Ruins of the Dema Wall of ancient Athens, which shares similarities with China’s famous Great Wall. Credit: Mark Landon / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Ancient Athens had its own “Great Wall” like China’s that started from Mount Aigaleo and reached Parnitha Mountain, built to stop raids during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC).
The great stone structure that is 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) long connects the two mountains in order to block the passageway between them. It was built about 2,500 years ago, during the Peloponnesian War, to stop Spartans and their allies from attacking Athens.
It was the passage that Thucydides called “Kropeia” and was the main invasion passage the Peloponnesian forces used to attack Attica and Athens.
In the 19th century the locals named the wall “Dema” or “Desis” because it looks like it “ties” the two mountains together.
The stone fortifications start from the northeast of Aspropyrgos and end around 2.5 kilometers west of the Ano Liosia suburb, where the narrow passage between Aigaleo and Parnitha Mountain is formed.
History of Dema Great Wall
The Dema Great Wall of Athens was around 4.5 kilometers long and was built to protect the strategically important pass that led from Acharnes to the Thriasian Field. From there the Spartans, under the command of King Archidamus, invaded the Acharnic Field in 431 BC, the first year of the Peloponnesian War.
The wall was built of roughly hewn polygonal boulders without binding material, with the gaps filled with smaller stones. The fortification is not a single unit, consisting of multiple small, overlapping sections, creating narrow corridors and entrances with sloping ramps behind them for easy access to its flat top. The thickness of the walls varies between 1.5 and 2.8 meters (4,92 to 9.12 feet).
Two openings that seem to have served as gates are found approximately in the middle of the Dema length. The northern one led to Oea and the southern one to the Thriasian Field. Perhaps there was a third gate. At a distance of 225 meters east of the wall, a Rear Wall has been identified, a low dam made of claystone about 120 meters long, which runs parallel to the main Dema.
Its total length has been calculated at 200 meters. It aimed to block enemy troops towards the plain of Ano Liosia, the eastern side of which is blocked. The Rear Wall was built, in all probability, at the same time as Dema or a little later.
However, the two fortifications appear to be part of the same building plan, as the Rear Wall reinforces the Dema at the point where the latter is more easily accessible, and therefore vulnerable, due to the smoothness of the ground.
Reconstruction of the “Great Wall” of Athens
Although the dating of the reconstruction of the Dema Great Wall of Athens is quite problematic due to the lack of data, most archaeologists place it in the 4th century BC.
In fact, they associate it with the Boeotian War (378-377 BC) considering that it was built to function as a bastion of a large army, which would be defended by numerous hoplites, horsemen, and peltasts.
Many historians emphasize that the Great Wall was not built to intercept enemies moving towards the city of Athens, but to delay them. Thus, the Athenian army, informed of the enemy’s advance, would overtake the attackers before they reached the city. Moreover, the Dema would not allow a large army to pass through in full formation, thus facilitating sabotage, especially in the rearguard.
So far, no efforts have been made on behalf of the Ministry of Culture or other agencies to restore and promote the Great Wall of Attica site.
Today, a railway line and a highway pass through this passage, connecting the northern suburbs of Athens with the Thriasian Field.
Cyprus requests help from EU to reduce the number of mostly Syrian migrants coming to the island via Lebanon. Credit: Mstyslav Chernov. CC BY-4.0/Wikimedia Commons/Mstyslav Chernov
Cyprus has beseeched the European Union to take vigorous action to curtail a recent surge of primarily Syrian refugees arriving by sea via Lebanon, claiming the island’s reception capacity is nearing breaking point.
At least 600 Syrians have reportedly arrived in Cyprus over the past four days on small boats, motivated by relatively calm weather, having made the approximately ten-hour journey from either Lebanon or Syria.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides remarked at a recent cabinet meeting that there is a serious crisis with these almost daily arrivals, with the country’s interior minister also commenting on the situation on state radio.
“The situation is getting progressively worse, and in the past few days we have essentially been experiencing an onslaught of rotting boats and refugees putting their lives at risk,” said Constantinos Ioannou, Cyprus’s interior minister.
“All indications are that it will continue,” Ioannou added about the increase in arrivals.
