Michelangelo Wanted Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica on a Greek Cross Plan

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Michelangelo and St. Peter's Basilica
Michelangelo designed the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica to be the tallest in the world. Credit: Myrabella / Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

When the Vatican appointed the great sculptor, painter, and architect Michelangelo to  rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, he wanted it to be on a Greek Cross plan.

Specifically, Michelangelo envisioned the emblematic basilica to have a much larger dome so it could be seen from afar, along with a more sizeable rostrum and cross.

It was 1546 when Pope Paul III asked the great artist to undertake the giant project. Works had begun forty years earlier but with limited results. The five predecessors involved had different plans, and the church that was originally built by Constantine the Great in the fourth century ended up looking like Roman ruins.

portrait of Michelangelo
Portrait of Michelangelo by Daniele da Volterra. Public Domain

Michelangelo agreed to redesign the basilica under two conditions. Firstly, he would not receive any compensation for his work, and, secondly, the basilica would be rebuilt on a Greek Cross plan. His vision was for St. Peter’s to have the tallest dome in the world, specifically 448 feet (136.5 meters) high from ground to top.

Greek-cross plan is characterized by a church design that takes the shape of a Greek cross, featuring a square central mass and four arms of equal length. This architectural layout found extensive use in Byzantine architecture and served as inspiration for Western churches influenced by Byzantine design principles.

The sheer size of the basilica made the project daunting. Yet, St. Paul’s Basilica was the center of Christendom at the time. According to the Church, it was the site of the burial of St. Peter. It deserved to be the grandest construction of its time.

Michelangelo takes over from Bramante

Donato Bramante was Michelangelo’s predecessor. He was appointed by Pope Julius II in 1506 to demolish the old church built by Constantine and rebuild it. This was an ambitious project that Bramante undertook with great zeal.

It was the architect’s idea to rebuild St. Paul’s in the shape of a Greek Cross enclosed by a square with an enormous dome over the center. He also envisioned smaller domes and half-domes radiating outwards. Bramante began the huge project, and, when he died, Rafael took over as chief architect.

In turn, Michelangelo took over after the passing of Raphael and made changes to Bramante’s Greek Cross plan, emphasizing a central dome and creating a much more symmetrical design.

Michelangelo’s revisions added imposing exterior masonry, making the basilica look like a grand monument. Instead of Bramante’s enclosed Greek Cross, Michelangelo filled in each corner with stairwells or small vestries, creating a continuous wall surface. Furthermore, he designed Corinthian pilasters set at varied angles. These had the effect of providing a dynamic form to the structure.

His grand design was meant to give St. Peter’s Basilica the look of an awe-inspiring monument. Ultimately, Michelangelo’s dome and Greek Cross plan are the architectural elements that made the basilica the awe-inspiring monumental Christian church that has withstood time.

Michelangelo’s work on St. Peter’s Basilica

Initially, Michelangelo was reluctant to take over such an ambitious task. In one of his writings found later, he said, “I undertake this only for the love of God and in honor of the Apostle.”

Michelangelo took over the construction of St. Peter’s and requested complete artistic freedom to complete the project as he saw fit. His ideas, designs, and implementation finally made him the primary designer of the basilica as it stands to this day.

Adam capella sisita
Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo. Credit: wikimedia commons / Levan CC BY 3.0

The idea of a large dome was inspired from both ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy. A century earlier, Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the founders of the Renaissance, had built the imposing dome of the Florence Cathedral. Architects who worked on St. Peter’s Basilica were inspired by the work of Brunelleschi.

Michelangelo adopted ideas from previous architects and produced his own visionary design with his distinctive touch and all subsequent plans. The eastern end of the new St. Peter’s Basilica with its monumental dome was the centrifugal point of Michelangelo’s work and his most distinct contribution. To this day, the dome remains the tallest of its kind in the world. The architect passed away prior to its completion and only witnessed the implementation of the base of the dome, called the Tamburo.

In 1564, Michelangelo passed away at the age of eighty-eight. His work on the basilica was intended to continue unaltered. His assistant Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola was left to carry on the work in his place. The reigning Pope, Pius V, assigned Giorgio Vasari to ensure that he complete the work as Michelangelo had intended.

