Wreath Ceremony of the Boston Marathon Highlights Ties With Greece

Tasos Kokkinidis
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Wreath Ceremony of the Boston Marathon Highlights Ties With Greece
Boston Marathon
Greek runner Stylianos Kyriakides, the winner of the Boston Marathon. Courtesy of Dimitris Kyriakides

The 128th Boston Marathon which will be run on Monday, April 15 has a special significance for Greeks in America. Begun in 1897, the event was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition in the 1896 Athens Summer Olympics. It is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events.

It is also a race won in 1946 by Stylianos Kyriakides, a Greek Cypriot marathon runner. He became the first non-U.S. athlete to win the Boston race and with his victory, he raised awareness and money for the plight of post-war Greece.

“I came to run for seven million hungry Greeks,” were Kyriakides’ words upon his arrival in the United States—and he was and looked very hungry and unhealthy himself—so much so that race doctors asked him to sign a statement before he ran that he would be solely responsible if something happened to him.

Kyriakides had fought against the Nazis as a member of the Greek Resistance during the German Occupation. After the war, which left Greece devastated and impoverished, he traveled to the U.S. not only to run but also to tell people about Greece’s suffering.

Kyriakides later said that while he was running in Boston on April 20, 1946, Greek expatriates and journalists there cheered him on, shouting: “For Greece, my Stelios, for your children!”

The Greek athlete finished the marathon in 2:29:27, setting a new European record, and for almost twenty-three years, a Greek record, earning an entry into the Guinness Book of Records.

Wreath ceremony for the winners of the Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon wreath
Each year, olive wreaths are cut on the plains of Marathon, fashioned into wreaths, and then gifted by the Greek people to the Boston Marathon winners. Credit: Alpha Omega Council

In 1984, in recognition of the historic ties that continue to this very day between the birthplace of democracy in ancient Athens and the City of Boston, the birthplace of the American Revolution in 1775, a team of people of the Alpha Omega Council created the tradition of presenting the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) with olive branch wreaths to crown the four first-place winners of the Boston Marathon.

Each year, olive wreaths are cut on the plains of Marathon, fashioned into wreaths, and then gifted by the Greek people to the BAA.

This tradition continues this year with the special wreath ceremony taking place on April 12. The honorable Symeon Tegos, Consulate General of Greece in Boston, with the support of The Alpha Omega Council and the 26.2 Foundation, will present the winners’ wreaths to BAA.

Alpha Omega was founded in 1976 by a group of friends and businessmen in Boston, Massachusetts, under the leadership of the late Peter Agris, the publisher of The Hellenic Chronicle, an English-language weekly newspaper targeting the Greek-American community.

The Alpha Omega Council is comprised of Americans of Hellenic ancestry in Business, Education, Academia, Medicine, Law, Politics, Science and other fields.

Its mission is to promote and encourage loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America; to cultivate the ideals of Hellenism; to constantly strive towards maintaining positive Greek-American relations; to unite Americans of Greek descent in fellowship and philanthropy; to help recognize the achievements of those who excel in their field individually or as a group; to help alleviate the wants of the poor and needy; and to establish, maintain or aid religious, charitable, scientific, literary or educational activities.

Since its inception, the Alpha Omega Council has contributed over $3,000,000 to various philanthropic causes, not including the annual Peter Agris Memorial Journalism Scholarship Awards

In the wake of the bombings at the Boston Marathon in 2013, the Alpha Omega Council and the Consulate General of Greece in Boston launched the Marathon Educational Committee, to create educational initiatives to encourage an appreciation of the traditions of civic responsibility and liberty that the ancient Greeks demonstrated at Marathon.

Germany Returns to Greece Ancient Wine Jar Looted by the Nazis

Tasos Kokkinidis
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Germany Returns to Greece Ancient Wine Jar Looted by the Nazis
Ancient Wine Jar
The wine jar was looted by the Germans in 1943 during excavations at the southernmost end of the Corinth Canal. Credit: Ministry of Culture

An oenochoe, or wine jug, of the 7th century BC that was looted from Greece during the German occupation in World War II, was returned by the Municipality of Hanover and the August Kestner Museum, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced on Tuesday.

The oenochoe has a trefoil-shaped mouth and a cover and is dated to 620-600 BC. Traces of the decoration around its neck are still visible.

Intermediate between a pithos (large storage vessel) or amphora (transport vessel), and individual cups or bowls, it held fluid for several persons temporarily until it could be poured. The oinochoe could pour any fluid, not just wine. The English word, pitcher, is perhaps the closest in function.

Ancient wine jar was looted from near the Corinth Canal

The vessel had been given to the August Kestner Museum by geology professor Hannfrit Putzer in 1986. It was accompanied by a letter of provenance, which said it had been handed over to him after being discovered by Germans in 1943 during excavations at the southernmost end of the Corinth Canal.

