The leaders of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece pose for the reporters before the start of the trilateral summit in Nicosia. Credit: AMNA
The leaders of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus, meeting in Nicosia on Monday, agreed to deepen their alliance in the Eastern Mediterranean with a particular emphasis on energy and security.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu met in the context of the Trilateral Summit, the first since December 2021. It is also the first since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is leading to a realignment of the EU’s energy priorities.
The three countries are poised to finalize an energy deal that will include a mammoth electricity project connecting their power grids, and a potential future regional natural gas pipeline between the eastern Mediterranean allies.
The 2,000-megawatt undersea cable will be the world’s longest and deepest underwater electricity cable, crossing the Mediterranean seabed and bridging Asia and Europe.
Partnership between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel “becomes stronger”
“The partnership between our three countries becomes stronger with each passing year,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday evening in Nicosia.
Christodoulides said that the three countries agree that given Russian aggression in Ukraine and the need for energy diversification “we should advance the numerous prospects of developing a reliable energy corridor between like-minded countries linking the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe.
“This concerns projects such as electrical interconnections, pipelines for gas, cleaner energy sources and LNG terminals,” the Cypriot President said.
Mitsotakis said that Greece, Cyprus, and Israel represent pillars of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and added that “the trilateral partnership has stood the test of time and has demonstrated its benefits on both political and economic levels, as well as in other areas.”
The Trilateral Summit was scheduled for last July but was postponed due to a health problem of the Israeli Prime Minister.
Greece wants resumption of talks on the Cyprus issue
Earlier on Monday while welcoming Mitsotakis, President Christodoulides said that, among other things, the trilateral mechanism is part of the regional partnerships that demonstrate the role that Cyprus and Greece, as EU member states, can play in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Mitsotakis emphasized the significance of resuming talks to resolve the Cyprus problem in accordance with the United Nations’ resolutions.
“Greece will consistently support this stance,” Mitsotakis affirmed ahead of the 9th trilateral summit.
Mitsotakis noted that the upcoming months hold significance for Greek-Turkish relations, and he is cautiously optimistic about developments.
He also noted that in the coming days, the Greek Foreign Minister will visit Turkey for talks with his Turkish counterpart.
The name “Elon” appears in a 69-year-old book about colonizing Mars, Musk’s dream. Credit: JD Laisca
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and once richest person in the world, has promised to bring humans to Mars by 2024. But was his mission predicted nearly 70 years ago in a fiction book?
Musk has cryptically tweeted in the past:
“Destiny, destiny
No escaping
that for me”
To which a fan replied: “Speaking about destiny, did you know that [Wernher] Von Braun’s 1953 book ‘Mars Project,’ referenced a person named Elon that would bring humans to Mars? Pretty nuts.”
Speaking about destiny, did you know that Von Braun's 1953 book "Mars Project," referenced a person named Elon that would bring humans to Mars? Pretty nuts pic.twitter.com/m28yFU4Ip6
The book is called “Mars Project: A Technical Tale,” by Wernher von Braun, a rocket scientist and engineer. Von Braun started out as a Nazi rocket scientist. He worked in Nazi Germany’s rocket development program during the beginning of his career. After the end of World War II, the United States recruited Von Braun and roughly 1,600 other German engineers and scientists to work for a classified intelligence program known as Operation Paperclip.
After moving to the U.S., Von Braun also became part of an effort to produce content in various media, including books, televised guest appearances, and toys, in order to create stories that explained complex scientific ideas to laymen. His book Mars Project was meant to describe a Mars mission.
However, Toby Li was only slightly off: Von Braun’s book says that the highest leader on Mars will be known as the “Elon,” not that his name will be Elon. Another user, Pranay Pathole, explained the difference using an English translation of the book as follows:
“Yeah it’s real. This is the English transcript of the same book…But ‘Elon’ referred by Von Braun in the book isn’t the name of the person but rather the name of the position something like an elected meritocratic president.”
Yeah it's real. This is the English transcript of the same book … But "Elon" referred by Von Braun in the book isn't the name of the person but rather the name of the position something like an elected meritocratic president pic.twitter.com/GADiMJHxLp
Elon Musk said last month that his company SpaceX plans to send humans to Mars within the next ten years. Musk was interviewed on an episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, where he spoke at length about his company’s goals for reaching the Red Planet.
Fridman asked Musk what he thought a likely timeline was for the project, to which the world’s richest man replied: “Best case is about five years, worst case 10 years.”
Musk said that success hinges on “engineering the vehicle.” He also noted that “Starship is the most complex and advanced rocket that’s ever been made.” Starship is the latest model of rocket manufactured by SpaceX.
