Remy Dargere with his dog Raika: He lost her in Greece and found her a year later in Serbia. Credit: Remy Bergere / Facebook
The story of a French man who lost his dog in Greece and found her a year later in Serbia could make a heartwarming Hollywood Sunday movie for all the family.
Remy Dargere traveled from France to Greece crossing the Balkans on his bicycle accompanied by his one-year-old dog Raika, that was placed in a specially-designed trailer.
On April 7, 2023, while he was in Kipoi of Evros, only 200 meters from the border with Turkey, two big dogs attacked Raika and she ran away, never to be found again. Dargere went through great efforts to find her, calling on all Greek authorities and locals, but to no avail.
The Lost Dog Found a Year Later
If animals could talk, Raika would recount the fascinating story of her survival for a whole year on her own and how she finally returned to her loving owner. How she traversed hundreds of miles across the Balkans in her attempt to return home, to Lyon, France.
Finally, the brave little dog was found in Serbia, close to the Bosnia-Herzegovina border, about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away from where she had been lost, in Kipoi. Luckily, she was found by animal lovers.
Specifically, she was found by members of an animal welfare organization who took her to a veterinary clinic to be examined and identified her guardian from her chip.
Lost Dog Search Chronicle
The distraught owner stayed for about a month in Alexandroupolis, searching for his lost dog with the help of volunteers. One of them, Dora Kyriakidou, was by his side from the start, tirelessly searching for Raika with him.
“We printed posters of Raika and recorded Remi’s whistle and bike horn that she responded to so we could call her. We “combed” a large area looking for her, without losing hope that we will eventually find her, despite our fear that if she went to mountainous areas, she would be at risk of wolf attacks,” Kyriakidou told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
After a month of fruitless efforts, Dargere was forced to return to France without Raika.
Serbia Notifies Greece
After Raika was found, she was hosted by the animal welfare organization Hope for Dogs, Europe, which posted a photo of her in the attempt to have her adopted. They had named her “Marley” and wrote about her playful character.
When they took the lost dog to the veterinarian clinic to be examined, they found her chip with the details of the owner. Natassa Bombolaki, president of Nemesis, the Panhellenic Federation for the Environment, Animals and Hunting made public the news of the finding of Raika.
“When they found through the chip Remy Dargere’s details and contacted him by phone, he went crazy! From what he told me, he will go next Friday or Saturday to pick her up” Kyriakidou said, adding that she thinks that Raika had decided to go back to Lyon by herself. After all, her owner never lost hope that he will find his beloved dog again, since, as he wrote on his Facebook page, “Faith can move mountains!”
Greece and Turkey have a lot to gain from the recent rapprochement, but for how long is this improvement in bilateral relations going to last? Credit: DALLE for the Greek Reporter
You don’t have to be an expert to know that the relations between Greece and Turkey have been among the most turbulent in the diplomatic history of Europe.
Rooted in a history of disputes, the two Mediterranean nations have gone through wars and skirmishes to periods of calmness and even deep cooperation. However, the differences between the two NATO allies have been serious and profound. Ranging from maritime and airspace territorial claims to diplomatic clashes concerning ancient monuments and religious sites, these two nations continue to share a tumultuous journey.
It is worth mentioning here that the two countries cannot even agree on what they disagree. Greece has been declaring for decades that it has only one difference with Turkey, that of the delimitation of their maritime zones. However, Turkey has been raising a series of other issues too.
However, despite the longstanding issues that have been fueling tensions for decades, a glimmer of hope emerged last year. Following the devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey and Greece’s immediate mobilisation to support its neighbour, a faded light of hope returned to those looking closely at the relations between these two nations.
The History Behind the Strained Relations of Greece and Turkey
The Greek-Turkish relations have been characterised by conflict and cooperation, stretching back over centuries. This history has been marked by key events that have left an indelible stain on the relationship between them. From the early 19th century, when Greece fought for independence from the Ottoman Empire to the Cyprus War in 1974, the two nations have faced each other on the military front many times in the 19th and 20th centuries.
More recently, the disputes between Greece and Turkey over the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), airspace, and the casus belli declaration by Turkey are crucial to understanding the many layers and the dynamics of their relations.
These disputes find their roots in historical, geographical, as well as legal issues, with the Peace Treaty of Lausanne, for example, being at the forefront of Turkey’s claims against Greece. This situation has established a status quo in the Aegean that resembles that of the Cold War between Washington and Moscow before the fall of Communism.
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Greece that Turkey refuses to recognise. Credit: Flanders Marine Institute, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Dispute
The EEZ dispute revolves around the rights of Greece and Turkey to explore and exploit marine resources. These include oil and gas reserves beneath the seabed. Recent discoveries made in the Eastern Mediterranean by Israel, Cyprus and Egypt have placed additional pressure on the already tense relations of the two sides.
Greece, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), argues that its islands are entitled to their own EEZs, which would significantly extend Greece’s maritime jurisdiction, especially in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas. Turkey, on the other hand, has not ratified UNCLOS. This is why it claims that the presence of Greek islands near its coast unfairly limits its access to maritime areas and resources that –they believe– belong to them. Ankara argues that a fair solution would be for a delimitation that considers the size of the continental shelf of mainland Turkey as the primary basis for maritime boundaries. This disagreement has led to continuous heightened tensions, especially around energy exploration activities conducted by Turkey in waters that, according to UNCLOS, should be considered part of the Greek EEZ.
The Rafale is a French twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft. Greece received its first six Rafale jets from France in January 2022 as part of a larger order for 24 aircraft. Credit: Hellenic Air Force (HAF)
Airspace Dispute
The airspace dispute is another point of contention between Athens and Ankara. Greece claims a 10-mile airspace zone around its territory, extending beyond its 6-mile territorial waters. This is a peculiarity on the global stage, as the norm is that countries exercise sovereignty in the same length both in water and in the air. Turkey, therefore, does not recognise Greece’s claim and argues that the airspace should correspond directly with the territorial waters.
This is another major reason behind frequent incursions by Turkish aircraft into Greek airspace. Up until recently, Turkey not only violated Greece’s 10-mile airspace but engaged in practising dangerous flights of fighter jets above inhabited Greek islands, provoking Greece’s strong response in multiple instances. These incursions very often resulted in military standoffs, with both Greek and Turkish fighter jets engaging in mock dogfights, something that should have not been the case between two NATO allies.
