The coast of Pelion, Greece once housed the oldest lighthouse in the world: AntyHoc/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 4.0
Few people are aware that the deadly Lefteris Reef located off the coast of the Pelion peninsula in Greece, where many ships have come to grief, was the site of the oldest lighthouse in the world, more ancient even than the famed Lighthouse, or “Pharos,” of Alexandria.
The straits appear to be a seemingly harmless stretch of water roughly 2.5 miles across. However, beneath its calm surface lurk shallows and craggy reefs which make these some of the most dangerous waters to navigate in the entire Aegean.
Lefteris Reef is the deadliest area of all and the history of its ancient lighthouse stretches back to antiquity and the Greco-Persian wars.
Oldest lighthouse in the world built by Xerxes during Greco-Persian Wars
According to experts, the historic tower of the lighthouse was built by the Persian Emperor Xerxes to warn his sailors that the strait was virtually impassable, with reefs where even small, shallow-draft ships might run aground.
According to the historian Herodotus, the Persians had lost many ships on the reef as they sailed across the Aegean in their quest to conquer ancient Greece. In 480 BC, Xerxes ordered that a tall tower be built atop the reef itself as a warning to avoid the area.
This stone tower, built 250 years before the lighthouse of Alexandria, is considered the most ancient structure ever built to ensure the safety of ships, anywhere in the entire world.
The lighthouse was made of blocks of dolomite taken from the Sepiada mines in the south Pelion region, each weighing up to half a ton, which were laid atop one another to make a gleaming white stone column.
Parts of this structure, which fell into the water at some later date, were recovered by Hellenic Navy divers in 1928 and are now displayed in the courtyard of the Naval Command building in Piraeus.
Skiathos mayor Thodoris Tzoumas said the island’s authorities have now been in contact with the Navy in an effort to highlight the historic significance of the lighthouse and turn it into a “point of reference” for visitors.
Water off coast of Pelion, Greece very dangerous for ships
The site is already a destination for scuba divers, due to two shipwrecks which were victims of Lefteris Reef during the previous century despite the lighthouse’s existence.
One is the wreck of the sixty-meter (197-foot) long freighter “Vera,” which foundered on the reef in 1999 and split in two, sinking to a depth of 17 to 28 meters (56 to 92 feet), where it is easily accessible to recreational divers.
The second shipwreck, which presents more of a challenge to divers, is the great steamship “Volos,” which traversed the route between Hamburg and Istanbul for many years before it was driven onto the reef during a violent storm on February 21, 1931.
Although the crew was saved and her captain valiantly remained on board another three days after it struck the reef in an effort to save it, the Volos sank to the bottom of the sea, resting at an angle against the reef.
Part of the hull of the Volos now lies at a depth of more than 36 meters (118 feet) while the bow plunges down 61 meters (200 feet) under sea level.
The elderly citizen who killed the burglar was arrested and now faces charges of murder and illegal weapon possession, as stated by the police. Credit: Maxim Reniţa / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0
An elderly man killed a burglar that attempted to rob him in Northern Greece. The 71-year-old man fatally foiled an attempted robbery in Ioannina by shooting dead a 35-year-old intruder in his home. The incident occurred in the village of Hinka, part of the municipality of Zitsa in the prefecture of Ioannina.
A masked 35-year-old Greek man entered the house of an elderly local resident who permanently lives abroad but spends the summer in the village. A confrontation quickly followed between the two men, armed with a metal rod and a dagger. Despite the elderly man’s repeated requests for the intruder to leave the house, the 35-year-old man hit him with a metal rod. The elderly resident took an old firearm from the home and shot him in the chest.
The wounded man was first transported to Voutsaras Hospital. The incident was reported, prompting the Emergency Medical Service Mobile Unit from Ioannina to quickly arrive and provide treatment at Hatzikosta Hospital. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, he passed away.
Police arrests elderly man that shot and killed the burglar in Ioannina, Greece
The incident prompted a swift response from local police, resulting in the arrest of the elderly man. A preliminary investigation is underway in this case. According to a police statement, the elderly man was detained and charged with murder and illegal weapons possession.
In the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized a Wesson & Harrington brand revolver with a 0.32 mm caliber, four cartridges, a metal rod, knife, hood, and a pair of work gloves.
The community is now awaiting the results of the ongoing investigation to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the event.
