An Iron Dome launcher launching a missile. Credit: IDF, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikipedia
Greece plans to deploy an anti-drone system similar to the Israeli Iron Dome, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias revealed on Wednesday.
Speaking on SKAI TV Dendias said that the “plan is under way.”
He added that by observing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, it was determined Greece needs anti-aircraft and anti-drone coverage. “It won’t happen tomorrow, but it will happen. There is a significant expenditure foreseen for this purpose,” he added.
As he noted, “Turkey has taken steps to produce drones, but Greece did not foresee [until now] that this gap in the defense capabilities should be bridged.”
Turkey’s Bayraktar drone concerns Greece
As drones change the face of modern warfare, their price sinks and their technological sophistication races ahead, more and more buyers are knocking on Turkey’s door. Its flagship Bayraktar TB2 drone has proven effective on battlefields in Ukraine, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and elsewhere. It generally costs less or performs better than rival models.
Like artificial intelligence, drone technology is developing by leaps and bounds, outpacing faltering attempts to regulate it. Drones can fire missiles, bombs, and guided rockets. Smaller ones can be used as weapons themselves, programmed to explode upon striking a target in a one-off “suicide” or “kamikaze” mission.
Israel’s anti-drone system a blueprint for Greece?
An incoming attack by more than 300 Iranian drones and ballistic missiles was the latest challenge to Israel’s air defense system, which already has been working overtime to cope with incoming rocket, drone, and missile attacks throughout the six-month war against Hamas.
Israel’s defense system with assistance from the US and Britain is credited with preventing serious damage or casualties.
The Iron Dome is a central component of Israel’s air defense system. Developed by Israel with US backing, it specializes in shooting down short-range rockets. It has intercepted thousands of rockets since it was activated early last decade, including thousands of interceptions during the current war against Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israel says it has a success rate of over 90 percent.
The Arrow is another system developed with the US and is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles Iran said it launched on Saturday. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used in the current war to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen.
Israel is likewise developing a new system to intercept incoming threats with laser technology. The government has said this system will be a game changer because it is much cheaper to operate than existing systems.
Former Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis drew the ire of Serbia for recommending the admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe. Credit: PACE
Serbia’s representative slammed Greece’s rapporteur at the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE) for recommending that Kosovo be admitted to the European human rights body.
Serbia has strongly campaigned against membership for Kosovo, claiming that admitting the Balkan country would rubber stamp claims of human rights violations against Serbs and be considered a step towards recognizing its sovereignty.
Serbian representative Biljana Pantić Pilja called rapporteur Bakoyannis a “hypocrite,” adding, that Serbia was “a small nation but will never surrender – Zivela Srbija.”
The report by Bakoyannis said Kosovo is “broadly in line with the Council of Europe standards and that its Constitution is a very progressive instrument” aligned with various international conventions and human rights charters.
It also noted that “membership would strengthen human rights standards by ensuring access to the European Court of Human Rights for all those under Kosovo’s jurisdiction.”
The final membership decision now lies with the CoE’s Committee of Ministers, the organization’s executive body, which will meet in May. For Pristina’s membership to be approved, a two-thirds majority is required.
“Since 1951, the Committee of Ministers has not taken a decision different from the Opinion of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; we believe that the next phase will also be completed successfully,” Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said after the vote.
“With Kosovo there, the Council of Europe gains a new and vibrant democracy, where the law rules and human rights are respected. Thanks to everyone. Congratulations to everyone,” Kurti said.
Serbia and Greece do not recognize Kosovo
Serbia and Greece do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state. Kosovo holds deep significance for Serbia. It contains many Serbian Orthodox Christian monasteries and is considered the cradle of Serbian civilization. The 1389 Battle of Kosovo, a defining moment in Serbian national identity, was fought there.
Kosovo’s population is predominantly Albanian, while Serbs are a minority. The bloody conflicts of the 1990s, fueled by ethnic tensions, still cast a shadow. Serbia views Kosovo as its rightful territory and fears an independent Kosovo could mistreat the Serbian minority.
Greece has historically emphasized the importance of respecting the territorial integrity of existing states. They worry that recognizing Kosovo could set a precedent that could be used to justify separatist movements within Greece itself.
Greece has close cultural and religious ties to Serbia, and they don’t want to take any actions that could be seen as undermining Serbia’s sovereignty.
Despite not recognizing Kosovo, Greece does maintain a constructive relationship with them. For instance, Greece supported the recent visa liberalization for Kosovo passport holders and participates in EU missions in Kosovo.