The Turkish Casus Belli Declaration
Perhaps one of the most contentious issues between the two countries is Turkey’s casus belli (cause for war) declaration against Greece. In 1995, the Turkish Grand National Assembly issued a declaration that Turkey would consider it an act of war (casus belli) if Greece extended its territorial waters beyond 6 miles in the Aegean Sea.
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Credit: Yildiz Yazicioglu, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
This declaration was made in response to potential Greek moves to extend its territorial waters under UNCLOS. This UN convention allows nations to extend their territorial waters up to 12 miles. Greece remains one of the very few –if not the only– nations in the world that has not exercised this right yet, apart from its western shores in the Ionian Sea, facing Italy.
This Turkish stance has effectively placed a legal and diplomatic minefield in the Aegean Sea. A declared threat of war from one NATO ally to another not only undermines the southeastern flank of the Alliance but also poses a great danger to the stability of the broader area. The Turkish casus belli also hinders efforts to resolve maritime disputes, contributing to the ever-growing militarisation of the region.
Recent Attempts to Improve Relations Between Greece and Turkey
However, in recent months, a series of diplomatic gestures and high-level meetings have signalled a thaw in Greek-Turkish relations. Following Greece’s rapid assistance to Turkey after the devastating earthquake of early 2023, both the public mood and the political priorities of the leadership of the two nations changed very quickly.
The Turkish people were moved not only by the amount of humanitarian aid that ordinary Greeks sent to Turkey but also by the efforts of the Greek rescuers who rushed to the epicentre of the destruction, saving lives.
This shift in the public mood was sealed by following meetings between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two men signed a friendship declaration between Greece and Turkey in Athens last December, in a symbolic move that confirms the warming of relations between the two nations.
The declaration committed both countries ”to refrain from any statement, initiative, or act likely to undermine or discredit the letter and spirit of this Declaration or endanger the maintenance of peace and stability in their region”
Turkey’s President Erdogan (left) and Greek PM Mitsotakis laughing during a signing ceremony of the ”Athens Agreement” in December 2023. Credit: Greek PM’s office
In addition, it called on both countries ”to resolve any dispute amicably arising between them through direct consultations between them or through other means as provided for in the United Nations Charter.” US President Joe Biden expressed his endorsement of the “constructive steps” between Greece and Turkey too, a few days after the meeting in Athens.
Factors Influencing the Diplomatic Rapprochement
This recent improvement in Greek-Turkish relations can be attributed to many external and internal factors, apart from the ”diplomacy of the earthquakes”. Externally, the European Union’s under-the-radar diplomatic efforts pushed primarily Ankara to a more relaxed stance towards Greece.
Germany was at the forefront of this nearly-undercover effort, as Berlin wants Turkey to remain a strategic economic partner of the EU. Additionally, regional security concerns, such as the strategic importance of NATO unity at a time when Russia wages war against Ukraine, also played a crucial role in the recent rapprochement.
As for internal factors that helped the amelioration of the relations, these were mainly the victory of President Erdogan in Turkey’s elections in 2023. This caused a shift in the economic priorities of his government. Because of this and due to a growing recognition of the benefits of cooperation over confrontation, Erdogan chose to ease the tensions between the two nations. The mutual interest in energy exploration and addressing migration issues were crucial factors after all.
Challenges Ahead
Despite the positive momentum, significant obstacles remain on the horizon. The unresolved maritime dispute in the Aegean Sea and the nations’ differing views on Cyprus continue to be crucial flashpoints.
Military build-ups, especially with the recent US approval of Greece’s intention to purchase F-35 fighter jets and equally Turkey’s demand to procure upgraded F-16 jets, demonstrate that the difficult days are far from over. This, along with rising nationalism on both sides and historical grievances can easily reignite tensions. This could undermine efforts towards reconciliation at any time. This is why the challenge now lies in addressing these issues in a constructive and measured way.
An example of how fragile things remain is that tensions between the two countries escalated again recently following the announcement from Greece of plans to establish two brand new marine parks in the Aegean and Ionian seas.
The Turkish foreign ministry issued a statement recently and warned that it would “not accept fait accompli” and that some of the proposed protected areas that Greece had announced lie in what it called ”disputed waters”. Turkey also claimed that the initiative on behalf of Greece was not environmentally but instead “politically motivated”. According to the Greek plans, the country aims to ban completely activities such as bottom trawling, which is a destructive fishing practice, in all its marine protected areas by 2030. The plan said that this would start with the new parks as early as 2026.
This move would make Greece the first European country to implement such a ban, putting it at the forefront of environmental protection in marine areas. Despite the projected environmental benefits, the decision has led to yet another point of disagreement between Athens and Ankara.
Nonetheless, high-level diplomatic and military meetings between Greek and Turkish officials are scheduled to take place in the next few weeks. This will culminate with the leaders of Greece and Turkey meeting on May 13 in Ankara. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that he would meet his Turkish counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan next month at the culmination of a two-day summit of the European Council in Brussels.
Opportunities for Cooperation Between Greece and Turkey
The two leaders now believe that economic partnerships, particularly in tourism and trade, can yield substantial benefits for both nations.
Greece’s careful work in Brussels to finalise an agreement that now sees Turkish citizens being able to go to the Greek islands of the Eastern Aegean for 7 days with a quick visa upon arrival was warmly welcomed by the Turkish public. This also brings hopes of further economic development on these islands, which have suffered considerably from the recent refugee and migrant crises.
Collaborating on energy exploration and renewable energy projects, including the potential for nuclear energy cooperation, presents another promising opportunity for the two countries. Additionally, joint efforts to manage migration flows and combat human trafficking can put the tensions of 2020 aside and enhance regional stability.
The recent amelioration in Greek-Turkish relations does represent a new, hopeful chapter in the long and contentious history of the two nations. Although the shadows of history loom large, the potential for a guided and carefully delivered improvement in relations is still possible. This, of course, provided that Turkey will continue its path of establishing better relations with its Western partners, away from the dangerous rhetoric and actions of the past several years. 2020 is not too far after all, and the two countries remember very well how close to war they were back then.
There is evidence that gold was plentiful in Mycenae as indicated by the Mycenaean death masks that were found. The one on the right is the so-called “Mask of Agamemnon.” Credit: Zde / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Xuan Che / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
The gold and silver mines of North Greece and Lavrio produced the metals the ancient Greeks needed to forge empires and lay the foundations of Western civilization.