Another Murder of a Burglar by an Elderly Person
This is not the first time that an elderly person has shot and killed a robber. In 2021, an 87-year-old Greek grandmother, residing in the town of Pyrgos in the Peloponnese, faced trial for shooting a burglar who broke into her home. Frustrated by repeated burglaries in the past, she used an airgun to wound the intruder after he entered her residence through an unlocked entrance. As it was reported, the intruder aimed to reach the woman’s handbag but noticed her presence and assaulted her with a stick, causing an injury to her right eye.
Facing charges of causing grave bodily harm, she insisted that she did not intend to kill the burglar but rather sought to protect herself. The grandmother, who has endured multiple break-ins and thefts, alleged that the culprits were two Roma brothers in her area.
The A320 aircraft conducting this flight will depart from Athens to Marrakesh without passengers at 11 pm local time on Saturday. Credit: Colin Cooke Photo / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
In response to the devastating earthquake in Morocco, Greek Airline Aegean will operate an emergency special flight for passenger repatriation.
The airline has swiftly organized an emergency flight from Marrakesh to Athens to facilitate the return of passengers affected by the earthquake. The A320 aircraft conducting this special flight will depart from Athens to Marrakesh without passengers at 11 pm local time on Saturday. Subsequently, it will take off from Marrakesh Menara International Airport at 02:10 am (local time) on Sunday, September 10, 2023, en route to Athens International Airport.
Aegean passengers with already booked Marrakesh-Greece tickets for the upcoming days in need of immediate repatriation can contact the company’s call center to change their tickets without extra fees.
Twenty Greeks attending a UNESCO geoparks conference in Marrakesh were in the country during the devastating Morocco earthquake.
They are reported to be in good health. Delegates felt the earthquake intensely while they were at an official dinner outside of the city of Marrakesh. The event gathered 1,500 delegates from fifty countries, and it occurred on the conference’s last day.
Algeria Allows Flights to Morocco Despite Difficult Relations
Despite tense diplomatic relations, Algeria opened its airspace to aid flights from Morocco after the devastating earthquake.
The border between the two countries has been closed since 1994, and Algeria suspended diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021. Despite these tensions, Algeria’s President announced that he would allow humanitarian and medical flights to pass through his airspace to help Morocco after the earthquake.
Many Algerians expressed solidarity with their Moroccan neighbors, highlighting deep historical and cultural ties that transcend political differences. The earthquake prompted international condolences and offers of assistance.
Devastating Earthquake in Morocco
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake has struck Central Morocco, leaving devastation in its wake. As of Saturday night, more than a thousand dead and 1,200 injured were reported. The earthquake’s epicenter was in the remote High Atlas Mountains, about 44 miles southwest of Marrakesh.
Most of the casualties occurred in Marrakech and surrounding areas, where residential and religious buildings collapsed under the force of the earthquake. The impact affected areas beyond the epicenter, including cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira. Videos posted online showed panic and chaos outside of Marrakech’s famous Koutoubia Mosque, with reports of damage to this historic structure.
Rescue and relief efforts were hampered by blocked roads, which were clogged with vehicles and fallen rocks. Moroccan authorities are working hard to clear these routes for ambulances and humanitarian aid.
The earthquake’s impact reached even remote regions, with tremors reportedly felt in Portugal and Algeria, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of this catastrophic event.
Fragment of the Antikythera mechanism from Ancient Greece — the world’s first computer. Credit: Marsyas/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 2.5
A bronze artifact salvaged from an ancient Greek shipwreck, recognized as the world’s oldest computer, may hold the secrets of the universe.
By Mike Edmunds
When we talk of the history of computers, most of us will refer to the evolution of the modern digital desktop PC, charting the decades-long developments by the likes of Apple and Microsoft. What many don’t consider, however, is that computers have been around much longer. In fact, they date back millennia to a time when they were analog creations.
Today, the world’s oldest known “computer” is the Antikythera mechanism, a corroded bronze artifact which was found at the beginning of the 20th century in the remains of a shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the true importance of the Antikythera mechanism was discovered, however, when radiography revealed that the device is in fact a complex mechanism with at least thirty gear wheels.
Antikythera mechanism marble base. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture
The mechanism has since been established as the first known astronomical calendar, a complex system which can track and predict the cycles of the solar system. Technically, it is a sophisticated mechanical “calculator” rather than a true “computer” since it cannot be reprogrammed. Nonetheless, it is an impressive artifact.
Since 2004, an international collaboration has applied modern imaging methods to probe the mechanism’s structure and function. These techniques have now revealed many of the texts on its surfaces and even much of the inscription which was buried inside the remaining fragments as a result of damage during and after the shipwreck.
So what do we know about the mechanism? And what has the deciphering of the texts added?
