the mountainous villages of Northern Greece in the summer and in winter they started looking for new "virgin" land for their herd to graze. Therefore, at the end of summer, they packed everything up and made the week or month-long trip down to the fields of Thessaly, where they eventually established other villages. When the temperatures started rising again, they would head up to the mountain once more.

Language and Descent

Where Vlachoi come from is a question whose answer has been much sought after by modern sociologists in the Balkans, but none seem to have reached a satisfying answer.....

READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources:

http://www.vlahoi.net,

http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Αρμάνοι

5 Memorable Kings of Mythology

Midas - The king of Phyrgia in Asia Minor once treated a lost satyr companion of the god Dionysios with care and hospitality. In return, the god allowed him one wish and Midas wished for a golden touch; he wanted everything that he touched to turn to gold. However, the king soon discovered that this ability was more of a curse, because he couldn't eat, as his food turned to gold the second he touched it. To end his torture, the god told him to bathe in the river Paktolos, whose sands drained him of his power and they turned into gold.

Cecrops - He was the first king of Athens, he was born from the Earth herself and is represented as half man, half serpent. He is said to have taught the Athenians to worship the gods and he was the king that the gods Poseidon and Athena tried to impress, when deciding who would be the protector of the city. Athena presented the olive tree and Posidon presented a spring of (salt) water. Cecrops chose the olive tree, therefore granting Athena the protection of Athens.

READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Greeks: (Mis)Educated Childless Carnivores

(Mis)Educated: 82 European universities made it in list of the best 200 universities worldwide for 2010, as they are evaluated and listed annually by the Times Higher Education of the UK Times(http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/), but none of those were Greek. Harvard University is first on the list for yet another year, whereas the rest of the top 10 is comprised of American and two British universities. Thirteen countries from Europe find themselves on the list, but Italy and Greece, two countries with unparalleled academic history, are missing. Quality of education, number of publications, research, and motives for both professors and students were all taken into account when completing the list.

So Greek parents find themselves paying thousands in frontistiria annually, students' minds clog with useless information, and all their struggle at national exams, only in hopes of getting into some of Europe's worst academic institutions... Hmmm... Why is it that American universities in Greece are considered lower in quality than public Greek universities, again?

Childless: Greece and the rest of Southern Europe is growing old. Women keep putting off motherhood until they've completed other "cycles" of their lives...

READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources:

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_09/11/2010_363638

http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&artid=365536&ct=33&dt=07/11/2010

http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artid=4603398

Image: http://www.santoriniblogs.gr/2010/08/18/

The "Oxi" that Sent Us to War

October 28th, 1940, otherwise known as "Oxi" day. It's sad that today most of us don't even know which of the two national holidays have to do with the Italians and which one with the Turks. Well, let me remind you that this date has to do with the Italians, and WWII... and do you happen to remember that the great man (Ioannis Metaksas) who said OXI was a dictator of Greece at the time? Ok... let's back up a bit...

Metaksas and the coming of the "Third Greek Culture"

In 1936, a weak King George of Greece, allowed army General Ioannis Metaksas, the leader of a far-right political party that had the least supporters nationwide, to take control in containing the communists and their socialist ways in the labor force. Metaksas was another one of those dictators who wanted to control his fellow patriots by reminding them of their "Greekness." This was to be done by instilling in them the values of Ancient Greece (especially the strict citizens' control of Sparta) and the Christian morals of the Byzantine Empire, all under the label of "The Third Greek Culture"; something like Hitler's Third Reich. Although his opponents charged him with a Nazi profile, he supposedly hushed them by spreading fear and not by literally "eliminating" them. He was also unwilling to turn his back on Britain's support and even asked to become Britain's ally in 1936 (which Britain denied, fearing a new set of responsibilities towards Greece).

It all started with the bombing of Elli

After the outbreak of WWII and the occupancy of Albania by the facist Italians, Britain and France vouched that Greece's borders would be left untouched. Meanwhile, Metaksas was hoping to keep Greece outside this war, but Mussolini had other ideas. READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources: A Concise History of Greece by Richard Clogg

http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/history.asp

Image: http://www.lookatgame.com/index.php?key=28η

Defkalyon: The Ancient Greek Version of Noa (and his ark)

Sacred texts show that the story of a flood wiping out all of corrupt humanity is essential in a civilization's history. Just as the Sumerians and the Jews/Christians have a flood story in their history (bordering on mythology), so did the ancient Greeks. The Sumerians had Atrahasi build a boat as instructed by the god Enki, the Jews had Noa build an ark as instructed by God and the Greeks had Defkalyon build a boat as instructed by his immortal Titan father, Prometheus. And all of this happened to destroy the majority of mankind. But first, lets see the story of its creation...

The 3 Ages of Man and Their Creation

When the titan god Kronos reigned, he created a race of mankind - this is the first and golden age - which was happy and good. No one worked and they all lived on the earth in harmony (does this remind anyone else of the Garden of Eden?). When they died, they roamed the earth as daimones or spirits. However, this age ended when Kronos died and Zeus took over.