The island of Lesvos is among the favorite islands for Turkish tourists. Credit: Chris Kar, CC4/Wikipedia
Following Greece’s introduction of the visa-on-arrival program for Turkish tourists, around 20,000 Turks visited five Greek islands in the Aegean Sea throughout the nine-day Eid al-Fitr vacation, according to the Hurriyet daily.
The number of Turkish tourists visiting those Greek islands increased by 20 percent compared to the same period of last year, the paper says.
In the first 10 days of April, 3,800 Turkish travelers visited the Greek island of Lesvos, up from only 390 a year ago, while the number of Turks visiting Chios rose from 2,716 to 4,993.
Nearly 6,000 Turkish vacationers traveled to Rhodes during the Eid, up from 2,320 a year earlier. Samos and Kos welcomed 2,851 and 3,300 Turkish tourists, respectively.
In early April last year, some 5,969 Turks visited those five Greek islands.
Turkish tourists’ interest in Greek islands is likely to continue during the summer season as well as during the upcoming holidays on April 23rd National Sovereignty and Children’s Day as well as Eid al-Adha, said Engin Ceylan from the Association of the Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB).
Going on a vacation in Turkey is more costly due to inflation while vacationing on Greek islands has become more affordable for Turkish people, according to Ceylan.
Turkish visitors spend twice as much as tourists arriving on the island with charter flights, said Kostas Moutzouris, the Greek governor for the North Aegean region.
Greece has been offering fast-track visas for Turkish tourists to ten Eastern Aegean islands in a ground-breaking move that would increase tourist flows and promote the people-to-people relationship.
The on-the-spot, seven-day visa will facilitate access to islands including Kalymnos, Limnos, Leros, Kos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, Symi, and Kastelorizo. These are all situated near the Turkish coast and are historically popular with Turkish visitors despite tense Greek-Turkish relations.
Previously, Turkish visitors faced a lengthy visa process via the Greek Consulate in Izmir. The new fast-track system simplifies entry with thousands already showing interest.
Greece’s islands favorites among Turkish tourists
One of the favorite destinations of Turkish tourists is Kos, which is easily accessible from the Turkish coast throughout the year. For the local economy and society, the benefits of good bilateral relations are important and were well-established quite a while ago.
Matina Voukelatou Christodoulidis, deputy mayor for Tourism and Culture, in Kos, told Deutsche Welle that the fast-track visa for Turkish nationals will confirm a reality that the islanders are already experiencing. The Turkish neighbors who choose to go on vacation to Kos are among the most loyal of customers.
“Over the years, they have established close friendships, professional relationships and even family ties on the island,” she said.
“Turkey is that neighboring country at the moment, with which we should have a common line in our tourism strategy,” she said in the framework of the ITB International Tourism Exhibition in Berlin. “It is a country that has a lot in common with Greece in terms of culture, food, dances and much more.”
Thousands are expected to join the strike on Wednesday. File photo. Credit: AMNA
Labor Unions in Greece have called a 24-hour strike on Wednesday in protest of the rise in the cost of living that affects hundreds of thousands of workers.
“We cannot live with dignity” is the central message of the protest organized by the Greek General Confederation of Labor (GSEE), the largest labor union in Greece.
GSEE says that despite increases to the minimum wage, thousands are in a worse economic situation than during the period of the economic crisis.
This month, Greece raised its monthly minimum gross wage by 6.4 percent to 830 euros, the fourth such increase in five years, as the country has been recovering from a decade-long financial crisis.
But workers say the increase in their wages is not enough to keep up with rising food and housing costs.
“The message is clear. Workers can’t make ends meet with bottom-most wages and ballooning prices,” GSEE, which represents some 2.5 million workers, said in a statement.
In a press briefing, GSEE says the rise in minimum wage will affect only 22 percent of all workers. “Workers remain stuck in the poverty zone and demand immediate and drastic measures to protect their income,” GSEE says.
“The increase in the minimum wage is not at the poverty line, it is poverty itself,” it notes and calls for a price cap on basic consumer goods for one year.”
Strike in Greece will paralyze public transport
The strike is expected to impact public transport services across Greece. During the strike, all three lines of the Athens metro and tram will be out of service while city buses will operate on a limited schedule from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Taxi drivers are holding a work stoppage from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. The national railway will also be affected, with the managing company, Hellenic Trains, announcing changes and cancelations on their website.