Inside history
When first created, the mechanism was about the size of a shoe box with dials on both its front and back faces. A handle or knob on the side of the box enabled the user to turn the trains of gears inside. Originally, there were considerably more gears than the thirty which remain intact. On the front, pointers showed where the sun and moon were in the sky, and there was a display of the phase of the moon. On the rear, dials displayed a nineteen-year cycle of lunar months, the 18.2 year “Saros cycle” of lunar and solar eclipses and even a four-year cycle of athletic competitions including the Olympic games.
The inscriptions are thought to have been a description for the user of what it was they were viewing as they operated the mechanism. However, the newly published texts add more to what we know of the mechanism. They establish that the positions of the five planets known in antiquity were also shown, namely Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
The planets were displayed on the machine in a way that took account of their rather irregular “wanderings” about the sky. Such a display had been suspected, and the confirmation reinforces that this was a very sophisticated and quite complicated device. The actual gear trains needed for the display of the planets are missing—presumably lost in the shipwreck—but we know from the very ingenious way that the sun and moon drives are designed and constructed that the makers of the mechanism certainly had the skills necessary to make the planetary drive.
The newly uncovered inscriptions include passages about what stars were just becoming visible or about to be lost in the glare of the sun at different times of year. The style of these passages is very close to that of a well-known astronomical text by Greek astronomer and mathematician Geminos from the first century BC. Not only does this tie in perfectly with the presumed date of the shipwreck (around 60 BC), but also the latitude, which is implied by stellar data to be mid-Mediterranean. This fits nicely with the mechanism originating on the island of Rhodes, from where there is a contemporary historic record from the writer Cicero of such devices.
Uncovering the truth of the world’s first computer
Some mysteries still remain, however. It is still not exactly clear what the purpose of such a mechanism actually was. Was it some kind of teaching device? Would it have had any religious significance? Was it a prestigious toy? The latter interpretation is seeming less and less likely. This was a serious bit of kit with a very detailed astronomical description.
The mechanism is basically an astronomical device, which bears witness both to the Greeks’ astronomical knowledge and their extraordinary, and rather unrecognized mechanical design skills. One other small detail may hint at its integration into our ancestors’ view of the wider world, too. Some of the texts seem to be discussing the possible colors of eclipses, which might be interpreted in the context of whether the eclipse was a good or bad omen. It must be emphasized that this is the only astrological reference found on the mechanism though despite careful searching.
To understand the Antikythera Mechanism, what is really needed is more artifacts or texts on mechanical devices from the classical era. Unfortunately, the recycling of valuable metal, both in ancient and medieval times, has resulted in nearly all mechanisms being destroyed. There is always the possibility that another device or text might turn up at an extensive archeological site like Pompeii or Herculaneum, but probably the best bet for hardware remains classical-era shipwrecks.
Divers have returned to the Antikythera wreck this year, so perhaps the missing parts of the planetary display will turn up. An enticing possibility is that the Antikythera mechanism was on the ship because it was being delivered to a customer.
The mechanism was not, as sometimes claimed, a navigational device, and navigation was not the reason for its presence. If one device was being delivered, might there be more—if not on this ship, then perhaps on others from Rhodes?
New devices might help indicate how widely geared technology developed before almost completely disappearing from view in the rather obscure period that lasted from 500 AD until the sudden re-blossoming of gearwork in the era of the medieval cathedral clocks from about 1180 AD, well over a millennium after the Antikythera mechanism.
Mike Edmunds is an Emeritus professor of astrophysics at Cardiff University. This article was published in The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons License.
The Greek shipping firm has agreed to assist the U.S. in transferring and offloading the crude oil cargo present on its vessel in Texas. Credit: fdecomite / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0
Greek tanker operator Empire Navigation pleaded guilty to charges of transporting illicit Iranian oil involving the Suez Rajan tanker. Court documents recently obtained by the Associated Press and The New York Times shed light on the extent to which Iran is concealing its sanctioned oil shipments.
As per the documents viewed by the Associated Press, Empire Navigation has been fined $2.4 million after admitting guilt to one count of violating U.S. sanctions concerning the shipment and sale of Iranian oil. Additionally, the Greek shipping firm has agreed to assist the U.S. in transferring and offloading the crude oil cargo present on its vessel in Texas. As part of the case, the company acknowledged the accuracy of the facts stated in a document and committed to not disputing the Statement of the Offense.
Initially, the U.S. government sought to keep these documents sealed, citing potential security risks to the defendant, government, vessel, and its crew.