The second age is known as the silver age, during which Prometheus was instructed by Zeus to create the next "batch" of men, who were uglier and inferior in intelligence. The four seasons were created and men had to seek shelter and grow food.

The third age is the bronze age and this is the time of naturally-born humans, descendants of the silver age humans and nymphs. The problem with the bronze age humans is that they started to get greedy, corrupt and impious, failing to honor the gods. This angered Zeus, who decided to destroy them with a flood that would cover the earth.

Read the rest of the article at allthegreeks.com.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atra-Hasis

http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Deukalion.html

http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Κατακλυσμός_του_Δευκαλίωνα

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/a/hesiodagesofman.htm

Stone Age Settlement in Apsalos: One of the Earliest in Greece

Back when the world population was approximately 5 million, it seems like a few of them were living in the area Apsalos of Pella in northern Greece. Archaeologists have recently discovered stone tools, and clay objects, which date back to 7937 B.C. attesting to an early settlement that has come to verify that people did actually inhabit this part of the world during the mesolithic period. This was a period when the people of Eurasia and Africa were just starting to adopt agriculture and domesticate some animals.

The stereotypical stone age imagery, of a caveman hunting, is not what typically pops in our minds when we think of Greece's history, but settlements existed here way before the glory of Ancient Greece, Socrates and Plato.

Man's time on earth is separated into different periods, the longest of which is the Stone Age (Paleolithic Period), which begins approximately 2.5 million years ago and ends around 3000 B.C. in Europe. This long period, which represents 99% of man's total time on earth so far, is also separated into three phases: Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.

READ ABOUT THE PALEOLITHIC, MESOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC PERIODS IN GREECE.

Image: http://reference.findtarget.com/search/Middle%20Paleolithic/

Sources: http://www.skai.gr/news/culture

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/25303

American Colleges: HAU and AUA Shut Down by Gov't

Minister of Education Anna Diamantopoulou is showing just how serious she is with banning colleges that failed to comply with the rules set forth by the government, by shutting down the Hellenic American University and the American University of Athens yesterday. Both colleges operate under licenses issued in New Hampshire and Alabama respectively, however, they failed to received a license to operate as a Center of Post-Lyceum Education (and be considered legitimate private colleges) from the Greek government when licenses were issued earlier this summer.

In the ongoing struggle and chaos that characterizes the secondary education system in Greece, the country has been forced to accept the existence of private colleges in the country and has been working on incorporating them into the official education system. Maintaining that public Greek universities are the only institutions that can be called "universities," all of the foreign private universities and colleges operating in the country have now been renamed Centers of Post-Lyceum Education, which pretty much places them at the level of a 2-year technical school with a degree that's worth as much. This all stands for Greece. The majority of these private colleges/universities issue degrees that are recognized in the US and Europe as what they claim (Bachelors, Masters).

FIND OUT WHICH COLLEGES ARE LICENSED IN GREECE AT WWW.ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources: http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artid=4591885

http://www.skai.gr/news/greece/article/148721/ta-triada-kolegia-poy-piran-adeia/

Image: http://malaysialockset.com/tag/lockset/

Titanomachy: How the Olympian Gods Took Over

Taking control of the world and becoming the primary divinities was not so easy for Dias (Zeus) and his siblings. After his mother Rea saved him and helped him to free his other brothers and sisters, Zeus waged a war against the ruling Titans, his father Kronos', siblings to obtain power. For ten years the Olympian gods (from Mount Olympus) fought the Titans from Mount Orthys. Of the Titans, Hyperion, Iapetos, Koios, Krios, Kronos, Azeios, Atlas, Menoitios, Pallas, Perses and perhaps others that are not mentioned in some accounts, where all against the Olympians, while Helios assisted Zeus and Okeanos with the Titanides (the Titan girls: Themis, Theia, Rhea, Mnemosini, Phoebe and Tithis) all remained neutral.

After ten years of endless war, Gaia (the Earth) advised Zeus to free her sons, the Cyclops (3 one-eyed giants) and the Ekatonheires (3 creatures with 50 heads and 100 arms each) from the depths of the earth and seek their assistance in the war.

Read the rest here: allthegreeks.com

Source: www.theoi.com

Image: http://hellenicmythology.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post_27.html

St. John Baptist Relics Uncovered on Black Sea Island

Relics of St John the Baptist were discovered on the island of St. Ivan in the Black Sea by a team of Bulgarian archaeologists led by Professor Kazimir Popkonstantinov. The relics were discovered in small sarcophagus-type box in the ancient church of St. John the Baptist on the island.

Bones from the hand, the face and a tooth were discovered in the alabaster box and next to it archaeologists discovered a small stone box, characteristic of Palestine, in which the relics were probably carried, with an inscription in Greek and the name of St. John. The relics were taken to the church of St. George in Sozopol to be blessed.