The vessel was also accompanied by a description of the trench and its position in it.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni hailed the return of the ancient wine jar, saying that the German museum dared to do proper research on illicitly acquired antiquities.

“The August Kestner Museum joins the group of international museums that have in recent years made great efforts to investigate provenance issues of artifacts in their collections. These (are) museums whose officials have the courage to publicize the results of their research and return to Greece the objects they have determined are linked to illegal acts.”

The oenochoe’s provenance was researched by Dr. Johannes Schwarz, who was assigned by the Museum the research into the provenance of its objects.

The Museum also reached out to the Greek Ministry of Culture for the archaeological excavation background. The entire process took two years until the vessel was handed over by the mayor to the Greek consul general in a ceremony at the Museum in Hanover on Monday that included ministry and Museum officials and members of the local Greek community as well.

“The decision of the Municipality of Hanover and the August Kestner Museum is actual proof of their wish to contribute to the restoration of the damage Greece’s cultural heritage suffered, but also to defend the reputation of the August Kestner Museum, ” Mendoni said.

Greek antiquities looted by the Nazis

German researchers have tracked down and documented hundreds of antiquities in Berlin museums looted from the island of Samos, Greece.

A report in Deutsche Welle says that a book was published recently after years of research documenting in detail the looting of antiquities between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The book “Constantinople—Samos—Berlin: Forfeiture, Division of Finds and Clandestine Export of Antiquities on the Eve of the First World War” consists of essays that reconstruct in detail the history of excavations of the then Royal (today: National) Museums in Berlin on Samos.

The Germans also conducted official excavations at ancient Olympia during the occupation, removing all the finds to Germany. Places like Eleusis experienced large-scale looting, with many artifacts disappearing from the area.

Due to the chaotic nature of wartime looting, many smaller items taken by soldiers remain undocumented. These objects could be anything from coins to figurines.

Related: Germany’s Occupation of Greece: A Massacre and Some “Beautiful Souvenirs”

April 10th: Greece Honors Heroic Exodus of Missolonghi

Philip Chrysopoulos
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April 10th: Greece Honors Heroic Exodus of Missolonghi
Exodus of Missolonghi
Detail from “The Exodus from Missolonghi” (1853) – Theodoros Vryzakis

On April 10, 1826 and after a year of siege, the 10,500 Missolonghi inhabitants made the heroic “Exodus of Missolonghi,” adding another brilliant page to the Greek War of Independence history.

It was April 15, 1825, three years after the failed attempt to occupy Missolonghi, that the Ottoman armies returned to besiege the city that had become the seat of the Senate of Western Continental Greece.

The army of Resid Mehmed Pasha, or Kioutachis, as Greeks called him, numbering 20,000 men, began the second siege of the city, later to be joined by another 10,000 men under Ibrahim Pasha, who arrived from the Peloponnese campaign.

The siege of the city can be divided into two periods: the first period is from April 15th to December 12, 1825, while the second period spans from December 25, 1825 to April 10, 1826. Without significant help from the rest of Greece, due to the civil war and having to cope with superior enemy forces, the Missolonghi residents were able to resist for a whole year.

A three-man committee composed of Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos, Dimitrios Themelis, and Georgios Kanavos organized the city’s defense.

The fortress of the city after the first siege had been restored and fortified following the efforts of Alexandros Mavrokordatos, the great philhellene Lord Byron, and engineer Michail Kokkinis.

Its trench was now deeper and the courtyard was reinforced with towers on which several cannons had been placed. The islet of Vassiladi between the lagoon and the sea became a kind of advanced fortress. There were six guns and 2,000 women and children who were gathered so as not to burden the city guard.

10,000 Greeks inside Missolonghi

Within Missolonghi there were 10,000 residents, including 4,000 men, excellent warriors from Epirus and Aitoloakarnania, and another 1,000 men capable of managing weapons.

Exodus of Missolonghi
Missolonghi under siege. Public Domain

During the first phase of the siege (April 15 to December 12, 1825) Missolonghi was besieged only by the forces of Kioutachis, and their attacks were easily repelled. The siege from the sea was not strong enough and was repeatedly disrupted by Andreas Miaoulis’ fleet which supplied the besieged citizens with munitions and food.

On July 24th, 1,000 Russian soldiers under Georgios Karaiskakis forced the Ottomans to withdraw their forces to the foot of Mount Zygos, relieving the siege of Missolonghi. The Turkish fleet, being harassed by the Greek boats, was forced to seek shelter in English-ruled Kefalonia.

On August 5th, Kitsos Tzavellas, head of a group of fighters from Souli, entered the city, raising the morale of the besieged. However, at the beginning of November, a fleet of Ottomans  and Egyptians brought 8,000 Egyptian soldiers to the siege, and a month later, the army of Ibrahim Pasha came to the region.

At the time, Ibrahim’s army numbered 25,000 troops, comprised of Ottomans, Egyptians, and Albanians. They were commanded by French officers and had modern artillery at their disposal.

