What is Macedonia?
Friday, December 28, 2007
Play The Game: West vs East World
Orthodox or Turc?
From the very beginning of the foundation of the Orthodoxy church through the East Roman Empire, his authority was asserted by persecuting everything was representing the Greek/Hellenic culture and destroyed all Ancient Greek monuments and sculptures (see Theodosian, Justinian Codes). Even the Roman Catholic Church was much more tolerating on this subject and through the renaissance period the classical aesthetics and philosophy of Ancient Greeks appeared again to the world. One can contemplate master pieces of renaissance in the Vatican museum. On the other hand, the Orthodox Church through the adoration of icons and the banishment of anything Greek by extensive persecutions and physical elimination of the remaining Greeks have contributed to the decline of the Empire and his recapitulation to the Turcs.
The Orthodox Patriarchs throughout Byzantium period and Ottoman rule have tried to convince Greeks that since they are Christians they are not Greeks but Romioi or Romans. Later at the end of the Ottoman rule, Fanari, the ecumenical Patriarchate at Istanbul when he saw that Greeks named their children after Ancient Greek names and define themselves as Greek/Hellenes tried at several times to stop the revolution by excommunicating all our revolutionary heroes of the Greek Independence Revolution!
Τα υβριστικά κατά των Ελλήνων επίσημα κείμενα της Ορθοδοξίας. - Όσα χρησιμοποιεί και εγκρίνει σήμερα η Εκκλησία της Ελλάδος, σσ. 17-22
Οι επίσημες σημερινές χριστιανικές ύβρεις κατά του Μ. Αλεξάνδρου και των άλλων βασιλέων
Taliban or Orthodox?
After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, parts of the public were shocked to hear the Archbishop attribute the attacks to "despondent men" who acted "out of despair caused by the injustices of the Great Powers". Critics attacked the archbishop for what they considered to constitute an underhanded justification of the terrorist act.
Girlfriend or sister?
During 2005, Greece has been rocked by an apocalypse of journalistic revelations about the endemic graft and corruption within the legal system, the Greek Orthodox church, and their intertwined links.
At least 10 judges have been earmarked for dismissal and prosecution by the president and a special investigatory working group of the Court of Cessations because of their involvement in fixing court case outcomes. Greek justice, long criticised for being cumbersome and slow, has moved very swiftly against those within its own ranks who have disgraced their office. A further 30 are still being investigated and several journalists have been called to testify and present the results of their ground-breaking investigations. Quite a few of these judges had underground links to a priest, Iakovos Yosakis, currently being held in prison while the investigation proceeds, who it appears acted as the middle man for passing on bribes from lawyers and their clients to the judges. Yosakis was no stranger to controversy, since he has on many occasions been the subject of embezzlement allegations, both in Greece and in a parish in Chicago, but was never disciplined for his behaviour by the church. He narrowly escaped an arrest warrant in the US by taking flight to Panama with the help of church contacts. It was revealed that one judge with whom he had contact allegedly was a pimp for Russian prostitutes.
And the revelations fuelled by secret phone taps and hidden cameras continue. It is also alleged that the metropolitan bishop of Athens had millions in private bank accounts, tried to influence judges, had at least three male lovers despite his vow of chastity, and also had built an illegal villa by the sea in complete breach of building code regulations. Swift action was taken against him by Christodoulos, the Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece. He has been suspended for six months while the matter is further investigated, and it appears almost a certainty that he will be defrocked.
The new centre-right New Democracy government has been actively pursuing a campaign against corruption in the public service and cleaning up government procurements, infrastructure contacts and defence spending. This zero tolerance for corruption policy emboldened investigative journalists, who, armed with hidden cameras and recording devices, were able to crack the court case fixing ring. Of course in Greece, like many countries in the region, it is illegal for journalists to use hidden cameras and tapping devices, but the evidence can be taken into consideration in any court case or prosecution, if the evidence is deemed to be in the public interest, without any heavy- handed sanction against the journalists. The involvement of the clergy in the case fixing ring sparked further investigation into the Byzantine intrigues of the church hierarchy. A whole container load of tapes detailing intimate conversations between certain members of the upper most church hierarchy, the synod, has come to the fore and been aired. Most religiously sensitive Greeks have been shocked and revolted by what they have been seeing and hearing on their television sets over the past three weeks and now are publicly demanding that the church undergo a cathartic process and throw out corrupt church leaders. For the first time in history more than half of Greeks surveyed want a long overdue separation of church and state.