Sources and image: http://focus-fen.net/?id=n227079

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_01/08/2010_349146

www.allthegreeks.com

More Olympian Revenge

The elaborate stories in Greek mythology guarantee that the gods of Olympus were never bored. They were either constantly falling in love, protecting or punishing someone. The following are people that managed to anger the gods and their chosen punishments:

Ixion: A king of the Lapiths in Thessaly, he pushed his father-in-law into a bed of coal and wood making it the first murder of kin in mythology. Ixion was shunned by the other kings and princes in the area, but Zeus took pity on him and invited him to sit with the rest of the gods in Olympus as a guest. Ixion, however, did not respect Zeus's hospitality as he lusted after Hera. Zeus decided to trick him and presented him with a cloud (nephele) of Hera, with which Ixion mated. This union with the cloud-Hera produced the Centaur who later ruled the mountain of Pelion in Magnesia. As punishment for his betrayal, Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt and tied him to a spinning burning wheel for all eternity.

Sisyphos: Sisyphos was the king of Corinth who managed to trick both men and gods alike with his craftiness. He betrayed Zeus's secrets, took his brother's throne, and when he was chained by Thanatos (death) as punishment for his betrayal, he even managed to trick Thanatos into releasing him and tying up death. After this he was dragged to Tartarus again, where he once again tricked Persephone into allowing him to visit the world of the living. Finally, the gods reserved special punishment for Sisyphos in Hades: He was forced to push a large rock up a hill and right before he reached the top, the rock would roll back down forcing him to start his ordeal again.

Read the rest of the article at www.allthegreeks.com and more revenge stories here.

Image and Source: www.theoi.com

It's a Fact: Greece Is Leaking ...Brains

For decades now Greece has been the country that sends away its children ("η Ελλάδα που διώχνει τα παιδιά της" as generations have said before us). Back in the old days it was poverty. They literally had little to eat so they would emigrate to other countries, make a living for themselves and send money to their families back home. Today it's for other reasons.

In the midst of an international and national crisis, at a time when it's most in need of development, Greece is losing its best... literally leaking brains.

It's frustrating.

Lena, a friend, has gotten two masters in England and shortly after graduating, family issues and bad weather conditions in London brought her back to Greece to try and find a job, build a life. After months of searching for a job in her field of study, she finally finds a job that lower than her expectations just to have one. Her masters degrees were more scorned than appreciated, as employers did not want to (or could not afford to) pay extra for her extra years in school (masters). Eventually she left for London again.

It's not so much the low pay that bothers job-hunters, even though that is a particularly big issue when you spend years in university. It's the lack of appreciation for skill and the almost complete lack of prospect in the majority of Greek businesses. There is no room to grow, and this is a major problem, especially for those who have received degrees from abroad where the mindset is generally different (and not everyone wants to get a job in the "secure" public sector).

Read the results of a Greek study on "brain drain" and similar articles at www.allthegreeks.com.

Source: http://alfavita.gr/artra/art27_5_10_848.php

Image: http://matadorabroad.com/2010/03/

Blue-Flag Beaches 2010

Four hundred and twenty one beaches and 9 marinas were awarded the blue flag this year in Greece. The "Blue Flags" program is an international effort made by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) based in Denmark, which awards blue flags to beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and safety. In Greece the coordinator of the program is the Greek Organization for the Protection of Nature (Ελληνική Εταιρεία Προστασίας της Φύσης) and a list of the beaches awarded for 2010 is provided below. Greece comes in 2nd place this year in the number of beaches that were awarded. The beaches or marinas that want to receive a blue flag must be tested every year. This is how it works:

First of all, the EEPF does not go around the entire country testing the water of all the beaches. So it is left in the hands of the mayors around the country to apply for a blue flag every year. Once the mayor applies, the EEPF and its team run the necessary tests in order to determine whether the beach in question is suitable enough for a blue flag.

Therefore, if you're curious as to why some of the most amazing beaches you know don't have blue flags, know that it's probably because no mayor applied for a blue flag for this beach. So, of course there are lots of beaches around the country that are breathtaking (a big example is Porto Katsiki and Kathisma in Lefkada), but no one bothered to apply so they can receive a blue flag.

In any case, for those beaches that do apply for a blue flag, there are four different areas on which they are tested:

See the criteria and the full list of Greek beaches at allthegreeks.com.

Source: http://www.eepf.gr/

Image: http://www.goldensands.gr/goldensun/grk/beach.php

Be Inspired: Innovative Diaspora Greeks

Innovation is definitely not a foreign term in Greece. Contemporary Greeks have a history of innovation to be proud of in the fields of engineering, mathematics, astronomy and so on. Likewise, the Greek spirit of innovation lives on in today's Greeks, whether they live in their country of origin or have chosen to excel away from it. The following is a small list of innovators of the diaspora:

The Blackberry Creator: Mike Lazaridis - Born in Constantinople in 1961, Lazaridis and his family were immigrants to Canada. Two friends/partners, a 15,000 dollar loan from his parents and the general support of General Motors led to the creation of RIM, the company that created the famous Blackberry phone and many other patented innovations. In 1999 he founded the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada, which studies black holes, quantum physics, the theory of relativity and similar scientific subjects. Among its esteemed staff is also the famous physicist Stephen Hawking.