Second phase of siege of Missolonghi

It was December 25, 1825 when the second phase of the siege began. The two generals of the Ottoman forces were in disagreement, and Ibrahim attacked the city first. On January 16, 1826; Ibrahim admitted his failure in conquering the city and was forced to cooperate with Kioutachis.

The two armies had stunned the besieged Greeks with a ruthless bombardment. They managed to dominate the strategically important islets of Vassiladi (February 25th) and Kleisovas (March 25th). After the fall of the two islets, the situation for the besieged became desperate, as Miaoulis and his ships could no longer bring supplies to the city.

Missolonghi was now without food. Soon, they were forced to eat seaweed, mice, and cats. Under the circumstances, it was impossible for the city to defend itself. On April 6th, the board of chieftains decided to make the exodus at midnight on the Saturday of Lazarus through the dawn of Palm Sunday (April 9th to April 10th).

At midnight, according to plan, they were divided into three groups under Dimitrios Makris, Notis Botsaris, and Kitsos Tzavelas in the hope of breaking enemy lines and taking the enemy by surprise. Earlier, they had killed all Ottoman prisoners while only the wounded and the very old would remain in the city.

Exodus of Missolonghi
Public Domain

Heroic exodus of Missolonghi

However, the plan was not properly executed or there was a traitor who betrayed the scheme to the Ottomans. Ibrahim’s forces slaughtered the Greek freedom fighters who fought against all odds. Meanwhile, the enemy forces had invaded the city and killed everyone who was left behind.

It is estimated that 3,000 Greek men were killed during the Exodus of Missolonghi. The 6,000 women and children of the city were taken as slaves and sold to the slave markets of Constantinople and Alexandria. The Ottoman-Egyptian casualties amounted to 5,000 men.

The Ottoman victory proved to be Pyrrhic, as the barbarity of Ibrahim’s troops and the heroism of the Greeks generated a new wave of philhellenism throughout Europe.
Missolonghi was liberated on May 11, 1829. In 1937, it was recognized as “Holy City” due to the mass slaughter of its citizens, and Palm Sunday was designated as the anniversary of the Exodus.

Pregnancy May Speed Up Biological Aging, Study Finds

Matthew Norman
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Pregnancy May Speed Up Biological Aging, Study Finds
Pregnancy may accelerate biological ageing, new study finds.
Pregnancy may accelerate biological aging, new study finds. Credit: Pexels. CC BY 2.0/Pixabay

A new study has found that pregnancy accelerates biological aging with each baby causing women to grow older by up to 2.8 months.

It is well understood that pregnancy can have long-term health impacts. However, previous research has shown these to be largely beneficial, such as lowering the risk of cancer or dementia. Now, new research conducted by Columbia University in New York has shown carrying a baby exerts such a toll on the body that it causes a woman to age internally.

The study, which was carried out on 1,735 young people in the Philippines, examined alterations to DNA to calculate the biological age of mothers compared with their actual age.

At the start of the study, in 2005, all the participants were of the 20 to 25 age group. They all provided their blood samples and answered a few questions on their reproductive and sexual history. Each woman also responded to questions like how many times she had been pregnant and whether or not pregnancies had resulted in live births.

Throughout the lifespan, as a person ages, small molecules are accreted to their DNA, providing updated instructions about how to function. These “tags,” so to say, accumulate at a steady rate and can be used as a kind of clock that reveals age.

Each additional pregnancy was associated with between 2.4 and 2.8 months of accelerated biological aging.

The research team found men were not impacted in the same way with their DNA unaffected by fatherhood, implying it is something about pregnancy or breastfeeding specifically which speeds up biological aging, the researchers said.

What the pregnancy-aging study tells us

“Our findings suggest that pregnancy speeds up biological [aging] and that these effects are apparent in young, high-fertility women,” Dr. Calen Ryan, lead author of the study and associate research scientist in the Columbia Aging Center told The Telegraph.

‌“Our results are also the first to follow the same women through time, linking changes in each woman’s pregnancy number to changes in her biological age.

“Ultimately I think our findings highlight the potential long-term impacts of pregnancy on women’s health, and the importance of taking care of new parents, especially young mothers,” Ryan said.

The bodies of women who stated they had been pregnant appeared biologically older than women who had never carried a baby. Women who had been pregnant more often were biologically older than those who reported fewer pregnancies.

Even taking into account other factors linked with biological aging, such as socioeconomic status, smoking and genetic variation, the relationship between pregnancy history and biological age remained.

Ryan added, “We still have a lot to learn about the role of pregnancy and other aspects of reproduction in the [aging] process. We also do not know the extent to which accelerated epigenetic [aging] in these particular individuals will manifest as poor health or mortality decades later in life.”

In 2023, a study which employed the UK Biobank found genes which encourage people to have more children also push them towards an early death.