Known Details of the Case and Confiscation of Iranian Oil
In February 2022, suspicions arose when United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) suggested that the Suez Rajan might be carrying Iranian oil from Khargh Island, the main Persian Gulf oil distribution center. Satellite images and shipping data analyzed by the AP confirmed these claims.
The recently unveiled court records utilize satellite images and documents to reveal the Suez Rajan’s attempt to obscure its loading of Iranian crude oil from one vessel by falsely claiming it originated from another.
As reported, after lingering for months in the South China Sea off Singapore’s northeastern coast, the ship unexpectedly set course for the Texas coast without explanation. The cargo was transferred to another tanker, which later discharged the oil in Houston.
These court documents now officially confirm the U.S. government’s seizure of approximately one million barrels of oil from the Suez Rajan, marking the first public acknowledgment by U.S. prosecutors, AP underlines.
Apostolos Tourkantonis, a lawyer representing Empire Navigation, pleaded guilty to a single charge of violating Iran sanctions in April 2023.
According to the U.S. Treasury, revenue generated from Iran’s oil smuggling supports the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary unit with operations across the Middle East. The court documents tie the Guard to this trade, which involves numerous vessels attempting to conceal their movements and shield their ownership through foreign shell companies.
Notably, the Suez Rajan case differed at the time of the transfer because it was owned by the Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management.
Commodity intelligence firm Kpler estimates Iran exports 1 to 1.5 million barrels of oil daily, despite U.S. sanctions.
Former U.S. Ambassador Mark Wallace, who leads United Against Nuclear Iran, commended Empire Navigation‘s decision to accept the plea agreement, likening Iran’s oil smuggling to organized crime and encouraging others to discontinue such activities.
Wallace mentioned Empire Navigation’s resilience in the face of Iranian threats in Greece, applauding their choice to exit illicit operations. He mentioned that “they faced down Iranian assassination threats in Greece.” Wallace refrained from providing further details, as U.S. court documents regarding the alleged assassination threat remained confidential due to security concerns expressed by prosecutors.
New statistics from the University of Groningen, incorporating Eurostat data, reveal that Greeks are the hardest-working in Europe. Credit: Greek Reporter
New statistics from the University of Groningen, incorporating Eurostat data, reveal that Greeks have the most working hours among Europeans.
The new data showed that Greece leads the pack with an impressive average of 2,036 working hours per year. Poland and Russia follow closely at 2,023 and 1,965 hours on average, respectively. Additionally, registered unemployment in Greece dropped by 4.6 percent in July 2023 compared to the same month in 2022.
The statistics showed some clear trends. The lowest average working hours are observed in the northern countries. Thus, the top three places in terms of fewer annual working hours were occupied by Denmark, Norway, and Germany. In these countries, the figures were 1,381, 1,384, and 1,386 respectively. Iceland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland also have a relatively smaller number of working hours.
As for the middle of the ranking, the UK has an average of 1,668 working hours per year. Spain comes quite close to this with 1,686 hours, while France averages out at 1,505 hours. Italy (1,718) and Portugal (1,865) have slightly higher averages.
However, working longer hours doesn’t always translate to higher economic productivity. Denmark, Switzerland, and Norway, despite shorter workweeks, have significantly higher GDP per hour worked.
Weekly Working Hours in Europe
Greece leads in weekly working hours, averaging 47 to 51 hours per week for individuals aged 20 to 64. In contrast, the Dutch have the shortest average workweek in Europe, ranging from 30 to 33 hours per week. Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, parts of Germany, and Italy also maintain relatively shorter workweeks, spanning 33 to 36 hours.
Eastern European countries, particularly Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Turkey, record the longest average working weeks, with most people working over 42 hours weekly.
Regional differences within countries also provide intriguing insights. East Germany reports longer working hours than West Germany, while West Flanders in Belgium sees slightly lengthier workweeks than the national average. In London, English residents also work longer hours compared to the rest of the country. Conversely, Belgrade in Serbia and Sicily in Italy report shorter workweeks than other regions.
When Young Greeks Leave Their Parental Home
Another recent statistic has shown that Greece has the third highest age in the European Union in terms of when young adults leave their parents’ home. The average age throughout the EU was 30.7 years this year. In 2022, this was 26.4 years, but this varied by country. Croatia and Slovakia took the leading positions with an average of 33.4 and 30.8 years, respectively. They are followed by Bulgaria and Spain with an average age of 30.3 years, as well as Malta (30.1) and Italy (30). Nordic countries, such as Finland (21.3) and Sweden (21.4), have the lowest average age for independent living.
Notably, European men tend to leave the parental home later than do women across the EU, with the largest gender gap being recorded in Romania.