One Laptop per Child: Nicholas Negreponte - Born in 1943, Nicholas Negreponte is a Greek-American who was raised in New York. He conceived and is cofounder of the MIT Media Laboratory as well as chairman of the One Laptop per Child non-profit association, which aims to bring 100$ self-powered laptops to children of poor countries. He has also funded many startups for companies such as the magazine "Wired."

BusinessWeek's Best in 2007: Thomas Milonas: Born and raised in Greece, Thomas Milonas studied industrial design in Italy, because he failed to make it into the university of his choice in Greece. Having worked for Fila as a footwear designer, Thomas decided to start his own company in the Netherlands with only 4,000 euros to spare. As a result the company "Dot Kite" was born that led to clients such as Best Western, Velvet Airlines, Puma, Fila. He didn't stop there, however, as he also founded the company "Loggia Import" that imports italian and greek wine and olive oil as well as the "Crux Group," which invests in innovative ideas. He was voted as one of the most successful young businessmen in Europe for 2007 by Business Week magazine.

READ MORE AT allthegreeks.com

Image: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/08/0804_cheap/7.htm

Sources:

omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr

media.mit.edu

telegraph.co.uk

umain.edu

The Antikythera Mechanism

In 1902, a diver exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera finds fragments of the earliest complex computing instrument ever discovered. This 30-dial instrument was dubbed the "Antikythera Mechanism." Although scientists have mostly deciphered its codes and have been awed by its creator's knowledge of astronomy and engineering, they still haven't understood its use and the reason for its creation. The sophistication of this instrument was so advanced that antiquity did not see anything quite as complex until 1,300 years later.

READ THE REST AT allthegreeks.com

Image: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/11/29/science/29cnd-compu.ready.html

Sources: http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/el/project/overview

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v454/n7204/full/nature07130.html

Ancient Egnatia Odos Revived

Traveling through northern Greece these past couple weeks you may have encountered a caravan of people and mules somewhere along the way. That would be the members of the "Via Egnatia Foundation," which is based in the Netherlands, actually hiking along the ancient route of Egnatia from Florina to Thessaloniki.

The NGO, whose members consider the Via Egnatia part of the world cultural heritage, are interested in reviving the road as a hiking trail, contributing to scientific and cultural research concerning its history, the people that used it and the people that live around it today. Volunteers from all over Europe and the Balkans started in Dyrrachium in Albania, they crossed through FYROM, which led them through Greece and their trip will be completed in Constantinople in July.

In an interview with Ms. Gioultsi of APE-MPE, the director of this endeavour, Mrs. Marieta Van Atikum, explains (in Greek) that the NGO was formed by a group of phil-hellenes with Greek studies. She explains that the reason they travel by caravan with mules, is because this was the considered a safe way to travel back in the days of the Roman Empire.

History

The Roman Officer Egnatius was in charge of constructing a road that would facilitate commerce and transportation of war material during the era of the Roman Empire. It was constructed between 146 - 120 BC over an ancient pre-Roman road that connected the Adriatic countries and the Aegean.

The via Egnatia was a road of European standards, as it was paved, complete with road signs (with information signs on the distance between major cities), stops for rest and to change horses. It also boasted similarly constructed entrances to cities. The length of the via Egnatia was measured in roman miles (100 paces) and there were signs at every mile indicating the distance covered up until that point.

The via Egnatia initially served as a military road, but soon it was used as an exchange between peoples and cultures, and it also served as a mean to transfer art around the Balkans, with Thessaloniki as the center.

*In February of 2010, the "Via Egnatia Foundation" is cooperating the the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki in presenting the conference "Myths About Others."

Sources: omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr

http://www.viaegnatiafoundation.eu/

http://www.egnatia.gr/page/default.asp?la=1&id=23

Image: http://www.danek.gr/?page_id=272

The Contradictory Life Actions of a Greek

There's an eerie silence everywhere I go, ever since the announcement of the new government measures on Sunday. It feels like a blanket of pessimism has fallen over everyone and you see people walking down the street or working with their heads hung low.

People are quick to blame outside influences, the markets, the government, politicians of the last 30 years, and basically everyone else but themselves for the current crisis the country is in.

However, it's the Greeks that started and allowed this situation to reach the stage it's at right now.

The Greek mentality has a unique way of molding people into big drama queens that are secretively smart-asses. How? Here are some of my real-life examples:

- The employer that constantly complains to his employees that he has no money, customers aren't paying, he dreads the end of the month because he doesn't know if he'll be able to pay the bills... is the same guy that drives around a BMW 4x4, lives in a luxurious house and goes on vacation in secrecy lest his 500-euro/month employees find out and get jealous.