Cyprus-Greece Ferry to Restart Service in May

Matthew Norman
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Cyprus-Greece Ferry to Restart Service in May
The renovated M/V Daleela had been conducting the Cyprus-Greece ferry route last summer.
The renovated M/V Daleel conducted the Cyprus-Greece ferry route last summer. Credit: Scandro Holding Ltd

A popular ferry link between Greece and Cyprus is set to pick up service again on May 29th after a long hiatus with funding coming from Cyprus to keep the transport project alive.

The Cyprus-Greece ferry link was eminently popular when it started up in 2022, and in 2023, it carried 7,407 passengers and 2,518 vehicles despite its 30-hour journey. A first-class single cabin ticket is priced at 73 euros ($79) per person one-way with return tickets coming in at 146 euros ($158). Double cabins are priced at 68 euros ($74) for a single journey and 136 euros ($148) roundtrip.

First-class four-berth cabin tickets are 63 euros ($68) one way and 126 euros ($137) for a roundtrip. Second-class prices are 50 euros ($54) one way and 96 euros ($104) for a return. Airline-style seats are 38 euros ($41) and 76 euros ($82) for those who don’t want a cabin for the overnight voyage.

Officials have said the voyage was particularly popular with students who wanted to transport a greater amount of belongings, as well as with those who aren’t keen on flying or simply want the luxury of a longer trip.

Success of the Cyprus-Greece ferry last year

Last year, the Cyprus-Greece ferry began its second season in May, lifting anchor at Limassol port and sailing to Piraeus with 156 passengers. Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hatzimanoli and Mayor of Limassol Nikos Nicolaides were on board the passenger ferry Daleela to celebrate the occasion, along with contracting company Scandro Holdings executives and other partners.

Hatzimanoli told attendees that the ferry was high on the ministry’s priorities and expressed confidence in the success of the second season, which had already hit the seven thousand reservations mark by this point. For his part, Nikolaides had hoped the operation’s success would surpass that of 2022 and recalled his experience as a passenger on the ferry’s maiden voyage two years ago.

The ferry includes a restaurant, cafeteria, and clinic in addition to 38 first-class cabins (110 passengers), 68 second-class cabins, and 110 outdoor seats. It can also accommodate up to a hundred vehicles.

The link was reintroduced last year after obtaining special permission from the European Union, allowing the state to subsidize the otherwise non-viable route. The government offered a €5.5 million annual subsidy to secure interest by shipowners to operate the regular ferry link between Limassol and Piraeus.

In addition to the port of Limassol, Scandro Holding Ltd included the Larnaca port in last year’s itinerary in response to travelers’ requests. In comments to the Cyprus News Agency, Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras said port operators Kition Ocean agreed with the ferry operators, Scandro Holding, to include Larnaca.

The ultimate purpose of Scandro Holding Ltd is to connect Greece and Cyprus by sea.

The Mystery of Aristotle’s Countless Lost Works

Nick Kampouris
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The Mystery of Aristotle’s Countless Lost Works
The School of Athens
The School of Athens with Aristotle and Plato. Credit: Slices of Light, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Few names of ancient Greece shine as much as those of Aristotle. This ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and tutor of Alexander the Great, left a timeless, profound, and indelible mark on virtually every field of knowledge he touched.

Yet, as vast as his contributions have been to this world, a shroud of mystery remains over the works of Aristotle that have been lost during the course of time. What secrets might they hold? How could they further help our understanding of his profound insights and more generally, of the world we live in?

Bridging Aristotle’s ancient wisdom with modern science

Aristotle was a true polymath in the purest sense of this word. With his intellectual curiosity spanning from the ethics of happiness to the bonds that tie the natural world, he wanted to know everything and did everything in his power to understand as much as he could.

His contributions laid the foundational stones in fields such as metaphysics, ethics, politics, and natural sciences, among many others. His works have had an everlasting influence for countless generations. Unfortunately, the majority of his intellectual contributions recorded in his works have not survived the relentless effects of time.

The loss of such a significant portion of Aristotle’s ideas poses a crucial question to everyone who has been inspired by his legacy: What wisdom and knowledge have we been deprived of?

The mystery behind Aristotle’s lost philosophical works

The lost works of Aristotle are not just missing pages in human history. They show us the gaps in our collective understanding of humanity. The pieces that are missing from this lifetime of work strip us of philosophical thought and ancient methodologies that would have very well changed the world we live in today.

Imagine the dialogues that might have dealt with the deeper philosophical issues on the nature of reality. Think about the questions that Aristotle might have asked aiming to further explore the ethical dimensions of human existence, for example.

These works could offer us all fresh perspectives on Aristotle’s thinking. They could have provided us with missing links in the evolution of ancient scholarship and expertise. The absence of these texts leaves scholars piecing together a puzzle without all the pieces, something that they have been doing with every other ancient philosopher. This will leave us forever speculating on the full scope of the mind and the ideas of Aristotle.