The mineral wealth of ancient Greece played a crucial role not only in making weapons and armor for its victorious armies but also in funding the building of ships and war machines. Furthermore, the precious metals were necessary for the Greeks to mint coins, make jewelry, and decorate elaborate monuments and temples to honor their heroes and worship their gods.
Considering its relatively small size, ancient Greece contained an extraordinary variety of mineral wealth of great value. For instance, Homer mentioned gold very often, both in the Iliad and the Odyssey. At the beginning of the 8th century BC, several mining centers emerged in Rodopi, Paggaion, and Thassos in northern Greece, in Lavrio in Attica, and the islands of Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, and others.
The mines in northern Greece are famous for their gold deposits. On the other hand, gold objects found in the Peloponnese indicate that they were not far from a small placer deposit. In Attica, the mines in Lavrio produced tons of silver beginning in the Classical period.
The golden artifacts found in the graves at Mycenae indicate that there was plentiful gold, silver, and bronze in the Mycenaean period. In Homeric poetry, we have the mention of “Mycenae rich in gold.”
Gold and silver mining in ancient Greece
According to John N. Economopoulos, Professor of Mining at the National Technical University of Athens, exploitation of the mineral wealth of Greece started during the archaic period from 2500 BC to 1125 BC. However, findings and data for that period are limited.
Since ancient times, Greece had plentiful industrial minerals. Notably, these included magnesite, copper, perlite, pumice, asbestos, and marbles as well as globally important metallic ores, especially bauxite. Furthermore, quartz, feldspars, kaolin, emery, and other minerals have also been mined on a secondary scale.
There was metal mining activity during the archaic period, but there is vague information about the sources of the metals. However, of all metallurgical centers of Greek antiquity, Lavrio is at the top because of the importance and duration of its activities but also because of the value and significance of the impressive archaeological findings.
Lavrio is often referred to by several ancient authors, poets, historians, and geographers. Economopoulos argues that the main metals known to the Greeks, with the exception of gold, were mostly found in compounds (ores) rather than in a free state. Early on, miners exploited placers and veins found on the surface. When these sources became exhausted, the Greeks turned to underground mining.
Among those who wrote about metallurgy and mining were: Plato, Aristotle, Theophratus, Diodorus, Siculus, Strabo, Herodotus, Plutarch, Xenophon, and Pliny. All of them described the process of mining, meaning prospecting for and collection of the minerals, followed by a specific processing technique designed to enrich the precious material. The subsequent refining was achieved in the metallurgical process.
Importance of Lavrio mine
Lavrio is located at the southern edge of the Attica Peninsula about 75 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of Athens. It is not clear when metallurgical activities actually started in the area. By the middle of the 4th century BC, the great Athenian historian Xenophon wrote: “Everyone knows that the Lavrio mines are very old, but no one even dares to say about the time they have started.”
The question remains unanswered: How old are they? There are some indicators. The lead found in Minoan artifacts discovered on the island of Thera, when examined by isotopic analytical methods, proved to be identical to the Lavrio lead ore.
Near Thorikos town, very close to Lavrio, a runnel was discovered containing ceramic which could be dated to the early Bronze Age. Consequently, works in the mine probably started circa 3000 BC and developed further much later. Scientists accept the suggestion that it was operating during Mycenaean times—that is, between 2000 and 1200 BC. It seems then that organized mining probably began during the middle of the 8th century BC, and there are indications that the production of silver took place during the 7th century BC.
By the 6th century BC, the production of silver gradually increased and reached its peak during the 5th century BC, when Athens was under the leadership of one of its greatest statesmen, Pericles. He was the one who initiated the term Golden Age of the Classical period of ancient Greece. This was when the Parthenon and the other magnificent structures and statues were erected.
During 483 BC, a rich new deposit was discovered—the Maronia deposit. Its exploitation tremendously advanced the mining activities in Greece which had continued since and formed an industry. The production of silver was considerable during the 3rd century BC and only declined in the next century. A brief revival took place during the middle of the 2nd century BC and eventually ended. In the first part of the 1st century BC (probably 87 BC), the mine that had produced an estimated 3,500 tons of silver since it began operating probably came to an end.
Contribution of gold and silver mines to ancient Greek civilization
A big part of the silver coming out of the Lavrio mines was taken to Athens to be minted into coins by the state, while a good portion was exported. The lead produced (about 1.4 million tons) was also used for domestic and commercial purposes. Copper was another valuable product of the district, whereas iron was used for tool making.
During the archaic and Classical periods of Greek history, operations related to mining and metallurgy undoubtedly played an important role in creating its influential civilization, while at the same time, these helped Greece to confront its various enemies successfully. It is widely known that a sudden peak in the production of silver in Lavrio and the revenue generated helped Themistocles build a massive fleet that won the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, and the invading Persians were kicked out of Greece. This great sea victory eventually contributed to the creation of the Athenian Empire.
Ancient Greek historian Plutarch wrote about the cunning speech of Themistocles to Athenians. He had tried to convince them to use the revenue generated from the Lavrio silver mining to build triremes to fight the Persians instead of distributing it to the citizens:
“Whereas the Athenians were wont to divide up among themselves the revenue coming from the silver mines at Laureium [Lavrio], he [Themistocles], and he alone, dared to come before the people with a motion that this division be given up, and that with these moneys triremes be constructed for the war against Aegina. This was the fiercest war then troubling Hellas, and the islanders controlled the sea, owing to the number of their ships. Wherefore all the more easily did Themistocles carry his point, not by trying to terrify the citizens with dreadful pictures of Darius or the Persians—these were too far away and inspired no very serious fear of their coming, but by making opportune use of the bitter jealousy which they cherished toward Aegina in order to secure the armament he desired. The result was that with those moneys they built a hundred triremes, with which they actually fought at Salamis against Xerxes.”
The North Greece gold mines
It must also be noted that by the middle of the 4th century BC, Philip II, King of Macedon, initiated the intensive mining of the gold and silver deposits of Paggaion Mountain. This great wealth helped build the magnificent palace in Pella. More importantly, it created the invincible Macedonian army that helped him forge his own empire. He handed that down to his more famous son, Alexander the Great, who conquered kingdoms in the Near East and Asia from 334 to 323 BC and expanded the empire to lengths like no other prior to him.