- The pensioner that curses at today's politicians, calling them impotent with his friends over screaming matches at the kafeneio... is the same man that once (and often times, more than once) voted for a local politician and/or did favors for him in hopes that this politician would repay him with a job for his son or daughter. In the public sector, of course.

- The woman expressing her frustration over the financial crisis on TV, complete with a look of anguish and phrases she hears uttered on TV ("Things just keep getting harder," "How am I going to feed my kids")... is the same woman that... read the rest at allthegreeks.com

When the Gods Take Revenge

The Ancient Greeks managed to create a diety system of gods that were so "human" in their personal stories and traits, that is truly impressive. Their gods loved and hated with a passion, they would get jealous and they sought revenge. Especially the latter, they must have enjoyed. Here are a few cases of wrath felt by the gods as revenge:

Prometheus

This titan suffered the most terrible punishment from the gods of Olympus. Prometheus (which in Greek means forethought) was entrusted by Zeus to create humankind out of clay. Because he wanted to help his creations survive, he gave humans fire against the will of Zeus. When Zeus found out, he chained Prometheus on the top of mount Caucasus and sent an eagle every day to feast on his liver. The torture would continue for eternity every day, because Prometheus's liver regenerated at night, so that the eagle could eat it again the next day. Finally, decades later, Hercules saved him (with Zeus's compliance, of course).

Pandora

Pandora was a woman created by the god of fire Iphestos and "adorned" by Athena with all the beautiful characteristics and traits that a woman of charm should have. Pandora was meant to be Zeus second revenge on Prometheus and his creations (the humans). So, after Zeus chained Prometheus to the mountain, he sent Pandora with a box to Prometheus's brother, Epimetheus (afterthought). The woman was beautiful, so Epimetheus accepted this gift from the gods, although his brother had warned him not to accept any gifts from Olympus. Pandora brought a box with her, which she was instructed never to open, for any reason. Of course the gods counted on Pandora's curiosity, who they knew would eventually open the box. When she finally did open the box secretly, sorrow, famine, death and every other possible ailment were released into the world onto men. She managed to close the box right before hope escaped from inside...

Read about: Atlas, Odysseus, Pasiphae, Niobe

Five Cents for Every Greek Word

How much really would Greece make if it charged for every greek word uttered worldwide? Billions, one would presume. Does the rest of the world owe to Greece? German historian and writer, Leonora Seeling, who considers Greece the cradle of Western culture and democracy, believes so. She is angry at the German press for attacking Greece and she's done something about it:

She has actually published a booklet suggesting that every European pay the symbolic amount of 5 cents every time he/she says a Greek word, as a minimal tribute to the country on which European culture and achievement is based.

Seeling expresses her opposition to the patronizing way the German media talk about Greece, also accusing them of turning a blind eye to the corruption of their own country (Germany) and instead criticizing Greece. She also suggests that Greece cut back on buying German weapons by 50%.

Source: omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr

Read similar news at allthegreeks.com

Ancient Macedonians Cursed in Greek

The ongoing name dispute between Greece and FYROM (which started out as such a silly claim from our tiny neighbor, that the Greek politicians completely ignored it) has left Greece scramming for supporters in the archaeological community (because, turns out that the majority of the political community has already recognized FYROM as "Macedonia," deeming the Greek stance ridiculous).

One such supporter and famous archaeologist, Dr. Steven Miller, begs to differ with the Skopian side. "[The Macedonians'] Greekness is evident, as the inscriptions of the Ancient Macedonians are written in Greek," he said in an interview published in this month's "Greek Diaspora" magazine.

Dr. Miller is famous for his discovery of the ancient stadium of Nemea in 1973, however he initially came to Greece to look for the palace of legendary King Phillip of Macedonia and it has been an issue that interests him ever since. "The Greeks considered the Macedonians Greeks, in the 7th century BC," he says. "They took part in the Nemean Games as one of the Greek tribes or city/states" and there is no doubt about that as Dr. Miller points out.

Some people are quick to point out that the Macedonians' inscriptions may be in Greek, because it was considered the language of the elite at that time. However, Dr. Miller's counter-argument is clear: "Even curses, which are a part of every-day language, are written in Greek in Macedonia. Therefore, their spoken language was Greek."

Read more at allthegreeks.com

Mythology: The Many Bastards of Zeus

Zeus was always known for being naughty in the Olympian god circle, even though he was married to Hera. Most of the time Hera knew about his love affairs and made sure that most of his bastard children were hunted down. The following is a list of the most well-known cases:

Iraklis (Hercules): His mother Alkmini was seduced by Zeus who took the form of her husband to sleep with her. Hera\'s wrath for Hercules is well-known, as she even sent two big snakes to his crib as a baby to kill him. Hercules killed them, but this wouldn\'t be the last of his achievements. As obedience to the oracle of Delphi, he had to perform 12 major labors (killing the Lernea Idra, taking the hide of the Nemean Lion etc), which made him famous.