Additionally, the country’s seamen federation PNO will participate in the strike, resulting in ferries and boats remaining docked nationwide for the full 24 hours.
GSEE unionists will stage a protest rally at Klafthmonos Square at 11 a.m., while PAME, a union associated with the Greek Communist Party (KKE), will hold a separate rally a bit earlier at 10:30 a.m. at Syntagma Square. Delivery workers will conduct a protest motorcade in the center of the capital, commencing from Pedion tou Areos park at 5 p.m.
Greek journalists held a 24-hour strike Tuesday to protest the employers’ refusal to sign collective labor agreements in privately owned media, low wages, and a threat to plurality, their union said.
Greece will ban bottom trawling in our national parks by 2026 and in all marine protected areas by 2030. Photo: Chania, Crete. Credit: Dimitra Damian/ Greek Reporter
Greece will ban bottom trawling in all of its marine protected areas by 2030, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday, making the the country the first in Europe to announce such a ban.
Speaking at the Our Ocean Conference in Athens, he said the country would become the first to bring an end to the damaging fishing practice in these protected areas. It will be banned in Greece’s three national marine parks, one of which is the largest in the East Mediterranean Sea, by 2026 with the rest following before the end of the decade.
Bottom trawling involves dragging heavy fishing nets across the ocean floor, which can destroy habitats and even release carbon into the ocean and atmosphere.
Though there are restrictions in place throughout Europe, this is the first outright ban that includes all of a single country’s marine protected areas.
Greek PM Mitsotakis at the Our Ocean conference in Athens. Credit: Press Office of the Greek MP
He told delegates at the conference in Athens: “We’ve established two additional marine national parks, one in the Ionian and one in the Aegean, increasing the size of our marine protected areas by 80 percent and covering one-third of our marine territorial waters.”
“We will ban bottom trawling in our national parks by 2026 and in all marine protected areas by 2030,” he reported.
He said he would also establish a state-of-the-art surveillance system, including drones, to enforce the ban.
The proposed Ionian marine national park will cover almost 12 percent of Greek territorial waters, safeguarding sea mammals like sperm whales, striped dolphins, and the vulnerable Mediterranean monk seal and the South Aegean MPA, which covers 6.61 percent of Greek territorial waters.
However, the Athens government’s decision to go ahead with two new marine parks in the Aegean and Ionian has stirred up tensions with its historical rival Turkey. Ankara’s foreign ministry warned Greece last week that the proposal in the Aegean lay in a disputed area and that the initiative was “politically motivated.”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US Climate Envoy John Kerry at the Our Ocean Conference in Athens. Credit: Press Office of the Greek MP
NGOs welcome Greece’s bottom trawling initiative
Conservationists welcomed the announcement and said they hoped the move would create a “domino effect” for other EU countries to do the same.
Nicholas Fournier, the campaign director for marine protection at the international conservation group Oceana, said: “Everyone was expecting France or Germany or Spain to step up. The fact that Greece is championing this ban on bottom trawling is surprising but very welcome.”
“We hope this creates a domino effect on other European countries to do the same,” Fournier said. “The pressure is on France, as it hosts the UN oceans conference next year.”
Oceana, along with other NGOs, the Marine Conservation Society and Seas at Risk, has urged the EU to take tougher action against members that still allow bottom trawling in their marine protected areas.
The immaculately well-preserved Greco-Illyrian helmet. Credit: Dolenjski Museum
Archaeologists discovered a Greek-Illyrian helmet dating 2,500 years in very good condition on Croatia’s Pelješac peninsula.
The same team that found the Greek-Ilyrian helmet in 2020, in the same place, has found the next helmet, which according to the first analysis is older than the one found earlier.
The previous example most likely belonged to a member of the warrior elite who was interred there because it was discovered in a grave with pieces of iron weapons.
Archaeologists think the recently discovered helmet may have been a votive deposit because it was discovered in a dry stone-walled addition to a grave.
Greco-Illyrian type helmets originated in Peloponnese, Ancient Greece, where it likely evolved from the Kegelhelm (or Kegel type) of the Archaic Period.
The Greek-Illyrian helmet is extremely rare
Both of the helmets found are of different types and dates: The helmet discovered in 2020 was of a type commonly used in Greece and Illyria in the 4th century BC. It was an open-faced helmet with a rectangular cross-section for the face and decorative edges.
The newly found helmet is thought to date from the 6th century BC and is extremely rare. Finding two different Greek-Illyrian helmets at one site is unprecedented.