“The fundamental optimization of Starship is minimizing the cost per ton to orbit—and ultimately cost per ton to orbit and ultimately cost per ton to the surface of Mars,” Musk explained on the podcast.
Musk made it clear that the mission stands apart from everything humans have accomplished in space before. “No amount of money can get you a ticket to Mars,” he said.
Besides being at one point the richest person on Earth, Elon Musk now holds the record for the largest loss of personal fortune in recorded history. Musk, who had his majority of wealth in Tesla shares has suffered a loss of around $182 billion (£153 billion; €173 billion) since November 2021 according to Forbes, although, other sources note the loss may really be closer to $200 billion.
After the market closed for the year on December 30, 2022, Musk tweeted: “Long-term fundamentals are extremely strong. Short-term market madness is unpredictable.”
Extreme weather phenomena will occur between Monday and Wednesday. Credit: AMNA
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are hitting parts of Greece on Monday after firefighters managed to contain the massive wildfire in Evros.
The cold weather front, which will bring strong rains and winds as well as frequent thunderstorms, will take most of the country under the influence from Monday to Wednesday, the National Observatory of Athens said.
The regions of Thessalia, Sporades, central and eastern Sterea Ellada, north Evia, and the Peloponnese will be most affected by rain.
It added that an up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) drop in temperature is forecasted.
Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of Civil Protection advised citizens to be cautious and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from the risks posed by severe weather phenomena.
Which regions in Greece will be affected by heavy rain and thunderstorms
For Monday, heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast:
In Macedonia and temporarily in Thrace, beginning in the late afternoon, the phenomena will be limited to central Macedonia (mainly in the prefectures of Pieria, Imathia, and Halkidiki)
In Epirus, Thessaly, the Sporades, and the Ionian Islands (mainly in the area of Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos), Sterea, Evia, and the Peloponnese (mainly in the west and north).
On Tuesday 5/9, the phenomena will be particularly intense. In more detail, heavy rains and storms are predicted:
In Epirus, the Ionian Islands, Western Sterea and Western Peloponnese.
In central Macedonia (mainly in the prefectures of Pieria, Imathia, and Halkidiki), Thessaly, the Sporades, central and eastern Sterea (mainly in the prefectures of Evrytania, Fthiotida and Boeotia), Evia and the eastern and southern Peloponnese
At times in the prefecture of Attica and western Crete
From noon to evening in the western parts of the Cyclades and the islands of the northern Aegean.
On Wednesday heavy rains and storms are forecast:
In Thessaly, the Sporades, central and eastern Sterea (mainly in the prefectures of Evrytania, Fthiotida and Boeotia), Evia (mainly in the north), eastern and southern Peloponnese and at times in western and southern Crete.
It is pointed out that in the evening the phenomena will weaken except for the regions of Thessaly, Sporades and northern Evia where they will continue until the morning hours of Thursday.
Strong northeasterly winds of 7 to 8 Beaufort will blow in the northern Aegean from Monday to Tuesday evening, while the temperature will drop noticeably by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius mainly in the Ionian and continental areas.
Wildfire in Evros gradually abating
The massive wildfire in Evros in northeastern Greece that decimated vast tracts of forest in over 17 days was gradually abating on Monday, although hundreds of firefighters were still tackling pockets that continued to burn, the fire department said.
Reinforcements were sent over the weekend to the wildfire bringing the total number of firefighters to 741, backed by 124 vehicles and two aircraft. The blaze has been blamed for the deaths of 20 people. All are believed to have been migrants who had recently crossed the border.
The fire, which broke out on August 19th near the northeastern city of Alexandroupolis and joined with other blazes to form one massive wildfire, had burned more than 93,000 hectares (230,000 acres) of land by Sunday, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service, making it the largest single blaze to have hit an EU country since records began in 2000.
Dozens of fires have been breaking out each day across the country for weeks, with the fire department saying its forces tackled 82 wildfires between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, with 49 of them having broken out in those 24 hours.
With its firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece appealed for help from other European countries and has received help from hundreds of firefighters, as well as a fleet of planes and helicopters, from across the continent.
On Sunday, forces from France, Spain, Cyprus, Romania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Albania, and Serbia were still operating in the country.
Non-stop swimming at the Gulf of Corinth. Credit: Matthieu Bonne/Instagram
A Belgian athlete and adventurer swam the Gulf of Corinth non-stop, breaking the open sea swimming world record by covering 131 kilometers (81 miles).
Matthieu Bonne covered the entire distance in 60 hours and 55 minutes, stopping only for food and water.