The migration puzzle is becoming increasingly complex in the Middle East, being fuelled by the Lebanese authorities’ partial loss of focus on stemming migration at its coastline, amid escalating tensions on the Lebanese-Israeli border, Ioannou said.
Around 2,004 people arrived in Cyprus by sea in the first three months of this year, compared with just 78 in the same period in 2023, according to official data.
Christodoulides, who exclaimed on Tuesday that Lebanon should not “export” its migration issue, said he had a phone conversation with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati about the situation. Lebanon plays host to hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Cyprus and its History of Syrian Refugee Intake via Lebanon
Largely ignored by traffickers in the past due to its solitude from the rest of contiguous Europe, Cyprus has experienced a surge in arrivals mostly from Syria and Lebanon because it is cheaper and easier to reach relative to other destinations – and because of the draw of a steadily growing Syrian population on the island itself.
Based on interviews with refugees, traffickers were asking for $3,000 for a journey to Cyprus, compared with $7,000 for Italy, Ioannou told state radio.
Cyprus has been appealing for a long time to its EU partners to declare parts of war-ravaged Syria safe, which may facilitate the return of its exited citizens. It also pushed for EU aid to Lebanon to be contingent upon stopping the migrant exodus, Ioannou said.
According to him, traffickers simply give those fleeing a compass set at 285 degrees, along with food and water for a day.
In 2019, Cyprus was the country with the highest number of asylum seekers in relation to its population, with most coming from Syria, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. That year, asylum seekers accounted for four percent of the total population.
Constantine the Great was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. This led to the establishment of social rights for slaves. Credit: Rijksmuseum CC0
Slaves in the Byzantine Empire were first granted social rights beginning in the 4th century. Christianity questioned slavery for being contrary to natural and divine law.
Even though Byzantium continued the tradition of slave ownership it inherited from the Roman Empire, prosperity gradually diminished the role of slaves. New laws governing slaveholding were introduced. These improved the rights of slaves and diminished the power of slave owners.
The laws restricted the master’s right to abuse, prostitute, expose, and murder slaves and their children. Legal norms also eliminated penal servitude, paved the path to manumission, and created new structures for freeing enslaved war captives through the intercession of the Christian Church.
In the 4th century, new types of semi-servility arose as new forms of bound tenancy were introduced. This replaced the need for slaves to a large degree. Byzantines used slaves mostly for housework and as industry workers but rarely in agriculture.
Slave rights in the Byzantine Empire. Reception by Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus of Princess Olga and her entourage. Credit: John Skylitzes Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Slaves in the Byzantine Empire
The rise of Christianity in the East Roman Empire in the 4th century BC brought great social changes. Constantine the Great (r. 306-337) was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He stopped the persecution of Christians and decriminalized Christian practice. He also founded Constantinople and made it the capital of Christianity and, subsequently, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
The extent of human trafficking in the Middle Ages was vast. Men, women, and children were captured in war and sold in slave markets. Slaves had different political and religious beliefs. In Byzantium, they were Greek Christians, while, in Western Europe, they were Catholics. Furthermore, slaves were Islamist in the Caliphate and pagans in the Slavic world and northern Europe. Jewish slaves were scattered throughout every corner of the empire.
Enslavement included the conversion of slaves to the religion of the enslaver. In Byzantium, they converted to Christianity, which was the state religion. A series of laws and regulations prohibited trade in Christians and the sale of slaves to Jewish and Arab slave traders.
Conversion was important not only for religious purposes but also for social integration. Religious conversion contributed to making the enslaved part of the community and were therefore deemed trustworthy. Slaves themselves wanted to rise above the status of slave and feel part of the Byzantine society. For that, two important legal customs developed: manumission in church and manumission by baptism. The first was introduced in the 5th century, and the second was attested in the 8th century. Baptism created a legal kinship between the enslaver and the freedman.
The religious identity of slaves in the Byzantine Empire empowered them and changed their legal status. Although by law they were still defined as someone’s property, the fact that they were Christians made them subjects rather than objects. Their religious identity upgraded their status, and they could marry, raise a family, become churchmen, and even act independently. They were perceived not only as subjects of their master but, most importantly, as subjects of God.
This not only benefited slaves themselves but also enslavers. A slave’s loyalty was to his/her heavenly master but also one’s Christian master in the sense that God sees all men as equal. All men, masters or slaves, were God’s subjects. Under this perspective, the legal status of the enslaved was developed.