However, some sceptics doubt whether Archbishop Christodoulos will be able to lead the charge against church corruption that has rocked the foundations of the institution. He himself has admitted to authoring a letter of recommendation for a certain drug dealer who later surfaced in Jerusalem to influence the outcome of the appointment of the Greek orthodox metropolitan there. Babilis, who has used several names and different passports, swore on oath that he was allegedly sent by the Archbishop to help the current metropolitan of Jerusalem to win office and has admitted to doctoring and releasing pornographic material to smear the main contender for the position and ensure the Archbishop’s man got the role. Since then, Babilis has been linked by the press to secret services like Mossad and the CIA. According to reports, with the story bordering on a thriller, this same man won Greek police and interior ministry contracts to supply bullet proof vest while an Interpol warrant was still outstanding for his arrest. The Archbishop, despite his vow to clean up the church, is now wounded in public opinion polls with less legitimacy in the eyes of most Greeks. He also has to contend with a powerful faction in the church synod that is completely embroiled in dubious practices that will not easily relinquish their positions. Nowdays the Orthodox Church doesn’t seem to remember any of their scandals and openly support the conservative government who will trust at their hands a great part of the European Community financial package for the development of the country.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Καλό Τριέσπερο και για το νέο Ενιαυτό υγεία κι ευτυχία
Στη θέση των «Χριστουγέννων», οι πρόγονοί μας εώρταζαν το λεγόμενο «Τριέσπερον», μία εορτή η οποία γενικεύεται από τους ελληνιστικούς χρόνους κι εντεύθεν, προς τιμήν των πυρφόρων και ηλιακών θεοτήτων Ηρακλέους και Ηλίου.
Το «Τριέσπερον» ξεκινούσε με το Χειμερινό Ηλιοστάσιο (τη νύκτα της 21ης προς την 22α του Δεκεμβρίου, τη μεγαλύτερη δηλαδή νύκτα του έτους) και κορυφωνόταν με την αναγέννηση του φωτοδότη Ηλίου (τη νύκτα της 24ης προς 25η, όταν η ημέρα έχει ήδη μείνει «στάσιμη» επί 3 ημέρες μετά το Ηλιοστάσιο και αρχίζει πλέον να μεγαλώνει).
Homeric Hymn
Εἲς Ὕπατον Κρονίδην
Ζῆνα θεῶν τὸν ἄριστον ἀείσομαι ἠδὲ μέγιστον,εὐρύοπα, κρείοντα, τελεσφόρον*, ὅστε Θέμιστι*ἐγκλιδὸν ἑζομένῃ πυκινοὺς ὀάρους ὀαρίζει. ἵληθ', εὐρύοπα Κρονίδη, κύδιστε μέγιστε.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
My Macedonian Village: Emmanuel Papas
Statue of Emmanuel Papas. Serres, Macedonia.
It is well known that the Orthodox Church gave the anathema to all the Greek heroes of the Greek Revolution of 1821 and numerous are the examples of orthodox priest betrayal of Greek revolutionaries.
One more betrayal example of Greeks by Orthodox Priests is the correspondence between Turkish authority and priests (see letters below) to betray Emmanuel Papas, the Macedonian army General and Hero of the Macedonian Struggle.
Έγγραφο με το οποίο ο Χασεκή Χαλήλ μπέης, ζητάει από τους μοναχούς της μονής Εσφιγμένου να συλλάβουν τον Εμμανουήλ Παπά και τον πιστό του φίλο μοναχό Νικηφόρο Ιβηρίτη.