This true enigma surrounding the lost works of Aristotle is not thus simply a matter of historical curiosity, confined within the boundaries of some nerds or scholars who spend most of their lives buried in ancient texts and books. It represents a real, tangible void in our collective understanding of classical philosophy and makes it clear that what we know is only a fraction of what our ancestors knew.

Imagine the wealth of knowledge that could have been encapsulated in those works that we have not yet found. Think about the tools they could have offered us to get untold insights into the ancient world. These tools could have helped us follow the nuanced thought processes of one of history’s greatest minds. However, as time remains relentless and takes with it everything we lose, they are all now shrouded in mystery.

These lost works could potentially redefine our interpretation of Aristotle’s philosophy. Probably, we would now be offering new perspectives on ethics, logic, and the natural sciences, based on these mysterious ideas that we will never come to learn of. Their absence is a crucial reminder of how much of our intellectual heritage remains just beyond our grasp. It is a puzzle with just too many missing pieces that scholars around the globe would love to further uncover and explore.

The School of Aristotle in Mieza
The School of Aristotle in ancient Mieza in Naoussa, Central Macedonia, Greece. This was the place where the great philosopher taught Alexander the Great. Credit: Jean Housen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Aristotle’s impact on Western philosophy and science

The influence of Aristotle on Western thought cannot be overstated. His works established entire fields and laid the ground for many others. They shaped the contours of metaphysics, ethics, and natural sciences for centuries to come. It’s fascinating to consider how his lost works might have further enriched modern philosophy and science. Could they have accelerated the advancement of certain scientific principles? Or offered solutions to philosophical dilemmas that continue to perplex us to this very day? The impact of Aristotle’s surviving works is monumental. This is the only thing we need to know about the importance of his lost writings. There must have been works with unimaginable potential to further shed light on the dark corners of our understanding of the world and its reality.

As we collectively continue to seek out and understand the fragments of his lost works, we keep alive the spirit of inquiry and knowledge that Aristotle championed throughout his life.

The hunt for Aristotle’s lost works

The pursuit of Aristotle’s lost works is like a modern-day intellectual treasure hunt. Historians and scholars are the explorers who try their best to get a hint from the surviving works about what might hide in those we lost.

This quest involves extensive research in ancient texts, deciphering long-forgotten references, and piecing together small fragments that have survived over the centuries. Each discovery, no matter how small or big, is a cause for celebration among scholars. It offers a glimpse into Aristotle’s comprehensive vision and gives us a bigger picture than the one we have already formed of him. Thus, the ongoing efforts to compile and interpret these fragments are attempts to reclaim a piece of our shared common understanding to fill in the gaps left by time.

Aristotle’s timeless influence

The story of Aristotle’s lost works is not a done deal that we simply accept and move on. It is a narrative of loss but also of discovery. It is a tale that has no end, and it speaks volumes about the fragility of human knowledge and the importance of preservation. What we know now will not necessarily be shared by future generations.

The search to uncover these lost teachings of Aristotle is ongoing, and as we continue to search for these works, we do more than just seek to complete his record. We try to understand the lengths and breadths of human thought and experience as seen through the eyes of one of its best observers.

Related: The School of Aristotle: One of the First Universities in the World

The Mysterious Fate of the Colossal Column of Justinian in Constantinople

Tasos Kokkinidis
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The Mysterious Fate of the Colossal Column of Justinian in Constantinople
Column of Justinian in Constantinople
column of Justinian in Constantinople. AI-generated image

The mystery of what happened to the ancient column of Justinian in Constantinople, also known as the Colossus of Justinian, still puzzles historians and archaeologists.

The colossal bronze statue of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I was built during Justinian’s rule in the sixth century AD, most likely about 543 AD. Standing tall and clutching a globe in his palm, the monument represented Justinian’s dominance over the entire world.

Although the existence of the column is mentioned by several historical sources, its fate remains a mystery.

Several Byzantine writers mention the statue, including Procopius, who described its construction and dedication in his book “Buildings”. The column appears in various Byzantine artworks, like mosaics and miniatures, offering visual proof of its existence. Travelers who visited Constantinople after its fall by the Ottomans also documented seeing the column, further solidifying its historical presence.

Statue of Justinian Constantinople
Reconstruction of the column, after Cornelius Gurlitt, 1912. Public Domain

The column was 105 feet high

The column survived intact until late Byzantine times when it was described by Nicephorus Gregoras, as well as by several Russian pilgrims to the city.

The latter also mentioned the existence, before the column, of a group of three bronze statues of “pagan (or Saracen) emperors”, placed on shorter columns or pedestals, who kneeled in submission before it. These survived until the late 1420s but were removed sometime before 1433.

A recent book by Elena N. Boeck (Ph.D., Yale), Professor of History of Art at DePaul University, titled  “The Bronze Horseman of Justinian in Constantinople“, cites an Italian traveler to Constantinople called Cristoforo Buondelmonti.