Access to the law for slaves
One of the most interesting features of slavery in the medieval world in Europe was the development of access to the law for slaves. The roots of this approach can be traced back to the Byzantine period with the recognition of the religious identity of the slave as a believer and part of the religious community. Byzantium recognized Christian marriage between two slaves as a legal institution. The Byzantine legislator would allow Christian marriage between spouses when one of them was enslaved by a third person.
An 11th century law prohibited marriage of slave couples outside the Christian institution of marriage. The legislative application of the Christian institution of marriage in the case of slaves made marriage ties unbreakable. Furthermore, the sale of married slaves became impossible, as the religious status of the enslaved made them part of the religious society and gave them a legal status that allowed them more rights.
In essence, slaves in the Byzantine Empire acquired civil status in terms of their duties to society and their privileges. A legal definition indicates which criteria set a group of people as a civil category. The purpose of such a legal delimitation is to give special status to this group of people. We need to distinguish between legal status and civil status since the second can apply only to human beings as society members.
Byzantine law delimited the status of citizens and slaves, determining the criteria by which the enslaved was distinguished from all other members of society. Slaves in Byzantium enjoyed civil status because of their religious identity as Christians. This weakened the enslaver’s property rights. For example, during Justinian’s reign (527–565), runaway slaves could become monks or clergymen without the permission of their owner. The owner could only demand them back for a short period of time and only if they proved that they had caused damage.
Increased authority of the state
In the Byzantine Empire, legal changes regarding the status of slaves that started from the 6th century and expanded in the 10th century reflect the strengthening of public authority at the expense of restricting private authority over human property. It was not a deliberate empowerment of the enslaved but a result of the Byzantine imperial policy to increase the authority of the state over “private subjects,” meaning Byzantines who were not under the authority of the state, such as slaves.
Slavery continued to exist. What changed was that slaves were not exclusively the private property of the enslaver. They were also subjects of authority as well as of the laws of the state and the emperor. Legal rights of slaves did not lead to abolition of slavery in Byzantium but made the enslaved men and women part of a private household and Christians who were also part of the religious society.
Although enslaved persons still had inferior legal status with restrictions and were often cruelly treated, the dependence of the family organization on them along with changes in how they were defined as members of religious society often led to their manumission.
Manumission, however, did not mean independence or freedom of movement. Manumitted slaves continued to be part of the household of their enslaver. Due to the family’s financial means and the law regarding wills, they had a degree of economic autonomy. Manumitted slaves were still dependent on their former enslaver, whom they continued to refer to as “master” (kyrios, κύριος in Greek). If they decided to be “free” and relocate where they desired, they would suffer economically and socially because they would have no financial means. In fact, the dependency of the manumitted slaves on their enslaver opened up opportunities for their socioeconomic integration.
In conclusion, slavery was not abolished in the Byzantine Empire. However, due to Christian values that were dominant in its largest territorial part, enslaved persons enjoyed rights and benefits that were unheard of in other parts of the world.
Goulandris had a business called Enfield Automotive which was based on the Isle of Wight.
He pioneered the design of the electric car way back in the 1960s when the United Kingdom Electricity Council invited people in a competitive way to build an electric car. The Enfield 8000 was born from that idea.
The electric car was initially produced in the UK
The car had passed all the necessary tests for production in the United Kingdom and was on its way to being produced in the USA.
It is said that the then Governor of California Ronald Reagan sent a cargo plane to have three Enfield 8000’s transported to California in support of his Clean Air legislation.
However, it was never produced in the United States.
The Enfield 8000 parked outside the Hilton Hotel. Public Domain
120 cars were built in total of which sixty-five were used by the Electricity Council and electricity boards in southern England.
Even today, some of these vehicles are still advertised for sale in the UK. One is kept as an exhibit at the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville in the UK.
Its unique aerodynamics were based on designs made by another Greek man, Konstantine Adraktas, who was the Chairman and Managing Technical Director of Enfield.
Production of the Enfield 8000 moved to Greece
The car was eventually produced in Greece after the company was incorporated into Neorion (also owned by Goulandris), and renamed Enfield-Neorion.
