The three-masted Belem carrying the Olympic Flame left Greece in late April. Credit: Olympics. com
The Olympic flame reached Marseille, just outside the Old Port, amid tight security on Wednesday, 79 days before the Paris 2024 Games Opening Ceremony.
More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony after a six-hour parade of the three-masted Belem, which left Greece on April 27 with the flame after it was lit in Ancient Olympia 11 days earlier.
The ship was awaited by 1,024 boats. Fourteen young people aged 16 to 24 had been selected to join the professional crew of the Belem and accompany the Olympic Flame on its Mediterranean crossing. They joined the ship’s professional crew of 16.
Ces images du Belem arrivant dans le port de Marseille avec la #FlammeOlympique sont magnifiques. J’espère que ces JO seront l’occasion pour chacun d’etre fier de la France. 🇫🇷🔥 pic.twitter.com/i7EoWIGAan
“We conceived this event as a ceremony, the fifth of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics (on top of the opening and closing ceremonies,” said Paris 2024 executive director Thierry Reboul who is in charge of ceremonies.
“Marseille is the ideal spot to create memories.”
Fireworks and concert welcome Olympic Flame in Marseille
Fireworks and a free concert will complete the show in Marseille which will be broadcast live on French TV. The honour of being the first torch bearer will fall to four-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer Florent Manaudou.
Other stars to take part in the parade, which continues in Marseille on Thursday, include NBA-winning basketball player Tony Parker and Ivory Coast football great Didier Drogba, as well as charity and entertainment figures.
Tight security
In the background, around 6,000 security forces are to be on duty at a time when the country is on its highest terror alert.
“It’s completely unprecedented for the national police to mobilize so many people on the same day at the same place,” regional police coordinator Cedric Esson told reporters on Monday.
Extremely tight security will be a constant feature as the torch travels through more than 450 French towns and cities, and passes by dozens of tourist attractions including the Mont Saint Michel.
Around 200 members of the security forces are set to be positioned permanently around it, including an anti-terror SWAT team and anti-drone operatives.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has referred to the risk of protests, including from far-left groups or environmental activists such as Extinction Rebellion.
Organisers have promised a “spectacular” and “iconic” Olympics, with much of the sport set to take place in temporary venues around the City of Light including at the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides.
The Paris Olympics will run from July 26-August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28-September 8.
Breakfast at Chania, Crete. Credit: Greek Reporter
The Cretan diet is probably the most representative Mediterranean diet which boosts health, sense of well-being, and life span.
Many ask what the much-talked-about Cretan dietary prototype really is. The answer is simple. It is the diet of the island’s poorer farmers, of the people who lived mostly in the countryside until the late 1970s.
At that point, they began to be influenced by the modern way of life, consuming more and more meat and relying all the more on processed foods and sugar in their cooking.
When many people think of Greek food, pastitso, moussaka, souvlaki, and baklava come to mind, but this is not emblematic of the Cretan diet.
Key features of the Cretan diet
A traditional Cretan diet is instead packed with greens, such as horta (wild greens), fasolakia (green string beans), bamies (okra), legumes including fakes (lentils), fasolada (beans), revithia (chickpeas), vegetable dishes, fish, and small portions of meat.
The key features of the Cretan diet include:
Lots of plant-based foods: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (like beans and lentils), and nuts and seeds are all staples.
Extra virgin olive oil: This is the main source of fat.
Wild greens: Cretans love these and consider them a superfood. They are high in antioxidants and vitamins.
Moderate amounts of fish and dairy: Fish is eaten more often than meat, and dairy portions are typically smaller than in a Western diet.
Small amounts of meat: Meat plays a minor role in this diet.
Focus on fresh, local ingredients: Cretans traditionally eat what’s in season and grown nearby.
Herbs and spices: These are used to add flavor, but not in excess.