After 131 kilometers, he crawled out of the Greek sea onto dry land. “I can’t believe I did [this],” Bonne said. “The last three days have been crazy, and now I have a new world record. I’m super happy.”
The swimmer faced several setbacks. “Due to the waves, the water was much cooler than predicted: 22 degrees instead of 27 degrees. I was cold for a long time,” Bonne the 29-year-old said.
“My mouth gave me big problems,” says Bonne. “The salt in the seawater made my lips and tongue completely swollen. At one point I wanted to stop because the pain was so unbearable. And then I had to go on for another twenty hours. No idea how, but I kept going.”
Bonne started the marathon swim on Thursday, a day later than planned, due to strong winds and very high waves in the Gulf of Corinth.
“His whole body, but especially his lips, were very sore because of the salty seawater. In addition, there was a strong wind at the end,” his team reported.
“It was a tough finish, but, despite his battered body, Mathieu kept smiling and moving on,” they noted.
Bonne and his team chose the Gulf of Corinth because he could swim more than 100 kilometers in a straight line, making it an ideal location for the challenge.
The previous open sea swimming world record was held by Neil Agius, from Malta, who had covered 125.7 kilometers.
Earlier this year, Bonne had set a world record by cycling 3,619 kilometers in seven days.
Gulf of Corinth separates the Peloponnese from Western Greece
The Gulf of Corinth is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece.
The Isthmus of Corinth which includes the shipping-designed Corinth Canal is to the east, and, in the west, the Strait of Rion widens into the shorter Gulf of Patras. This gulf is part of the Ionian Sea. Since 2004, its narrowest point is crossed by the Rio–Antirrio bridge.
The gulf was created by the expansion of a tectonic rift due to the westward movement of the Anatolian Plate and expands by 10 mm (0.39 in) per year. The surrounding faults can produce earthquakes up to magnitude around 6.5, though they are relatively uncommon.
Greek-American Louis Tikas is remembered as a symbol of the struggle for labor rights in the United States as the leader of the Ludlow miners. Illustration: Greek Reporter
Louis Tikas, the Greek-American who became a symbol of the struggle for labor rights in the United States, was the leader of the Ludlow miners who went on strike over the inhumane working conditions at the Rockefeller mines.
He was assassinated by the Colorado National Guard, the bloodiest event of the attack, on April 20, 1914. Nineteen people died during the massacre, including two women, eleven children, and a member of the National Guard.
Ilias Athanasios Spantidakis was born in Loutra of Rethymno, Crete in 1886. At the age of 20, he immigrated to the U.S. never to return to Greece. He lived in Denver where he worked in the steel mills.
Spantidakis became an American citizen in 1910 and opened a cafe on Market Street in Denver, a “Greek town” with 240 Greek residents. Next to his cafe, was the head office of the local organization of the “Industrial Workers of the World,” the “Wobblies,” and he became fascinated by their cause.
By the end of 1912, he was an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); in between; he worked as a miner-strikebreaker in Colorado’s Northern Field but ended up leading a walkout by 63 fellow Greeks at the Frederick, Colorado mine.
Tikas was chased from the field, shot and wounded by Baldwin-Felts detectives as he escaped through the back door of a boarding house in Lafayette.
Ludlow miners’ demands
On September 23, 1913, the great strike in Ludlow began with the participation of 13,000 miners. The strikers demanded that they be free to shop from any store of their preference, as well as be allowed to freely see any doctor of their choice rather than being restricted exclusively to company doctors. In addition, strikers requested union recognition in conjunction with the establishment of an eight-hour workday and the enforcement of Colorado mining safety laws.
Finally, miners demanded the abolishment of the script and the system of guards of the company that allowed workers’ camps to function much like concentration camps. Heads of the strike were John Lawson and Louis Tikas, supported by Cretans who worked at the mine.
The strikers set up tents in the area at a strategic point in order to prevent the strike-breakers from entering the mines. In October, the strike camp functioned as a city comprised of five hundred men, three hundred and fifty women, four hundred and fifty children, a Greek bakery, and a Greek coffee shop.
The company had requested the intervention of the National Guard and the Governor of Colorado had agreed. The conflicts thus turned violent.
The Rockefeller family, the owners of the mines, had people of their own go to the mines in National Guard uniforms and interfere in the strike along with the National Guard. The governor agreed to this too. However, strikers did not surrender.
Ludlow Massacre
By April 1914, the cost of maintaining the troops led to a reduction in the National Guard presence, resulting in increased violence. On Sunday, April 19, 1914, the National Guard encircled the Ludlow camp and deployed a machine gun on a bluff overlooking the strikers.
