Ancient Greek Vases Withdrawn From Auction Over Links to Convicted Dealer

Matthew Norman
-
0
Ancient Greek Vases Withdrawn From Auction Over Links to Convicted Dealer
Auction house withdrawn four ancient Greek vases after archaeologist finds they are from convicted antiquities dealer.
The auction house withdrew four ancient Greek vases after archaeologists found they were from a convicted antiquities dealer. Credit: mharrsch. CC BY 2.0/flickr

Christie’s, a British auction house, has withdrawn four ancient Greek vases from a New York auction after an archaeologist found out they were all linked to Gianfranco Becchina, who was convicted in 2011 of illegally dealing in antiquities.

Dr. Christos Tsirogannis, an affiliated archaeology lecturer at the University of Cambridge and a specialist in looted antiquities and trafficking networks, said there was damning evidence within the auction house’s own correspondence with the dealer, which was seized by the police, as reported by The Guardian.

The academic leveled criticism against the auction house for failing to make public that the items, planned to be in its April 9th auction in New York, could be traced to Gianfranco Becchina.

The Christie’s catalogue apparently stated it had sold three of the items in its Geneva auction in 1979, but, according to Tsirogannis, the auction company had left out the fact they were consigned to the auction house by Becchina. “This is a new insight into the tricks used by the market at its highest level,” he told The Guardian. “They deliberately exclude the connection of a trafficker in these three examples, although they’ve known about that connection for 45 years.”

The ancient Greek vases withdrawn from auction

The antiquities in question include an Attic cup, adorned with warriors and other figures, from about 570 to 560 BC. It was estimated it would get $15,000 to $20,000 in the Ancient Greek Vases from the Zimmermann Collection auction, but it has now been taken down from the webpage after the auction company was confronted with Tsirogiannis’ evidence.

The sale catalog notes: “The ancient Greek vases collected by Dr Manfred Zimmermann (1935-2011) rank among the finest private collections of its kind assembled during the late 20th-early 21st century.”

Other disputed items included Lot 3, the lid of a lekanis bowl decorated with sphinxes from around 570-550 BC and valued at $8,000 to $12,000, and Lot 10, a hydra or water pot displaying Greek god Dionysus with a drinking horn from circa 530 to 520 BC, estimated at $7,000 to $9,000. These objects have also been removed from the online catalog.

The work of Greek wrchaeologist Dr. Christos Tsirogannis

Over the past 18 years, the Greek archaeologist has identified more than 1,700 looted antiquities within auction houses, galleries, museums, and private collections, informing Interpol and other police forces of these.

He is based in Cambridge but heads illicit antiquities trafficking research for the UNESCO chair on threats to cultural heritage at the Ionian University in Corfu, Greece.

The late Paolo Giorgio Ferri, an Italian public prosecutor who went after and prosecuted traffickers of looted antiquities, valued Tsirogiannis’ work so highly that he made available to him tens of thousands of images and other archival material seized in police raids from Becchina and dozens of traffickers.

Tsirogiannis stated that documents related to the 1979 Christie’s sale were within Becchina’s seized archive and include Christie’s correspondence and the auction catalog, with objects circled by Becchina in red ink.

He thinks that, while the documentary evidence suggested that the owner was a “Mr Borowowza” with an Amsterdam dealer as his agent, that was a fake name, appearing at the bottom of Christie’s correspondence: “When a problem arose related to this auction, Christie’s contacted Becchina directly, which shows who the real owner is,” Tsirogiannis told The Guardian.

Tsirogiannis also noted that a Christie’s letter of 1981, related to the 1979 sale, notified Becchina that it was reimbursing him for lost antiquities. Tsirogiannis said: “But this lot is among the same consignments of the 1979 sale of ‘Mr Borowowza’ through [the Amsterdam dealer]. Why were Christie’s notifying Becchina directly? The answer is that the real owner and consignor was Becchina.”

Another removed Greek vase from the auction site, which previously filled Lot 20, was a lekythos or oil jar, displaying the Athenian hero Theseus, dated to 500 to 490 BC and estimated at a value of $20,000 to $30,000.

Example of a decorated ancient Greek lekythos, or oil jar.
An example of a decorated ancient Greek lekythos or oil jar. Credit: diffendale. CC BY 2.0/flickr

In its ‘collecting history,’ Christie’s stated that Zimmerman had purchased it from a German dealer in the early 1990s, and it notes that, as with Lots 1 and 3, it was on display in two German museums in recent years. There was also no mention of Becchina here, but, among the material the police seized from him was an image of that vase.

“There is no condition report on the piece in the [April] Christie’s catalogue…It’s now in perfect condition, but they don’t say anything…According to hand-written notes by Becchina himself, the lekythos was delivered to him on 21 April 1990, which explains how Zimmermann acquired it in the early 1990s,” Tsirogiannis said. “But what is omitted is the most crucial information, that it is from Becchina, from the convicted looter Raffaele Monticelli.”