Cretans tend to have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Credit: Greek Reporter
This way of eating is similar to the well-known Mediterranean diet, and it’s thought to be a reason why Cretans tend to have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Cretan diet and the “Seven Countries Study”
The Cretan diet emerged from the “Seven Countries Study,” which was begun in the 1950s. This study was led by Ancel Keys, a physiologist from the University of Minnesota who was dedicated to learning about and combating the heart-related health issues that were beginning to plague Americans.
He discovered that the island of Crete was the healthiest of the countries in his study, with incidences of heart disease occurring at extraordinarily low percentages among the Cretan population.
The population of Crete tends to eat seasonally and locally, consuming between 9-12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, as well as plenty of olive oil. This is the only oil they use. There’s no butter or lard, and it makes up to 37 percent of their daily caloric intake.
Credit: Greek Reporter
Cretans sometimes get upset if someone today speaks to them about the “Mediterranean” diet. Academics, researchers, and local community representatives believe the term is too generic and does not accurately express the important distinctive features of their island.
Only one term is acceptable there: the Cretan diet. They do, of course, acknowledge that every Mediterranean country has developed its own distinctive diet with several shared elements between them. The differences, however, are not negligible.
Napoleon may have had Greek roots, at least according to a controversial theory espoused by some historians. Public Domain
Napoleon, the Corsican upstart who seized absolute power as French emperor, may have had Greek roots, at least according to a controversial theory espoused by some historians.
Corsica may seem far away from Greece but the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean, was once a popular destination for the Greeks of Mani, in southern Peloponnese who fled to escape the Ottoman rule.
Towards the end of the 17th century, unable to live under Ottoman rule, rebellious Maniots fled to Corsica where they founded their own little Mani, thereby preserving their language, faith and traditions while settling in a new homeland.
Corsica has been inhabited by various peoples, including Greeks, Romans, and later Genoese and French settlers.
This rich historical tapestry has contributed to the speculation about potential Greek connections in Napoleon’s lineage, as it raises the possibility of intercultural exchanges and intermarriage between different ethnic groups over the centuries.
The mainstream theory says that Napoleon’s family was of Italian origin. His paternal ancestors, the Buonapartes, descended from a minor Tuscan noble family that emigrated to Corsica in the 16th century and his maternal ancestors, the Ramolinos, descended from a minor Genoese noble family.
Many countries have claimed Napoleon as their own and his origins are still a contentious subject.
Whatever it’s worth, the Greeks of Corsica always believed he belonged to their aristocratic stock and was descended from the Kalomeros family, one of whose members had some centuries earlier gone to Florence and Italianized his name to Buonaparte.
What is the evidence of Napoleon’s Greek roots?
One of the earliest pieces of evidence to suggest that Napoleon had Greek ancestry is a genealogical study published in 1895 by Demetrio Stefanopoli, a Corsican historian.
Stefanopoli claimed that Napoleon was descended from the Stephanopoli family, a Greek family that had settled in Corsica in the 17th century. The Stephanopoli family were said to be descendants of the last Emperor of Trebizond (today’s Trabzon in the Black Sea region of Turkey), a Greek empire that existed from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
Trebizond’s last emperor, David II, was captured and later executed by the Ottomans, but prominent members of the imperial and leading families were rescued by Genoa and resettled in Mani. From there they traveled to Corsica.
Another piece of historical evidence comes from a letter that Napoleon wrote to his mother in 1797. In the letter, Napoleon refers to himself as a “Greek” and says that he is proud of his heritage.
Napoleon himself made several statements that suggest he was aware of his Greek ancestry. In addition to the letter he wrote to his mother, Napoleon also made references to his Greek heritage in his speeches and writings. For example, he once said that he was “a Greek by birth and by blood.”
In 2013, a team of geneticists published a study in the journal “Human Biology” that found that Napoleon’s DNA shared some similarities with DNA from modern Greeks. The study was based on a sample of Napoleon’s hair that had been taken from a museum in Paris.