Data was recently released by Statista revealing the top eight most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Credit: VOA / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Many parts of the word experience strong earthquakes from time to time, but for some countries earthquakes are far more common.
Natural disasters are often unavoidable, but knowing where they are likely to strike can help scientists, emergency services, and civil authorities to better prepare.
Recently, data was released by Statista examining seismic activity zones over a 32-year period. The data reveals the top eight most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
What causes an earthquake?
“An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another. The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane,” says Lisa Wald of the United States Geological Survey (USGS),
The hypocenter is the point beneath the Earth’s surface where a tremor or earthquake starts. The position directly above it on the Earth’s surface is called the epicenter.
Sometimes smaller foreshocks precede the main earthquake, called a mainshock, although seismologists cannot tell these apart until after the mainshock has occurred. Aftershocks will always follow a mainshock and will sometimes continue for weeks, months, or even years. Foreshocks, mainshocks, and aftershocks all occur at the same point.
Although most seismologists agree that earthquakes cannot be predicted, forecasts in areas where earthquakes are more commonly known to occur can be carried out. Most earthquakes around the world occur on faults of tectonic plate boundaries.
In light of the earthquake which devastated parts of Turkey and Syria this week, Statista – a data and statistics portal – gathered data from between 1990 and 2022, to assess which parts of the world are the most earthquake-prone.
Top 8 Most Earthquake-Prone Countries
8. Philippines
According to Statista, the Philippines is the eighth most earthquake-prone country in the world. Between 1990 and 2022, the Philippines experienced 52 recorded earthquakes.
The Philippines is frequently affected by seismic activity due to its position along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which also causes volcanic activity. Earthquakes are common due to the meeting of two tectonic plates in the region.
7. India
India is the seventh most earthquake-prone country in the world. India was struck by 57 earthquakes between 1990 and 2022.
India’s high earthquake frequency is due to its location near the plate boundary zone between the India and Eurasia plates.
The India plate moves northward at approximately 4 cm/year and collides with the southern margin of the Eurasia plate, making it the largest collision zone on Earth.
6. Turkey
Turkey, which was recently battered by an earthquake on February 7, is the sixth most earthquake-prone country. Between 1990 and 2022, Turkey experienced 58 recorded earthquakes.
Most of Turkey is situated on the Anatolian Plate. The country is earthquake-prone because this place borders two major fault lines, the North Anatolian Fault and the East Anatolian fault.
5. The United States
Between 1990 and 2022, the United States experienced 77 earthquakes, making it the fifth-highest country in earthquake frequency.
Most earthquakes in the United States occur in the western portion of the country. This is because it is close to the western boundary of the North American plate.
4. Japan
94 earthquakes have been recorded in Japan between 1990 and 2022. It is therefore the fourth most earthquake-prone country in the world.
Japan is situated in the Pacific earthquake belt. Its long and complex coastline is vulnerable to tsunamis. Earthquakes, as well as other phenomena like volcanoes, can cause large displacements of water, in turn causing tsunamis.
3. Iran
Iran is the first country on the list with a number of recorded earthquakes in the triple digits between 1990 and 2022. During this time period, Iran experienced 108 earthquakes.
A number of major geological fault lines cut across Iran. The Arabian, Indian, and Eurasian tectonic plates all meet at various points in Iran, which is why the country is so earthquake-prone.
2. Indonesia
161 earthquakes were recorded in Indonesia between 1990 and 2022. Indonesia is within the boundary of 3 major tectonic plates, specifically: the Indian-Australian, Eurasian, and Pacific plates.
Like the Philippines, Indonesia is also located within the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines and volcanoes in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, responsible for the region’s frequent seismic activity.
1. China
According to the data compiled by Statista, China is the most earthquake-prone country in the world. Between 1990 and 2022, China experienced 182 recorded earthquakes.
Like the other countries on the list, China is located within a region of high tectonic activity. Parts of China are located at the points where the Eurasian, Pacific, and Indian Ocean plates meet.
Few things on this earth are as lovely as a wooden ship with its sails unfurled, sailing on the open sea; the Ancient Greek trireme ships are no exception to this rule, but of course they were once warships that were so deadly they enabled the rise of Athens as a great power.
The graceful ships, which were propelled not only by two large sails but three ranks of men pulling on oars as well, may have originated in Corinth. Wherever they were first created, triremes were used by all the ancient maritime civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea, including the Phoenicians and Romans as well as the ancient Greeks.