There have been many arguments regarding the reason why Goulandris decided to produce the car on the island of Syros in Greece, including conspiracy theories. Thanos Lebesis, the General Manager of Enfield-Neorion at the time, argued that Mr. Goulandris had thought that “the company was owned by Greeks, the car was designed by Greeks, so it should also be produced by Greeks.”
The car was considered to have great potential in the early seventies, a time when there was a global oil crisis.
Production ceased in 1977, however, because the tax categorization issues with its electric power in Greece made it unprofitable.
Performance-wise, it wasn’t too sharp. It could do up to thirty miles per hour in less than thirteen seconds. Its top speed was about forty-eight miles per hour, and its battery range only allowed motorists to go fifty-odd miles—and that was at a slow speed!
Two Romeyka speakers in a traditional house on a summer meadow in Çaykara, Trabzon Province, Turkey. Credit: İhsan Deniz Kılıçoğlu / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Romeyka, an endangered dialect of Greek spoken in the region of Trabzon (Trapezounta) and Pontus in northern Turkey, may get a new lease of life.
Ioanna Sitaridou, a professor of Spanish and historical linguistics at the University of Cambridge, who has been studying the dialect for years, has launched The Crowdsourcing Romeyka project inviting native speakers across the world to upload a recording of themselves talking in the language.
With its remaining speakers aging, the dialect is now threatened with extinction, leading Sitaridou to launch a “last chance” crowdsourcing tool to record its unique linguistic structures before it is too late.
According to UNESCO, the Greek dialect it is “definitely endangered” and the Encyclopedia of the World’s Endangered Languages lists it as “severely endangered”.
An unknown number of speakers of the Greek dialect Romeyka
The precise number of speakers of Romeyka is hard to quantify. It has no written form but has survived orally in the mountain villages around near the Black Sea coast.
Its speakers are Muslims but many also trace their lineage back to the Pontic Greeks, who mostly left Turkey for Greece during the population exchanges of the early 20th century.
“There is a very significant diaspora which is separated by religion and national identity [from the communities in Turkey], but still shares so much,” Sitaridou told the Guardian.
Sitaridou has established that rather than having developed from modern Greek, Romeyka descended from the Hellenistic form of the language spoken in the centuries before Christ, and shares some key features with ancient Greek.
The Greek academic has concluded that “Romeyka is a sister, rather than a daughter, of modern Greek”, a finding she says disrupts the claim that modern Greek is an “isolate” language, meaning it is unrelated to any other European language.
Modern Greek and Romeyka are not mutually intelligible, says the academic; she suggests that an apt comparison would be speakers of Portuguese and Italian, both of which derive from Vulgar Latin rather than from each other.
Though the history of the Greek presence in the Black Sea is not always easy to disentangle from legend, the Greek language expanded with the spread of Christianity.
“Conversion to Islam across Asia Minor was usually accompanied by a linguistic shift to Turkish, but communities in the valleys retained Romeyka,” Sitaridou told the Guardian newspaper.
In contrast, Greek-speaking communities who remained Christian grew closer to modern Greek, especially because of extensive schooling in Greek in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Rock climbing in Kalymnos. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 2.5
The Greek island of Kalymnos has recently been selected as the second-best climbing destination (after Sardinia) in Europe by travel.com, one of the leading leisure sites.
Kalymnos has somehow managed to stay off the mainstream tourist radar, but the secret has been out among climbers for years, travel.com says.
Like much of the Mediterranean, Kalymnos has famously steep and challenging limestone marked by deep pockets and towering tufas. But, there’s plenty of rock for new climbers here, it adds.
Kalymnos welcomes 10,000 climbers every year who normally spend about a week on the island.
Kalymnos as a first-rate rock climbing destination
Kalymnos is a top destination for fitness lovers and rock-climbing fanatics.
The island is home to more than 3,500 climbing routes that are pre-equipped with permanent drilled-in bolts. All that’s required for climbing are appropriate footwear, rope, and quickdraws (slings with two carabiners to attach the rope to the bolts).
Kalymnos also possesses vast tracts of unexplored rocky terrain. As experts agree, even though it’s never without some risk, as accidents are bound to happen, it is one of the safer forms of climbing.
These are the reasons why climbers of various age and ability are attracted to Kalymnos.