He added: “Not the auction house, not the collector or his family, not even the museums are bothered to check with the authorities to see if they are involved in exhibiting illicit objects.”

Bedrock of England’s Economy Formed by Coins Made of Byzantine Silver

Matthew Norman
-
0
Bedrock of England’s Economy Formed by Coins Made of Byzantine Silver

Bedrock of <yoastmark class=

A recent chemical analysis has revealed the Byzantine origin of silver coins that stimulated trade and helped bring about the development of new towns. These were used beginning in the seventh century in England.

Starting around 660AD, for many decades after the Sutton Hoo burial, there was a sudden surge in the number of silver coins in circulation in England. This left archaeologists and historians stumped for quite some time.

The silver coinage rush was a welcome injection for trade and development at a time when new settlements were popping up around the country. Now, archaeologists and scientists finally understand where it all came from.

Metallurgical analysis of early medieval coins has provided the answer. The power brokers of the era melted down their collections of Byzantine silver treasures in a kind of primitive quantitative easing that kickstarted the economy of England and established a monetary system that would last for a millennium.

Chemical analysis of coins from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge has revealed two distinct phases of the silver rush. For nearly one hundred years from the 660s, coins were minted from silver bullion that originated in the Byzantine Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean. Then, once stocks of those treasures began to diminish around 750, silver from a mine in Western France came to be dominant in Europe. That was during the rule of Charlemagne.

“This was such an exciting discovery,” Rory Naismith, a professor of early medieval English history at the University of Cambridge and one of the academics behind the study, told The Guardian.

“Now we have the first archaeometric confirmation that Byzantine silver was the dominant source behind the great seventh-century surge in minting and trade around the North Sea,” Naismith said.

The coins minted were silver pennies each roughly worth around £20 to £30 in today’s currency. That formed “the bedrock of the English economy” until around the 16th century, according to Naismith.

Byzantine silver used to produce coinage in England

The isotopic signature of Byzantine silver apparently showed it was already decades or more old. This led to suggestions that it had likely been a prize possession of its owner, helping to display wealth and power.

The ruler honored at Sutton Hoo, believed to be Raedwald of East Anglia, was buried with a collection of Byzantine silver bowls and other objects, which, if melted down, could have produced ten thousand pennies, the researchers said.

Example of a Byzantine silver bowl.
Example of a Byzantine silver bowl. Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art. CC BY 1.0/Wikimedia Commons/Metropoltican Museum of Art

“It’s fair to say we were surprised by this result,” Dr. Jane Kershaw, an associate professor at Oxford University’s School of Archaeology and the study’s lead author, told The Guardian.

“We know of some surviving Byzantine silver from Anglo-Saxon England, most famously from Sutton Hoo, but far greater amounts of Byzantine silver must have originally been held in Anglo-Saxon stores,” Kershaw added.

According to Kershaw, “This was quantitative easing—elites were liquidating silver stored in valuable objects and using that silver to make coins that then circulated widely. It would have had a big impact on people’s lives. Far more people than before would have used coined money and thought in terms of monetary values.”

Boeing Being Investigated After Whistleblower Raises Safety Concerns

Matthew Norman
-
0
Boeing Being Investigated After Whistleblower Raises Safety Concerns
Boeing is being investigated by federal authorities after a whistleblower raised safety concerns.
Boeing is being investigated by federal authorities after a whistleblower raised safety concerns. Credit: Jetstar Airways. CC BY 2.0/Flickr

Boeing is being investigated by federal authorities after a whistleblower raised safety concerns about two widebody jet models. The individual said the company threatened him with termination.

Engineer Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, alleges that the company took shortcuts when building its 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets. According to Salehpour, the risks become more pronounced as the airplanes age. The New York Times first reported the whistleblower statement. However, Boeing said the claims were “inaccurate” and was confident its planes were safe.

“The issues raised have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under [Federal Aviation Administration] oversight,” the company told the BBC, adding: “This analysis has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades.”

Shares in the plane company dropped almost two percent on Tuesday, April 9th after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was looking into the claims, and the manufacturer reported it had delivered just eighty-three planes to customers in the first three months of the year. This is the smallest amount since 2021.

Previous Boeing safety issues

The whistleblower statement is the most recent incident to draw attention to the safety of planes manufactured by US-based Boeing, one of the world’s two major producers of planes. The company was already under criminal investigation and other legal troubles, following an unused exit door breaking off of one of its smaller 737 Max 9 planes not long after take-off in January.

Those on board escaped serious injury, but the incident has put the company in crisis, bringing about a temporary grounding of dozens of 737 Max 9 planes. The incident also led to regulatory checks and prompted Boeing to significantly slow down production of its planes.

Placed under serious scrutiny, the plane manufacturer led its Chief Executive David Calhoun to announce last month that he would step down by the end of the year.

Yesterday, lawyers serving engineer Salehpour claimed Boeing had made decisions for 787 aircraft manufacturing that placed stress on joints that linked up parts of the body of the jets. This was an issue affecting more than a thousand planes.