Although no one knows exactly what instigated the violence, certain accounts suggest that officers of the National Guard demanded that miners turn over at least one individual, possibly a striker or even a hostage that they were holding; the miners, however, refused.
The National Guard then opened fire on the camp, initiating a pitched battle that lasted throughout the day.
According to accounts, Tikas had been lured out to discuss a truce. He went to meet the head of the National Guard, Captain Karl Linderfeld, holding a white flag. The two met on the hill and talked for a while.
Then, eyewitnesses report that the officer hit Tikas in the head with the butt of his rifle. The rifle broke in two smashing Tikas’ skull. Men of the National Guard then shot Tikas’ lifeless body.
The troops opened fire at the camp and a real battle ensued. As the strikers ran out of ammunition, they retreated from the camp into the surrounding countryside. Women and children, hiding from the bullets that strafed the camp, huddled in cellars that had been dug underneath their tents. In the evening, the National Guards soaked the tents in kerosene and set them on fire.
In one cellar, eleven children and two women were found burned to death and suffocated. In all, 25 people were killed during the Ludlow Massacre, three of whom were National Guard troops.
When miners returned to their burned camp several days later, Louis Tikas’ body was discovered. His funeral took place on April 27th with thousands of workers following the procession.
In retaliation for the massacre, miners attacked anti-union town officials, strikebreakers, and the mines, taking control of an area about fifty miles long and five miles wide. There were as many as fifty casualties during the Ludlow Massacre.
To avoid further escalation of violence, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent in federal troops to restore order. Unlike the National Guard, the federal troops were impartial and kept strikebreakers out of the coal mines. The strike ended on December 10, 1914. The heroic struggle of Ludlow miners won the UMWA 4,000 new members.
The Greek workers’ hero, Louis Tikas
Today in Trinidad, Colorado, there is a statue honoring the heroic Greek mine worker that was built next to the Southern Colorado Coal Miners Monument on June 23, 2018.
The statue was built on the initiative of the Foundation of Hellenism of America with the financial support of Greek Americans. “The Greek immigrant Louis Tikas changed the course of American history and labor laws,” says the official Foundation of Hellenism of America website.
The documentary “Palikari: Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre” by director Nikos Ventouras and scriptwriter Lambrini Thoma released in 2014 tells the story of the brave Greek American who played a vital role in the fight for improved U.S. labor laws. The documentary can be accessed below.
A 5th century BC kylix in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens depicting a battle during the Grec-Persian Wars. Credit: Public Domain
It was in September of the year 490 BC when, just 42 kilometers (26 miles) outside of Athens, a vastly-outnumbered army of brave soldiers saved their city from the invading Persian army in the Battle of Marathon.
But as the course of history shows, in the Battle of Marathon they saved more than just their own city: they saved Athenian democracy itself, and consequently, protected the course of western civilization.
According to historian Richard Billows and his well-researched book Marathon: How One Battle Changed Western Civilization, in one single day in 490 BC, the Athenian army under General Miltiades changed the course of civilization.
It is very unlikely that world civilization would be the same today if the Persians had defeated the Athenians at Marathon. The mighty army of Darius I would have conquered Athens and established Persian rule there, putting an end to the newborn Athenian democracy of Pericles.
In effect, this would certainly have destroyed the idea of democracy as it had developed in Athens at the time.
Persia was the most powerful empire at the time, ruling all of Asia Minor and pushing into the West. The army of King Darius I was feared by all the other peoples living in the Near East and the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the Ionians revolted against the Persian rulers.
When the Athenians and Eretrians came to the Ionians’ aid, they managed to capture and burn the city of Sardis, infuriating Darius I. According to the historian Herodotus, every night, the powerful king had a servant remind him after dinner, “Remember the Athenians.”
The Persian conqueror was determined to burn the great city-state of Athens to the ground.
The famed Battle of Marathon only lasted two hours
Commanded by the generals Datis and Artaphernes, the mighty Persian army sailed to Greece. With six hundred triremes carrying as many as thirty thousand soldiers, it was the largest amphibious invasion the world had known until that time.
The Persians captured Eretria first and then moved south to threaten Athens.
The outnumbered Athenians, estimated to be only ten thousand men, with the help of a few Plataeans, took to the foothills of Marathon. They chose the alternately mountainous and marshy terrain in order to prevent the famous Persian cavalry from joining the battle there.
The Athenian army under General Miltiades consisted almost entirely of hoplites in bronze armor, using primarily spears and large bronze shields. They fought in tight formations called phalanxes, and literally slaughtered the lightly-clad Persian infantry in close combat.