This find, along with a wealth of clothing, jewelry, and burial artifacts unearthed since the excavations began, greatly expands our knowledge of the funeral practices of Illyrian communities in the latter half of the first millennium BC.
The Illyrians were a group of Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks.
“What is very interesting is that two different types appear here in the same place, which speaks of a continuity of power of the respective community. These helmets have always been a symbol of some kind of status and power,” said Professor Hrvoje Potrebica, from the Department of Archeology of the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb.
Speaking on the discovery, a representative from the Dubrovnik Museum told HeritageDaily: “Along with numerous finds of jewelry, costumes and grave goods, this find of a helmet contributes in many ways to the knowledge of funeral rituals of Illyrian communities in the second half of the last millennium BC, and it ranks the area of Pelješac as one of the most important archaeological zones of the eastern Adriatic coast.”
Recently, archaeologists in Southern Italy have unearthed several significant artifacts, including two helmets, fragments of weapons and armor, and pottery shards, at an archaeological site in the ancient Greek city of Velia.
Scientists make ‘Goldene,’ a new monolayer material. Credit: Nature Synthesis / CC BY 4.0
Scientists have created a material called “goldene,” which is a super thin form of gold. The innovation followed the creation of graphene, a material made of only one layer of graphite atoms. Graphene is very strong and conducts heat and electricity better than copper.
Goldene works the same way as graphene. Researchers spread out gold so it’s only one atom thick. Like graphene, this process gives goldene new properties that could lead to big discoveries, as reported by The Independent.
Helpful in converting carbon dioxide to purifying water
Experts believe the new material could be handy in various tasks like turning carbon dioxide into another form, cleaning water, and improving communication gadgets. Scientists are also hopeful the new material will enable the production of goods and technology with significantly less gold.
Researchers think gold might just be the beginning. They are keen to discover whether the same can be done with other metals.
“If you make a material extremely thin, something extraordinary happens – as with graphene. The same thing happens with gold,” said Shun Kashiwaya, a researcher at the Materials Design Division at Linköping University.
“As you know, gold is usually a metal, but if single-atom-layer thick, the gold can become a semiconductor instead,” Kashiwaya explained.
For years, scientists tried to make thin gold like this, but they kept running into a problem. The metal would end up sticking together. Inspired by Japanese artisans, they finally figured it out by using a technique that has existed for about one hundred years.
Gold embedded between layers of titanium and carbon
Researchers found the new material unintentionally while searching for something else. It turns out gold works best when sandwiched between layers of titanium and carbon in a base material.
“We had created the base material with completely different applications in mind. We started with electrically conductive ceramics called titanium silicon carbide, where silicon is in thin layers,” said Lars Hultman, a professor of thin film physics at Linköping University.
“Then the idea was to coat the material with gold to make a contact,” Hultman said. “But when we exposed the component to high temperature, the silicon layer was replaced by gold inside the base material.”
Researchers had the new material, created through a process called intercalation, for a while. But they could not separate the gold from it.
Hence, they borrowed a technique from Japanese smiths, known as Murakami’s reagent. This method removes carbon from a material, often used to change the color of steel. Researchers tweaked the recipe to extract the gold.
Greeks believe the state of the economy is the biggest threat to the future, according to a new survey. Credit: Aster-oid. CC BY 2.0/flickr
One in two Greeks considers the state of the country’s economy the biggest threat to their future according to the latest Dianeosis major polling survey “What Greeks Believe.” This is twice as high as at the end of 2019.
The survey, conducted in January by Metron Analysis for Dianeosis, which has been consistently monitoring attitudes and perceptions of Greek society for almost a decade, is aimed at uncovering the “deepest values of the Greek population,” posing more than seventy questions on a range of topics. These reveal interesting correlations between opinions and groups of the population.
It can therefore be useful in several ways, including interpreting certain behaviors of Greeks, planning better and more targeted policy measures, or simply creating a detailed depiction of trends in Greek society.
The survey begins by asking respondents to choose up to two issues, which they consider to be the biggest threats to the future of Greeks. The most common answer in this latest survey concerns the state of Greece’s economy. Almost one in two respondents stated they believed the economy to be the main threat in the overall report.
This rate is not only practically twice as high as that of December 2019 but also nearly 10 points higher than February 2022. The second most-selected perceived threat is the demographic problem and population decrease. Climate change was mentioned by one in five respondents, making it the third-highest perceived threat to the future of Greeks.