Gold Phoenician Artifact Found in Israel May Support Bible Claims

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Tiny, 3,000-year-old gold pendant found in the Ophel area in Jerusalem, thought to be of Phoenician origin.
Tiny, 3,000-year-old gold pendant found in the Ophel area in Jerusalem, thought to be of Phoenician origin. Credit: Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology

A tiny 3,000-year-old temple-era pendant, claimed to be the ‘earliest gold artifact’ found in Jerusalem, was revealed to the public this week as part of a US-based exhibit of artifacts linked to the first temple era, with an archaeologist saying the item may be evidence that Phoenicians were in Jerusalem 3,000 years ago.

The four-millimeter gold pendant or earring is shaped like a basket with a solid foundation, with two semi-circular handles which extend above the base, overlapping to create a point where the pendant could have been hung from, as well as narrow gold wire wrapped around the top of the artifact.

The gold pendant was discovered a decade ago during excavations in the Ophel, an area to the south of Temple Mount in Jerusalem. However, it was only last year that the item began to drum up some interest, according to archaeologist Brent Nagtegaal of the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology – as reported by The Times of Israel.

Examination reportedly showed that the artifact is made of electrum – a gold and silver compound stronger than standard gold – which would make it “the earliest gold artifact ever discovered in an archaeological excavation in Jerusalem,” according to Nagtegaal.

Following comparisons between the item and existing research on similar artifacts, as well as seeking the opinion of experts from the Hebrew University and the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Nagtegaal determined that the pendant was of Phoenician origin.

3,000-year-old gold pendant found in the Ophel area in Jerusalem, thought to be of Phoenician origin.
3,000-year-old gold pendant found in the Ophel area in Jerusalem, thought to be of Phoenician origin. Credit: Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology

Is the Gold Pendant Evidence of Phoenician Presence in Ancient Israel?

The artifact, “securely dated by archaeological context” to the 10th century BCE, represents “the best evidence so far that Phoenicians themselves were present in Jerusalem during the 10th century BCE, the time of King Solomon,” Nagtegaal claimed in an article announcing the research Monday.

Biblical scholars and archaeologists are allegedly keen to prove there were Phoenicians in Jerusalem during the first temple era and earlier, because it would give credit to biblical accounts of interactions between King Hiram of Tyre and both King David and King Solomon.

There is very little evidence to show that David or Solomon were real people, and even less in support of the Bible’s claim that Hiram, who ruled a large regional power, sent supplies and workers to help with the building of the first temple in Jerusalem.

Ophel from above.
Ophel from above. Credit: Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology

Tyre, a significant hub of Phoenician culture which existed in what is now Lebanon, is referenced multiple times in the Hebrew Bible, ancient Greek writings, and other sources, including by Josephus.

The gold pendant may also support the thesis that there was trade between Phoenicia and Jerusalem at the time.

Previous finds from the Ophel area have confirmed “Phoenician cultural influence in Jerusalem” during the first temple period, Nagtegaal asserted. A full, thorough academic analysis of the item, along with a stratigraphy study of the area where it was found, will be published in the upcoming “The Ophel Excavations to the South of the Temple Mount, 2009-2013: Final Reports Volume III,” Nagtegaal wrote.

The gold Phoenician pendant went on display as part of the recently opened “King David and Solomon Discovered” exhibit at the Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond, Oklahoma, which will run until January 2025.

The exhibit is dedicated to the late Dr Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University, the leading archaeologist who supervised excavations in the Ophen and City of David areas and who was a scholar of both ancient Jerusalem and Phoenician culture.

Traces of Ancient Human Sacrifices Uncovered in Mexico

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Traces of Ancient Human Sacrifices
A new discovery reveals traces of ancient human sacrifices at Pozo de Ibarra, Mexico. Credit: National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), part of Mexico’s Ministry of Culture, recently uncovered an ancient burial site. This finding provides valuable insights into funeral customs of the region’s pre-Hispanic era.

The discovery took place in Pozo de Ibarra during the construction of a sewage network. Archaeologists from the INAH Nayarit Center led the excavation efforts, working alongside the Nayarit government’s State Commission for Drinking Water and Sewage to preserve the cultural heritage.

Claudia Servín Rosas, the archaeologist leading the excavation, explains that they’ve discovered a burial system with two distinct parts. Firstly, there’s a primary burial where the skeleton is intact. Alongside it, there’s a collection of human bone fragments without any specific arrangement.