In a whistleblower statement filed with the FAA in January, he alleged the assembly method could reduce the lifespan of the plane.

“These problems are the direct result of Boeing’s decision in recent years to prioritize profits over safety, and a regulator in the FAA that has become too deferential to industry,” his lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, said in a statement.

The lawyers also stated that Salehpour had been transferred to work on the 777 plane after he raised concerns. They added that he had soon noticed other issues in the assembly of that plane.

“He was threatened with termination, excluded from important meetings, projects, and communication, denied reasonable requests for medical leave, assigned work outside of his expertise, and effectively declared persona non grata to his colleagues,” they said.

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner planes, which entered service in 2011, have a fifty-year lifespan or a capacity of roughly 44,000 flights each, the company said, as reported by CNN. The safety allegations are not new, however. For nearly two years beginning in 2021, the FAA and Boeing stopped deliveries of the new Dreamliners while they looked into the gaps. Boeing claimed to have made changes to its manufacturing process, and deliveries ultimately resumed.

Fasolada: Greece’s National Dish Is Perfect for Easter Lent

Philip Chrysopoulos
-
0
Fasolada: Greece’s National Dish Is Perfect for Easter Lent
Fasolada
Fasolada, the Greek bean soup, is ideal for Greek Orthodox Easter Lent. Credit: EYGASTRONOMES Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Fasolada, the delicious bean soup dubbed the “national dish” of Greece is at the forefront again, as it is every year during the forty days of Greek Orthodox Easter Lent.

For decades, the traditional bean soup has been a staple for countless Greek families and a comfort food for many. It is inexpensive, easy to make, and definitely rewarding, especially during the cold winter months.

Fasolada’s origins are humble and so are its ingredients: medium white beans, carrots, onions, celery leaves, grated tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. It is a dish of cheap protein, humble ingredients, and elementary cooking.

Even though nowadays it is snubbed by non-traditionalists as the poor man’s dish and is not served in most big city restaurants, you can find it in rural taverns made fresh and with a lot of gusto. Nevertheless, it remains a favorite for many, as it reflects the real taste of Greece.

It is documented that fasolada was the staple of the great fighters of the Greek War of Independence two centuries ago. It is touching to close your eyes and imagine that a bowl of this humble bean soup filled the stomachs and warmed the hearts of those brave men who fought and possibly died so that we can be free today.

It wouldn’t be a terrible exaggeration to say that the modern Greek state started with a thirst for freedom, a loaded musket, a flag with a cross, and a battered tin bowl of fasolada.

The ideal food for Orthodox Lent

During the Lent for Greek Orthodox Easter, no meat or fish is allowed. Moreover, dairy foods cannot be consumed.

As a cheap and tasty source of protein, fasolada can sustain a Greek Orthodox believer through the forty days of Easter Lent. It is easy because there are so many flavors “swimming” in a bowl of Greek-style bean soup.

Another great thing about fasolada is that around the steaming deep dish, tradition dictates that there should be lots of different appetizers, such as olives, pickles, tomatoes and cucumber with vinegar, pickled vegetables, and—though not during Lent—savory fish like smoked herring, anchovies in vinegar, or Atlantic bonito in olive oil.

All these appetizers are like a bridge connecting summer to winter and the mountains to the sea and this all around a simple dish of Greek bean soup.

Let’s make fasolada

Making a Greek bean soup is very simple if you properly prepare for it. First of all, you need to soak the beans for twelve hours. You can do so at night when you are sleeping. You sleep and the beans are getting tender for you. Easy.

You boil the beans in water with one tablespoon of baking soda. The only challenge is exactly how long it will take and how much water is needed, which unfortunately no one knows before boiling them. So it’s good to be close by and keep an eye out every now and then to see if the beans need more water.

The traditional fasolada recipe for four people is:

500 gr. beans
½ tbsp. baking soda
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions finely chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, finely chopped, with their leaves
200-400 gr. diced tomatoes (depending on how red you want your beans)
50 ml. extra virgin olive oil                                                                                        Salt, Pepper
1 dried hot pepper (depending on how spicy you want it, you can add the whole pepper, a bit of it, or none at all)

It is important to check the beans once in a while and add water as needed. After the beans have boiled, add the onions, carrots, celery, hot pepper (optional, but great), salt and pepper, and olive oil. Now you can add the quantity of tomato you prefer. Allow the beans to simmer, adding boiling water if and when necessary until you see that it has curdled as you want.

The times and amount of water required in this recipe are always very much related to the quality of the raw ingredients and the degree to which “the beans are boiled and mushy.” It can take anywhere from an hour to two and a half hours. Keep the pot uncovered to allow the steam escape because that way, you will pay attention and check to see how the cooking is progressing every now and then.

Fasolada is so soothing in taste that it asks for intensity. This would be the hot, spicy taste that comes from the peppers. However, on the plate, it needs a pinch of raw extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of lemon for acidity. Surround your plate with goodies (no meat or fish during Lent) and enjoy like the Greek you are!