The contribution of mining to the development of Classical Greece was tremendous. The wealth generated allowed for the creation of the Golden Age of Pericles’ Athens, the construction of the temples and mosaics of Pella in Macedonia, and the erection of glorious monuments such as the Parthenon and the Acropolis statues. These all had a lasting imprint on Greek society and culture as well as the rest of the Hellenized world. Apart from its other claims to fame, Classical Greece can attribute much of its glory to individual achievement, assuring the nation a place among the greatest of eras of humankind.
A man who set himself on fire outside the trial of Donald Trump in New York has died. Credit: SWinxy / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
It has been confirmed that a man who set himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where former US President Donald Trump is on trial has died.
The man has been identified as Maxwell Azzarello. On Saturday morning, the police told NBC News that Azzarello had been “declared deceased by hospital staff.”
The incident, which occurred whilst the jury selection was being made for Trump’s trial, took place in a designated area outside the courthouse for protestors to gather.
Why did Azzarello set fire to himself outside Trump’s trial?
The exact motive for Azzarello’s self-immolation is not yet known, although details of the incident have since emerged.
Azzarello, aged 37, had recently traveled from his home in Florida to New York within the past week. He had no prior criminal record in New York, and his family in Florida was unaware of his trip to the city.
The authorities reportedly received an emergency call at approximately 1:30 PM local time informing them that a man had set himself alight.
According to the BBC, New York Police Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said that Azzarello was observed “shuffling around” in the park before retrieving flammable liquid and pamphlets from a bag.
The pamphlets were described as being “propaganda-based” and concerned a “conspiracy theory.”
Due to the ongoing court case, there was significant police presence outside the courthouse, and officers swiftly entered the park, urgently calling for a fire extinguisher. Azzarello was then transported on a stretcher, suffering from severe burns. He was taken to a hospital burn center in critical condition but did not survive.
A similar incident occurred in February
Azzarello’s act of self-immolation appears to be the second known case of a man intentionally setting himself on fire in the United States, possibly driven by political or ideological motives, although it must be stressed that Azzarello’s have not been confirmed by investigators.
On February 25th, an active-duty airman of the US Air Force died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. while shouting, “Free Palestine, free Palestine!”
In a video, the man, identified as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, Texas, declared that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide” before setting himself alight in full military uniform. Bushnell was on fire for about a minute before the Metropolitan Police Department extinguished it.
Self-immolation has a long history associated with political protests and acts of religious martyrdom. According to work by the scholar Dennis Zuev, “Self-immolations have been performed by people around the world, regardless of religious background, political affiliation, or ideological outlook. Many self-immolators subsequently became national icons of resistance, such as ‘the burning monk,’ Thích Quảng Đức, in Vietnam and Romas Kalanta in Lithuania.”
Members of the international community have urged Israel and Iran to work towards de-escalation: IDF Spokeperson’s Unit / Public Domain / Student News Agency / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Following a report from two US officials on Friday morning that a missile strike by Israel had hit targets in Iran, international leaders around the world have called for de-escalation.
The targeted area of Iran was Isfahan, the site of a large airbase, a major missile production complex, and several nuclear facilities.
The missile strike, which has not been officially confirmed by the Israeli military, was the latest incident to occur between the two countries. Israel and Iran have been locked in a state of geostrategic competition with one another for decades, but recent escalations have brought the rivalry to a boiling point.
Tensions were heightened significantly with an attack launched by Iran against Israel on the evening of April 13. It involved a combination of over 300 drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, although the vast majority of these were intercepted.
Tehran’s reasoning for the initial attack was that a number of senior officers belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on a compound in Syria on April 1.
Calls for de-escalation by the international community
Several high-profile diplomats, politicians, and world leaders have urged Israel and Iran to de-escalate the situation.
Speaking from a G7 meeting in Italy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters: “All I can say is that for our part and for the entire G7, our focus has been on de-escalation and on avoiding a larger conflict. Actually that’s been true since day one and the horrific events of October 7. A big part of our approach has been to prevent the conflict from spreading to avoid escalation everywhere.”
António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, made a similar call for “restraint” in the Middle East. Guterres took to X on Friday, where he said that it was “high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East,” without explicitly referring to Iran or Israel.
It is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East.
I condemn any act of retaliation & appeal to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region & beyond.
Is de-escalation between Israel and Iran feasible?
Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, Arab affairs advisor, and negotiator during the First and Second Intifadas, assessed that the limited nature of the Israeli strike has provided both sides with an off-ramp to de-escalate.
“Israel’s strike early this morning on Iran projects deterrence, sending the strong message to Tehran that Isfahan, and the Iranian nuclear centers in its vicinity, as well as the entire country of Iran, are within range for Israeli counterstrikes should it further escalate,” commented Melamed.
“The Israeli strike’s intended limited impact both showcases Israel’s restraint and resolve to respond to Iran’s strike last weekend while also not giving the regime the excuse to escalate further. It’s likely for this reason that Israel chose to target an airbase, in response to the successful Iranian hit on the Israel Air Force’s Nevatim base Sunday morning.
“The Regime has already started to signal its disinterest in further escalating by denying Israeli success and minimizing the impact of the strike.
“That could seemingly indicate a likely end to the current direct exchange of fire between Iran and Israel.”
Bryan Johnson, one of a handful of anti-aging influencers who are fighting back against passing years. Credit: Bryan Johnson Instagram
Growing older is a difficult reality we all must face, with greying hair, sagging skin, and a general lapse in energy, aging can be a dispiriting process; that’s why these influencers are spending millions of dollars to try and stave off the effects of passing years.
The best known of these anti-aging influencers is Bryan Johnson, a 46-year-old tech millionaire who has appeared time and time again on social media for going to extreme lengths to curb the effects of aging in a longevity project called Blueprint.
Johnson reportedly takes more than 100 supplements a day, undergoes constant medical assessments, keeps to a strict diet that prohibits any food after 11 am, goes to bed at 8.30 pm, and experiments with a huge variety of treatments, most notably trying blood-plasma donations from his teenage son.
He has also sought to revitalize his reproductive health with shockwave therapy.
Having been gripped by this anti-aging obsession in 2021, Johnson now spends $2 million per year on his regimen. As he states on his website “My journey and protocol is openly shared and accessible to all.”
He also published a book in November 2023 titled Don’t Die, which he wrote under the pseudonym ‘Zero’.
Several longevity experts have expressed doubts about whether Blueprint can really turn back the clock in the way Johnson claims, given how genetics play a role in determining lifespan and the severely time-consuming effort and discipline required by these methods.