The team observed that certain bones, such as the femurs, tibias, and arm bones, were neatly placed in one spot. Meanwhile, skulls were deliberately grouped together with some even stacked on top of each other in another part of the burial site, according to INAH’s official press release.

Ceremonial practices associated with death

Careful investigations revealed that this burial forms part of a sophisticated funeral tradition. The bones were arranged all at once after they had decomposed into skeletons.

This method hints at special rituals connected to death during the pre-Hispanic era in this region. The discovery likely links to the Amapa cultural phase (500-800/850 AD), as artifacts like ceramic vessels and figurines from that era were also found, according to INAH.

During on-site analysis, researchers documented at least seven intact skulls, likely from males of various ages. Some of these skulls showed signs of cranial modification, a cultural practice common in Mesoamerican societies. This practice involved shaping the skull for aesthetic reasons and possibly to denote social status.

In interpreting this discovery, it was proposed that these burials may have been part of funeral rituals conducted within households in the region. It is believed these rituals could have involved burying male family members together, possibly as part of a ceremony marking the establishment of a settlement, according to INAH.

The new archaeological discovery is remarkable because similar burials haven’t been identified in nearby sites. It deepens the understanding of funeral customs in the region and highlights the importance of collaboration among various INAH departments for heritage protection, research, conservation, and education.

Since uncovering the site in Pozo de Ibarra, efforts have been made to conserve the remains, ensuring their preservation. As reported by INAH, the ongoing work underscores researchers’ dedication to conducting thorough studies on the worldview of the pre-Hispanic society that once lived in the area now occupied by the town.

Dementia Was Rare in Ancient Greece, New Study Finds

Dementia Ancient Greece
The temple of Hephaestus, as seen from the Ancient Agora, Athens, Greece. Public domain

A new analysis of classical medical texts suggests dementia was extremely rare in ancient Greece and Rome 2,000 to 2,500 years ago.

The USC-led research, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, bolsters the idea that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are diseases of modern environments and lifestyles, with sedentary behavior and exposure to air pollution largely to blame.

“The ancient Greeks had very, very few—but we found them—mentions of something that would be like mild cognitive impairment,” said first author Caleb Finch, a University Professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

“When we got to the Romans, and we uncovered at least four statements that suggest rare cases of advanced dementia—we can’t tell if it’s Alzheimer’s.” said Fich, “So, there was a progression going from the ancient Greeks to the Romans.”

Dementia in ancient Greece was not mentioned by Hippocrates

Ancient Greeks recognized that aging commonly brought memory issues we would recognize as mild cognitive impairment or MCI, but nothing approaching a major loss of memory, speech, and reasoning as caused by Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

Finch and co-author Stanley Burstein, a historian at California State University, Los Angeles, pored over a major body of ancient medical writing by Hippocrates and his followers.

The text catalogs ailments of the elderly, such as deafness, dizziness, and digestive disorders, but makes no mention of memory loss.

Centuries later in ancient Rome, a few mentions crop up. Galen remarks that at the age of eighty, some elderly begin to have difficulty learning new things.

Pliny the Elder notes that the senator and famous orator Valerius Messalla Corvinus forgot his own name.

Cicero prudently observed that “elderly silliness…is characteristic of irresponsible old men, but not of all old men.”

Finch speculates that, as Roman cities grew denser, pollution increased, driving up cases of cognitive decline.

In addition, Roman aristocrats used lead cooking vessels, lead water pipes, and even added lead acetate into their wine to sweeten it, unwittingly poisoning themselves with the powerful neurotoxin.

Scientists turned to indigenous people to learn about Greece and Rome

For this paper, Finch did not just think about the Roman Empire or the Greeks.

In the absence of demographic data for ancient Greece and Rome, Finch turned to a surprising model for ancient aging: today’s Tsimane Amerindians, an Indigenous people of the Bolivian Amazon.

The Tsimane, like the ancient Greeks and Romans, have a preindustrial lifestyle that is very physically active, and they have extremely low rates of dementia.

An international team of cognitive researchers, led by Margaret Gatz, a professor of psychology, gerontology, and preventive medicine at the USC Leonard Davis School, found that among older Tsimane people, only about one percent suffer from dementia.

In contrast, eleven percent of people aged sixty-five and older living in the United States have dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“The Tsimane data, which is quite deep, is very valuable,” Finch said.

“This is the best-documented large population of older people that have minimal dementia, all of which indicates that the environment is a huge determinant on dementia risk. They give us a template for asking these questions.”