Derelict Hotel in Greece Frequented by Angelina Jolie Gets New Lease of Life

Tasos Kokkinidis
-
0
Derelict Hotel in Greece Frequented by Angelina Jolie Gets New Lease of Life
Derelict Hotel Greece
Hotel Lakonis, which took millions of euros to build and was dedicated to the gods with its spectacular circular atrium, lies abandoned. Public Domain

In one of the most beautiful beaches of the Peloponnese, Greece lies a derelict hotel that in its glory days was frequented by the international jet set.

Angelina Jolie, Sophia Loren and Telly Savalas were some of the celebrities who stayed in the 100-room luxury hotel with its serene surroundings and the magnificent beach.

Today Hotel Lakonis, which took millions of euros to build and was dedicated to the gods with its spectacular circular atrium, lies abandoned. It has been deserted since 2002. No one seems keen to touch it. “Some people think it is cursed,” a local restaurateur said back in 2015, when the British tabloid Daily Mail ran a feature on the hotel.

Situated a few kilometers away from the picturesque town of Gythio, the hotel took three decades to complete, but the developer who still owes a “significant amount of money” to banks and the state was forced to close it down.

Lakonis
Lakonis boasts a magnificent beach. Public Domain

The sale of the hotel bogged down in legal confusion

With its 900-feet (300m) long secluded beach, 59,000 square feet (5,500 sq. meters) of buildings – including 10 residential outbuildings – dedicated to gods including Artemis, Poseidon, Athena and Aphrodite – and 7.4 acres (30,000 sq. meters) of gardens, it remained for decades a prime site for development.

It has a parking facility for 100 vehicles and the main building is just 900 feet (300 meters) from its own secluded beach.

Its seafront is blue-flag class — meaning it’s been classified as one of the most pristine beaches in the world. There is also the opportunity to have a private marina built to accommodate luxury yachts.

But, despite efforts to attract investment over the years, the hotel had no takers until now. Selling agents had it listed for 5 million euros. But for years its sale has been bogged down in legal confusion.

A new lease of life for the derelict hotel in Greece

Radisson Blu Resort
The former Hotel Lakonis is being transformed. Credit: Radisson Hotel Group

The property will open its doors again in 2025 as Radisson Blu Resort and will be the fifth consecutive Radisson Blu hotel in Greece after Athens, Crete, Mykonos, and Santorini.

The American multi-national hospitality company says that the hotel will offer a range of dining options, including an all-day dining restaurant, a terrace restaurant on the beach and a poolside bar. The resort offers relaxation by the pool or on its extensive, fully landscaped beach, a hotel fitness center and a 1.5km turtle nesting beach.

Situated near important archaeological sites such as the castles of Mystras and Monemvasia, and on the Blue Flag beach, Selinitsa Beach, the resort is 3 hours from Athens International Airport and less than 2 hours from Kalamata International Airport.

The hotel offers a wide range of accommodations, from standard and accessible rooms to suites, including a presidential suite. All rooms have a private outdoor terrace with ocean views. In addition, most suites have a private infinity pool for an added sense of luxury.

“The idyllic location of the Radisson Blu Resort, Mani will offer a stunning product complementing the rest of our portfolio in the region and the country,” Elie Milky, vice president of development for Greece, Cyprus and the Middle East at Radisson Hotel Group said recently.

The hotel in its glory days

Summer Palace Reserved for the Minoan Elite Uncovered on Crete

Tasos Kokkinidis
-
0
Summer Palace Reserved for the Minoan Elite Uncovered on Crete
Minoan Palace Archanes Crete
Artist’s reconstruction of the entrance to the summer place at Archanes, Crete, Greece. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

Greek archaeologists uncovered recently the ruins of a Minoan palace at Archanes, on the island of Crete, which they believe served as a summer residence for the kings and the elite of nearby Knossos.

The Greek Ministry of Culture announced that excavations in 2023 at the site of the “Shinning Palace” added many new facts about the building and completed our knowledge of its architecture and construction.

The most interesting element of last year’s excavations was the discovery of the use of a shiny material, gypsum, for its construction known to have been used at Phaistos and Knossos. Gypsum is a very soft mineral and it can form very pretty, and sometimes extremely large colored crystals.

Minoan Palace Archanes Crete
Excavations at the palace of Archanes. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

At the palace of Archanes, it was used as decoration in pilasters and doors creating an image of a shiny building, fit for the Minoan elite.

The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from about 3000 BC to about 1100 BC. Its name derives from Minos, either a dynastic title or the name of a particular ruler of Crete who has a place in Greek legend.

Ancient treasures at the Minoan Palace of Archanes, Crete

The Greek Ministry of Culture says that another new element discovered in the excavations was the identification of the point where a fire started, destroying much of the palace.

Minoan Palace Archanes Crete
Archaeologists identified the point where a fire started at the Palace. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

Also, about 20 large jars containing wine, oil, and even textiles were found gathered together, as well as special vases for perfume and an Egyptian scarab.