While some historians and scholars have put forth theories suggesting that Napoleon Bonaparte may have had Greek heritage, the evidence supporting this claim remains inconclusive and the subject of much controversy.
Agistri is a green, lush island with many scenic and unspoiled charms despite its proximity to the Greek capital city of Athens.
Along with Poros, Aegina, Spetses, and Hydra, it is part of the Saronic group of Greek islands, all of which are just a stone’s throw away from bustling Athens.
Since these islands are in close proximity to one another, Agistri makes for a perfect base for island-hopping adventures.
Agistri is one of the best Greek islands for weekend getaways or even day trips, since it is less than an hour away from the port of Piraeus by ferry.
The island offers surprising tranquility considering its closeness to the humming city, as well as extraordinary scenery and breathtaking beaches with opportunities for many outdoor activities. There is also a unique nightlife scene on Agistri.
Let’s discover what this beautiful island has to offer!
The history of Agistri
In ancient years, the island was known as Kekrifalia, or “Embellished head.” Archaeological excavations show that the first traces of human habitation on the island date back 2,500 years.
Its early inhabitants gave it an important presence in literature, including Homer’s epic work the Iliad.
The poet refers to the island’s contribution in the Trojan War as an ally of Aegina in this monumental work, cementing the name of the island in history.
Agistri, along with other neighboring islands, including Kontari, Megaritissa, and Aponissos, was part of the ancient kingdom of Aegina.
Agistri is a small, verdant island boasting lovely pebble and sand beaches, rocky cliffs, and tiny, hidden coves.
Megalochori and Skala are the most popular and organized beaches on Agistri. However, with its stunning forest surrounding the beach, Dragonera Beach is sure to win the hearts of those who prefer more privacy.
Megalochori, a traditional Greek island town
Megalochori Beach attracts many vacationers, offering beautiful mountain views and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere.
Megalochori, Agistri. Credit: /Wikimedia Commons/
A stroll around the traditional town of Megalochori, with its picturesque stone houses, all painted white with clay-tiled roofs, is also highly recommended.
Megalochori’s cultural center displays archaeological discoveries found in the surrounding area.
Aponissos, located on the west coast, is another gem of Agistri.
Its beach features crystalline waters for swimmers, but the cove here is also perfect for yachtsmen to moor in, as it is somewhat protected from the open sea.
You can also find a traditional taverna open during the spring and summer months, where you can enjoy delectable Greek food while enjoying the delightful view of the cove and offshore islets.
Dragonera: the most secluded beach on Agistri
Dragonera Beach, Agistri. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public domain
Saving the best for last, Dragonera Beach features the most solitude of all Agistri’s beaches with a lush, green forest meeting the crystal-clear, turquoise waters.
This beach gives you the chance to enjoy the sea, forest, and mountains all at once, and you can’t help but marvel at the beauty of nature!
Its completely relaxing atmosphere encapsulates the whole vibe of this beautiful gem of an island.
Travelers may even go camping, for free, in the nearby forest at Dragonera; this unforgettable experience allows one to truly appreciate the many natural wonders of the Greek islands.
After enjoying your day at this stunning beach, you can set up camp and enjoy the millions of stars in a clear night sky almost completely free of light pollution.
TIP: Be well prepared if you choose to camp here. Bring food, water, and other necessary camping equipment, including flashlights, as there are no amenities nearby.
Activities on the island
Since Agistri is small with a laid-back vibe, activities on the island are somewhat limited compared to more commercially-developed islands.
There are no organized tours on Agistri as there are on many other larger islands.
However, Agistri should be your choice if you want to enjoy the natural beauty of the environment and experience total relaxation either at the beach or in the hills and villages of the countryside.
Enjoy your day sunbathing with a leisurely lunch at a seaside taverna in the mid-afternoon. In the evening, sip a drink at a bar under the stars while listening to your favorite music.