Related: Olive Oil May Help You Live Longer, Lower Risks from Alzheimer’s Disease

King Charles Pays Tribute to Former King of Greece Wearing Greek Flag Tie

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King Charles Greek flag tie
King Charles also donned a Greek flag tie at the Dubai summit following a dispute between the UK and Greece concerning the Parthenon sculptures. Credit: The Royal Family / YouTube

King Charles paid a tribute to his late cousin former King of Greece Constantine on Wednesday wearing a tie covered in fluttering Greek flags.

Charles missed Tuesday’s memorial service for Constantine at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle as his cancer treatment continues, while Prince William had been due to give a reading but pulled out for “personal reasons.”

Camilla led the British and international royals in a Thanksgiving Service, a year after Constantine’s death.

Dressed in a dark overcoat, navy suit and a white shirt, Charles could be seen wearing the Greek tie in an apparent tribute to the former King.

Charles has reportedly sought spiritual advice from his friend Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Greek Orthodox Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.

Abbot Ephraim is said to have told Greek media outlets: “Yes, he has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he’ll overcome it. Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life.”

Charles and his Greek flag tie

It is not the first time that King Charles wears a tie with the Greek flag.

He was recently seen wearing a Greek flag tie at the COP28 summit in Dubai in late November. The gesture came amid disagreements between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the Parthenon Sculptures.

King Charles, in addition to his tie, also wore a matching handkerchief when delivering a speech to the summit’s delegates from around the world. The King’s tie is thought to be crafted by Pagoni Maison des Cravates in Athens.

The gesture followed a high-profile diplomatic spat between Athens and Downing Street over the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures. Sunak accused Greece of “grandstanding” on the Parthenon sculptures issue during a recent diplomatic row and a last-minute meeting cancelation with Mitsotakis.

King Charles was the second cousin to Constantine through their fathers. Constantine’s father, King Paul of Greece, and the Duke of Edinburgh were first cousins. They shared a grandfather, George I of Greece.

Not only was Constantine a second cousin, once removed, to Prince William but he was also one of the future king’s godfathers. William was given six godparents: former King Constantine, Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Duchess of Westminster, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Lady Susan Hussey and Sir Laurens van der Post.

Both through birth and through marriage, Constantine had familial ties to the monarchies of Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Norway and Britain.

Related: King Charles: The Monarch Who Loves Greece

Relatives of Rail Tragedy Victims Mourn Their Dead at Tempe

rail tragedy Greece
Relatives of the 57 victims lay flowers at Tempe. File photo. Credit: AMNA

A memorial service was held on Wednesday at the site of the rail tragedy in Tempe in Central Greece to honor the 57 individuals who lost their lives on February 28, 2023.

Relatives and friends gathered to pay their respects, leaving flowers at the scene as they called for justice.

“Justice will come as soon as those responsible are sent to prison,” the father of Panos Routsi, who lost his life in the train accident said. He blamed the authorities for covering up the evidence following the train collision.

The investigation is ongoing amidst bitterness and suspicion on the part of the families affected. The tears of those who lost their loved ones have dried, but the anger remains, still palpable. It has been one year, and not one official has taken responsibility for the accident. Not one apology has been uttered by official lips, whether it was from the State or Hellenic Train.

Churches ring their bells for the victims of the rail tragedy

Churches across the country rang their bells 57 times to symbolize the number of lives lost, many of whom were young students returning home after a long weekend.

This gesture was made in response to a request from Maria Karystianou, representing the families of the victims, to the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and the Holy Metropolises of the Church of Greece.

Additionally, a monument dedicated to the memory of the victims was unveiled in the city of Larissa.

Meanwhile, in the Parliament in Athens, lawmakers observed a moment of silence in honor of the victims.

Protests in Athens

Outside, protesters, including rail and hospital workers, seafarers, and school teachers, joined a 24-hour walkout organized by the country’s largest public-sector union, ADEDY, to commemorate the anniversary of the train crash.

Railway workers demand those responsible for the accident be brought to justice. “Railway workers are the only ones who are not to blame for all that happened as they have been calling for the improvement in safety for years because they saw what was coming,” a statement by the Railway Workers Union said.

A protest in Athens turned violent as clashes broke out between anarchist groups and the police, which used tear gas to disperse the protestors who threw petrol bombs toward the Parliament building.