In an excavated area, believed to have been a sanctuary, several vessels were uncovered, including a crystal vessel, a grey one of incised steatite, as well as fragments of obsidian. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth.

Minoan Palace Archanes Crete
A seal was uncovered at the palace ruins. Credit: Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

Parts of microscopic samples of large vessels have also been found in the sanctuary. Another ritual find was a sea newt, which was an instrument for invoking the deity. Larger sea pebbles, which symbolize the deity’s marine status were also found.

The floors of the building were extremely elaborate with pebble floors, a mosaic of small slates, slate slabs bordered by thin mortar bands, and also clay slabs in one area. On the ground floor there were slabs of hewn ashlars.

Minoan Palace Archanes Crete
Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

The walls, which were preserved at a height of 2 meters, were thinly plastered. Fragments of delicate mortars (red, blue and black) show that they bear frescoes, which, will be carefully removed later.

Minoan Palace Archanes Crete
Item representing a Minoan deity. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

Archanes was an important city

The importance of Archanes for the Minoans was established last century when Sir Arthur Evans was the first to characterize the site as palatial, declaring that Archanes was likely a Summer Palace for the Knossos kings.

The ancient town near Crete’s capital city, Heraklion, was an important hub in the region during Minoan times. Archaeological evidence indicates that ancient Archanes spread out over the same area as the modern town of Archanes.

The Greek Ministry of Culture announced that a new Archaeological Museum in Archanes will be created.

Earlier excavations unearthed features such as ashlar blocks, limestone plaques and blocks, plaster, wood, stucco floor tiles, gypsum, mud bricks, ironstone blocks, blue marble flooring, carved concave altars, frescoes and doorways.

A variety of porphyrite stone lamps, vases, amphorae, cooking pots, cups, lamps, tools and everyday domestic items such as tweezers have also been unearthed at the site.

Many of these ancient treasures will be exhibited at the new museum.

Related: Decoding Linear A, the Ancient Minoan Writing System

Three Girls Die After Migrant Dinghy Hits Rocks on Chios, Greece

Tasos Kokkinidis
-
0
Three Girls Die After Migrant Dinghy Hits Rocks on Chios, Greece
Greek Coast Guard
The Greek coastguard discovered the bodies of three girls. Credit: AMNA

The bodies of three migrant girls have been recovered by the Greek coastguard after their dinghy hit rocks on Chios Island in Greece.

19 migrants were rescued and the coastguard said three patrol vessels were looking for other possible survivors.

The boat began its journey to Greece from the Turkish Aegean coast opposite Chios.

Around 10,163 migrants reached Greece by sea so far this year.

Greece is a major arrival point for migrants seeking a better life in the European Union. For years, most headed for the eastern Aegean Sea islands, such as Lesvos, Chios, and Samos near the Turkish mainland.

But increased Greek and European Union sea patrols in the area have prompted smuggling gangs to also seek alternative routes, including from Libya to southern Crete and from Turkey to Italy around the southern Greek mainland.

Migrant flows to Greece move from the Aegean to Crete and Gavdos

Greece’s Immigration Minister expressed concern recently about the recent spike in the number of undocumented migrants arriving in the southern islands of Crete and Gavdos.

“The flow of migrants from eastern Libya is small, but with an increasing trend, which worries and concerns us, and that is why we are taking a series of initiatives to deal with this new front,” the Minister of Immigration and Asylum Dimitris Kairidis.

Earlier in April Greece pledged financial support for the Greek island of Gavdos and its larger neighbor Crete after a recent increase in migrant arrivals.

The tiny island of Gavdos, which has a population of just 70 people, lies south-west of Crete on a migrant route from Libya towards Europe. Since January this year, more than 1,180 migrants have arrived on both islands. The Libyan port of Tobruk is located around 200 kilometers away.

In contrast to the spike in southern Greece, Kairidis said that the situation is much better in the eastern Aegean and the border with Turkey at Evros.

“The situation in the eastern Aegean is very good as we are down more than 75 percent from the highs of last September and in the last few days, we have had almost no flow. At Evros, the flow has been reduced to zero,” the minister said.

Greece adopts tough policy on migration

Greece has adopted a tougher policy on illegal immigration during the reign of the conservative government.

PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently noted that “a fair migration policy does not mean open or non-existent borders, but rules.”

He pointed out that a European solution to the migration problem is needed and emphasized that the management of the problem will judge the credibility of the EU, adding that it must be proven in practice whether the EU knows how to translate its declarations into an effective policy.

He stressed that guarding its borders is non-negotiable for Greece. “An opponent of the state is anyone who is illegal,” Mitsotakis said, adding that illegal migrant flows in 2023 were much smaller than in previous years, and the government managed the problem much better than other European countries.