The hoplite style of fighting would go on to epitomize ancient Greek warfare.
The Athenian general reinforced his flanks, luring the enemy’s best fighters into his center, completely enveloping the Persian armies. The Battle of Marathon lasted only two hours, ending with the Persian army breaking in panic towards their ships and with the Athenians continuing to slay them as they fled.
In his book, however, Billows calls the Battle of Marathon a “miraculous victory” for the Greeks. The victory was not as easy as it is often portrayed by many historians. After all, the Persian army had never before been defeated.
According to Billow’s research, the Athenians actually had a hard time maintaining the center of the battle.
The British historian argues that the empowering sense of democracy that the Athenians enjoyed could explain the great victory they claimed at Marathon.
As opposed to the Persians, Athenians actually saw themselves as participating members of their society, and the army was egalitarian. Each soldier was fighting to protect his home, his community, and what he viewed as his own state, so he fought at his own expense, paying for his armor, weapons, and upkeep.
Billows also writes that the story of Pheidippides, who is remembered for running the forty-two or so kilometers from Marathon to Athens (inspiring the Marathon runs of the future) to announce the great victory, is actually quite different.
Instead, when the Persian army arrived, Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to ask for Spartan help, and then he ran all the way back, a total distance of 435 kilometers (280 miles).
However, the city-state of Sparta was in the middle of celebrating a religious festival, the Carneia, and their laws dictated that they could only send military help after the full moon had passed.
Billows’ research shows that it was the whole Athenian army itself which actually made the run from Marathon to Athens. Without that, he argues, the invading Persian fleet could have swept into an unguarded Athens, and despite the Athenians’ winning of the battle of Marathon, they could have then gone on to lose the war.
The defeat at Marathon marked the end of the first Persian invasion of Greece, as the hitherto-undefeated forces of Darius I retreated in ignominy back into Asia.
Painting depicting the Crusades, arguably the most famous series of holy wars in history. Credit: Charles-Philippe Larivière / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Religious wars have been a pervasive feature of human history across the world. Time and time again, members of one faith have taken up arms against members of another.
From holy wars like the Christian Crusades or Muslim jihads to messianic rebels like the leader of the bloody Taiping Rebellion in China, armies have marched under the banners of a multitude of different religious causes.
Holy wars are rarely a straightforward affair. Beyond fervent religiosity, economic and political factors often underlie these conquests of faith. Nevertheless, the religious elements and iconography of these wars are often the most striking elements, especially when contrasted against the abject horror and brutality of what tended to follow.
Religion and war
The extent to which religion itself acts as a motivation for war is a contentious issue, which tends to elicit excitable debate among historians, theologians, philosophers, and scholars of contemporary politics.
Some would argue that religious fanaticism, intolerance, and a rigid attitude towards faith have frequently led people of opposing religions to take up the sword and wage war upon one another.
In his seminal work, The Clash of Civilizations, the controversial American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, asserts that the inability of monotheistic religions to accept other gods and their universal claims to possess the truth makes them prone to conflict.
Others, however, would contend that the religious aspects of the vast majority of historical conflicts are essentially irrelevant and only tend to hide more earthly motivations like political power and wealth.
For example, in William T. Cavanaugh’s book The Myth of Religious Violence, the author argues that “Religion is not the cause of violence; rather, religion is often used as a legitimating ideology for violence that is motivated by other factors.”
The Umayyad conquest of Spain and the Reconquista
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, 1212. Credit: Francisco de Paula Van Halen / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
The Umayyad conquest of Spain, also known as the Islamic conquest of Hispania, began in c. 710 AD when Muslim forces, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and defeated the Visigothic king Roderic at the Battle of Guadalete. The conquest was motivated by religious and territorial aspirations.
The Muslim conquerors were primarily Arab and Berber warriors from North Africa, who were inspired by the Islamic concept of jihad, which encouraged the expansion of Muslim territories and the spread of Islam through holy war.
The Umayyad caliphate, which ruled the Islamic world at the time, saw the conquest of Spain as a means of extending its influence and securing control over the western Mediterranean.
The rapid fall of the Visigothic Kingdom in Spain to Muslim invaders prompted the surrounding Christian kingdoms to launch counter-invasions. Between the 8th and 15th centuries, the Christians and Muslims continued to clash over the region in what has become known in the West as the Reconquista.
The series of wars between the two religious groups led to several massacres over the centuries. For example, in 807, approximately 700 Christians in the city of Toledo were thrown into a ditch and killed by a Muslim army, according to the Chronicle of Alfonso III.
