THE QUEEN’S TOWER
Tucked away in a quiet corner in the suburb of Ilion (Greek: ΄Ηλιον) in the west of Athens, a stone’s throw away from Syntagma Square is the former estate of Queen Amalia of Greece. In it is the…
MARINA ZEA
The name Zea comes from the name of the ‘golden’ grain, which Homer frequently refers to in his ‘Odyssey’. Even the Egyptians considered the grain Zea superior to the grains of wheat and barley. It is the oldest…
AERAA!!!
The treacherous snow-capped Pindus Mountains of Epirus resounded to the cry of Aeraa!!! (Greek: Αέραα!!) as the Greek army attacked the Italian forces invading Greece on 28 October 1940, at the beginning of the Second World War.…
Celebrating ‘OXI’ Day, 28 October
Each year, Greece celebrates ‘OXI’ Day, which commemorates the entry of Greece into the Second World War against the Axis powers, which were Germany, Italy and Bulgaria in Europe and Japan in Asia. It commemorates the rejection…
SEPTEMBER – the first month of autumn
September is the ninth month of the year. In the northern hemisphere it is the beginning of autumn (Greek: φθινόπωρο) and the opposite in the southern hemisphere where spring ‘is in the air’. It is also the…
THE ISLAND OF LEMNOS
The Greek island of Lemnos or Limnos (Greek: Λήμνος) is found in the northern part of the Aegean Sea opposite the Dardenelles, close to the island of Agios Efstratios and in the Prefecture of Lesvos. It is…
HYPATIA – a remarkable woman
Although we often talk about the achievements and the greatness of men, we do not talk about the achievements and the legacy that is left behind by amazing women. One such remarkable woman was Hypatia: mathematician,…
DIAGORAS OF RHODES
The tomb of Diagoras of Rhodes (Greek: Διαγόρας ο Ρόδιος), the Greek Olympic winner, was found in the area of Turgut, Turkey, near the coastal city of Marmaris. The tomb dates to 3rd century BC. Up to…
SISYPHUS
Sisyphus was the son of Aiolou (Greek: Αιόλου, god of the winds) and Enarety (Greek: Εναρέτη, daughter of Deimachus, ambassador of the Seleucid Empire in India) and the founder and first king of Corinth. For some, he…
MANTO MAVROGENOS
The month of March celebrated two very important events – that of International Woman’s Day on 8th March and the official beginning of the Greek War of Independence on 25th March. I therefore thought that I would…