If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, go ahead and follow the old footpaths across the island; discover small villages, tiny chapels, secluded beaches, and hilltops with mesmerizing views of the sea and mountains.
And—if you are up for it—you can even bike your way around the island. With such hilly terrain, it can be quite tiring, but it is a great way to appreciate all this island has to offer.
Historians say that the British tried to smuggle marble parts to England, but their efforts were thwarted. Credit: Imperial War Museum, London
A photograph depicting British soldiers proudly holding skulls found near the Amphipolis Tomb in Greece has raised questions about whether they may have plundered the tomb more than a century ago.
The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI), a regiment of the British Army formed in 1881, was posted to Thessaloniki in Greece in 1915 at the request of the Greek Prime Minister and spent nearly three years fighting the Bulgarians in Macedonia.
For the most part, they were based at the Strymon River front between Lake Doiran and Amphipolis, where they constructed trenches and dugouts and fought numerous skirmishes.
However, it seems the battalion did more than just fight, as photographs have emerged showing evidence that the soldiers may have entered the famous tomb at Amphipolis, as well as proudly showing off human remains found near the site.
The British “tried to smuggle” Amphipolis antiquities to England
It is already known that the spectacular Lion of Amphipolis, a 5.3 meter-high marble statue that once stood on top of the giant tomb of Amphipolis, was found by British soldiers who were building fortifications at the bridge of Amphipolis in 1916.
The British tried to smuggle the marble parts to England, but their efforts were thwarted when Bulgarians who had just seized Paggaion attacked them. Archaeologist Fotis Petsas, whose work on the history of the Lion of Amphipolis was published in 1976 in “Proodos” newspaper that circulated in Serres, wrote:
“During the Balkan War in 1913, Greek soldiers found the foundations of the pedestal of the monument while digging trenches. The foundations were examined by George Ikonomos and Anastasios Orlandos who subsequently became professors of archaeology. Later, in 1916, during World War I, British soldiers discovered the first parts of the marble lion. Their attempt to transport the pieces onboard a ship were thwarted by an enemy bombing.”
The story was confirmed by Greek historian and archaeologist Michael Lefatzis during a press conference at the Greek Ministry of Culture in 2014. “The British attempted to transfer 1.000 pieces of the Amphipolis tomb’s enclosure and the Lion of Amphipolis to London in 1916, much like they did with the Parthenon Marbles,” he said.
Lefatzis, who was responsible for the schematic designs of the ancient tomb, told reporters that British troops were all set to transfer the pieces and the magnificent statue but on the day they were setting off were attacked by Austrian and Bulgarian troops.
The biography page for Dr Eric Gardner (1877 – 1951), a British medic and amateur archaeologist, who was posted to Greece during WWI, reveals that he took treasures found at Amphipolis and ‘donated’ them to the British Museum.
The British Museum writes: “He was based around Amphipolis on the Struma front, where an Archaic-Hellenistic Greek cemetery was uncovered. Donated contents of an Amphipolis grave to the Museum in 1918.” So was this ‘Amphipolis grave’ the great tomb that is currently being excavated by archaeologists?
British archives reveal “no evidence” of looting at Amphipolis
An article in the British National Archives says that as British troops began digging defensive positions in Macedonia they uncovered archaeological objects, so an order was issued in December 1915 regarding the collection of antiquities. Around the same time, liaison began with the Greek authorities to deal with archaeological matters in general.
It adds that the diaries of British troops deployed near Amphipolis do not mention antiquities. It concludes that evidence from the British archives “strongly suggest” that the tomb site was never occupied by British troops, at least in the time before the armistice.
Amphipolis itself appears to have been in no-man’s land, being visited by British and enemy troops at various times.
Palace of Aigai, part of the Kingdom of Macedonia. Credit: Greek Reporter
Archaeologists say they have discovered Alexander the Great’s bathroom at the Aigai Palace in northern Greece.