Spots for families and rock climbers of all ages
Kalymnos is often chosen by rock climbers of all ages, including teenagers, families, and older climbers, as there are many routes that range in difficulty on the island.
One of the island’s most famous climbing spots is the Grande Grotta—a vast cave boasting a forest of large stalactites.
At night, after spending the day exploring the island’s caves, rock climbers usually gather in bars and tavernas of Massouri to relax.
Other than climbing, Kalymnos is also famous for its past and its connection to sponge harvesting, a thriving industry for which the island is internationally known.
Although an ancient tradition, the practice still comprises a vital part of the economy and local identity.
In fact, immigrants from Kalymnos built the town of Tarpon Springs, Florida in the US, where their descendants continue to dive for precious sponges to this day.
Pothia, the main town of Kalymnos
Pothia, the island’s main town, is a maze of brightly colored houses and seaside spots, which are perfect places to relax during any climbing vacation. Only a short distance southwest of Pothia is Therma, an area with hot therapeutic springs.
This famous rock climbing destination welcomes adventurers all year long. Many of them have fallen in love with the natural scenery and often return to the island.
This was also the case with a very original couple of climbers from Luxembourg who organized the most extreme wedding on the Greek island three years ago.
Marc Morocutti and eight-months-pregnant Sandy Kirtz pledged their eternal love while hanging from one of the unique and spectacularly beautiful climbing spots that overlook the nearby island of Telendos.
The powerful Greek gods were reflected in the natural world, and certain animals served as their symbols. Credit: Following Hadrian / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
The awe-inspiring Greek gods, deeply intertwined with the natural world, are associated with certain animals considered to be sacred embodiments of various gods. Through their unique characteristics, the creatures mirror the divine powers of these gods.
Numerous legends recount instances of the gods metamorphosing into animals, further cementing the connection between the divine and the animal kingdom. Over time, certain animals became associated with specific Greek gods.
Zeus’s Sacred Animals: Embodiments of Power and Desire
Zeus on throne, Laconian kylix, around 530 BC, Olympia. Credit: Zde / CC-BY-SA-4. / Wikimedia Commons
In the pantheon of Greek deities, Zeus, the father of gods and ruler of the sky, wielded unparalleled power and influence. His dominion over thunder and lightning was complemented by a remarkable ability to shape-shift into various animals, a skill he often employed in the pursuit of mortal affections.
Zeus’ preferred animal forms were the eagle and the bull, each embodying distinct facets of his divine persona. Many depictions of Zeus feature a magnificent golden-feathered eagle known as Aetos Dios, acting as his personal messenger and companion beside his throne.
Ganymede Waters Zeus as an Eagle by Bertel Thorvaldsen, 1817. Located in the Thorvaldsen Museum, Copenhagen. pic.twitter.com/EDOMYsNfVb
One of the eternal legends tells how Zeus turned into an eagle and kidnapped the beautiful Ganymede. According to ancient myth, Ganymede hailed from Troy, and Homer described his stunning beauty, saying in his Iliad that he “was the loveliest born of the race of mortals, and therefore the gods caught him…” Attracted by the beauty of Ganymede, Zeus turned into an eagle and captured the young man, carrying him to Mount Olympus to play the role of the god’s cupbearer.
Another animal that legends associate with Zeus was the bull. He represented brute force and strength, a manifestation of the power of Zeus. The most famous myth posits that Zeus, in love with Europa, a princess from Tyre, wanted to take her away to live with him. One day, while wandering among her father’s cattle, Europa met a bull. Unbeknownst to her, this bull was Zeus in disguise, concocting a cunning ploy to win her favor.
The Goddess Hera’s Animals
Peacocks featured prominently in ancient Greece as the symbol of Hera, the consort of Zeus. Credit: Jatin Sindhu/ CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
The wife of Zeus, Hera, held sway over realms such as marriage, women, and childbirth. In artistic depictions, Hera is often accompanied by symbolic animals that embody her divine attributes. The cow, associated with nurturing tendencies and motherhood through its care for its young, became a significant symbol for Hera. This resonates with her role in safeguarding the sanctity of marriage and offering support to women, mirroring the protective nature of the nurturing cow.