Earlier, parents and friends used red paint to write the names of the victims in front of the Parliament.

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis promised that those found guilty of the Tempe train tragedy will be punished in a video message on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the accident.

Related: Greek Railway Disaster Expert Speaks of Crucial Omissions in Tempe Probe

Greek Cuisine Ranked Among Top Three in the World

Greek Cuisine
Traditional dishes make Greek cuisine shine. Credit: GreekReporter

Greek cuisine has been ranked third best in the world according to ratings compiled by TasteAtlas recently.

TasteAtlas is an experiential travel online guide for traditional food that collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews, and research articles about popular ingredients and dishes.

A total of 395,205 (271,819 valid) dish ratings, and 115,660 (80,863 valid) food product ratings have been recorded.

Based on these ratings, the top 50 food items for each cuisine were extracted, and the best-rated cuisines in the world were ranked according to the average ratings of the best-rated dishes and food products of each country.

Italy and Japan recorded the same average rating, but Italy has taken first place again this year due to a higher rating of its best-rated dish—pizza. The third best-rated cuisine is Greek, followed by the Portuguese and Chinese in fifth place.

The US cuisine is rated 16th in the world, while England is 39th.

Greek Cuisine
Credit: TasteAtlas

Greek cuisine and health benefits

The Mediterranean diet is not just delicious, but several studies have shown its potential health benefits. 

Following a Mediterranean diet could help prevent depression, groundbreaking research published in a scientific journal recently suggested.

Eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, plant-based foods, and fish may decrease the risk of depression by approximately one-third, according to a recent study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

A diet high in saturated fats, sugar, and processed foods was correspondingly associated with an increased likelihood of depression.

Best dishes in the world

Based on the average user ratings for dishes, a list of the top 100 dishes in the world has been published. The best-rated dish for 2023 is the Brazilian meat cut Picanha, followed by Malaysian bread Roti Canai and Thai stir fry Phat Kaphrao.

The top Greek dish is dakos salad from the island of Crete which is rated 17th best. It tops the word’s salads.

Dakos Greek salad
Dakos, a Greek salad from Crete, was named the best salad in the world by TasteAtlas. Credit: Valentin Heyde / Flickr

“Dakos or ntakos is a traditional Cretan dish consisting of a dry barley rusk called paximadi that is topped with crumbled myzithra cheese, chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and a few generous splashes of high-quality olive oil,” reads the description on TasteAtlas.

According to the description, “It’s recommended to use olive varieties such as Koroneiki, Lianes, or Tsounates. Myzithra cheese is traditionally used, and not feta, which is usually reserved for tourist restaurants. The rusk is often gently rubbed with a small piece of garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt.”

Greek cuisine
Credit: TasteAtlas

Paidakia, ribs of pork, beef, or lamb is the second-best Greek dish at number 26, followed by giouvetsi and gyros. Kokoretsi, kleftiko, and the popular fast food souvlaki all make it into the top 100 dishes of the TasteAtlas.

The Sweat and Body Grime of Athletes Was Prized by Ancient Greeks and Romans

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 ancient Greek athletes
The sweat of ancient Greek and Roman athletes was sold as a prized commodity. Credit: After Myron / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

The ancient Greeks and Romans revered their athletes as heroes to such an extent that the sweat and grime that accumulated on their bodies during exercise and competition was a prized commodity.

Hygiene and health in ancient Greece and Rome were certainly advanced for their time. The work of physicians and scholars from both civilizations contributed significantly to our understanding of these fields. Nevertheless, you would be hard-pressed to find a doctor today who would recommend the consumption of a famous athlete’s sweat for health benefits.

For the ancient Greeks and Romans, however, the sweat of a champion athlete was a converted product, equivalent to a miracle health elixir or premium sports supplement and it was believed that its consumption would confer several benefits.

The ancient Greeks and Romans purchased the sweat of athletes

The strigil was a popular tool used by the Romans, Greeks, and Etruscans in ancient times. Typically made of unadorned bronze, it served as a means to cleanse the body before exercise or using public baths. The process involved applying olive oil to the skin, and then slaves would use the curved metal blades of the strigil to remove excess oil, sweat, and dirt.