Alexander (the Great): The famous hero\'s mother Olympia, a queen of Macedonia, claimed that Zeus himself had fathered her son.

Athena: The goddess of knowledge and war sprung out of Zeus\'s head. Zeus laid with her mother Metis, the wisest woman in the world, and fearing that Metis might give birth to a child stronger than Zeus, he swallowed her and when it was time for Athena to be born, Zeus asked for Iphaistos to crack his head open, because he had a horrible headache. Athena jumped out in full armor as she is depicted in paintings.

Apollo and Artemis: The mother of these two Olympian gods was Lyto, a titan. When it was time to give birth, Hera pursued her relentlessly so that Lyto wouldn\'t find a place to give birth to her children. The island of Dilos, hidden from the sun, provided her with refuge where the two gods were born. Artemis was born first, helping her mother give birth to her brother Apollo.

Dionisos: The demi-god of wine and fun was born out of Zeus\'s thigh. Semele his mother was seduced by Zeus, but when Hera found out, the goddess tricked her into getting struck by Zeus\'s powerful lightning bolts. After her death, Zeus rescued the baby, keeping it in his thigh until it would be ready to be born.

Ermis: One of the 12 Olympian gods, Ermis was the offspring of Zeus\'s union with a nymph named Maia.

Perseas: Hercules is actually a descendant of Perseas. Perseas\'s mother, Danae, was impregnated by Zeus when he took the form of a golden shower to reach her in a bronze cell, where her father had locked her in hope that she would never bear any children (the oracle had told Danae\'s father that his grandson would eventually kill him). When her father found out she was pregnant, he threw her and the baby Perseas into the sea in a golden chest and the baby survived, eventually killing his grandfather, accidentally many years later.

Minos, Sarpedon, Rhadamantes: Their mother Europa (it\'s where we get the name for the continent Europe) was a princess in Phoenicia who was abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull, bringing her the whole way over to Crete.

Read about the rest of the "bastards" at allthegreeks.com

Source: theoi.com

Image: Zeus and Europa by Alexandru Radvan http://radvanpainting.blogspot.com/2007/04/zeus-and-europa.html

Clash... with Mythology

I watched the hollywood epic "The Clash of the Titans" recently. And I didn't like it. At all.

Going into the movie theatre to watch a Greek history-inspired film, as a Greek, can be tricky. What you expect to see is usually different from what you actually end up experiencing. Although "Troy" had some historical inaccuracies that put some people off, it was tolerable, and the film "300" actually awoke patriotic feelings within us. "The Clash of the Titans" has none of these to offer.

The Storyline

It is well-known that Hollywood usually sacrifices the accuracy of historic or mythological events in the name of a more impressive and moving storyline, however, in my opinion there is a limit to this that was surpassed in "The Clash of the Titans."

In Greek mythology there is no such battle between the gods and humans, there is no feud between Hades and Zeus, and there is no Kraken.

The story of Perseas in Greek mythology is as follows:

His mother Danae was the daughter of king Akrisios, whome the oracle warned that if his daughter were ever to give birth to a boy, that boy would kill him one day. Fearing this prediction, Akrisios locked his daughter in a bronze chamber, away from all men. However, Zeus managed to impregnate her in the form of a golden shower.

When Akrisios found out what happened, he locked both his daughter and grandson in a chest and threw them in the sea, where they were washed ashore on the island of Seriphos. Years later, king Polydektes of Seriphos commanded the young Perseas to kill the Medusa (a gorgon sister with snakes as hair that turned everyone that met her gaze into stone) and bring him her head. Perseas received winged sandals, an invisibility helmet and a magic sword from the gods to help him in his feat.

When Perseas reached the Medusa, he managed to cut her head off and when he did, two creatures sprang from the blood spilt: the Pegasus (a winged horse) and a giant called the Krysaor. Pegasus was later ridden by Bellerophonta against the Amazons, not by Perseas himself as is suggested in the film.

On his way back to Seriphos, Perseas saw Andromeda, princess of Argos, chained on a rock to be sacrificed to a sea monster as payment for a debt owed to the god Posidon. Using the head of Medusa, Perseas turned the monster into stone and took Andromeda with him to be his wife in Seriphos (not Io, a nymph that is shown in the movie to be the protector and love of Perseas).

Back in Seriphos, Perseas turns the king into stone and goes back to his grandfather\'s kingdom to claim his place. The old man flees, still fearing the prophecy, but it does him no good. A few years later he is accidentally killed by a discus thrown into a crowd of people by Perseas.

Toping it all off...

As if these inaccuracies weren\'t enough, the directors throw in a battle with giant scorpions, magical desert creatures and terrible script that reminded me a little of the TV series \"Hercules,\" where the hero has time to crack jokes in the middle of a battle and give uninspiring speeches. And don\'t let me get started on the supposed \"3D\" experience, which left you feeling dizzy after quick scenes and didn\'t make much of a difference anyway.