" Εν είδει μουρασελέ σας γράφεται το παρ' εμού του Χασεκή βέη, ζαπίτου του Αγίου Όρους. Προς εσάς τους άπαντας καλογήρους του μοναστηρίου Εσφιγμένου, γνωστόν έστω υμίν, ότι σήμερον απ' εδώ ταίς Καρυαίς έφυγεν ο λεγόμενος Άρχοντας μετά του επαράτου και οπαδού του Νικηφόρου, και ήλθον αυτού τους οποίους να τους πιάσητε και να μας τους στείλετε, ομού και τον ηγούμενόν σας. Αν όμως και παρηκούσητε εις τα γραφόμενά μου και δεν τους πιάσητε να μας τους στείλετε, ύστερον θέλετε μείνει ανυπολόγητοι και εις το Δοβλέτι και εις εμένα. Προσέξατε καλώς να μην προφασισθήτε ακαίρως προφάσεις και ματαιολογίας, διότι εγώ κάμνω το χρέος μου ως καλοθελητής του τόπου και του μοναστηρίου σας, όθεν και σεις δεν πρέπει να θελήσητε τον αφανισμόν σας. Ούτω ποιήσατε εξ αποφάσεως και να μοι αποκριθήτε εις τα γραφόμενά μου με τον ίδιον κομιστήν.
1821 Νοεμβρίου 9, ημέρα Τετάρτη. "
Το γράμμα που έστειλε η σύναξη των καλογήρων του Άθω στην μονή Εσφιγμένου.
" Στην Πανοσιότητά σας, Άγιοι Πατέρες του Ιερού Κοινοβίου του Εσφιγμένου.Χτες ο ενδοξότατός μας Χασεκή-αγάς σας ειδοποίησε με γράμμα του να πιάσετε ενέχειρο τον άρχοντα και τους άλλους. Λοιπόν, σας γράφουμε κι εμείς, οι των είκοσι μοναστηριών προϊστάμενοι, από την Ιερή Σύναξη, να κάνετε το ίδιο όλοι μαζί και χωρίς καμιά καθυστέρηση και χωρίς κανένα δισταγμό. Και σας στέλνουμε επίτηδες ανθρώπους να τον πάρουν. Όσοι ακολουθούν τον άρχοντα από τους ντόπιους πατέρες, να τον αφήσουν και να επιστρέψουν στα κελιά τους. Αν φανούν ανυπάκουοι, θα πέσουν σε οργή μεγάλη και θα χάσουν ότι έχουν δικό τους. Κι όσοι κοσμικοί βρίσκονται μαζί του κι αυτοί να τον αφήσουν γιατί κι αυτοί κι όσοι άλλοι πιαστούν, έχουν να παιδεύονται. Αυτά και περιμένουμε".
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Greece: The Land of The Gods
Since then many readings have been published and many religious ceremonies took place all over Greece (see more at YSEE - The Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes) and have been covered by international medias (as NBC).
The recent speech of Προμηθέα-Ολυμπία-Κυρήνη-Πυθία a genious child (see the next related article below) during an important congress of the Hellenic community at Chicago demonstrates the spread abroad of the reconciliation spirit of Greek people with their own religion.
The two most sacred places in Greece according to the great majority of the Greek opinion are Olympia and Parthenon (and not the Oeucoumenical Patriarchat of Constantinople!).
As said the greek general Makrygiannis to his compatriots, the hero of the Greek Revolution for Independance from the Turkish rule at 1821: "We fought for them" meaning the monuments of the Hellenic heritage.
Followers of the Greek/Hellenic (ethnikoi) religion were treated ironically by their compatriots some years ago, but now it seems that Greek society has been accustomed with the idea that an increasing number of the Greek/Hellenic religion followers exist as show the relatively large article and documentary coverage by the most important Greek medias on this topic. Greek ethnikoi have been accused to put so much faith on the past. Why not the Orthodox people as well? On this occasion greeks could say that there are two standards and measures «δύο μέτρα και σταθμά»
Occidental rennaissance has been realized thanks to the study of the ancient greek society. I think that is the fundamental right of every free citizen to follow freely his religious beliefs. As said by Eurypides and Protagoras:
«Άλλοισιν άλλος θεών τε κάνθρώπων μέλει»
«είναι δικαίωμα του καθενός να επιλέγει ποιόν άνθρωπο ή θεό θα τιμά» (Ευριπίδης).