Best Places to Visit on Santorini

Caleb Howells
-
0
Best Places to Visit on Santorini
View of Santorini caldera from Fira
View of the Santorini caldera from Fira. Credit: Caleb Howells

There are numerous Greek islands, and they all have their own unique character. One particularly impressive island is Santorini. In fact, Santorini is made up of several islands making up a small, circular archipelago. This distinctive formation gives it a majestic appearance. But beyond simply admiring the geographical layout, there are lots of great things to do on Santorini. Let’s take a look at some of the best places to visit.

Oia

View of Oia Santorini
View of Oia, Santorini. Credit: Caleb Howells

One of the most striking things about Santorini is the display of whitewashed houses decorating the border of the caldera. This is perhaps the most famous feature of Santorini, and it is therefore the reason why many tourists visit. You certainly would not want to miss out on getting the best view possible.

While the famous white houses are scattered all over the island, the most beautiful concentration of them is Oia. This is the second-largest town on Santorini (although it is really just a village). It does not take too long to walk all around Oia, and doing so is a beautiful experience. The streets themselves are fascinating and full of all sorts of interesting sights. But the highlight, without any doubt, is the view overlooking the village itself.

Unlike some places, there is no single spot that you need to go to for a good view of the houses. Because of the haphazard way the houses are built into the rock, you can easily find countless spots that overlook beautiful parts of the village.

The Lost Atlantis Experience Museum

Lost Atlantis Experience Museum, Santorini
Lost Atlantis Experience Museum, Santorini. Credit: Caleb Howells

One thing that makes Santorini so interesting is the possibility that it was the origin behind Plato’s story of Atlantis. A museum has been set up on the island entirely dedicated to the legend of Atlantis and the theory that it came from stories of ancient Santorini (or Thera, as it is usually called in historical contexts).

This is a very impressive museum that is well worth visiting. To be clear, it is not a big museum. In fact, as you approach the building, you might be startled by how small it is. It does have two stories, however.

But what this museum lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in content. It is far more high tech than most museums, with various interactive displays. It even has some pseudo-holograms – one of Plato, and one of the island itself. One of the most impressive features is a large diorama of Atlantis, which is supposed to show exactly how Plato described it.

On top of all of this is a ‘9D’ cinematic experience, with moving chairs, falling ‘ash’ (don’t worry, you won’t get burned), and blasts of water and air, all put together to let you experience the famous eruption of the island that happened 3500 years ago. Visiting this museum is truly an experience, and the kids especially will feel that this is one of the best things on Santorini.

Doctor Fish Spa Treatment

fish spa
Fish Spa. Credit: Appaloosa / Flickr CC BY 2.0

As of April 2023, there are at least two doctor fish spa treatments. These are places you can go to get your feet nibbled at by dozens of fish. If that doesn’t sound like a good time, bear in mind that the fish do not eat your healthy flesh. This is not like putting your feet into a tank full of piranhas. Rather, these fish – colloquially called ‘doctor fish’ but formally known as red garra – just nibble at the dead skin on your feet. They are very small, so they could not harm you even if they tried.

When you first put your feet in the tank, the fish swarm around them and start doing their work. For a lot of people, this initial sensation will likely tickle a lot. But after a few minutes, this discomfort goes away and it actually becomes quite relaxing. The best part, however, is after you take your feet out of the water and feel how smooth they now feel, with all the dead skin gone. The treatment is a highly unusual one, and that is exactly why it’s worth doing when you have the chance. Both treatment experiences are in Fira, the capital of Santorini.

Like all unusual treatments, this has some controversy surrounding it. Some critics say that it is unsanitary, while others say that there is no issue as long as the water is continuously cleansed. Obviously, each person should consider the risks before making the personal decision to do it.

Akrotiri Archaeological Site

Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Akrotiri Archaeological Site, Santorin. Credit: Caleb Howells

One of the most famous things about Santorini is the eruption that occurred there in the 16th century BCE. This eruption, which may have been the largest eruption in all of human history, utterly destroyed the ancient Minoan civilisation on this island. It seems that one of the main Minoan settlements there was Akrotiri. Like Pompeii, this city was covered by volcanic ash, destroying it but also preserving it at the same time.

Only a small fraction of the Bronze Age city has been uncovered. A large structure has been built over it to protect it from the elements. This ongoing archaeological site is open to the public. You can walk around it on raised platforms that take you all around the ruins. It is remarkable to see so many buildings – many of them multi-storied – still half covered with ash from more than 3500 years ago.

However, it is important to realise that some of the most impressive things discovered from Akrotiri, the colourful wall frescoes, have not been left in place. To see those, you will have to go to the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, which is in Fira, the capital. But simply for the sake of seeing the physical buildings that were used by the Minoans, this archaeological site is well worth a visit.

 

Greek Entrepreneur Creates First Body Freezing Facility in Australia

Tasos Kokkinidis
-
0
Greek Entrepreneur Creates First Body Freezing Facility in Australia
cryonics
Cryonics is a controversial and unproven procedure. Credit: , CC2/Flickr

A Greek entrepreneur created the first body-freezing facility in Australia aiming to resurrect the dead in the future.