Source: theoi.com

Image: filmofilia.com

www.allthegreeks.com

The Immigrant Case

Greece has had a homogenous population until the last couple decades. The first wave of immigration 20 years ago brought thousands of Albanians, when communism collapsed in the neigboring country, and the last decade has seen an influx of immigrants from Africa and the East - they\'re mostly people who see Greece as the threshold to the EU and a better life. These changes have caused insecurity to some and a deep sense of xenophobia to other Greeks.

The question is, what are Greeks so afraid of? Especially when some of us have worked (and still do so) abroad and even more have at least one relative that was an immigrant to other countries.

Why immigrants intimidate Greeks:

Greeks are suckers for conspiracies. And most of these conspiracy theories involve carving away a piece of Greece by one or more of our neighboring countries. So when it comes to the following nationalities, Greeks can be very prejudiced for the following reasons:

1. Albanians teach the idea of a \"Great Albania\" in their public schools, which involves extending the country\'s borders all the way down to Preveza.
2. The tiny country of FYROM, which emerged after the break-down of Yugoslavia, has been trying to create national pride in its youth by telling them that they are descendants of Alexander the Great and by claiming Macedonia and its history as their own.
3. Turkey wants to extend its jurisdiction into the Aegean by claiming small uninhabited islands gradually, while also supposedly eyeing up Thrace with its small Muslim minority. Of course the 400 year occupation by the Ottoman Empire doesn\'t help either.

Another important factor in spreading fear and uncertainty is the media. The crime rate in Greece is generally one of the lowest in Europe (if not the lowest), therefore everytime there is a serious crime, it is reported extensively in the news. When crimes are committed by immigrants, there is more emphasis placed on the news item,creating the impression that immigrants are responsible for the rise in crime the last few years. Whether or not that is true, I don\'t know, but I wouldn\'t be surprised considering the marginalization that most immigrants experience once they enter the country.

There is widespread belief that immigrants are taking our jobs by asking for lower pay and sending all of their earnings back to their mother countries, instead of keeping them in Greece where they can be taxed. In reality, immigrants only seem to be taking the jobs that Greeks don\'t want anymore and they can send their money back \"home,\" because most of them are working illegally and getting paid under the table by their Greek employers. So, whose fault is it?

Are Greeks racists?

Aside from the far-right consevative Greek, who proudly exhibits his racist feelings, the average Greek will say that he/she is not racist. Yet, the use of the following stereotypes soars:

read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com

Oh No... Not Alkaios!

... is exactly what I said when I heard that this song was chosen to represent Greece in Eurovision this year:

First of all, let me just clarify that I cuckoo Eurovision fans who know what size shirt Saki wore to the finals last year. I don't think it's culturally important, as a competition, either, and I definitely think that the public TV station spends WAAAAYYY too much money on it.

But, I still watch it, because I find it amusing.

This year, I liked that ERT considered several artists who were (the majority) not big stars. I also liked that these artists were very different from each other. I can't say I loved the songs presented, but I did think that Alkaios' "Opa" was one of the worst.

It is a typical tsiftetelodaxtiridi Greek Eurovision song, with music that sounds like a million other songs that Alkaios has sung and with lyrics that are also super predictable and a big fat "Opa" to top everything off.

This song will not even get through the semi-finals. Not that winning is a big deal either. Despite that, I would like to see some originality in this singing competition.

As for the rest of the songs that were competing with "Opa"...

Polemao (Giorgos Karadimos) - It bored me so much I actually started nodding...

Illusion (Christos Hatzinasios) - This is the one I liked out of the bunch.

Game of Life (Second Skin) - This girl could not sing live. And what's up with "Let's play this game of life Ha ha ha" ?

H Kivotos tou Noe (Manos Pirovolakis) - Initially it's not bad, but the rapper and the girl's bad English accent bothered me. And then it gets confusing. Does it want to be a Greek song? An R&B song? A traditional Cretan song?

Kinezos (Melisses) - I thought it was kind of funky, but it's in Greek and no one will get the quirky lyrics that are supported by the music.

Touch Me Deep Inside (Emigre) - Wow, this song was just so typical of Eurovision, complete with the dancy music and retarded lyrics. Who says, "touch me deep inside"?

www.allthegreeks.com

Image: eurovision.ert.gr

Obessive Relationship: Greek Mom and Her Son

All moms love their kids. But Greek moms have a special way of spoiling them to show it, and when it comes to their sons... Forget about it! Greek women have always known that it's difficult for moms to let go of their little boys (even when they're past 30), but now there's research to back up this notion.

According to a study published today on in.gr, one in four Greek men are so attached to their mothers that they rarely realize how harmful this attachment can be to their relationships with women. In fact one in four Greek men consider their mother's opinion for every important decision they have to make, and many of them inform their mothers of every detail in their daily lives.

