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Unsung Heroes of the War of Independence

19.06.2018 in History

Unsung Heroes of the War of Independence     In 1821, Greece rose up against the Ottoman force and declared its independence. The War that followed inspired the world, made countless heroes and took almost a century for all of Greece to finally be free and united. And while names like Botsaris, Koloktronis, Mavrochmichalis, Karaiskakis, and Boubolina are well known, there are countless others who gave their lives for liberty and freedom in Greece. The Peloponnesian region of Greece is rich with many of these unsung heroes. May their memories, and sacrifices for their country, be eternal!   Petrompeis Mavromichalis…

Dimitris Liantinis The Greek who “never died”…

19.06.2018 in History

Dimitris Liantinis: The Greek who “never died”… It was the first of June, 1998 when the renown philosophy professor Dimitris Liantinis left his house in Kifissia, heading to Taygetos with the intention of realizing a plan that he had been working on for years: to defeat death… He was never seen again.   For his students Dimitris Liantinis was a great teacher. A genius. An explosive scientist full of energy. For those who know of him only from his writings, he remains an important “new-minded” philosopher. He was a passionate speaker on ancient Greek ideology, modern society’s value crisis, poetry…

Mystras: the dwelling of the last Emperors

26.04.2018 in History

Mystras: the dwelling of the last Emperors     The fortified city of Mystras sprawled on the northern slopes of Mt. Taygetos in the vicinity of the modern city of Sparta. The early settlement was founded by the Frankish prince William II in 1249, forty-five years after the occupation of Constantinople by the Franks. The solid castle walls effectively made the Mystras town impregnable by land. However, the Byzantines captured Mystras in 1262 and in the 14th c. became the capital of the independent Despotate of the Morea (Peloponnese).   Under the Ottoman threat throughout the 15th c., the Byzantines…

Leonidas: the sacrifice of a king

18.04.2018 in History

Leonidas: the sacrifice of a king   Leonidas is a widely known hero king, an example of self-immolation and defiance of despotism. He and a force of 300 Spartan troops sacrificed themselves after a fierce battle against the Persians in 480 BCE. The narrow pass of Thermopylae is a sacred grave, a symbol of the highest of the human values: freedom.   The Greek historian Herodotus describes the lineage of Leonidas going back to the mythical hero Hercules. His father, the Spartan king Anaxandrides, had four sons and therefore, it seemed unlikely for Leonidas to represent the Royal House of…

Konstantinos Karamanlis

15.02.2018 in History

Konstantinos Karamanlis     On March 8, 1907, in Proti, near the village of Serres, the future four-time Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis was born. This son of a poor schoolteacher would grow up to help restore democracy to Modern Greece.   Konstantinos Karamanlis was the oldest of seven siblings. During his formative years, there was much unrest in Serres, it was sure to have made an impression on him and help shape his hopes for his motherland Greece. During the first Balkan War a Bulgarian army captured Serres in November of 1912, but was then forced to withdraw by Greek…

The Monastery of Timios Prodromos

16.01.2018 in History

The Monastery of Timios Prodromos   Rare frescoes, along with unique icons, religious relics, and valuable manuscripts constitute the monastery of Timios Prodormos ,an exquisite example of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.   Found in the depths of the gorge of Mount Menikion, 7.5 miles northeast of Serres, Timios Prodromos (St. John the Baptist) is one of the most historic monasteries of Macedonia. It was founded around 1270-1278 and later renovated circa 1300. The monastery was favorited by Byzantine emperors from the very first years of its existence. With their donations and grants, it gained considerable wealth and quickly developed into…

Tatoi: A forgotten wonder

05.12.2017 in History

Tatoi: A forgotten wonder     The unsuspecting hiker of Parnitha National Park area will be left in awe in front of the former royal family summer palace – the Tatoi palace is a huge complex of architectural masterpieces…   Set on the southeastern slopes of Mount Parnitha in Attica (16 miles from the city center of Athens), the Tatoi palace is a huge complex of architectural masterpieces which include a great number of outbuildings: storehouses, outposts, stock farms, personnel quarters, gardens and mews, all surrounded by a dense forest of incredible natural beauty and environmental significance. But today, the…

The Holy Places of Mount Parnitha…

17.11.2017 in History

The Holy Places of Mount Parnitha…      At the foothills of Parnitha, where the mountain’s heavy snow falls and thick mists wouldn’t cut them off completely from the rest of the world, lie several monasteries and little chapels. You will find most of them in breathtaking locations, surrounded by springs, wells, and lush foliage, catering to many fatigued hikers’ needs. Kleiston Monastery (of The Holy Dormition of the Virgin) Kleiston Monastery is found on the southwestern side of Mt. Parnitha, at the entrance of Keladona’s Gorge, near the ancient fortress of Fyli. Even though its actual founding date remains…

Aegina, Tiny but Magnificent..

15.10.2017 in History

Aegina: Tiny, but Magnificent The island of Aegina (the name comes from the mother of the local hero and King Aeacus) was a considerable naval power and trade center during the ancient years, although antagonistic to another great sea power: Athens… Being in close vicinity of Athens, the history of Aegina island was always connected to that ancient superpower, though not always with a positive impact on the island’s commercial, military and social life. However, Aegina’s prosperity during the archaic and classical years (7th -5th c. BCE) provided generations to come with impressive masterpieces of art and architecture. The Temple…

The Parthenon of Saint Nektarios

15.10.2017 in History

The “Parthenon” of Saint Nektarios Saint Nektarios settled in Aegina in 1908, after several years of looking for a place to house a monastery – an “Ecclesiastical Parthenon”, as he called it – where he wished to spend his later years. He found the old abandoned monastery of the Zoodochos Pigi, near the village of Kondos in Aegina… It was here where Saint Nektarios decided to accommodate four women who were under his spiritual guidance at the time, along with three more local nuns. Apart from renovating the existing establishment he also built the convent of the Holy Trinity. The…