Peter Tsolakides, who became interested in cryonics after reading Robert Ettinger’s book The Prospect of Immortality in the late 60s, founded Southern Cryonics to try to turn this idea into reality.

Cryonics, coming from the Greek word “krýos” for “icy cold,” involves the preservation of legally declared dead bodies at extremely low temperatures for potential future revival.

Southern Cryonics says that the procedure is the best option left when medicine can no longer help. “Cryonics patients are stored at very low temperature until medical science advances enough to be able to heal them, however long that takes, and they can resume their lives.”

The facility in Holbrook, New South Wales, uses this practice, with the expectation that one day, advancements in “medical technology and science” will “restore patients to health and in the young body.”

Tsolakides worked in the marketing organization of a major international oil company for over 30 years, with 24 years of overseas assignments including Thailand, Singapore, Japan and the US. But, his goal now is to make cryonics more accessible and widespread.

Peter Tsolakides
Peter Tsolakides: “I’d rather have a five percent possibility (of being revived) than zero percent.”

He recently told Daily Mail Australia that when passes away, he also plans for his body to be frozen so he may one day come back to life.

A common criticism of cryonics is that there is no guarantee that one will be revived in the future, which Tsolakides acknowledged. “There are no guarantees in cryonics, everybody is aware of that, especially those who sign up for the service,” he said.

“But I’d rather have a five percent possibility (of being revived) than zero percent.”

Speaking to Neos Kosmos, he revealed that currently 50 people, are willing to take the risk for a chance at life after death, and the number “is growing.”

This group consists of 35 “investors” each contributing $50,000 to $70,000, and 15 “subscribers” or “customers” who have paid $150,000 through life insurance.

Body freezing is a controversial and untested procedure

People can be frozen after death, but no one has ever been successfully revived.

Scientists say that there are major hurdles in the process including the fact that freezing damages cells, and we don’t know how to repair that damage well enough to bring someone back. Additionally, the brain’s complex structure might be especially vulnerable.

Critics argue that the chances of successfully reviving someone preserved through cryonics are extremely low, if not impossible, given our current understanding of biology and technology. Additionally, the long-term stability of cryonically-preserved bodies and the feasibility of future revival remains uncertain.

However, proponents of cryonics believe that advancements in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and medical science could one day make revival possible.

They argue that while cryonics is currently speculative, it represents a form of “medical optimism” that holds the potential to extend human life and overcome mortality.

Several companies offer cryonics services. The largest is Alcor Life Extension Foundation which claims to have the most advanced technology.

Others include the Cryonics Institute, a non-profit organization that provides cryopreservation for members, and KrioRus which is the first cryonics company in Eurasia, founded in Russia.

Related: Jeff Bezos Wants to Never Get Old; Invests in Anti-Aging Company

Greece Vs Persia: When the Ancient Empires Destroyed Athens and Persepolis

Dimosthenis Vasiloudis
-
0
Greece Vs Persia: When the Ancient Empires Destroyed Athens and Persepolis
Persians Ancient Greeks
Battle of Salamis by artist Wilhelm von Kaulbach. The so-called Ionian Revolt was the beginning of a series of events and war reprisals between Ancient Greeks and Persians.  (1868). Public Domain.

Around 540 BC, the cities of Ionia (Aegean coast of Asia Minor) had been conquered by Persia and thereafter were ruled by native tyrants nominated by the Persian satrap in Sardis. It was 499 BC when the Greek vassal-tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, launched a joint expedition on the side of the Persian satrap Artaphernes to conquer the Greek island of Naxos in an attempt to bolster his position.

The mission was a total failure, and sensing his imminent removal as tyrant, Aristagoras chose to incite the whole of Ionia into rebellion against the Persian king, Darius the Great.

In a desperate attempt to save himself, Aristagoras chose to incite his own subjects, the Milesians, to revolt against their Persian masters, thereby beginning the so-called revolt of Miletus.

This was the beginning of the Ionian Revolt, the associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus, and Caria—that is, the major uprising of several Greek regions and cities of Asia Minor against Persian rule lasting from 499 BC to 493 BC.

Persians and Ancient Greeks

The Greek cities of Ionian and Aeolia on the coast of Asia Minor had fallen into Persian hands in the aftermath of the Persian Conquest of Lydia (547 to 546 BC).

The Persians first crossed into Europe in around 513 BC when Darius launched a fairly unsuccessful campaign against the Scythian nomads north of the Danube. This was followed by the conquest of parts of Thrace in 512 BC, giving the Persians a foothold in Europe, and threatening the Greek grain trade routes into the Black Sea.

The obvious next target for Persian attack were the cities of mainland Greece, but the Ionian Revolt came first and gave the Persians a convincing reason for their invasion.

At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfaction of the Greek cities of Asia Minor with the tyrants appointed by Persia to rule them, along with the individual actions of two Milesian tyrants, Histiaeus and Aristagoras.