However, when the survey asked respondents to select up to two issues that pose the greatest threats not only to the future of Greece but to the future of the planet one in two respondents chose climate change, which was the most common answer.
What else does the survey reveal about Greeks’ beliefs?
More generally, the results convey a trend of social modernization and a move towards a more liberal outlook, showcased by the fact that 60 percent of participants agree with the right of same-sex couples to marry. This is an upward trend compared with 52 percent in 2022, 41 percent in 2019, and 36 percent in 2015.
However, attitudes towards AI are more negative (51%) than positive (39%), and one in two respondents believes climate change “is an invention of rich countries at the expense of poor countries,” while one in four thinks climate change is an unsolvable matter.
For younger generations of Greeks, the top concern (41%) is low income, while unemployment is also a major worry (40%), though this is significantly lower compared to 2022 (67%). A new entry on the list of concerns is the housing crisis (13%), followed by the inability to form a family.
With regards to violence, 29 percent believe they have suffered sexual harassment, a percentage which hasn’t changed much over time but is higher among women (38%). Furthermore, 43 percent of respondents maintain there is an increasing trend of such incidents, while the majority (56%) believe they are not increasing but have become more visible.
NASA is searching for cheaper methods for Mars sample return missions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA wants to find a cheaper and more efficient way to bring back soil samples from Mars to Earth. It is also a top priority in the world of science in general. Due to tight budgets, NASA officials are looking for new ideas. They are welcoming proposals from NASA centers, labs, and space companies. The current plan has faced problems with technology, money, and rising costs.
During a conference call with reporters, agency officials mentioned they anticipate receiving alternative plans for review by this fall or early winter.
NASA’s budgetary issues
Nicky Fox, an associate administrator at NASA, highlighted that the revamp would emphasize “innovation and proven technology” to cut down on development time, risks, and costs rather than relying on major technological advancements.
The challenge lies in using familiar technology for spaceflight systems to achieve something unprecedented like launching a rocket from another planet’s surface. However, how NASA plans to resolve this apparent contradiction remains unclear, as reported by Reuters.
NASA’s decision to change the strategy for returning samples from Mars follows an independent review commissioned by the agency last September.
NASA Seeks Cheaper Ideas for Mars Sample Return Mission Amid Budget Crunch
NASA is looking to streamline its Mars sample return mission due to financial constraints. A formal request for proposals will be sent out to various entities for alternative plans to cut costs and… pic.twitter.com/N7DVr45RbL
The review determined the program faced challenges from the beginning due to “unrealistic budget and schedule expectations.” It also highlighted issues with the mission’s organizational structure, noting that it was not effectively led.
Additionally, the Mars mission has been affected by significant budget cuts imposed by Congress this year. These cuts have resulted in numerous layoffs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Los Angeles, which plays a key role in the Mars mission.
NASA to send another robotic landing craft to Mars
Since 2021, the robotic rover Perseverance, built by JPL, has been gathering mineral samples from the floor of an ancient Martian lake bed known as Jezero Crater. These samples are being sealed inside tubes for later analysis in labs on Earth. Scientists hope to find potential signs of fossilized microbes.
In the next phase of the mission, NASA, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, plans to send another robotic landing craft to Mars. This craft will retrieve samples collected by Perseverance and launch them into Martian orbit. From there, a third spacecraft will collect the samples and return them to Earth.
Originally, retrieval and orbital vehicles were expected to launch around 2027 to 2028 with the samples returning to Earth by the early 2030s. The estimated cost for the entire process was set between $5 billion to $7 billion.
However, an independent review discovered the actual costs for the Mars sample return mission could skyrocket to as much as $11 billion with the latest designs. Furthermore, the review indicated the samples might not reach Earth until after 2040, according to Reuters.
Collage of Friedrich Hölderlin and the Parthenon. Credit: Left: Steve Swayne, Flickr, CC BY-2.0 / Right: Franz Carl Hiemer, Public Domain
Friedrich Hölderlin was an important German Romantic lyric poet whose great work managed to bridge the Classical and Romantic traditions in literature and poetry and was deeply inspired by ancient Greece.
Throughout his tumultuous life, Hölderlin had a strong and deep passion for and engagement with anything related to Greece and more importantly ancient Greek culture, mythology, and philosophy. These elements profoundly shaped his poetic vision and ideas that ended up promoting philhellenism in his native country.