The discovery is unveiled in the final episode of the Channel 4 series Bettany Hughes‘ Treasures of the World, which airs on May 11.
Set in the ceremonial center of the ancient Macedonian kingdom, the 15,000 square meter Aigai palace is three times the size of the Parthenon, with its gated city walls, courtyard, temples, sanctuaries, theatre, palaestra – or boxing school – and tombs.
Drain pipe points to Alexander the Great’s bathroom
“There’s a massive drain cut into the rock and a communal bathroom. This would have been where Alexander the Great bathed with his companions – his famous favorite Hephaestion and all those young men who then travelled with him on campaigns and after his death squabbled over his empire,” Hughes says.
Archaeologists have discovered the palaestra and bathroom where the teenage Alexander bathed. Credit: Sandstone Global Productions/Channel 4
“There were all these rites of passage they went through. They were incredibly active in the gym, fighting and wrestling. They were trained to hunt. Imagine those communal baths at the end of football matches,” she notes.
His bedroom has not been identified yet but all the quarters of the palace are there. “So, I haven’t gone into Alexander’s bedroom yet, but I have got into his bathroom.”
Palace of Aigai one of the most impressive building of classical Greece
The Palace of Aigai, known today as Vergina, is considered not only the biggest but along with the Parthenon, the most significant building of classical Greece.
Constructed during the reign of Philip II (359 – 336 BC) on a raised outcrop in Vergina in northern Greece, the palace, a remarkable landmark and symbol of power and beauty three times the size of the Parthenon, was visible from the whole Macedonian basin.
Archaeological evidence proves that the site was continuously inhabited beginning in the Early Bronze Age (3rd Millenium BC), while in the Early Iron Age (11th to 8th centuries BC), it became an important, rich, and densely populated center.
The city reached its zenith in the Archaic (7th – 6th centuries BC) and Classical periods (5th-4th centuries), when it was the most important urban center of the area, the seat of the Macedonian kings, and the site for the establishment of many traditional sanctuaries.
The Palace of Aigai was designed for Philip II by an ingenious architect, most likely Pytheos, known for his contribution to the construction of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the development of urban planning and the theory of proportion.
Orthodox faithful in Zimbabwe congratulate Angelic Molen. Credit: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess
In a historic ceremony on May 2, 2024, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all of Africa name Angelic Molen from Zimbabwe as the first deaconess in the global Eastern Orthodox Church.
The event, held at St. Nektarios Mission Parish near Harare, Zimbabwe, marked the culmination of efforts to revive the female diaconate within the Church.
According to Religion News, Molen expressed her initial nervousness about entering the altar but felt comforted and ready after receiving blessings from Metropolitan Serafim.
The Deaconess received blessings from Metropolitan Serafim. Credit: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess
“Historic moment” for the Orthodox Church and Zimbabwe
In a press release announcing the ordination, the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess, an advocacy group for the revival of the female diaconate, noted Molen’s ordination was a historic moment and would set a precedent for other branches of the Orthodox Church.
“Being the first to do anything is always a challenge, but the Patriarchate of Alexandria has courageously chosen to lead the way with Metropolitan Serafim laying his hands on Deaconess Angelic,” wrote Dr. Carrie Frost, the chair of St. Phoebe’s board, in the press release.
For years, the Patriarchate of Alexandria and Africa has intensified efforts to establish the female diaconate on the continent.
After unanimously voting to revive the female diaconate at its synod in Alexandria in 2016, the Patriarchate ordained six sub-deaconesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2017.
Credit: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess
Molen’s ordination as a full deaconess goes further. Her responsibilities, and those of future deaconesses, will include assisting priests in the liturgy and sacraments and addressing the specific needs of parishes in her country, explained Serafim.
Growing need for priests and deacons in African parishes
In its press release, the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess noted that her ordination was a response to the growing need for priests and deacons in African parishes.