According to him the monument was 70 cubits (105 feet) in height and showed the horseman with a golden apple in the left hand, the right hand threatening “Turkey” and the east.

Boeck, who specializes in the arts of the medieval Mediterranean world, says that after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II took down the monument and it was eventually melted down.

She mentions a Frenchman called Pierre Gilles who saw pieces of the statue around 1550, the emperor’s leg taller than a man, the nose and a hoof each 9 inches long.

Column of Justinian in Constantinople
Another depiction of the column. Public Domain

An impressive monument in Constantinople

According to what we know now statue of Justinian was an impressive monument, a testament to both the emperor’s ambition and the engineering prowess of the Byzantine Empire.

The main structure was built with brick, a strong and readily available material. This brick core was then covered with decorative bronze plates, giving the column a gleaming metallic appearance. The column stood on a seven-stepped marble platform, further elevating the statue and adding a touch of luxury.

The highlight was a colossal bronze equestrian statue, depicting Emperor Justinian himself, dressed in a triumphant outfit resembling the “dress of Achilles” (according to historian Procopius), Justinian likely sported an impressive cuirass and a plumed helmet.

The emperor sat astride a horse, holding a globus cruciger (a sphere representing Earth surmounted by a cross) in his left hand and extending his right hand eastward, possibly symbolizing his victories or Constantinople’s dominion.

Column Justinian Constantinople
Illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle (the column is on the right). Public Domain

Theories on the mystery

The exact fate of the Column of Justinian in Constantinople is a bit murky, but there are some competing theories.

An article in the Byzantine Legacy journal says that it was commonly asserted that Mehmed II destroyed the column and had the statue melted down. It is more likely that it became part of his collection of antiquities.

Furthermore, the article says that the column survived until the 16th century. It is possible that the statue was removed because its talismanic power was viewed as a threat by the Ottomans. Turkish sources suggest that the column collapsed during the reign of Sultan Selim or Suleiman.

Another theory suggests that the column finally succumbed to the elements. Accounts suggest it remained standing until the early 16th century, then collapsed in a major earthquake around 1509.

It’s also possible the Ottomans respected the column as an antiquity and took the statue for their collection rather than destroying it.

While the specifics are unclear, it seems likely the column met its end sometime in the early 16th century, either through natural disaster or Ottoman intervention.

Moving Story of the Saints of Lesbos Remembered on 564th Anniversary

Matthew Norman
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Moving Story of the Saints of Lesbos Remembered on 564th Anniversary
Depiction of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene at Saint Leonidas church, Dimaina. Credit Schuppi.
Depiction of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene at Saint Leonidas church, Dimaina. Credit Schuppi. CC BY 4.0/Wikimedia Commons/Schuppi

Today is the 564th anniversary of the Martyrs of Lesbos, Saints Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene, who were killed by the Turks on Bright Tuesday on April 9, 1463. This was ten years after the fall of Constantinople.

According to a 20th century legend, Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene of Lesbos, venerated as saints and martyrs in the Eastern Orthodox Church, lived on the island of Lesbos in the 15th century and were murdered by Turkish raiders in April 1463. Raphael is said to be the abbot of a monastery of Karyes, close to the village of Thermi. Nicholas was a deacon in the same monastery, and Irene was the 12-year-old daughter of the local mayor.

For hundreds of years, the people of Lesbos would make the pilgrimage on Bright Tuesday to the ruins of the monastery near Thermi. However, as the years went on, few could recall why the annual trip took place.

In 1959, a religious man named Angelos Rallis endeavored to build a chapel near the ruins of the monastery, and in the summer of that year, people at work on the site came across the relics of Saint Raphael while clearing up.

Not long after this, as legend has it, the saints began to appear before various inhabitants of Lesbos and shared the details of their lives and martyrdom. These accounts form the basis of Photios Kontoglou’s 1962 book A Great Sign, written in Greek.

Saint Raphael was born on the island of Ithaka around 1410 and raised by pious parents. His given name was George, but he took on the name Raphael when he became a monk. He was ordained to the holy priesthood and later rose to the offices of Archimandrite and Chancellor.

In 1453, Saint Raphael resided in Macedonia with his fellow monastic, the deacon Nicholas, who was born in Thessaloniki. In 1454, the Turks invaded Thrace, at which point the two monks fled to the island of Lesbos. They settled in the Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos near Thermi, where Saint Raphael became the igumen.

What happened to the saints of Lesbos?

The Turks raided the monastery in 1463, capturing the monks. The future saints were tortured from Holy Thursday through to Bright Tuesday. Saint Raphael was supposedly tied to a tree, while the Turks sawed through his jaw, killing him.

Saint Nicholas was also tortured but was made to watch his elder’s martyrdom before being killed. The story goes that Nicholas appeared to people and showed them the spot where his relics were consequently uncovered in June 1960.