Another animalistic symbol, the cuckoo, related to Hera, harks back to the myths entwined with Zeus’ endeavors to win over the goddess. In many versions of the tale, Zeus took on the guise of an injured cuckoo to elicit Hera’s sympathy. Alternatively, the cuckoo holds broader associations, often linked to the arrival of spring or regarded as a symbol of frivolous folly.
Additionally, peacocks, adorned with the captivating “eyes” on their tails, played a distinctive role in the story of Hera. The majestic birds were harnessed to pull Hera’s chariot, symbolizing her regal presence. However, Hera’s relationship with Zeus, known for his wandering eye, led to discord.
When Zeus became enamored with Io, a priestess of Hera guarded by the vigilant Argos Panoptis, Hera intervened. In a tragic turn, Zeus ordered Argos’ demise to attain Io, but before his death, Hera immortalized Argos by transforming his one hundred eyes into the striking patterns adorning the peacock’s tail.
Poseidon, Sea God Linked to Minotaur
Poseidon, the fearsome god of the sea, was closely associated with dolphins, horses, and fish. Credit: Dosseman/ CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Poseidon, the formidable god of the sea, had three sacred animals closely associated with his dominion. Chief among them was the horse, embodying strength, beauty, and valor. In one version of his origin, Pegasus, the iconic winged horse, is believed to be a child of Poseidon, born from the mix of Medusa‘s blood and seafoam created by the god of the sea.
The dolphin, master of the seas, was also sacred to Poseidon. Additionally, the sea god was linked to various other fish, and his chariot was drawn by horses with fishtails.
Greek mosaic of a figure, possibly Poseidon, riding two dolphins located at the "House of the Dolphins" on the island of Delos. 2nd century BCE.🐬 pic.twitter.com/8q2BinZ2Ev
Further expanding his symbolic menagerie, Poseidon was linked to the bull, particularly the Cretan bull—a potent symbol of the flourishing Minoan civilization on Crete. In a captivating myth, Poseidon gifted the Cretan bull to Minos, the legendary king of the island. However, the tale took a tragic turn as Minos’s wife, Pasiphae, fell in love with the bull after Poseidon cursed her , ultimately giving birth to Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man.
Athena’s Sacred Animals, Guardians of Wisdom and Valor
In Greek mythology, Athena, goddess of wisdom had a little owl (Athene noctuna) that perched on her blind side, allowing her to see the whole truth. It was later believed that owls have a magical inner light, allowing them to see at night and into the future.#wyrdwednesdaypic.twitter.com/IZIeFzoUFT
Renowned as the goddess of wisdom and righteous war, Athena held the owl as her primary sacred animal. The owl, revered for its intelligent but also deadly nature, was a fitting symbol for Athena, representing not only intelligence but also the ability to perceive truths that elude others. It was believed that the owl’s exceptional night vision mirrored Athena’s capacity to “see” through the eyes of wisdom.
The Athena Giustiniani. 1st CE Roman copy of a 4th CE BC #Greek original of Pallas Athena. Athena wears her Corinthian helmet and holds a spear. The snake represents the myth of Erichthonios who was born of the soil and became ruler of #Athens. Vatican Museum, #Italy#Greecepic.twitter.com/U0yol6BfXT
Athena’s diverse representations included depictions of her carrying a spear entwined with a snake, emphasizing her dual role as a goddess of war and wisdom. The goddess was sporadically associated with other avian symbols such as the rooster, dove, and eagle, as evidenced by findings of amphorae adorned with both roosters and representations of her.
Apollo, Greek God Surrounded by Animals
Apollo on a swan, red figured bell krater. Date: 400 BC – 380 BC. Collection: British Museum. pic.twitter.com/cQ3nF5jKXo
Apollo, the multifaceted god of music, prophecy, and poetry, is entwined with a diverse array of animals in Greek mythology. The hawk serves as his messenger, mirroring the eagle’s role for Zeus. This bird’s association with Apollo is deeply rooted and reflected in one beautiful legend.
In Greek mythology, Daedalion, the son of Hesperos, faced a tragic transformation at the hands of Apollo. Grieving the death of his beautiful daughter Chione, Daedalion attempted to cast himself off Mount Parnassus. Rather than meeting his demise, Apollo intervened, transforming him into a hawk. This metamorphosis was a gesture of pity from the god, imbuing the hawk with great strength. In Metamorphoses Book XI, Roman poet Ovid described Daedalion’s transformation: “Now, as a hawk, he rages against all birds, is merciful to none, and, suffering, is a cause of suffering.”