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of major military campaigns initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church between the 11th and 13th centuries to secure holy sites under Christian control primarily in the Middle East. The Crusades led to a series of religious conflicts between Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land.
The First Crusade commenced in 1095 after the Pope called on the kingdoms of Christendom to march in defense of the beleaguered Byzantine Empire and drive the Muslims out of the Holy Land.
13th century manuscript depicting the Battle of Hattin in 1187. Credit: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Since the Byzantines lost Jerusalem to the Rashidun Caliphate in the 7th century, the armies of Islam had marched further into Christendom, causing great anxiety among the European powers. However, the Crusades were also an opportunity for knights, nobles, and commoners alike to gain wealth, power, and prestige.
Those who took up the sword in the Crusading cause were promised absolution from their sins and eternal glory by the Pope.
In 1099, the Crusaders captured Jerusalem and slaughtered hundreds of the holy city’s Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. Raymond of Aguilers, a chronicler and participant of the First Crusade, recalled that “Some of the pagans were mercifully beheaded, others pierced by arrows plunged from towers, and yet others, tortured for a long time, were burned to death in searing flames.”
Ultimately, Jerusalem did not remain in the hands of the Crusaders. Saladin captured the city in 1187 during the Second Crusade. Nevertheless, the Christians were victorious during the Third Crusade and were able to recapture most of the territory they had previously lost, with the exception of Jerusalem itself.
Jerusalem was again the target of the Fourth Crusade. However, the wayward Crusaders instead clashed with their fellow Christian Byzantines and ended up sacking the capital of Constantinople in 1204.
In the late 13th century, the fall of the Crusader states was marked decisively by the capture of Acre by the Mamluks from the Crusaders in 1291.
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) was a religious conflict that took place primarily in the Holy Roman Empire but also involved many other European powers. The war was sparked by the religious tensions between the Catholic and Protestant factions in the Empire, but it soon developed into a wider conflict that involved political and territorial disputes.
The war was marked by a series of violent incidents, including massacres of civilians and battles that resulted in significant casualties on both sides. One of the most infamous incidents was the Sack of Magdeburg in 1631, in which an estimated 20,000 civilians were killed by the Imperial troops. The Battle of White Mountain in 1620 was a significant victory for the Catholic forces, and the Battle of Breitenfeld in 1631 was a decisive victory for the Protestant forces.
Wallenstein, a scene from the Thirty Years War. Credit: Ernetst Crofts / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
The religious dimensions of the conflict were often intertwined with political and territorial concerns, and both sides were guilty of committing atrocities in the name of their respective religions. As the war dragged on, it became increasingly difficult to discern which side was fighting for religious principles and which was fighting for political or economic gain.
Peter H. Wilson, a Professor of the History of War at Oxford University, writes: “The Thirty Years’ War was the most traumatic and destructive conflict of the early modern period, a conflict that not only shaped the future of Germany, but also had a profound impact on the rest of Europe and beyond.”
The English writer and diplomat Sir William Temple wrote in the 17th century: “In the history of the world there is no example of so long, so obstinate, and so bloody a war as that which ravaged Germany.”
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was arguably the bloodiest civil war in history. The conflict occurred in China from 1850 to 1864. The rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan, a religious leader who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ and founded the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping, a Christian theocratic state.
Hong Xiuquan’s version of Christianity blended elements of traditional Chinese religion, rejected Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, and called for the establishment of a theocratic state with social and economic equality for all.
Scene from the Taiping Rebellion, 1886. Credit: Wu Youru / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
This message resonated with many poor and disenfranchised people in China who were suffering from famine, economic hardship, and political corruption. Hong Xiuquan and his followers also opposed the Qing dynasty, which they saw as corrupt and decadent, and sought to overthrow it.
The death toll from the Taiping Rebellion is estimated to have been between 20 and 30 million people, making it one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history. The majority of the deaths were caused by famine, disease, and violence, including massacres committed by both the Taiping rebels and the Qing government forces. Some sources estimate that up to 100 million people may have been affected by the rebellion, including displacement, destruction of property, and loss of livelihood.
The high death toll from the Taiping Rebellion is attributed to the prolonged and brutal nature of the conflict, as well as the devastating effects of famine and disease. There are different figures given for the death toll, with some sources estimating it to be as low as 10 million and others as high as 100 million. However, most scholars agree that the death toll was likely in the tens of millions.
Aristotle of Ancient Greece gave much to human history. Yet, that legacy includes far more than just philosophy, for the famed polymath gifted us Thespis of Icaria as well, a name that might otherwise have been forgotten.