Hölderlin’s Early Life and Education
Born in the 18th century, and more precisely in 1770 in a town called Lauffen am Neckar, in Württemberg, modern-day Germany, Hölderlin started early his academic life. He studied theology at the Tübinger Stift seminary. There, he met fascinating characters such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, who would later go on to become fundamentally leading figures of German Idealism.
It was during this time that Hölderlin learned how to read and speak ancient Greek and immediately began the daunting yet fulfilling task of translating Greek literature. However, he became increasingly disillusioned with the real prospect of a career in the Lutheran ministry, as it didn’t seem to fulfill his dreams. Thus, truly inspired by the ancient Greeks, Hölderlin took the risky decision to devote himself completely to poetry instead.
Friedrich Hölderlin’s birthplace, Lauffen am Neckar. Credit: Kim Traynor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hölderlin’s Conception of Ancient Greece
For Hölderlin, the Greek pantheon and its glorious gods were not simply abstract symbols. For his Greek-loving soul, these gods were the definition of living, wonderfully life-giving presences that inspired human minds.
The German poet fused the Orphic and Dionysian aspects of the ancient Greek religion with the more contemporary Christian Pietism of his native Swabia. Hölderlin perceived ancient Greece as an ideal form of unity between humanity and nature. According to his beliefs, this had been lost in modern times and needed to make a comeback.
He also believed that poetry had a real power to help restore this lost unity and reconnect people with the divine, regardless of their origin and class. Although he never visited Greece, which was at that time occupied by the Ottomans, Hölderlin drew great inspiration from the Greek natural world and luminous Mediterranean landscape. We can say that he was a true admirer of the Greek idea.
The Influence of Greek Mythology and Literature on Hölderlin’s Poetry
Many famous and popular Greek mythological figures and members of the Greek pantheon such as Heracles, Dionysus, Apollo, Zeus, and Helios, the sun god, feature prominently in the works of his poetry. Hölderlin’s poems very often celebrate these Greek gods. However, he also explores more somber themes, such as exile, loss, and alienation.
Hölderlin translated the plays of Oedipus Rex and Antigone of Sophocles into the German language, interpreting them for the modern age to be accessible to the average person. He also translated the ancient Greek lyric poet Pindar, whose work greatly influenced his own hymns and odes throughout his lifetime. Other major poems that he wrote, which were deeply influenced by other Greek myths and more broadly the Greek culture include Hyperion’s Song of Destiny, the Archipelago, Bread and Wine, and Patmos.
The first floor of the yellow tower (now known as the Hölderlinturm) was Hölderlin’s place of residence from 1807 until his death in 1843. Credit: Thomgoe; modified by Wildfeuer, Wikimedia Commons, Copyrighted free use
Hölderlin’s Philosophical Engagement with Ancient Greece
Apart from the fact that he was a great poet, Hölderlin was also a contemporary philosopher who was truly and deeply engaged with Greek thought and the big ideas that people such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato had promoted. He was very critical of the separation of humanity from nature and the divine that defined modern times. This contrasted with the unity and wholeness he perceived in ancient Greece, a reason why he fell in love with it so profoundly.
Hölderlin’s only novel, Hyperion, explores the real struggle of an individual who tried to reconcile modern life with the Greek ideal and everything that ancient Greece represented. His deeply rooted philosophical ideas about ancient Greece also influenced his friends Hegel and Schelling and played a crucial and defining role in shaping the development of German Idealism as a whole. One could even argue that Hölderlin’s thought had an impact on later philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger.
Friedrich Hölderlin Memorial in Lauffen am Neckar. Credit: Kim Traynor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Although the life of Hölderlin was marked by personal tragedy, including a mental breakdown that left him completely institutionalized for the last 36 years of his life, his radiant, luminous, and truly rapturous poetry as well as his deep philosophical ideas have undoubtedly secured his place as one of Germany’s greatest poets.
Hölderlin’s profound engagement with ancient Greece, its mythology, culture, and thought, was absolutely fundamental and central focal points to his poetic and intellectual vision, that shaped his overall character profoundly.
He saw in ancient Greece a lost ideal of unity and wholeness that he genuinely believed could help people heal the pain, divisions, and alienations of the modern world. Through his numerous translations as well as poems, essays, as well as his novel, Hölderlin brought the once-forgotten ancient Greeks back to life for modern readers whose native tongue was German. This helped blend the Greek myths and ideas with his own Romantic sensibility, leading to the creation of a body of work of true beauty and power.