The trireme derives its name from its three rows of oars, with one man working each oar. The early trireme was a further development of the penteconter, an ancient warship with a single row of 25 oars on each side, and the bireme, a warship with two banks of oars, from Phoenicia.
Trireme played integral part in rise of Athens as great power
Known for its speed and agility in battle, the trireme was the dominant warship in the Mediterranean from the 7th to the 4th centuries BC, after which it was largely superseded by the larger quadriremes and quinqueremes, with four and five banks of rowers.
Triremes played a vital role in the history of Ancient Greece during the Persian Wars and the creation of the Athenian maritime empire — as well as its downfall in the Peloponnesian War.
Modern scholarship is divided on the provenance of the trireme — although it was either Greece or Phoenicia — and the exact time it developed into the foremost ancient fighting ship. The Greek writer Clement of Alexandria, drawing on earlier works, explicitly attributes the invention of the trireme in the second century AD to Sidon, the great Phoenician city.
According to the great historian Thucydides, the trireme was introduced to Greece by the Corinthians in the late 8th century BC; the Corinthian Ameinocles was recorded as building four such ships for the Samians.
In the ancient world, naval combat relied on two methods: boarding and ramming. Rams (embolon) were fitted to the prows of warships, and were used to rupture the hull of the enemy ship.
The first definitive reference to the use of triremes in naval combat dates back to approximately 525 BC, when the historian Herodotus wrote that the tyrant Polycrates of Samos was able to contribute 40 triremes to a Persian invasion of Egypt for the Battle of Pelusium.
Thucydides meanwhile clearly states that in the time of the Persian Wars, the majority of the Greek navies consisted of (probably two-tiered) penteconters and ploia makrá (“long ships”). In any case, by the early fifth century, the trireme was becoming the dominant warship type of the eastern Mediterranean,
The first large-scale naval battle in which triremes participated was the Battle of Lade during the Ionian Revolt, where the combined fleets of the Greek Ionian cities were defeated by the Persian fleet, composed of squadrons from their Phoenician, Carian, Cypriot and Egyptian subjects.
It was 483/2 BC, however, that saw the pivotal moment in the development of the trireme, when the Athenian statesman Themistocles persuaded the Athenian assembly to begin the construction of 200 triremes, using the income of the newly discovered silver mines at Laurion.
Decisive tactics involved gigantic fleet of Persian triremes
This naval battle is considered by many historians to be one of the most decisive in history, bringing an end to the threat of Persian invasion of the West.
Much like the earlier battle at Thermopylae, the heroics at the Battle of Salamis have risen to legendary status, as the allied Greek city-states used approximately 370 trireme ships, and the Persians had over 1,000, according to ancient sources.
The Persians planned to crush the outnumbered Greeks with the sheer force of their massive fleet.
The leader of the Greek ships, Themistocles, aware of the great number of Persian ships, used that fact against the enemy, luring the Persians to the narrow Strait of Salamis, where the Greek ships were waiting.
Since the massive Persian fleet could not fit in the strait, they quickly became disorganized, opening up a possibility for a Greek victory.
Triremes enabled creation of Athens thalassocracy
The source and foundation of Athens’ lasting political power was her strong fleet, which historians believe was composed of over 200 triremes. It not only secured control of the Aegean Sea and the loyalty of her allies, but also safeguarded trade routes and the all-important grain shipments from the Black Sea, with the help of its standing navy of triremes.
Athenian maritime power is the first example of what historians refer to as a “thalassocracy,” or complete dominion over the seas, in world history.
For the crew of Athenian triremes, the ships were an extension of their democratic beliefs.
In thinking of these gigantic ships propelled by manpower, we all can recall the iconic scene of slaves manning the oars of a Roman galley in the movie Ben Hur, with men struggling to keep up with the frenetic pace that was called for in order to ram other naval ships during battle.
And indeed many of the men in such Roman galleys in reality were slaves — but this was emphatically not the case with the Greek triremes. In fact, serving aboard such a vessel was seen as an honor and the oarsmen were from all ranks of life, with rich and poor rowing alongside each other.
Historian Victor Davis Hanson argues that this “served the larger civic interest of acculturating thousands as they worked together in cramped conditions and under dire circumstances.”
Service on Athenian ships was an integral part of the military service although hired foreigners were also accepted. A typical Athenian trireme crew during the Peloponnesian War consisted of 80 citizens, 60 metics (freed slaves) and 60 foreign hands. Indeed, historians say that in the few emergency cases where slaves were used to crew ships, these were deliberately set free, usually before being employed.