Two hundred years after the poet first stepped on stage, the founder of the Peripatetic School, an institution for the study of philosophy established around 335 BC, wrote about him in Poetics. This was fitting, as the Ancient Greek word “poietikos” (ποιητικός) translates to “pertaining to poetry,” “creative,” and “productive” all of which Thespis certainly was.
Thespis the Icarian
Aristotle, along with classical records, speaks of Thespis as being the first ever to step on stage. He was also the first tragedian, theatrical character, actor in written plays, and the originator of what we today call spoken poetry. Furthermore, he was the earliest to bring mythology to the boards, which we see in so many great operas today.
Originally, Thespis was a mere choir boy, who sang dithyrambs (songs about stories from mythology) for the public. He then apparently stepped away from the others in 534 BC to assume the role of one of the characters in the group’s choral performance of song and dance.
This was a bold move which later brought him to the attention of Aristotle. Aristotle credited Thespis with the transformation of the presentation of Ancient Greek legends. He also attributed the birth of tragedy to the Icarian, which derived from the dithyrambic poetry that he read.
Thespis wore masks to portray each character while the chorus to which he had once belonged remained unchanged.
What truly launched Thespis’ acting career was the Athenian Pisistratus, known to many for his military skills and tyrannical tendencies.
Despite that reputation, Pisistratus did one gracious thing. He rejuvenated the Dionysia, an important cultural festival held in Dionysus’ honor in Athens.
According to Ancient Athens, it was Pisistratus who in 534 BDE commanded Thespis and his troupe to perform there. When Thespis did, he left with the highest award for tragedy.
Yet, not everyone liked his performance. One such person was Solon, an Ancient Greek Athenian poet, lawmaker, and statesman. He is known in history as a reformer who attempted to save Athens from moral, political, and economic deterioration. His attempt at reform was, nevertheless, short-lived, though he is still considered the engineer of democracy in the archaic city.
Solon apparently wanted to know if Thespis “was not ashamed to tell so many lies before such a number of people,” as words would become the foremost critical review of theater.
Thespis supposedly replied that there was no harm by doing so in a play. At this point, Solon is said to have violently banged his walking stick while warning the tragedian that “if we honor and commend such play as this, we shall find it some day in our business.”
That did not stop Thespis from continuing to perform, however. Nowadays, that Ancient Greek theatrical spirit is kept alive at events such as the Athens and Epidaurus festivals. Moreover, Thespis remains known as the father of theater and acting in the Western world.
Dakos, a Greek salad from Crete, was named the best salad in the world by TasteAtlas. Credit: Valentin Heyde / Flickr
Greece has taken first place recently in the TasteAtlas list of 100 best-rated salads in the world with the dakos salad from the island of Crete.
Four other salad recipes from Greece also made it onto the list with one even making it into the top five, further cementing the country’s strong culinary reputation.
Last year, two Greek salads were selected in a previous listing of the world’s best salads by TasteAtlas. Owing to the fresh ingredients available and the culinary passion of the Greek people, the country has some of the best food on the planet!
Dakos, a delicious speciality from the island of Crete, secured the number one spot in this year’s TasteAtlas list of the 100 best rated salads in the world.
“Dakos or ntakos is a traditional Cretan dish consisting of a dry barley rusk called paximadi that is topped with crumbled myzithra cheese, chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and a few generous splashes of high-quality olive oil,” reads the description on TasteAtlas.
“It’s recommended to use olive varieties such as Koroneiki, Lianes, or Tsounates. Myzithra cheese is traditionally used, and not feta, which is usually reserved for tourist restaurants. The rusk is often gently rubbed with a small piece of garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt,” the description continues.
The other contenders
Dakos was not the only Greek salad to make it onto the list. Horiatiki salata (Greek:χωριάτικη σαλάτα), meaning village salad, but more commonly called Greek salad, took the number five spot.
Despite its simplicity, this classic dish is one of the most iconic Greek recipes. As per TasteAtlas’ description, the humble Greek salad typically consists of “quartered tomatoes, sliced red onions, and chunky slices of cucumber. Depending on the region, there can also be olives, green peppers, feta cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, or a typical dressing made from olive oil and lemon or vinegar (optionally).”
“When feta cheese is present in the salad, it is usually just sliced, but in some cases it’s mixed in with a fork until slightly crumbled. Its name suggests that it was a rural dish, when farmers would take some essential ingredients to the field and mix them together.”
At the number 24 spot, the horta salad can be found. A typical Horta salad is composed of cooked greens and various wild plants that are seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. The salad greens may include dandelion, vleeta, nettles, wild spinach, mustard greens, and chicory, with the bitterness level varying based on the particular plant used.