Saint Irene, the 12-year-old daughter of the village mayor in Lesbos, Basil, had come with her family to the monastery to warn the monks about incoming raiders. The cruel perpetrators chopped off one of her arms and threw it down before her parents. Then the young girl was encased in a large earthen cask and a fire was lit underneath, slowly suffocating her.

Site of the monastery in Karyes.
Site of the monastery in Karyes. Credit: sovraskin. CC BY 2.0/flickr

Her parents were put to death but not before being forced to watch their daughter suffer these atrocities. Her grave and the earthen cask were discovered on May 12, 1961 after Saints Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene had supposedly appeared to residents and told them where to search.

Others who were also sanctified that day were Irene’s parents Basil and Maria, Theodore, the village teacher, and Eleni, the 15-year-old cousin of Irene.

It has been said that the saints appeared both separately and together, telling people that they wanted to be remembered. They requested that their icon be painted and that a church service be composed for them. It is said they helped people find their holy relics.

According to accounts of those who supposedly saw the saints, the master iconographer was Photios Kontoglou, and the church service was carried out by Father Gerasimos of Little Saint Anne Skete on Mount Athos.

Those who have allegedly seen the saints described what they looked like. Raphael is tall, middle-aged, with a beard of moderate length. His hair is black with speckles of grey, and his face is expressive. Nicholas is short and thin with a small blonde beard. Irene typically appears with a long, yellow dress down to the floor, and her blonde hair is in two braids that rest on either side of her chest.

Saints Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene (and those with them) are also commemorated on Bright Tuesday.

George Kambosos Jr Challenges Vasily Lomachenko for Boxing Lightweight Title

Alexander Gale
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George Kambosos Jr Challenges Vasily Lomachenko for Boxing Lightweight Title
Lomachenko vs. Kambosos
Vasily Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. will face off on May 12th for the IBF lightweight world title. Credit: Vasily Lomachenko / George Kambosos Jr. / Instagram

Greek-Australian boxer George Kambosos Jr. will face off against Ukrainian rival Vasiliy Lomachenko for the IBF lightweight world title in Perth, Australia on Sunday, May 12th.

Boxing fans are expecting an action-packed contest with both fighters having enjoyed moments at the pinnacle of boxing. However, both men suffered defeats at the hands of Devin Haney, knocking them off the top spots in the sport.

For both fighters, next month’s contest is a chance to make a big statement in the lightweight division, or as Kambosos puts it, to become the “lightweight king.”

Kambosos vs. Lomachenko

Kambosos and Lomachenko have both enjoyed storied careers with dramatic ups and downs. The Greek-Australian became the unified lightweight world champion in 2021 with a win over Teofimo Lopez, whereas his Ukrainian opponent is regarded as one of the sport’s most technically gifted boxers, with Olympic gold medals and world titles in three weight divisions.

Kambosos is entering the contest as the underdog, with most boxing pundits and fans expecting a decisive Lomachenko win thanks to the latter man’s now-legendary ring IQ and slick skills.

“This is the guy who was formerly the pound-for-pound No 1 fighter in the world, a three-division world champion, a two-time Olympic gold medallist,” Kambosos said during a recent interview. “So we totally understand his accolades, we respect him of course with what he’s done, and outside of boxing he’s a very good figure for sport.”

“But we respect what we’ve been able to do, too,” the Greek Australian boxer added. “Styles make fights. And the way we both bring that action, it’s gonna be something special. I truly believe this is going be a memorable fight.”

“As a man, as a person, as a fighter, you can’t fault the guy. But with all that respect, when it comes down to May 12, that respect is out the window and I’m coming to take his head out, and I’m sure he’s going to come and do the same thing to me.”

Tactical breakdown: what to expect on fight night

Both boxers have alluded to the old boxing adage, “Styles make fights,” but how do their styles compare? Kambosos mostly boxes as a pressure fighter, relying on aggression, speed, and excellent conditioning to overwhelm opponents.

In contrast, Lomachenko’s style is characterized by the use of feints, counters, and superior footwork to tactically break down opponents. Lomachenko’s ability to create angles in the ring is especially impressive, and he blends pressure on the offense with responsible defense.

Kambosos fights in the orthodox stance (left hand and left foot forwards), whereas Lomachenko is a southpaw (right hand and right leg forwards), which means that both fighters’ lead hands are positioned on the outside relative to each other. This can obstruct the lead hands of both fighters, making it difficult for them to land jabs, the most important punches in boxing.

Kambosos often fights with his lead hand low. This means that he can throw the jab at an awkward angle below an opponent’s eye level but it may also leave him more open to Lomachenko’s punching lane.

Lomachenko is typically a slow starter. In the early rounds, his punch output is much lower because he needs time to read his opponents to set up traps and counterpunching opportunities. Kambosos may be able to capitalize on this and steal away the first half of the fight if Lomachenko is too inactive. Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney, who were generally outclassed by Lomachenko in the second halves of their respective fights, nevertheless edged wins because of this.