The Ionian Revolt constituted the first major conflict between Greece and the Persian Empire, and as such, represents the first phase of the Greco-Persian Wars.

In 498 BC, supported by troops from Athens and Eretria, the Ionians marched on. Declining to personally lead the force, Aristagoras appointed his brother, Charopinus, and another Milesian, Hermophantus, as generals.

This force was then guided by the Ephesians through the mountains to Sardis, Artaphernes’s satrapal capital. The Greeks caught the Persians unaware and were able to capture the lower city. However, Artaphernes still held the citadel with a significant force of men.

The lower city then caught on fire. Herodotus suggests it was accidental, but the fact of the matter is the fire quickly spread. The Persians in the citadel, being surrounded by a burning city, emerged into the market-place of Sardis, where they fought with the Greeks, forcing them back. The Greeks, demoralized, then retreated from the city, and began to make their way back to Ephesus.

Herodotus reports that when Darius heard of the burning of Sardis, he swore vengeance upon the Athenians (after asking who they indeed were), and tasked a servant with reminding him three times each day of his vow: “Master, remember the Athenians.”

With all of Asia Minor firmly returned to Persian rule after the Persian counter-offensive (497–495 BC), the revolt was finally over. For the Persians, the only unfinished business that remained by the end of 493 BC was to exact punishment on Athens and Eretria for supporting the revolt.

The Ionian Revolt had severely threatened the stability of Darius’s empire, and the states of mainland Greece would continue to threaten that stability unless dealt with. Darius thus began to contemplate the complete conquest of Greece, beginning with the destruction of Athens and Eretria.

When the Persians destroyed Athens

In 480 BC, after the victory of Xerxes I at the Battle of Thermopylae, all of Boeotia fell to the Achaemenid Army. The two cities that had resisted Xerxes, Thespiae and Plataea, were captured and razed.

Attica was also left open to invasion, and the remaining population of Athens was thus evacuated, with the aid of the Allied fleet, to Salamis. The Peloponnesian Allies began to prepare a defensive line across the Isthmus of Corinth, building a wall and demolishing the road from Megara, thereby abandoning Athens to the Persians.

Persians Ancient Athens Greeks
Credit: Abbott, Jacob, 1803-1879 , Public Domain

Athens fell a first time in September 480 BC. The small number of Athenians who had barricaded themselves on the Acropolis were eventually defeated, and Xerxes then ordered Athens to be torched. The Acropolis was razed, and the Old Temple of Athena and the Older Parthenon destroyed, as Herodotus writes:

“Those Persians who had come up first betook themselves to the gates, which they opened, and slew the suppliants; and when they had laid all the Athenians low, they plundered the temple and burnt the whole of the acropolis.”
— Herodotus VIII.53

Numerous remains of statues, vandalized by the Achaemenids, have been found, known collectively as the “Perserschutt,” or “Persian rubble.”

The statue “Nike (Victory) of Callimachus,” was severely damaged by the Achaemenids. It was erected next to the Older Parthenon in honor of Callimachus and the victory at the Battle of Marathon.

The statue depicts Nike (Victory) in the form of a woman with wings on top of an inscribed column. Its height is 4.68 meters, and it was made of Parian marble. The head of the statue and parts of the torso and hands were never recovered.

Xerxes also removed some of the statuary, such as the bronze statue of Harmodius and Haristogiton, “the Tyrant-slayers,” which was recovered by Alexander the Great in the Achaemenid capital of Susa two centuries later.

Column drums of the Older Parthenon were reused in the North wall of the Acropolis by Themistocles so that the Athenians always remember the sufferings of the Persian atrocities over Greeks.

Retaliatory burning of Persepolis

In the year 330 BC, Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire following his victory over the Persian Emperor Darius III (r. 336-330 BC) at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC.

Persians Ancient Athens Greeks
The burning of Persepolis by by Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse, 1890. Public Domain

After Darius III’s defeat, Alexander marched to the Persian capital city of Persepolis and, after looting its treasures, burned the great palace and surrounding city to the ground. This was after a drinking party and at the instigation of Thais, a hetaira (courtesan) from Athens (according to several much later Greek and Roman accounts from Plutarch, Arrian, Diodorus Siculus and Quintus Curtius Rufus).

It was said that: “When the king [Alexander] had caught fire at their words, all leaped up from their couches and passed the word along to form a victory procession in honor of Dionysus. Promptly many torches were gathered. Female musicians were present at the banquet, so the king led them all out for the comus to the sound of voices and flutes and pipes, Thaïs the courtesan leading the whole performance. She was the first, after the king, to hurl her blazing torch into the palace. As the others all did the same, immediately the entire palace area was consumed, so great was the conflagration. It was remarkable that the impious act of Xerxes, king of the Persians, against the acropolis at Athens should have been repaid in kind after many years by one woman, a citizen of the land which had suffered it, and in sport.”

— Diodorus of Sicily (XVII.72)

1...121314...7,609Page 13 of 7,609