The glory of ancient Athens

Dear friends,For starters, allow me to wish you a happy new year and apologise for disappearing for so long.Too much claimed my time and attention, the last (but not least) of which is a series of lectures I’m currently preparing … Continue reading →

A newcomer’s road to Platea

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In two years’ time, the reenactment of the battle of Platea will take place at the very plain where it was fought. My aim is to be part of this fascinating event, after a journey that began for me in … Continue reading →

Photo of the week: the Greek War of Independence

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Today’s picture is in honor of the Greek War of Independence, celebrated throughout Greece on March 25th. The picture belongs to a series of paintings (and other works of art) inspired by the war, which broke out in 1821. More … Continue reading →

Columns built into the Acropolis walls

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When walking in Plaka, the historic district of Athens, just below the Acropolis, look up and you will see the Erechtheum. Right in front of it, built into the wall, you will notice huge round blocks of marble, while a … Continue reading →

Photo of the week: Season’s greetings

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Dear friends, allow me to wish you Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Best wishes to all (Decorating trees is a very ancient custom, found in many cultures. Here, two women decorate a tree with tasseled ribbons. Athenian decorated … Continue reading →

Quiz of the week: An odd wall

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Anyone taking a walk in the historic district of Athens (known as Plaka) will certainly have walked past this wall, seen it, maybe even photographed it. It is the Northern side of the Acropolis wall. But saturated with too much … Continue reading →

The first Greek ever?

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The earliest human remains in Greece In 1959, a peasant from the village of Petralona in Northern Greece, quite near Thessaloniki, discovered a cave. One year later, a fellow villager found there what he thought was the skeleton of an … Continue reading →

A Greek student uprising

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Less than 40 years ago, Greece was not a free country. It was stifling in the grip of a brutal dictatorship which saw several of its citizens sent to jail for doing nothing more than voicing their opinion. The ruling … Continue reading →

German bombers above Αthens

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On Sunday, October 28th, the Greeks honored their country’s entering World War II, after an ultimatum from expansionist Italy. Contrary to all expectations, small and poorly equipped Greece managed to push back the invaders, causing much exultation in occupied Europe … Continue reading →

Photo of the week: a cannon

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Most visitors to the Acropolis leave with the impression that there was never anything on top of the rock, except impressive temples of white marble. Nothing could be more misleading. For most of its long history (and prehistory) the Acropolis … Continue reading →