Cicadas, with their musical symphony in the summer months, are considered sacred to Apollo, embodying his affinity for music and the arts. Their vibrant songs could resonate with the god’s patronage of these creative pursuits.
When Hermes was a child he stole the sacred cows of Apollo. From the entrails of a cow and a tortoise shell, he created the first lyre. Apollo discovered the thief but he was so charmed by his music that he let Hermes to keep the cattle in return for the lyre. 🎶#SundayThoughtspic.twitter.com/UKQCToQmUn
Another symbolic animal of Apollo was the cow. According to an ancient legend, Hermes, the mischievous messenger of the gods, stole fifty cattle from his older brother Apollo. Have discovered the theft, Apollo confronted Hermes, leading to a divine dispute. Zeus intervened and ordered Hermes to lead the way to the hidden cattle. The brothers eventually made peace, with Hermes gifting Apollo the lyre and receiving a whip in return.
The swan, a creature of elegance and grace, is another emblem of Apollo’s divine travels. These animals were believed to encircle Apollo’s holy shrine, singing hymns. Furthermore, the image of Apollo was surrounded by many other animals, including wolves, snakes, ravens, and mice.
By the end of the decade, the total installed capacity in Greece could more than triple to 29.6 GW. Solar power facility. Public Domain
The EU executive approved on Tuesday under EU State aid rules Greece’s request to offer financial help for two solar energy projects in the country that are expected to increase output of renewable energy.
Greece plans to invest €1bn to support two landmark renewable energy production and storage projects to be completed by mid-2025.
The Faethon Project entails the construction of two photovoltaic units, each with a capacity of 252 MW, along with integrated molten-salt thermal storage units and an extra-high voltage substation.
This project aims to enable electricity generation during the day and to allow for the surplus energy to be stored. The surplus will be converted into electricity to be used during times of peak consumption, such as evenings and nights.
The Seli Project entails the construction of a 309 MW photovoltaic unit with an integrated lithium-ion battery energy storage system. This project aims to optimize electricity generation and grid stability.
The EU Commission said the aid will be paid annually over 20 years.
Both projects are expected to increase the annual net renewable energy in the Greek electricity mix by approximately 1.2 TWh. This represents around 2.1 percent of Greece’s total electricity production in 2020, EU Commission said.
In addition, the two projects will boost renewable energy production by 8 percent compared to 2020 levels. The storage units in both projects will help decouple electricity dispatch from production, thereby mitigating the intermittent nature of solar power and enhancing the stability of the Greek electricity grid, it added.
Record increase in solar energy capacity in Greece
According to a new report by industry association Solar Power Europe, Greece’s total installed capacity last year grew by 20% with 1.6 Gigawatt of installed capacity added.
By the end of the decade total installed capacity could more than triple to 29.6 GW, the report added, faster than projected under the Greek government’s national energy strategy.
“The Greek solar photovoltaic (PV) market has gained tremendous momentum, which is expected to continue for the next few years,” the report notes.
“In 2022, 1.4 GW of new PV projects were connected to the grid, bringing the cumulative capacity to 5.5 GW. This was the best performance ever for the Greek solar sector. Still, it looks modest if compared with the expected performance of the market in 2023, which should bring online around 1.6-1.7 GW of solar capacity.”
Under Greece’s revised National Energy & Climate Plan (NECP) from last year, the government foresees 13.4 GW installed PV capacity by 2030. That is almost double the 7.7 GW target that was embodied in the previous NECP.
Cooper holding a DynaTAC cellphone in 2007. Credit: Rico Shen, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikipedia
On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer made the first cell phone call in history from a sidewalk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan with a device the size of a brick.
“I’m calling you on a cell phone, but a real cell phone, a personal, handheld, portable cell phone,” Cooper said on the phone to Joel Engel, head of AT&T-owned Bell Labs.
Even though the typical customer would not have access to cell phones for ten more years, anybody passing by Cooper on the street that day may have witnessed history being created.
Over the five decades that have passed since that initial conversation, Cooper’s large, heavy gadget has changed and been superseded by an array of speedier, slimmer phones that are now commonplace, changing entire businesses, societies, and our own personal relationships.