Experts say that he design of the trireme most likely pushed the technological limits of the time. The three files of oarsmen on each side worked as one, with each man outboard of, and in height overlapping, the other.
While well-maintained triremes would last up to 25 years, during the Peloponnesian War, Athens had to build nearly 20 triremes a year to maintain their fleet of 300.
Athenian triremes had two great cables called hypozomata (undergirding), stretching from end to end along the middle line of the hull just under the main beams, adding the needed support for ramming during battle.
Triremes decorated with evil eyes, sculptures of deities
Its draft was relatively shallow, about 1 meter, which, in addition to the relatively flat keel allowed a trireme to be beached easily — a great advantage in invasions. The construction of a trireme was expensive, required approximately 6,000 man-days of labor.
The three principal types of wood used were fir, pine, and cedar. Oak was primarily used for the hulls in order that they could withstand the force of being hauled ashore.
In the case of Athens, since most of the fleet’s triremes were paid for by wealthy citizens, there was a natural sense of competition among the patricians to create the “most impressive” trireme, both to intimidate the enemy and, perhaps surprisingly, to attract the best oarsmen.
Triremes made a fearsome and beautiful sight, as we can see from ancient depictions and reproductions of the ships today. They were highly decorated with representations of the evil eye, or mati, and had nameplates, painted figureheads.
These decorations were used both to show the wealth of the patrician and to make the ship frightening to the enemy. The home port of each trireme was shown with pride by the wooden statue of a deity placed above the bronze ram on the front of the ship.
The resurrection of the trireme in Greece
Triremes had two masts, a main (histos megas) and a small foremast (histos akateios), with square sails, while steering was provided by two steering oars at the stern, with one at the port side and one to starboard.
Classical sources indicate that the trireme was capable of sustained speeds of about 6 knots at relatively leisurely pace of rowing. There is also a reference by Xenophon of a single day’s voyage from Byzantium to Heraclea Pontica, which translates as an average speed of 7.37 knots.
In Athens, the ship’s captain, known as the trierarchos, would have been a wealthy Athenian citizen. He alone was responsible for manning, fitting out and maintaining the ship for his liturgical year at least; the ship itself belonged to Athens.
During the Hellenistic period, the relatively lightweight trireme was supplanted by larger warships in dominant navies, especially the pentere/quinquereme, while triremes continued to be the mainstay of all smaller navies.
Although the Hellenistic kingdoms did develop the quinquereme and even larger ships, most navies of the Greek homeland and the smaller colonies could only afford triremes. They were used by the Diadochi Empires and sea powers like Syracuse, Carthage and later Rome.
In 1985–1987 a shipbuilder in Piraeus, advised by historian J. S. Morrison and naval architect John F. Coates and informed by evidence from underwater archaeology, built an Athenian-style trireme, Olympias.
The work was also advised by the classics teacher Charles Willink and drew on evidence gained from Greek literature, history of art and archaeology above and below water.
The Olympias’ bronze bow ram, a copy of an original ram now in the Piraeus archaeological museum, weighs 200 kg. The ship was built from Douglas fir and Virginia oak while its keel is of iroko hardwood.
During its most epic sea trials, in 1987, the Olympias was crewed by 170 volunteer oarsmen and oarswomen. She achieved a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h). These results, achieved with an inexperienced, mixed crew, suggest that ancient historians like Thucydides were not exaggerating about the capabilities of triremes.
Olympias was transported to Britain in 1993, to take part in events celebrating the 2,500 years since the beginning of democracy. In 2004 she was used to transport the Olympic Flame ceremonially from the port of Keratsini to the main port of Piraeus, as the Olympic Torch Relay approached Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Olympias is now an exhibit in a dry dock at the Naval Tradition Park in Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece.
Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction medication Viagra can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 69%. Credit: Audrey Disse, CC BY-SA 3.0
Research published recently suggests that Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction drug Viagra can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 69 percent.
The research, which was published in Nature, found that the medication has a direct effect on brain health and significantly reduces the toxic proteins that can cause dementia.
The study’s findings are so promising that the drug may someday be used to counter dementia. A new team of experts is preparing to conduct another study that builds on this data but tests the generic version of Viagra, sildenafil, in patients suffering from early Alzheimer’s.
The team of researchers arrived at Viagra’s viability as a treatment for dementia after analyzing 1,600 approved drugs hoping to find one that could be repurposed to fight the root causes of dementia.
“Sildenafil, which has been shown to significantly improve cognition and memory in preclinical models, presented as the best drug candidate. Sildenafil may have neuroprotective effects and reduce levels of toxic tau proteins,” said Dr. Feixiong Cheng, the lead researcher on the study, which was conducted by the Cleveland Clinic.