«is the right of everyone to choose which man or god he will honor»
«Περί μεν θεών ούκ έχω ειδέναι, ούθ' ως εισίν ούθ' ως ουκ εισίν ούθ οποίοί τινες ιδέαν πολλά γαρ τα κωλύοντα ειδέναι ή τ' αδηλότης και βραχύς ών ο βίος τού ανθρώπου»
«Για τους θεούς δεν μπορώ να γνωρίζω, ούτε ότι υπάρχουν ούτε ότι δεν υπάρχουν, ούτε να έχω ιδέα ποίοι είναι. Γιατί είναι πολλά αυτά που εμποδίζουν να μάθεις, και ότι το θέμα είναι σκοτεινό και ότι η ζωή του ανθρώπου είναι σύντομη» (Πρωταγόρας)
However, Greeks ethnikoi are not allowed to build their own temples. Why the fundamental right of the religion freedom is not totally accepted by the Greek government?
Monday, April 9, 2007
Προμηθέα-Ολυμπία-Κυρήνη-Πυθία: One genious child
By GAIL SCHONTZLER - Bozeman Daily Chronicle
ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ. H Ελληνίδα παιδί - θαύμα
ΩΡΑ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ
Ελευθεροτυπία: Πολ Ποτ ο Ιουστινιανός
Το παρακάτω κείμενο του περιοδικού Δαυλός σχολιάζει τα όσα διαδραματίστηκαν κατά την διάρκεια της ομιλίας της Προμηθέας, της οποίας ο λόγος ήταν επηρεασμένος από τις απόψεις του εν λόγω περιοδικού (η μητέρα της Προμηθέας είναι εξάλλου εδώ και πολλα χρόνια συνδρομήτρια).
Ήταν 28 Ιανουαρίου 2007, όταν η Ορθόδοξη Αρχιεπισκοπή του Ιλλινόις διωργάνωσε στο Σικάγο την ετήσια «Εορτή των Γραμμάτων» προς τιμήν των τριών Ιεραρχών. Επίσημη προσκεκλημένη ομιλήτρια ήταν μία δεκαπεντάχρονη Ελληνίδα, η Προμηθέα-Ολυμπία-Κυρήνη-Πυθία, ένα χαρισματικό παιδί, που σε ηλικία δεκατεσσάρων ετών απέκτησε το πρώτο της πανεπιστημιακό πτυχίο στις Μαθηματικές Επιστήμες. Το θέμα της ομιλίας της: «Η Ελληνική Παιδεία». Οι ελληνορθόδοξοι παρουσιαστές της εκδήλωσης, μη γνωρίζοντες εκ των προτέρων τι θα έλεγε, εκθείασαν στην αρχή τα προσόντα της, τα επιτεύγματά της και την αγάπη της για τις Επιστήμες και την Ελλάδα. Στην ομιλία της όμως η Προμηθέα δεν ανέφερε τα συνηθισμένα ελληνοχριστιανικά φληναφήματα, που περίμεναν, όπως κάθε χρόνο, να ακούσουν· άρθρωσε με θάρρος καθαρό λόγο, περιγράφοντας τον βίαιο τρόπο, με τον οποίο κατίσχυσε ο Χριστιανισμός στην πατρίδα μας και τις καταστροφές που επέφερε σε όλα τα επίπεδα του Ελληνικού Πολιτισμού, ειδικά στις Επιστήμες και την Παιδεία. Γεμάτοι έκπληξη και «ιερή» αγανάκτηση ωρισμένοι εκ των παρευρισκομένων –προσκείμενοι στην Εκκλησία– άρχισαν να την υβρίζουν, αυτοί οι ίδιοι που προηγουμένως της έπλεκαν το εγκώμιο και τελικά –«δημοκρατικά» και χριστιανικά– την ανάγκασαν να σταματήσει, χωρίς να ολοκληρώσει την ομιλία της.
ΕΔΩ ΟΛΗ Η ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΥΘΙΑΣ
2007: Year of Chrysostomos. Who was he?