Both cultures had their own names for this practice: “strigimentum” in Latin for the Romans and “gloios” in Greek. Surprisingly, the removed body grime was highly prized and considered a valuable commodity with purported healing properties, especially when it came from the bodies of athletes. Admirers would purchase these scraped-off skin remnants, anointing themselves in the hope of absorbing the vitality and health associated with the athletes.

Bill Hayes, in his book Sweat: A History of Exercise delved into this curious practice, writing how this mixture was deemed to be so precious that some individuals went to extraordinary lengths, even collecting scrapings from bathhouse walls where athletes had leaned and left behind traces of their sweat.

Additionally, according to History Collection, wealthy Roman women would acquire vials of gladiator filth, utilizing it like a luxury facial cream.

Sports and celebrity culture in ancient Greece and Rome

Some elite sportsmen in ancient Greece and Rome were paid to play, travel internationally and enjoy celebrity status. They lived a lifestyle similar to a modern elite professional sportsperson.

In Ancient Greece, sports were deeply intertwined with religious festivals, and athletic competitions held in places like Olympia and Delphi were considered sacred events. The most famous of these games were the Olympic Games, held every four years in Olympia, dedicated to Zeus.

Victorious athletes achieved immense fame and honor, with their names recorded in historical records and poems, and they often received privileges and benefits in their hometowns. Athletes were admired for their physical prowess, and their achievements were celebrated as a testament to human potential.

In Ancient Rome, sports and entertainment were vital aspects of daily life. The Romans inherited many sports from the Greeks, and they expanded the scale of gladiatorial contests and chariot races, which became immensely popular among the masses. Gladiators, who were often slaves or prisoners of war, attained a unique form of celebrity status, especially if they demonstrated exceptional skill and valor in the arena. Charioteers were also admired, and rivalries between different factions of charioteers could lead to intense fan support.

Mitsotakis on Tempe Train Tragedy: The Guilty Will be Punished

Tempe tragedy
A demo in Athens called for a proper investigation into the causes of the rail disaster. File photo. Credit: AMNA

In a video message on Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of the Tempe train tragedy in Greece, which claimed the lives of 57 people, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis promised that those found guilty will be punished.

“Some relief will come when all the causes of the evil are brought to light,” Mitsotakis said. “When all doubts are dispelled. When even the most absurd rumors are disproved. And, above all, when the guilty are punished. And that will happen.”

A definitive account of what happened and who may be at fault has not been delivered, with investigators in an official inquiry not due to finish questioning until March 8th.

Relatives have appointed their experts to the case, arguing that official investigators wasted time and overlooked vital evidence, including the intense fire that broke out after the collision with the freight train.

“Only Justice is the one that will shed light on the case, as we all want,” Mitsotakis stated.
“It is already moving quickly and to the highest degree, calling the first of those to account. I have complete confidence in Justice and I am sure it will rise to the occasion.”

“Our mission is to turn pain into action,” he added. “So that the organizations that serve the citizens operate safely, consistently, and professionally. The State should not remain a prisoner of bureaucracy, which delays critical projects. And the courts must decide in a timely manner, especially for cases that concern society.”

Τragedy of Tempe hurts and angers society

On Wednesday, President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou said that “the pain remains undiminished and the questions remain unanswered.”

She noted that it was “the state’s duty to attribute responsibility and to ensure that our country will never again experience such a blow to the citizens’ safety and trust.”

In her statement, Sakellaropoulou said: “One year later, the tragedy of Tempe hurts and angers society. The pain is undiminished and the questions remain unanswered. Our thoughts today are with the families of the victims, the injured, with the passengers who experienced the horror of that night.”

“Words can’t heal the wounds,” the President concluded. “The State must take responsibility and ensure that our country will never again experience such a blow to citizens’ safety and trust.”

Opposition raises questions about Tempe tragedy

On Wednesday, main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Stefanos Kasselakis posted a message on social media.

“Tempe, one year after,” Kasselakis wrote. “A promise to the memory of the 57 people that lost their lives. They must not and will not be forgotten. We will stand with the members of their families in their struggle for justice.”

“A year seems like a long time,” opposition PASOK-Movement of Change leader Nikos Androulakis said. “A lot happens in a year. For our society, however, the clock stopped on the fateful night of February 28, 2023.”

Androulakis stressed that “the causes of the accident, the unacceptable management of the area and the investigation, everything that followed, confirm that time has stopped in Greece. The ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this tragedy remain unanswered. The guilty and those responsible, for some, remain invisible.”