Asked by Rolling Stone why he wants to publicize his his project so much, Johnson said “Blueprint may seem like it’s about diet, sleep, and health. It’s not. It’s about figuring out how we survive as a species. And if you look at this from a macro scale, we treat planet Earth like we treat our own bodies. Measure Earth with millions of biomarkers, you look at evidence and say, ‘What is the proper way to manage the coral reef, and the biosphere, and land and soil,’ and you would then create protocols that humans would deliver.”
The health-conscious tech mogul has also shared his goal to eventually have all of his major organs – including his brain, liver, kidneys, teeth, skin, hair, and reproductive organs — functioning as they were in his late teens.
The Leaders Board of Anti-Aging Influencers
But Johnson is not at the top of the leaders board on the Rejuvenation Olympics website he founded. According to the site, Johnson is ranked number seven, below other anti-aging influencers and directly below a man named David Pascoe.
Pascoe is a 61-year-old, retired systems engineer, but looks – and apparently, physically is – more like a 38-year-old. Indeed, Pascoe’s epigenetic age 37.95, and his speed of aging is 0.66 biological years for every calendar year.
The Longevity Newsletter reported that Pascoe’s philosophy is to look at what successful slow-agers are doing and emulate it, which, for him, has translated into several longevity interventions, including exercising every day, eating whole foods, mainly fruit, vegetables, and seafood, cold therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, occasional fasting and 120 supplements a day.
Although this is extreme, it pales in comparison to Johnson’s routine. For instance, Pascoe doesn’t restrict calories, isn’t vegan, doesn’t use testosterone replacement therapy, and doesn’t get a battery of tests to check on each of his organs. He estimates his entire protocol costs less than $38,000 per year, compared to Johnson’s $2 million per year.
Scientists have unearthed fossil vertebrae from the largest snake that ever existed. Credit: lovine. CC BY 2.0/flickr
Fossil vertebrae excavated during a mine dig in western India are the remains of one of the largest snakes that ever existed, a creature thought to be up to 15 meters in length – longer than a T-rex.
Scientists have recovered 27 vertebrae from the monster snake, including a couple that are still in the same position as they would have been when the creature was alive. They claimed the snake, which has been named Vasuki Indicus, would have looked like a large python, with no venom.
The lignite mine where the snake fossil was unearthed is in Panandhro, in the western state of Gujarat.
Largest known madtsoiid snake from warm Eocene period of India suggests intercontinental Gondwana dispersal Vasuki indicus gen et sp. nov. estimated body length of ~ 11–15 m https://t.co/ArKdFSZGb2pic.twitter.com/GS2gzCSx0z
“Considering its large size, Vasuki was a slow-moving ambush predator that would subdue its prey through constriction like anacondas and pythons. This snake lived in a marshy swamp near the coast at a time when global temperatures were higher than today,” said Debajit Datta, a postdoctoral researcher in palaeontology at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and the lead author of the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday – as reported by the Guardian.
Due to the incomplete nature of the Vasuki fossil, the scientists have given an estimated length range of 11-15 meters and one ton in weight.
Was the Vasuki Snake Fossil larger than Others Found Previously?
Vasuki, named after the snake king linked to the Hindu god Shiva, comes close in size to another enormous prehistoric snake called Titanoboa, the fossils of which were found in a coal mine in northern Colombia in 2009. Titanoboa, believed to be around 13 meters long and more than one ton in weight, lived between 58 million and 60 million years ago. The largest living snake today is Asia’s reticulated python, coming in at 10 meters.
“The estimated body length of Vasuki is comparable to that of Titanoboa, although the vertebrae of Titanoboa are slightly larger than those of Vasuki. However, at this point, we cannot say if Vasuki was more massive or slender compared to Titanoboa,” Sunil Bajpai, a palaeontologist, professor at Roorkee, and the study’s co-author told the Guardian.
These snakes existed during the Cenozoic era, which began after the dinosaur age ended 66 million years ago.
The largest Vasuki vertebra fossil was around 11cm wide, and the snake seems to have had a broad, cylindrical body perhaps around 44cm wide. The skull was not found.
“Vasuki was a majestic animal,” Datta said. “It may well have been a gentle giant, resting its head on a high porch formed by coiling its massive body for most parts of the day or moving sluggishly through the swamp like an endless train.”
The research team is not certain what prey Vasuki would have eaten, but taking into account its size, it may have included crocodilians. Other fossils found in the area included crocodilians and turtles, as well as fish and two primitive whales, kutchicetus, and Andrewsiphius.
Vasuki was a member of the madtsoiidae snake family that existed roughly 98 million years ago but went extinct around 12,000 years ago. These snakes proliferated from India through southern Eurasia and into north Africa after the Indian subcontinent collided with Eurasia around 50 million years ago, Bajpai told the Guardian.
Remains of what is believed to be a furnace used to heat Roman Emperor Augustus’ bath. Credit: University of Tokyo.
A nearly 2,000-year-old building has been discovered in Southern Italy at a site with ancient Roman ruins buried in volcanic ash. The research team posits it may have been a villa owned by Roman Emperor Augustus (63 BC-14 AD). Augustus was the first emperor of Rome.
The team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, led by Mariko Muramatsu, a professor of Italian studies, began excavating the Somma Vesuviana ruins on the northern side of Mount Vesuvius in the Campania Region in 2002.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo have unearthed an ancient villa from beneath volcanic ash that they believe may have been used by the first Roman emperor, Augustus
As recorded in accounts from antiquity, Augustus died at his villa northeast of Mount Vesuvius, and a memorial was erected there afterwards in memory of his accomplishments. However, the precise location of that villa remained a mystery.
The research team has uncovered part of a structure that was thought to be used as a warehouse. One wall of the building contains lots of amphora ceramic containers organized in rows.
On top of this, they found the ruins of what was likely a furnace that was used to heat the bath. A section of the wall had collapsed, scattering ancient roof tiles along the floor.
Amphora ceramic containers lined along a wall of a structure at the Somma Vesuviana site. Credit: University of Tokyo
Carbon dating of material taken from the furnace showed that most samples were from around the first century. Researchers hold that no material was dated back to the subsequent period, and they believe the kiln was no longer in use at this point.
What was the villa like?
Experts also claim there is a possibility the building was Roman Emperor Augustus’ villa, as it had a private bath—a luxury which was typically only bestowed upon influential figures of the time. In addition, they said the bath was out of use around the same time that Augustus died, and what appeared to be a large temple was later built on the site.