In 34th place is patatosalata, or Greek potato salad. This is another simple dish that derives its culinary appeal from delicious and high quality ingredients. Typically, the salad is made up of sizable potato pieces that are coated in a tasty dressing made from ingredients such as olive oil, mustard, yogurt, or mayonnaise. The salad can be easily customized with the addition of various vegetables, boiled eggs, olives, and fresh herbs such as dill or parsley.
Finally, no Greek potato salad is complete without lemon juice which is essential for achieving a fresh flavor.
Just below the Greek potato salad is pantzarosalata. TasteAtlas explains that “Beets are the main ingredient in this colorful Greek dish that comes in two different versions. Cooked beets are either coated in a yogurt-based dressing or simply seasoned with vinegar, while the whole dish can come in the form of a creamy, thick purée, or as a regular salad with diced beets.”
The Longest Underwater Tunnel in the World. Credit: Femern A/S
Spanning eighteen kilometers, the new Fehrman Belt fixed link between Germany and Denmark is set to the longest and deepest combined road and rail tunnel in the world. When completed, it will cut travel time down to ten minutes by car and seven minutes by train from Rødbyhavn to Puttgarden, a crossing that now takes forty-five minutes by ferry.
Once completed, the tunnel promises to reduce travel time, strengthen ties between Scandinavia and Central Europe, form a greener traffic lane, and boost train transport. The ten billion euro price tag, therefore, promises to be worth it and has the stamp of approval from the European Commission’s Ten-T Programme.
The underwater fixed link tunnel will consist of two two-lane highways divided by a service passage and two separate railways.
“Today, if you were to take a train trip from Copenhagen to Hamburg, it would take you around four and a half hours,” says the technical director at Jens Ole Kaslund, Femern A/S, the state-owned Danish company in charge of the project. “When the tunnel will be completed, the same journey will take two and a half hours.”
Illustration of Train Section Fehrman Belt Tunnel. Photo Credit: Femern A/S
The Fehrman Belt Fixed Link Project
Femern A/S laid the foundations for the fixed link concept back in 2008, but it took another twelve years before the first groundbreaking ceremony occurred in 2020 in Denmark and then in 2021 in Germany. Initial site preparation began at Rødbyhavn on Lolland and Puttgarden on the island of Fehrman. In 2021, the company established new channels and access roads, as well.
The company also set out to create work harbors and dredge the Fehmarn Belt to establish new land areas. They have also built a new, so-called tunnel town to go with the “tunnel factory” so to say. There the necessary elements for the Fixed Link project may be constructed.
Fehrman Belt Tunnel – dredged material from the seabed transported at Puttgarden. Photo Credit: Femern A/S
In 2022, Femern commenced setting up portal buildings on both sides. They also intend to start the production of tunnel elements. The installation and development of the technology and equipment is the next step. The hope is to test and open in 2029.
“The expectation is that the first production line will be ready around the end of the year, or the beginning of next year,” stated Henrik Vincentsen, CEO of Femern A/S, the state-owned Danish company in charge of the project. “By the beginning of 2024, we have to be ready to immerse the first tunnel element.”
The tunnel and the question of long-term sustainability
The purpose of the project is to create a tunnel that is time-resistant, long-term, and sustainable. Yet, there are some critics who doubt that that is a possibility. Environmentalists, in particular, worry about the damage construction might do to the seabeds and the ocean. They wonder if it’s worth the tunnel’s alleged benefits.
Furthermore, as with all the best-laid plans of mice and men, green credentials do not always offset the ecological impact of projects involving large-scale construction. That is why some environmentalists, such as the German group NABU, have expressed worry over the potential destruction of the EU-protected Fehrman Belt. Many also wonder if the tunnel will meet the EU’s green requirements for the future.
Connecting Elements, Fehrman Belt Tunnel. Photo Credit: Femern A/S
Yet, Femern A/S has expressed confidence on the subject, highlighting instead the “temporary” effect on the environment of building underwater.
According to Vincentsen in an interview with Euronews Next, “Vast areas of new nature will be established as a result of the project.” He also asserted that “on land, 300 hectares of coastal wetlands will be created, and at sea, we are establishing 42 hectares of new reefs.”
In response to the effect on C02 levels and the EU’s green policy, Vencentsen underscored the project’s positive effect.
“The tunnel will increase capacity and relieve congestion on the rail and road networks in Denmark,” he argued “and create significant savings in time, energy, fuel, and CO2 emissions for transit traffic. This is why the European Commission has named the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel a priority project.”