“The Alexandrian Patriarchate in Africa felt the need to revive this order to serve the daily pastoral needs of Orthodox Christians in Africa,” read the press release.
According to a 2017 Pew Research Center article, Orthodox Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa represent 15 percent of the global Orthodox Christian population. The share of African Orthodox Christians has grown significantly over the last century, most residing in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Molen is currently studying geography and environmental studies and has served Orthodox Christians in Zimbabwe for years, working with youth and establishing church schools. She has also created a number of mothers’ groups to serve women.
According to the St. Phoebe Center, reviving the female diaconate could help congregations address the needs and concerns of women in churches.
In November 2023, the center organized a conference on the revival of the female diaconate and highlighted that deaconesses could “help overworked priests” and offer “woman-to-women ministry for many issues.”
The ‘Evdokia’ olive tree on Corfu was planted around 928 AD. Credit: AMNA
An imposing olive tree on Corfu, known as “Evdokia” is among the oldest trees in Greece, estimated to be between 1,086 and 1,200 years old.
A recent study by German scientists from the Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) determined that the tree is around 1,086 years old (+/- 10 yrs). They believe it was planted sometime around 928 AD before the island’s successive occupations by Saracens, Normans, and Venetians.
“Their study proved that the centuries-old olive tree is 1,200 years old, with a margin of error of 10 percent,” Konofaou, founder of the Hellenic Union of Heptanesians (HUH), a name referring to the hepta, or seven, main islands in the Ionian Sea, explained to AMNA.
Konofaou said the islanders decided to contact dendrochronology specialists at TU Dresden’s Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology independently, after a series of failed attempts to attract the interest of academics and government officials in Athens.
The tree is one of three especially enormous olive trees on Corfu and part of the Heptanesians Union’s efforts to promote all three areas in which they are located as alternative tourist destinations.
Evdokia is considered one of the ten largest and oldest living trees in all of Europe. Konofaou said that schools and tourists on Corfu have expressed interest in visiting the tree while the owner of the parcel of land where the tree is located has conceded the rights for the tree’s promotion and exploitation by members of the HUH.
Oldest olive tree in Greece is on Crete
However, the olive tree on Corfu is not the oldest in Greece. The oldest olive tree in the world is believed to be located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete.
The most ancient olive tree in the world on Crete, Greece. Credit: Dimitra Damian/Greek Reporter
The ancient tree is 3,000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community. This tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati and was grafted at a height of three meters onto a wild olive tree.
Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind.
The fruits of the ancient olive tree produce the best olive oil in the world, making the area the cradle of olive cultivation on the island of Crete. The trunk of the tree is now hollow as there is no heartwood, so the olive is renewed outward and the heartwood gradually rots away.
Since the olive tree is constantly renewing its wood, it has served as a symbol of immortality since ancient times.
Another ancient olive tree on the island of Evia was destroyed during the wildfires of 2021. The 2,500-year-old tree was located in the olive grove of Rovia and was such an enduring symbol of the landscape that the ancient geographer and philosopher Strabo featured it in his writings.
The tree was large with a trunk so wide ten people could fit along its diameter. The tree was fertile with olives until it fell victim to the wildfire.
ΡΟΒΙΕΣ Ευβοίας: Ελιά…2500 χρόνων‼️ Πριν και μετά την ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΟΦΗ ‼️ Ελαιώνας ΠΑΠΑΔΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ‼️  pic.twitter.com/0wqeZ7hmUO
Silia Kapsis, representing Cyprus, impressed the audience on Tuesday. Credit: Eurovision
Cyprus qualified for the Eurovision 2024 final on Saturday, following Silia Kapsis’ performance of ‘Liar’ during the first semi-final in Malmo, Sweden.
Silia Kapsis, representing Cyprus, impressed the audience on Tuesday with her performance of the song “Liar.”
Kapsis is a singer of Cypriot and Greek descent, born and raised in Sydney, Australia, who has already made waves across the entertainment industry.