The volcanic material covering the ruins was found to have originated from the pyroclastic flow of lava, rocks, and hot gases which spewed from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, according to a chemical composition analysis conducted by the researchers. Pompeii on the mountain’s southern slope was destroyed by that same eruption.
“We have finally reached this stage after 20 years,” said Masanori Aoyagi, professor emeritus of Western classical archaeology at the University of Tokyo, who originally led the research team that started excavating the site in 2002. “This is a major development that will help us determine the damage caused to the northern side of Vesuvius and get a better overall idea of the eruption in 79.”
Who was Augustus, the first Roman emperor?
Augustus, also known as Octavian, was the founder of the Roman Empire. He ruled as the first Roman Emperor from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. The reign of Augustus began an imperial cult, as well as an era associated with imperial peace (Pax Romana) during which the Roman world was largely free of armed conflict.
Ephesus: An ancient Greek city-state in Anatolia. A well-preserved facade of the Celsus Library. Credit: Benh LIEU SONG Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
While Athens and Sparta dominate history book pages, there are lesser known ancient Greek city-states that played an important role in the spread of Greek civilization.
City-states such as Thebes in Central Greece, Argos and Corinth in the Peloponnese, the island of Rhodes, and the Ionian Ephesus and Miletus on the Anatolia coast contributed greatly to the glory of ancient Greece and its priceless influence on the Western World.
The Theban city-state
Thebes in Boeotia, north of the Attica region in Central Greece, spans five millennia of history and has a rich mythology. It had contacts with the Minoan civilization as ruins of the palace at Cadmea attest. It was an important Mycenaean center in the middle to late Bronze Age and a powerful city-state in the Classical period. The kingdom of Thebes played an instrumental role in the Persian Wars (492-449 BC) and sided with Sparta against Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC).
According to legend, Thebes was the birthplace of mighty Heracles and the place where the Sphinx, the mythical creature with a woman’s head and a winged lion’s body, terrorized the area until her riddle was solved. It was also the place where the legendary tragedies Oedipus the King and Antigone by Sophocles took place.
In the 6th century BC, a league of Boeotian cities was formed and led by Thebes. In the 5th century, Thebes clashed with the Plataea city-state, located on the border with Attica. Hostility to Athens over mutual interest in the Plataea area encouraged the Thebans to collaborate with Persia and later with Sparta. When Sparta won the Peloponnesian War, Thebans suggested the annihilation of Athens, but the Spartans refused.
Eventually, Thebes and Sparta clashed, and the Spartans won. They disbanded the Boeotian League and occupied Cadmea in 382 BC. Three years later, Thebes managed to reorganize the league and responded by taking back Cadmea. They fought two victorious battles against the Spartans at Tegyra in 375 BC and Leuctra in 371 BC. The latter sealed the dominance of the Thebans in the region and proved to be of great importance, as the Leuctra battle tactics were copied by Philip II of Macedon who was living in Thebes and studying war techniques under Theban General Epaminondas at the time.
For the next ten years, Thebes was the first military power in Greece. Its commander Epaminondas invaded the Peloponnese (370–362 BC) and died at the Battle of Mantineia. After that, the power of Thebes declined. In 346, civil strife forced Thebes to admit Philip II of Macedon. When Thebes fell out with Philip, the Macedonian king destroyed its army in the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC and dissolved the Boeotian League. In 336 BC, Philip II was assassinated, and the Boeotians revolted. This time, Alexander the Great destroyed Thebes completely after he massacred all the men and sold all women and children to slavery.
Thebes was rebuilt by Alexander’s general, Cassander, in 316 BC and for years wavered between independence and subjugation, forming alliances as circumstances required. The Thebans participated in the Achaean revolt against Rome and eventually were conquered. Roman general Sulla stripped Thebes of half its territory in 86 BC.
Aerial view of the castle of Argos, one of the oldest city-states in Ancient Greece. Credit: Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Argos: One of the oldest Greek city-states
Argos in the northeastern Peloponnese is one of the oldest ancient Greek city-states and one of the oldest towns in Europe, as it has been inhabited since 3000 BC. It was named after Argos (or Argus), the son of Zeus, and Niobe. Argos was favored by goddess Hera and it held the Panhellenic Heraia festival from the 7th century BC onwards. A sanctuary dedicated to Hera has been found six miles from the city.
Ancient Argos was an important Mycenaean town during the Late Bronze Age (1700-1100 BC), reaching its peak in the 14th and 13th centuries BC. In the 7th century BC, during the reign of King Pheidon, Argos witnessed its greatest growth and strength. It started controlling the rest of the Argolid cities and became a powerful opponent of Sparta’s supremacy in the Peloponnese. Argive warriors beat the Spartans in the Battle of Hysiae in 669–668 BC. For some historians, this ended Spartan rule. Pheidon introduced such military innovations as hoplite tactics and double-grip shields.
During that period, Argos was famous for its rich agriculture, horse rearing, pottery and bronze workshops, sculpting schools, tanneries, and clothing manufacturers. It hosted at least twenty-five events in addition to the usual expositions of local goods.
During the Persian Wars of the 5th century, Argos declined to join the Hellenic League of Greek nations in 481 BC and afterward either stayed neutral or showed a pro-Persian stance. Taking advantage of the turmoil in Greece at the time, Argos absorbed neighboring kingdoms like Tiryns, Mycenae, and Nemea. From 415 BC until approximately 330 BC, it hosted the biannual Panhellenic Games, which had previously been hosted in Nemea.
Argos remained neutral during the wars of Philip II of Macedon. In 281 BC, he became a member of the Achaean League (281-146 BC). When Rome took control of Greece from 146 BC on, the city’s mythical heritage meant that Argos enjoyed a certain prestige even in Roman times. Roman Emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138 AD) built several buildings and structures in the city, including an aqueduct and baths.
Corinth: Connecting Central Greece with the Peloponnese
The site of ancient Corinth in northern Peloponnese was first inhabited in the Neolithic period (6500-3250 BC). Its strategic location at the intersection of land routes from mainland Greece towards the Peloponnese and waterways that connect the Western Mediterranean to its Eastern counterpart and Asia Minor offered the region enormous potential for communication, growth, and prosperity.
Homer described the city-state as “prosperous” in the Iliad because of its especially fertile soil. The great output of agricultural products meant extensive trade activities mainly towards the Western Mediterranean. In the 8th century BC, the Corinthians established colonies on Corfu in the Ionian Sea and Syracuse in Sicily, playing an important role in the history of the ancient Mediterranean world. The economic prosperity of the city-state reached its apogee in the 7th to 6th centuries BC under the administration of the tyrant Cypselus and his son Periander.