Τα υβριστικά κατά των Ελλήνων επίσημα κείμενα της Ορθοδοξίας. - Όσα χρησιμοποιεί και εγκρίνει σήμερα η Εκκλησία της Ελλάδος, σσ. 17-22
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Play the "Name Game": Who are the Macedonians?
The capital of Macedonia is :
Yes: Thessaloniki _______________No: Skopjie
In the archeological museum of Thessaloniki you can read in Greek:
Yes: Thessaloniki the Queen of Phillip No: Solun the Queen of Phillip
Skopije is geographically located in Macedonia:
Yes: False ____________________No: True
Alexander The Great was:
Yes: Champion of Hellenism _______No: Barbarian
Macedonians called their beloved leader:
Yes: Alexandros (ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ)_8_Νο: Aleksandar
All the SlavoSkopians heroes listed on the FYROM's national anthem declared themselves as:
Yes: Bulgarians ________________No: SlavoSkopians
Before 1945 F.Y.R.O.M. was called:
Yes: Vardaska Banovina __________No: Macedonia
Macedonians are proud to be Greeks since Karanos the first Macedonian king at 8th B.C.
Yes:True_____________________No:False
SlavoSkopian language, names, toponymes are:
Yes:Bulgarians and Turcs _________No: Macedonians
SlavoSkopians are proud of the Macedonian campaign to spread the Greek/Hellenic culture abroad:
Yes:False____________________No:True
The Albanians living in FYROM are Macedonians?
Yes:False____________________No:True
Friday, February 2, 2007
My military service at the artillery
On the flag we can read the motto of the Greek artillery: "Power by Knowledge".
Watch Greek Artillery in Action
The first to apply mathematics to the artillery was, Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia
The military service in Greece is mandatory.
"Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state." Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Macedonia
Macedonia ( IPA /ˌmæsəˈdoʊ̯nɪə/, Greek: Μακεδονία, Makedonia) is the largest and second most populous region of Greece. Together with the regions of Thrace and Epirus, it is often referred to unofficially as northern Greece. It is located at coordinates 40°45′N 22°54′E.
The Capital of Macedonia
Peripheries : West Macedonia , Central Macedonia , East Macedonia
Population 2,625,681 (2005)
Area 34,231 km²
Population density 77/km²
Macedonian language
For a long while Macedonian onomastics, which we know relatively well thanks to history, literary authors, and epigraphy, has played a considerable role in the discussion. In our view the Greek character of most names is obvious and it is difficult to think of a Hellenization due to wholesale borrowing... Macedonian may then be seen as a Greek dialect, characterized by its marginal position and by local pronunciations. Yet in contrast with earlier views which made of it an Aeolic dialect we must by now think of a link with North-West Greek... We must wait for new discoveries, but we may tentatively conclude that Macedonian is a dialect related to North-West Greek.
Olivier Masson, eminent Emeritus Professor of the University of Paris
THE OXFORD CLASSICAL DICTIONARY, 3rd edition, 1996, Oxford U. Press, p.905-906
Some other contemporary quotations:
"The toponyms of the Macedonian homeland are the most significant. Nearly all of them are Greek."
"The Macedonian State", 1989
N. G. L. Hammond, the foremost expert on ancient Macedonian history, taught Greek at Bristol University and Clare College, Cambridge University. His many books include Alexander the Great: King, Commander, and Statesman and the three-volume A History of Macedonia.
"The Macedonian people and their kings were of Greek stock, as their traditions and the scanty remains of their language combine to testify."
"A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great", 2nd ed, 1913
John Bagnell Bury, Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge
"Clearly, the language of the ancient Macedonians was Greek"
John C. Roumans, Professor Emeritus of Classics Wisconsin University
"That the Macedonians and their kings did in fact speak a dialect of Greek and bore Greek names may be regarded nowadays as certain."
Malcolm Errington,ancient history at the Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany
"A History of Macedonia", p.3, University of California Press, February 1993
"There is no doubt, that Macedonians were Greeks."
Robin Lane Fox, interview with the newspaper TO BHMA (see the movie "Alexander")
Vergina.
The gold diadem worn by a woman found inside the gold larnax in the antechamber. Without exaggeration, it is the most beautiful jewel from antiquity found to date.