Although some may have been taken aback by the sheer scope and influence of cell phones, Cooper claimed that it was always likely that a large portion of humanity will eventually consider them to be necessities.
“I was not surprised that everybody has a cell phone,” Cooper, now 95, told CNN recently. “We used to tell the story then that someday when you’re born you would be assigned a phone number. If you didn’t answer the phone, you would die.”
The rise of the cell phone
After Cooper’s first call, manufacturing issues and government regulation slowed the progress of bringing the phone to the public, he said.
It would take a decade for a version of that DynaTAC (Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) phone to hit the market, for a hefty $3,900. The phone, similar to the one Gordon Gekko wielded in the movie “Wall Street,” weighed 2.5 pounds and was about a foot tall.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that the modern cell phone took off, as it shrunk way down in size and became much more user-friendly. Today, 97 percent of Americans own a cell phone of some kind, according to a study by Pew Research Center.
In the years since that first call, Cooper has written a book on the transformational power of the cell phone, started companies and done speaking tours and media appearances.
An iPhone user himself (and a Samsung user before that), he loves using his Apple Watch to track his swimming activity and connect his hearing aids to his phone.
“I’m an optimist. I know there are disadvantages to the cell phone. We do have people that get addicted to it. We have people walking across the street talking on their cell phones,” Cooper told CNN.
“Overall, I think the cell phone has changed humanity for the better and that will continue in the future.”
Each sculpture embodies an Olympic discipline. Credit: @alexpenfornis, French National Assembly
Six sculptures, copies of one of the most famous Greek statues, the Venus de Milo, have been installed at the steps of the French National Assembly, the Palais Bourbon in Paris celebrating the Olympic spirit as the French capital continues its countdown for the Summer Olympic Games.
Created by artist Laurent Perbos the sculptures are installed for the Cultural Olympiad which will run in parallel with the Games. They will be on view from April 2 to September 22, 2024, for the duration of the competition, in the open air.
French visual artist Laurent Perbos conceived the artistic installation, with each sculpture embodying an Olympic discipline: basketball, boxing, javelin, para-archery, surfing and tennis.
Inspired by the Venus de Milo, these female figures in acrylic resin each hold an object representing their sport, an allegory that runs counter to the collective imagination, which associates sport with men and reflects the evolution of the Games.
On display until the European Heritage Days, these colorful works are intended to be inclusive, each associated with a color of the rainbow, symbolizing equal rights and the fight against discrimination.
What’s more, the Olympic flame will cross paths with these sporting Venuses on July 14.
The Venus de Milo sculpture
Ancient Greek Statue of Venus de Milo or Aphrodite of Milos, Louvre, Paris. Credit: Bradley N Weber/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 2.0
The Venus de Milo, or the Aphrodite of Milos, which was discovered on April 8, 1820, and displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris ever since, changed Western culture in the 19th century, creating a certain ambivalence about the idea of female beauty.
The Venus de Milo statue, which is one of the most beautiful interpretations of the goddess, is believed to be the work of ancient sculptor Alexandros of Antioch.
The existing enigma of what Aphrodite’s hands were doing has also been a subject of extensive study and countless interpretations since its discovery.
Experts believe that the original statue depicted the Greek myth of The Judgment of Paris and Aphrodite is holding an apple in one hand.
According to the myth, Eris, the goddess of discord, is angry for not being invited to a feast and crashes the party with a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides upon which was inscribed “For the fairest one.”
The Goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all staked claims to the apple. Zeus refused to act as judge, declaring instead that the mortal Paris of Troy would do the job.
All three goddesses tried to bribe the mortal judge, but Aphrodite’s bribe—Helen, the most beautiful woman on Earth—won. The statue is thought to depict Aphrodite admiring her prize.
Hence, in essence, the statue of Aphrodite of Milos shows the results of a beauty contest— the first in Western Civilization.
Several art historians, academics, and artists have claimed that the beauty of the Venus de Milo lies in her missing arms, i.e., in her very imperfections.
Salvador Dali created the Venus de Milo with Drawers, a half-size plaster reproduction of the famous marble statue altered with pompom-decorated drawers on the figure’s forehead, breasts, stomach, abdomen, and left knee.