The Sydneysider has been a lead singer for the Australian Youth Performing Arts Company (AYPAC) and a recurrent lead singer at numerous high-profile events worldwide.
Away from the stage, her love for pop flourished and in 2022 she released a debut song, Who Am I?, which she had written and composed at the age of 12. The next singles, No Boys Allowed and Disco Dancer, followed in March and May of 2023.
Kapsis has worked with world-renowned choreographers and was selected for the ImmaBeast Dance Company in Los Angeles; danced with Stephen tWitch Boss on The Jennifer Hudson Show; and was featured in a dance documentary produced by Taboo from the Black-Eyed Peas.
Qualifiers for Eurovision 2024 final
Another standout was Croatian contestant Baby Lasagna with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” considered a frontrunner this year.
The semi-final result was determined through televotes. The televote took place during the live broadcast of the show. The 15 participating countries, as well as Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom, were voting in this semi-final.
The 10 successful qualifiers will join the qualifiers from the Second Semi-Final (on Thursday 9 May), as well as the Big 5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) plus reigning Contest champions Sweden, in the Grand Final on Saturday 11 May.
Out of the 15 countries competing in the first semi-final, the following 10 advanced to the final:
1. Serbia – Teya Dora with “Ramonda”
2. Portugal – Iolanda with “Grito”
3. Slovenia – Raiven with “Veronika”
4. Ukraine – a. alyona & J. Heil with “Teresa & Maria”
5. Lithuania – Silvester Belt with “Luktelk”
6. Finland – Windows95man with “No Rules!”
7. Cyprus – Silia Kapsis with “Liar”
8. Croatia – Baby Lasagna with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”
9. Ireland – Bambie Thug with “Doomsday Blue”
10. Luxembourg – Tali with “Fighter”
Marina Satti of Greece performs on second Eurovision semi-final
The second semi-final, featuring Marina Satti representing Greece with the song “Zari,” will take place on Thursday, May 9.
“Zari”, has received high praise from international media, particularly the BBC. Despite its reputation for harsh criticism, the BBC has lauded the Greek entry and Marina Satti’s performance.
Representing Greece is Satti’s main aim at Eurovision. She wants people to look at their TV screens and say “look at what the Greeks did this year,” which is what made her decide to bring a song in the Greek language on stage.
“It’s massively important for me to sing in Greek and that’s also what I do when I tour Europe,” she said. “I want people to know Greeks better, and I cannot find a better way to do so than to show what we have to offer in music.”
The language of the Greeks is a living organism that has endured millennia. Credit: Thomas Wolf, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Greek is one of the oldest recorded living languages of the world, with a truly rich history that spans over 3,000 years.
While Ancient Greek and Modern Greek represent very different stages of the development of this fascinating language, they are still fundamentally connected, thus we still talk about one language with various stages, rather than two completely different languages.
In this article, we will explore the key similarities and differences between Ancient and Modern Greek in terms of writing, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary to see how much ”ancient” is the Greek language that the Greeks speak today.
The Development of the Greek Language
When we talk about Ancient Greek we refer to the language that was used in Greece approximately from the 9th century BC to the 6th century AD. It encompassed a long range of various dialects, including Attic, Ionic, Doric, and Aeolic, which later developed into the Koine Greek. Koine Greek (Koine being Greek for ”Common”) became the common dialect during the Hellenistic period following the conquests of Alexander the Great. It was also the language that was used to spread Christianity, as it was the language in which the Apostles mostly spread Jesus’ message across the Roman Empire.
Over time, Koine Greek evolved into what is known as Medieval Greek and, eventually, Modern Greek, which is now the official language of two countries in the world, Greece and Cyprus. Throughout its development, the Modern Greek language has been heavily influenced by other languages, such as Italian and Ottoman Turkish but never lost its originality and connection to the ”true” ancient Greek dialects of the past.