Despite the excitement surrounding the study’s promising results, some experts are advising people to not get their hopes up quite yet, as clinical trials are still necessary.
Coffee and Viagra offer new hope in fight against Alzheimer’s
Another recent study uncovered another unlikely weapon in the fight against dementia: coffee. Research suggests that coffee consumption may significantly decrease your chances of developing the disease.
The study sheds light on the mysterious disease, for which there is no cure as of now. While coffee does not mitigate or fight Alzheimer’s like some medications do, the study found that people with no memory loss who also drank larger than average amounts of coffee were at less of a risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, which is considered a pre-stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
“With Alzheimer’s disease, there’s currently a lack of any effective disease-modifying treatments. Our research group is specifically looking at modifiable risk factors that could delay the onset of the disease, and even a five-year delay could have massive social and economic benefits,” said lead author Samantha Gardener, who is a research fellow at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.
“Worldwide, a high proportion of adults drink coffee every day, making it one of the most popular beverages consumed,” Gardener added.
The popularity and ubiquitousness of coffee could make it a viable method of deferring the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. But she also stressed that further studies are necessary. Gardener and her team are not yet sure what ingredient in coffee itself contributes to the delaying of Alzheimer’s.
“This is, obviously, preliminary data and it needs a lot more research before being recommended, but it’s really positive, and hopefully in the future, it can be incorporated as a modifiable lifestyle factor that can delay Alzheimer’s disease onset,” Gardener said.
The impending release of the iPhone 15 is poised to introduce a substantial shift in charging technology. Credit: Solen Feyissa via Unsplash
Apple is on the verge of implementing one of the most significant changes to the iPhone lineup in over a decade. The impending release of the iPhone 15 is poised to introduce a substantial shift in charging technology.
The highly anticipated iPhone 15 is rumored to bid farewell to Apple’s proprietary Lightning charger in favor of adopting USB-C charging. This decision could herald a milestone for the tech giant by embracing universal charging standards.
This transition closely follows the European Union’s approval of legislation mandating USB-C support for small devices like smartphones, tablets, and digital cameras by 2024. The goal is to simplify the charging experience for consumers and reduce e-waste associated with an excess of chargers and cables.
Apple Product Chargers
While this transition may seem groundbreaking, it is important to note that Apple has already incorporated USB-C charging into its iPad and MacBook product lines. However, the company had been resistant in adopting this change in its flagship iPhone series.
Apple’s prior commitment to the Lightning charger, introduced alongside the iPhone 5 in 2012, was motivated by the desire to maintain control over its ecosystem and bolster revenue from accessory sales. Users were required to purchase a $30 Lightning adapter to connect their devices to older docks, alarm clocks, and speaker systems, generating substantial profits for the company.
UPDATE: The iPhone 15 will be revealed next week.
This will happen at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, on September 12th at 10AM. pic.twitter.com/9Dx009ZXiA
From a financial perspective, Apple’s control over its ecosystem, including its Made For iPhone program, was a driving factor behind its hesitance to embrace universal USB-C standards, CNN says. Transitioning to USB-C would entail relinquishing some of this control since the USB-C ecosystem is more open.
Furthermore, Apple has the opportunity to develop its branded USB-C cable, optimized for iPhone usage, potentially enabling faster charging while minimizing battery-related risks and damage.
Regarding iPhone users, it remains uncertain whether the shift to USB-C will apply universally to all new iPhone 15 models or exclusively to the Pro variants. While the transition alone may not serve as the sole incentive for upgrading, it could sway consumers who have previously been deterred by iPhone charging limitations.
As CNN emphasizes, access to charging wires shouldn’t pose a significant challenge for users, as many mobile devices, including Apple’s iPads and MacBooks, have already adopted USB-C technology.
Although the possibility of wireless charging remains, it is not expected to replace wired charging anytime soon. Currently, wireless charging lags behind wired charging in terms of speed and efficiency. As such, the future of iPhone charging technology may include both wired and wireless options, catering to diverse user preferences and needs.
Increase in Prices
As it was reported, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are set to undergo significant price increases, primarily attributed to chassis upgrades from stainless steel to titanium. Additionally, the Pro Max variant will feature a periscope lens for 5-6x optical zoom, contributing to higher costs. While the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to maintain their price points, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could see price hikes of a hundred and two hundred dollars, respectively.
These changes reflect Apple’s commitment to offering enhanced features and materials, potentially making the iPhone 15 Pro Max the most expensive iPhone ever released.