That doesn't sound that bad, until you actually start dating one of these men. OK, maybe not immediately after dating them, but definitely if you marry them. The mother-in-law is there to supervise you as her new daughter-in-law. She has to make sure that her son is eating well, that he's eating the food he likes the way his mommy cooks it, that the house is cleaned on a regular basis and so on.

And if it's not about the daily chores and housekeeping, they will interfere with your upbringing of your children - 24% of the women in this study found this a big problem.

Often times such "orders" are not expressed directly towards the daughter-in-law. They are subtly inserted in a harmless conversation, as the mother-in-law "hints" at the mistakes that her son's wife is making.

According to this study, 23% of couples involved, divorced because of the husband's mom. The percentage of break-ups due to the man's mother getting involved, reaches 80% for unmarried couples.

The worst part, is that most women who experience such behavior from their mother-in-laws, actually end up treating their daughter-in-laws the same way they were treated!

GREEK MAMAS: Please stop babying your boys! They cannot stay with you forever - that's what your husband is there for. Be a diplomat: treat your daughter-in-law with respect and you will have the couple's love and devotion.

GREEK MEN: Stop the kiss-and-tell with your mom! Allowing her to interfere from day one, doesn't show that you love her. It shows that you don't respect your wife and that you can't stand up to your mom. Grow up!

Image: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/wild-animals/images/3633203/title/mother-son

Our Fate is Written by the Stars (or Not)

Astrology. A major topic in Greece and for some people so important, that they design their lives around their zodiac. "Πες μου το ζώδιό σου και τον ωροσκόπο σου και θα σου πω ποιός είσαι," (which means tell me your zodiac sign and I'll tell you who you are). This is what someone told me when I moved to Greece and these are the things I've found out since then.

First of all, by reading an article in the newspaper To Vima (link below) I found out that the ancient Greeks were introduced to astrology by the Babylonians and that both cultures (including all major civilizations of the time) considered the earth as the center of the then-known universe.

In order to accept astrology, the Greeks adapted it into their natural sciences and tried to make some sense of it by including it in the science of astronomy. Therefore, they reached the conclusion that all of these "randomly-moving" objects in the sky had to do with the destiny of each person, because, to them, this was the law of nature. This idea is further enforced by the fact that the Greeks carved out 12 zodiac signs, whose relationship amongst them was then further analyzed in geometric terms (degrees, angles etc).

I learned all of the above from Mr.Varvogli's previously-mentioned article. What I learned from interacting with others and stardome.gr are the following:

If you're a Krios (Aries), you are an ego-centric, stubborn person born for leadership.

A Tavros (Taurus) is someone that loves the good life and that enjoys discovering new ideas, information, that he then passes on to others.

As a Didimos (Gemini) you love communication, analyzing, but you also have the advantage (or disadvantage for others) of resorting to your "other" personality when it's in your interest...

Karkinoi (Cancer) are just sweet, cuddly, kind, cry-babies who love to whine.

Read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com!

Image: http://www.thessalonikiblogs.gr/Πνευματική_Αρμονία/

Who Is Aphrodite Flicking Off?

Greeks around the country are enraged over the cover of the German news magazine "Focus." They're pissed off to the point where the president of the Greek parliament, Mr. Petsalnikos, is asking for an apology/explanation from the German ambassador... Seriously?

The cover reads something along the lines of: "The rogue state (απατεώνας) of the EU family." And I ask: are they mistaken? Are they being unfair in calling us a whole bunch of apateones? We have been lying to the EU ever since we joined it. We have been milking the EU cow of its money for supposed public works, farmers' subsidies and so on, when we all know very well that most of that money has gone down the corruption drain. Lets not forget that Germany is the most powerful (financially) member of the EU and its mostly their money that's going into helping Greece, and other members of the union like us.

Of course, there are people, and journalists reflecting these people's opinions, that are very angry at the Germans for this cover, reminding the Germans that they owe democracy and the end of WWII to the Greeks! During the occupation, the Greeks suffered from hunger, the loss of archaeological treasures and other crimes by the German army. In fact, a few days ago, the president of the leftist party Sinaspismos, Alexis Tsipras, suggested that we ask the Germans to literally pay off their debt in monetary terms from the occupation. Others yet are pointing out that Greece's defense budget is spent in a large part on German weapons, we also buy their cars and so on.

Well, if you actually go there, then the Germans can say that they partially fuel our tourism industry and they have been doing so for decades. So, which side is right? Is Aphrodite's flicking us off or does she represent the Greeks flicking off the rest of Europe? For me, this is not really the question in this matter.

The question is: Why is a magazine cover given such attention and importance?

Aren't both Greece and Germany democratic countries? Since when is it a crime to state your opinion, whether you are an individual or a group (in this case, the magazine)? Why did the Greeks have to raise this to the level of a diplomatic episode, when the magazine that published this offending picture is not government owned? How much really should governments interfere in the mass media and free speech?

Μήπως τελικά όποιος έχει την μύγα, μυγιάζεται;

Image: http://www.yupi.gr/