The Greek Writing System
Both Ancient and Modern Greek use the Greek alphabet, which has remained largely unchanged over the course of time and through the centuries.
The modern Greek language uses a total of 24 letters, each with a capital and lowercase form, similar to the Latin alphabet. In contrast, the Ancient Greek language used only capital letters, with no lowercase. The lowercase Greek letters were developed much later by medieval scribes. This happened because the writers wanted a faster, more convenient cursive writing style as they were using ink and quill.
In Ancient Greek, diacritics were also used to mark accents and breathings, whereas Modern Greek has a simplified monotonic orthography with only one accent mark that is called ”tonos” in Greek.
Pronunciation of the Ancient and Modern Greek languages
Pronunciation is one of the most significant differences between Ancient and Modern Greek. Many diphthong vowel sounds in Ancient Greek became monophthongs in Modern Greek, and the vowel length distinction has been lost in the modern version of the language. Some consonants are also pronounced differently; for example, the Greek letter beta was pronounced as [b] in Ancient Greek whereas it is now pronounced as [v] in Modern Greek (a phenomenon known as betacism).
Additionally, the pitch accent system used in Ancient Greek has evolved into a stress accent system in Modern Greek. Two ancient Greek inscriptions in the form of rhyming poetry have prompted new insights into the way the language was spoken in those times.
Ultimately, it is not possible to determine exactly how any ancient language sounded when spoken. But one clue has always been the changing of spellings over time — especially in those writings and inscriptions from more ordinary people rather than professional scribes.
Classicist Tim Whitmarsh from the University of Cambridge sees patterns and tendencies in these writings that point to just how the ancient language must have sounded. “In popular texts, spelling is more likely to be adapted to the sound of the word and less likely to be tethered to some conservative idea of ‘proper’ spelling,” he states.
Modern Greek Alphabet (Capital and Small Letters). Credit: M. Adiputra, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Grammar of the ancient and Greek language
The ancient Greek language had a more complex grammatical structure compared to Modern Greek.
In Ancient Greek, for example, nouns and adjectives had three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), three numbers (singular, plural, dual), and five cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative).
In comparison, the Modern Greek language has nouns and adjectives with three genders, two numbers (singular and plural, with no dual), and four cases (nominative, genitive, accusative, vocative, with no dative).
Ancient Greek verbs had four moods (indicative, subjunctive, optative, imperative), while Modern Greek has three (indicative, subjunctive, imperative, with no optative).
Furthermore, the Ancient Greek language had infinitives and participles, which are not present in Modern Greek, as they have been replaced completely by subjunctive constructions using particles like ”na”.
Vocabulary
The vast majority of the modern Greek vocabulary is derived directly from Ancient Greek, with many words being identical or very similar between the two forms of the Greek language. However, some words have changed meaning over time and despite the fact that are still being used, the speakers understand something different than what an ancient Greek would do. An example of this is the word ”symmoria”. In ancient Greek, this widely used word meant a collectivity of people. However, in modern Greek, the word means ”gang,” indicating a change in meaning.
Modern Greek has also incorporated numerous loanwords and influences from other languages, such as Latin, and their linguistic children such as Italian and French. Obviously, the Ottoman conquest has also left its mark with many Turkish words also making it all the way to today’s Greek vocabulary.
Interestingly, some Ancient Greek words are only used in formal, legal, or scientific contexts in Modern Greek, in a similar way that we see ancient Greek words in English.
The Ancient and the Greek Language
It is crucial for us all to understand that Ancient Greek and Modern Greek are not two separate languages but two different stages of the same language. Each one of these versions has its own, unique and fascinating characteristics. Despite the differences in fundamental areas such as pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, the two forms still share many similarities. This is proof of the fundamentally rich history and evolution of Greece. This is the reason why learning either Ancient or Modern Greek provides a strong foundation for understanding the other, as they are essentially two forms of the same language.