During its time of prosperity, Corinth erected grandiose buildings like the Temple of Apollo (560 BC) and promoted the Isthmian Games at the Corinthian sanctuary of Poseidon and Amphitrite at Isthmus to the status of the Panhellenic Games (584 BC), further increasing the fame and influence of the city.
However, from the end of the 6th century BC, Athens entered sea trade with its dominance in the production of ceramic vases. It soon eclipsed Corinthian trade in the Mediterranean, particularly after the Persian Wars (490-479 BC), during which, despite their powerful participation, the Corinthians were forced to yield to the primacy of the Athenians.
In the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), Corinth openly allied with Sparta, exhorting the Spartans to attack Athens. Corinth hoped the Athenians would direct their resources in the war and reduce sea trading activities. However, despite the defeat of Athens and its involvement in a number of other military campaigns, such as the so-called “Corinthian War” against Sparta (395-387 BC), the city-state of Corinth did not manage to regain its former glory.
When Philip II of Macedon organized a Panhellenic Conference in Corinth in 337 BC, the city-state temporarily returned to center stage. Nevertheless, it quickly succumbed to the Macedonians. When Aratus of Sicyon kicked out the Macedonians in 243 BC, Corinth joined the Achaean League, a union of city-states of southern Greece. However, the fighting between the League and Rome led to the battle of Leukopetra in 146 BC in the region of Isthmus, where the Greek troops were crushed by the Roman legions under Lucius Mummius. What followed was the complete destruction and devastation of Corinth.
Ephesus: The Anatolian coastal jewel
Ephesus was founded by Ionian Greeks who arrived on the west coast of Anatolia around 1000 BC. The area became known as Ionia. The ancient Greek city-state grew into an important commercial port, a religious center for the cult of Artemis, and one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League.
Legend has it that its founder was Androklos, son of Kodros, a legendary king of Athens who drove out the native people. The city-state became famous for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It was first built in 550 BC, and in the early 3rd century, the Ionians finished an even more magnificent temple.
Ephesus was conquered by the famous Croesus, king of the neighboring Lydia, around 560 BC. Croesus, renowned for his wealth, enlarged the city. It is said that he may have introduced coinage to Ephesus. However, Croesus was defeated in battle by King Cyrus the Great, and Ionia became part of the Persian Empire in 546 BC.
Nonetheless, in 498 BC, Athens backed the Ionian Revolt of the dissatisfied city-states against Persian King Darius the Great, who had appointed tyrants to the city-states of Ionia. This led to the Battle of Ephesus in which the Greeks were defeated, forcing Athens to stop the backing of the Ionians. Consequently, Persian King Darius and his successor, Xerxes tried to conquer Greece in the Greco-Persian Wars. The Greeks kicked the Persians off the mainland and most of the Greek islands.
After that, with the help of Athens in 479 BC, the Ionians pushed out the Persians from the coastal areas of Anatolia. A year later, the Ionian cities joined the anti-Persian Delian League, led by Athens, with Ephesus contributing money to the league.
In 334 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Persian king Darius III and freed the Greeks of Anatolia. Following his death in 323 BC, his generals and successors waged war on each other for control of parts of his empire. Eventually, in 301 BC, Lysimachus took control of Ionia and decided to rebuild Ephesus by moving the city, as it was prone to flooding due to River Cayster. While the city was situated around the Temple of Artemis, Lysimachus had the unpopular idea of relocating the city.
The Ephesians were very attached to their temple, and Lysimachus is said to have had to force them to move by flooding the plain. The new tyrant took it a step further and renamed the city Arsinoeia after his wife Arsinoe, who later became Queen Arsinoe II of Egypt, the scheming daughter of Ptolemy I. This never caught on, and after Lysimachus’ death in battle against the army of Seleucus I Nicator in 281 BC, the city reverted to its old name and became part of the Seleucid Empire.
When King Antiochus II Theos and his Egyptian wife were murdered in 246 BC, pharaoh Ptolemy III invaded the Seleucid Empire and took over. The Ptolemies ruled Ephesus for half a century until 197 BC. Seleucid King Antiochus III the Great tried to regain the Greek cities of Asia Minor and recaptured Ephesus in 196 BC, but he found himself facing Rome. After a series of battles, treaties, and different rulers, the city-state came under the rule of Eumenes II, the Attalid king of Pergamon. When his grandson Attalus III died in 133 BC without male children to inherit the throne, it passed to the Roman Republic.
Miletus: The oldest city-state
Miletus was a wealthy city-state from the 4th millennium BC. It was a famous trade hub standing at the gate of the East to the West and vice versa. It was a Middle Bronze Age Minoan colony (1700-1500 BC) as the important architectural remains, wall paintings, and pottery show. Between 1400 and 1100 BC, Miletus developed into a flourishing Mycenaean settlement with an imposing wall reinforced with towers and houses of the megaron plan. There was also the elaborate temple of Athena.
According to mythological tradition, Miletus was founded by Neleus, son of King Kodros of Athens, in the 11th to 10th century BC. It was the home of Greek natural philosophers such as Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Anaximenes, the historiographer Hekataios, and the town planner Hippodamos, whose rectangular grid system the city follows.
The prosperity of Miletus was mainly based on the rich land bearing plentiful agricultural products that the city-state controlled. The production of olive oil, and possibly wine, must have been significant, judging by the widespread Milesian amphorae found in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean.
Miletus was also famous for its own trading products, such as its exceptional pottery, high-quality lamb wool and textiles, and the purple dye. Its reputation continued up until the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Milesians were also involved in large-scale furniture production, making distinctive furniture with rectangular legs and ornate designs. In the 5th century BC, the beds of Miletus were particularly popular and considered valuable possessions. Between 434 and 433 BC, there were ten beds among the offerings of Miletus to the Parthenon of Athens. This increased to sixteen in subsequent years.
From the 8th century BC, the prosperity of Miletus brought along an increase in population and subsequent congestion in the city-state. More importantly, however, the colonies were rich in raw materials such as metals, timber, fish, wheat, and so on. Therefore, Miletus saw a great increase in mercantile activity. Ancient sources report that the Milesians founded ninety colonies, while scholars speak of about forty. Nonetheless, even this number is very impressive. The Milesians played an active role in trade with the West and participated in the foundation of Naucratis in Egypt.