The expectation, however, is that as the fight progresses, Lomachenko will seize the advantage by luring an aggressive Kambosos into traps whereby Lomachenko can punish him with accurately placed counterpunches.

Yet, Kambosos has surprised boxing fans before. He was a huge underdog in the fight against Lopez but was able to put the much larger man on the backfoot with consistent and intelligent pressure fighting. Against Lee Selby in 2020, he was similarly impressive, managing to beat an elusive opponent who presented challenges with slick footwork and a solid jab.

Legacy is at stake

Beyond fame, fortune, and riches, what most boxers dream of is cementing their legacy: a lasting place in the Boxing Hall of Fame. A win on the night of May 12, will be one more step on that journey for either Kambosos or Lomachenko.

“A win would put me back to the king of the lightweights,” commented Kambosos. “I was there not so long ago. Devin Haney was the last guy there, he’s vacated, so if we go back on history I’m one of the last one of the lightweights that was king.”

“It would push me back in that position. It puts me back to where I want to be, where I’m motivated to be,” Kambosos continued. “And I’m 30 years of age. My road continues, my opportunities for bigger fights with the guys like Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson continues and that’s what I want, the biggest fights.”

“If I can’t get over a guy like Lomachenko then that opportunity really does not present itself anymore,” Kambosos added. “I know what’s at risk. I know what’s at stake for this kind of fight, but that is what is motivating me more and more.”

Kambosos is proud of his Greek heritage

Kambosos was born in Sydney, Australia to parents of Greek descent. His paternal grandparents moved from Sparta to Australia.

His tattoos are a testament to the pride he places in his Greek heritage. During boxing matches, the inked figures of Spartan warriors and scenes from the Iliad are visible on the boxer’s back.

Kambosos also counts the words, “Never retreat, never surrender” among his tattoos, a homage to the words spoken by Kind Leonidas in the movie 300. They are also an authentic reflection of Kambosos’ boxing career: win or lose, he has sought to fight the most feared names in his division.

Kambosos
Kambosos is proud of his Greek heritage, displayed on his many tattoos. Credit: George Kambosos Jr. / Instagram

The Flower That Only Grows on the Acropolis of Athens

Anna Wichmann
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The Flower That Only Grows on the Acropolis of Athens
Micromeria acropolitana flower acropolis
Micromeria acropolitana is a delicate little flower that grows only on the slopes of the Acropolis. Credit: Twitter/Maria Dimitrakarakou

Found interspersed among the rocky terrain of the Acropolis of Athens is a small plant that features a delicate pink flower called the Micromeria acropolitana.

Measuring at just five to thirty centimeters (up to 12 inches) in height, it is easy to walk past this plant without even noticing it. Yet this modest flower, which is beloved by Greeks and botanists alike, has an interesting history.

This unassuming but lovely plant is completely unique, as it only grows on the Acropolis, the ancient hill of Athens, home to the Parthenon, which is the most iconic structure in the history of Western civilization.

Flower blooms in May throughout the Acropolis hill

The Micromeria acropolitana blooms every year from May until June, when its beautiful flowers emerge and dot the rocks of the Acropolis with notes of pink.

It is thought that the plant has lived on the ancient hill, which served as the center of ancient Athenian political, spiritual, and social life for centuries since time immemorial.

Discovery of the micromeria acropolitana on the Acropolis

The plant was discovered in the summer of 1906 by two French botanists, Rene C.J.E. Maire and Marcel G.C. Petitmengin, and was included in their work “In Acropoli Athenarum.”

The Micromeria acropolitana was first classified scientifically just two years later by Austrian botanist Eugen von Halacsy, who described it as “Micromeria athenae,” and later changed it to its current name, “Micromeria acropolitana” in his text “Conspectus Florae Graecae.”

Oddly, the plant appeared to go extinct soon after it was discovered, but it reemerged on the Acropolis in 2006, a hundred years after it was first found. It had been included in the Greek state’s official catalogue of protected plants, by order of a Presidential Decree, in 1981, during the period that it was thought to have been extinct.

The Greek biologist Grigoris Tsounis was the first to rediscover the supposedly extinct plant in 2006, with his son Lambros. The pair stumbled across a secluded area of the Acropolis where over two hundred of the plants were thriving. They returned to the spot for years to tend to the plants.

Three years later, in 2009, Danish biologist Dr. Kit Tan, professor at the University of Copenhagen, confirmed that the plants they had been taking care of were in fact the famed Micromeria acropolitana.

This confirmation meant that the unique plant was indeed not extinct but had been thriving in its natural ecosystem, the Acropolis of Athens.

The location where the plants thrive has remained secret so as not to disrupt the sensitive flora. While the plant can be found across the Acropolis, this hidden spot is where the threatened Micromeria acropolitana flourishes undisturbed.

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