As the leader of PASOK-KINAL noted, “The reflexes of a State that normally investigates, detects, punishes and finally corrects, remain disappointing. A year is a long time to have done none of the things we are obliged to do as a State.”

Greek Railway Disaster Expert Speaks of Crucial Omissions in Tempe Probe

Greece's largest railway disaster at Tempe
The railway disaster at Tempe is Greece’s biggest, as 57 people were killed and 85 injured. Credit: AMNA

The railway disaster at Tempe is in Greek headlines again on the one-year anniversary of the tragic collision that took the lives of 57 people, most of them young.

Costas Lakafossis, an aeronautical engineer and accident expert, spoke to Greek Reporter about the railway disaster, pointing out omissions and mistakes during the official investigation.

The investigation is ongoing amidst bitterness and suspicion on the part of the families affected. The tears of those who lost their loved ones have dried, but the anger remains, still palpable. It has been one year and not one official has taken responsibility for the accident. Not one apology has been uttered by official lips, whether from the State or Hellenic Train.

There are accusations of a systematic cover-up. An official Tempe victim association has begun collecting signatures for a petition against the government. It is for the lifting of parliamentary immunity of representatives who are potentially responsible for the Tempe tragedy. So far, 780,000 thousand people have signed, demanding justice.

A Greek parliament investigating committee has not produced any valuable results on why so many people were killed and who is responsible. Opposition party representatives have walked out of the committee placing the blame on the government, speaking of the “Tempe crime.” So far, 32 people have been charged while several more might follow.

Why was the accident scene covered after the collision?

There was an unexplained hastiness to cover the scene of the railway disaster. This was despite the fact that the investigation was still in motion and relatives of the victims were still looking for the belongings of their loved ones. Consequently, this led to questions about what the cargo train was carrying and if its content was documented.

“The train had a legally declared cargo with official documents which were subsequently confirmed as to their accuracy,” Lakafossis told Greek Reporter.

“Nevertheless, behind the two electric engines, the first three carriages were flat open platforms loaded with large metal sheets” Lakafossis said. “There is no way to determine if there was any undeclared cargo on top of them since the videos from security cameras at the loading station and the station of Thessaloniki up to the Neoi Poroi station have been erased. The official investigators delayed asking for the video footage and OSE (Hellenic Train) claimed that the camera footage has been erased so that the digital discs can be used again.”

“The chemical samplings from the wreckage of the wagons and from the point of collision were made 29 days late on March 29th, while they should have been done within the first two or three days and certainly before the removal of debris from the site,” Lakafossis continued.

“As for research on the deflagration and the fire that followed, the time delay was a bigger problem than the alteration of the collision site itself,” he said.

“This was caused by the rush to remove the debris and alter the site. There were human remains among the debris and one family was not given the chance to bury the remains of their loved ones.

“Other families had to carry the extra psychological burden from the sad process of finding residuals of their loved ones on May 31 and then on November 15 and 16 (when the accident site was re-opened for search),” Lakafossis revealed. “This should have been done with care in the first few days.”

Were the findings assessed properly?

The families of the victims of the railway disaster have questioned whether the official investigation was conducted properly and the findings were properly assessed. To that, the accident expert told Greek Reporter:

“As for assessing the facts and the reasons that led to the collision, the official investigation is sufficient and complete,” Lakafossis said. “But in regards to questions about the explosion and the fire—now that it is proven that the fire took the lives of at least five of the victims—there is an obvious blank. Sufficient explanations of the deflagration causes have not been given.”

“If we accept that this phenomenon (fire ignition) was normal and expected, then the question arises as to whether measures had been taken to prevent such a dangerous fire ignition when there are many electric engines circulating in Greece’s railway network,” he added.

Lakafossis also commented on the overall lack of safety measures of the railway transportation system:

“We, as aviation investigators, found that the State investigation shows a lack of actions taken to improve the safety of railway transportation, a process that requires root cause analysis and thorough research into human factor issues, in order to identify the real causes (of the railway disaster), out of the narrow legal framework of the issue.”

It was February 28, 2023 when a passenger train left Athens with Thessaloniki as its destination. Many of the passengers were students returning from the Patras Carnival.

A few minutes before midnight, their train collided with a cargo train headed to Athens. Τhe collision caused a combustion, covering the first wagon in flames. There were 57 dead—five of them incinerated—and 85 injured.