In 494 BC the city-state was destroyed by the Persians and lost its primacy in Ionia and the Black Sea. In 480 BC, when the Greeks defeated the Persians, this restored freedom to the Ionian cities. Miletus joined the Delian League and regained part of its former status. However, since its prosperity was mainly based on sea trade, the rise of Athens as a naval power subsequently led to its supremacy in sea trade in the eastern Mediterranean.
In 386 BC, the Ionian cities again came under Persian control as a result of the Kings’ Peace settlement. Then, in 334 BC, Alexander the Great freed the Ionian cities from Persian rule. During the Hellenistic period, Miletus passed under the control of several dynasties. In the period of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Miletus competed with Rhodes and Athens in trading with Alexandria, showing some signs of prosperity. Finally, it was presented to the Romans by the last king of Pergamon.
Rhodes and its famous Colossus
In Greek mythology, Rhodes was a nymph who bore seven sons to the sun god Helios, patron of the island. Rhodes was a protagonist in ancient Greece throughout the Bronze Age, Archaic, and Classical periods and was particularly prosperous during Hellenistic times. It was also famous as a cultural center and for the Colossus of Rhodes statue, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Rhodes was first inhabited in the Neolithic period as the remains of the prehistoric site of Ialysos town indicate. The settlement became an important Bronze Age center in the 16th century BC when it was in close contact with the Minoan civilization on Crete. Trade and cultural links with the Minoans are evidenced by findings of Linear A script, pottery, fresco designs, and architecture.
In the late Bronze Age, the Mycenaeans established a colony in Ialysos that had previously been destroyed by an earthquake. Pottery and rock-cut tombs arranged in rows attest to the presence of Mycenaean culture. The offerings found inside the tombs included gold and silver items, suggesting prosperity. Furthermore, the presence of Egyptian scarabs and Cypriot seals attests to an extensive trade network in the Mediterranean.
By the 10th century BC, the first Dorian city-states were established on Rhodes, namely Ialyssos, Kamiros, and Lindos. Together with Kos, Cnidus and Halicarnassus formed the Dorian Exapolis, the first economic and political union of the time.
The Persians conquered Rhodes in 490 BC, but their rule did not last long. In 474 BC, Athenian forces liberated the island, and Rhodes became a member of the Delian League, becoming dominated by Athens. In 412 BC, they revolted against Athens and sided with Sparta during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC.) In 408 BC, the island city-states united and formed a federal state for greater commercial opportunities. The capital of the new state was Rhodes at the northernmost point of the island.
In 395 BC, Rhodes cut ties with Sparta establishing Athenian-inspired democracy. In 378 BC, the island became a member of the Second Athenian Confederacy but that did not last long. Then, in 357 BC, Rhodes became subject to the Carian satrap Mausolus, who stationed a garrison on the island. Next, it was Alexander the Great, who established a Macedonian garrison on Rhodes. However, under his successors, the island enjoyed a period of its former glory and prosperity. Positioned near newly established cities in the Eastern Mediterranean and with five harbors in different parts of the island, its trade activity soared.
When Demetrius I of Macedon attempted to conquer the island around 305 BC and failed after a year-long siege, the Rhodians took advantage by selling the siege weapons and using the money to build a gigantic 33-meter (108 feet) tall bronze statue to honor their patron god Helios. They placed it at the entrance to the island’s main harbor. The Colossus of Rhodes became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was sculpted by Chares of Lindus but was toppled by an earthquake in 228 or 226 BC.
Rhodes kept its independence and continued to be a prosperous trading hub in the Aegean Sea. The island cultivated trade relations with several cities in the Mediterranean, mostly with the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt. At the same time, the naval fleet of Rhodes took on the responsibility of policing the Aegean against piracy, as several Aegean islands such as Carpathos and Nisyros were now under the control of Rhodes.
The island allied with Rome in the wars against Alexander’s successors. As thanks, Rome gave Rhodes territory in Caria and Lycia, and its dominance and trade activity was stabilized. However, the Roman decision to make Delos a free port in 167 BC diminished the trading power of Rhodes.
In 88 BC, the legendary king of Pontus Mithridates VI sieged Rhodes, and Roman general Cassius Longinus sacked the island in 43 BC. That was the end of Rhodes as a political power in ancient Greece. Yet, it continued to be an important cultural center, especially in sculpture and philosophy, with philosophers such as Andronicus, Eudemus, Panaetius, or Hecathon, as well as the writer and poet Apollonius of Rhodes.
Greek Coast Guard vessels prevent a migrant boat from arriving to Lesvos. Credit: Greek Coast Guard
The policy of rapprochement with Turkey had helped decrease illegal migration flows, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said from Lesvos.
“Greece is one of the few countries, if not the only one, which has effectively handled the problem of refugee flows with tangible results, with a significant reduction of flows, through the exceptional work done by our coast guard but also through cooperation with Turkish authorities,” Mitsotakis said, adding that the improvement in relations with Turkey had measurable results in daily life.
“The reduction, therefore, of migration flows, of illegal migration, the increase in legal visits that are the flip side of this coin, are hands-on proof that this policy of rapprochement between Greece and Turkey has real results that bring a substantial economic ‘dividend’ of growth for Lesvos and all the islands of the Eastern Aegean,” Mitsotakis added.
New flashpoint for illegal migration to Greece is in the southern Aegean
Greece is a major arrival point for migrants seeking a better life in the European Union. For years, most headed for the eastern Aegean Sea islands, such as Lesvos, Chios, and Samos near the Turkish mainland.
But increased Greek and European Union sea patrols in the area have prompted smuggling gangs to also seek alternative routes, including from Libya to southern Crete and from Turkey to Italy around the southern Greek mainland.
Mitsotakis on the fast-track visa program for Turkish tourists
Mitsotakis also referred to the fast-track visa program for Turkish tourists to the island and others, the prime minister said that this granted a long-standing request of the regional authorities that was not simple to accomplish.
“What you see today, which we accept as more-or-less self-evident, required a great deal of work by the Migration Policy Minister and his team to convince the European Commission that we are ready to meet the high-level requirements of the Schengen [Agreement]. So we are able to issue a visa essentially within minutes,” Mitsotakis said.
Pointing out that this was the only program of its kind in Europe, he stressed that it was “running” “here in the North Aegean,” while adding: “It was a commitment I made and we turned it into action.”
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.
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.
