Pavlopoulos: Greeks stay loyal to their principles and NEVER lower the flag

Following the memorial service in the Garden of Heroes in the western Greek city of Messolonghi on Sunday, as part of events for the 189th anniversary of the heroic Messolonghi exodus, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said that Greeks stay loyal to their principles and values and "we do not lower the flag."

     "We, Greeks, have the duty not to forget the principles and values that form the foundations of our history. The commitment to freedom, as an experience, is something that has governed Greeks since the very distant past. The fight for freedom continues even today not only in Greece, but throughout the world, because other forces, beyond those that traditionally threatened freedom, may today prevent man from developing his personality in accordance with his capabilities," Pavlopoulos said.
     "We, Greeks, know the value of freedom; we have learned to conquer it and teach it. This is what we must do now; being faithful to our ideals and having on our side all those peoples who are committed to the same ideals that nowadays are complemented, apart from freedom, with social justice and humanitarianism, which are essential components of the value of man. From the sacred site of Messolonghi we send out a message once again that we stay loyal to these principles and our values, and we do not lower the flag."

After the end of the commemorative events, the Greek President said that "the historic light, which springs from the heroic exodus and the sacrifice of the "Free Besieged" of the city is a never-failing one for Greeks and the whole world and particularly for Europe."

     "This lesson has to be assimilated primarily by the Greeks," he said adding that Greeks should contemplate on their duty for the present and the future and finally become the example to their partners in the international community and the European Union.
     "Obviously, they should not ignore their debt towards Greece, either. And not just for Greece but particularly for the future and the prospects of the European Union," he concluded. 

ANA-MPA

I am the Hellene that... - MUST READ

These are the times when we need a nudge to remind us to be proud of our heritage and history. As we celebrate and remember our struggles and achievements during the 1821 war of Independence let us NEVER forget our ancestors and the struggles they experienced to bring us to where we are today. Indeed, we are still struggling, but thankfully it is at a different pace. The following poem is a personal interpretation from a poem titled "Είμαι ο Έλληνας!" (video below), and my way of nudging at all of you to stand in pride for simply being Greek.

Signed
HellasFrappe Editor
Marina Spanos

I am the Hellene that...

• battled the barbarians and the Persians in Marathon in Plataeas and defeated them all
• the one who did not kneel at Thermopylae when faced with death
• and the one who was never afraid to die, but rather chose to fall as a proud man on that day

I am the Hellene that...

• created language and words, founded the arts, set the foundations for the sciences and culture
• the one who gave the world the Olympics and taught all of you about what "fair play" in sports actually is
• taught the world how to sell their goods, and then enjoy life through art
• and the one who mastered citadels such as the Acropolis, Epidaurus, etc.

I am the Hellene that...

• taught the world how valuable FREEDOM is
• the one who made it clear that if man is deprived of this right, then he deserves to die for it while singing "Hail, Oh Hail ... Freedom ..."
• the one who invented the word "filotimo", and showed all of you how to honor this word
• and the one who showed you how to truly value friendship and family

But... I am also the Hellene that...

• the world does not want to allow to thrive and prosper
• the one that they strike at the most by sowing discord
• the one that the world continually limits and does not allow to develop
• and all this because I am probably the only one that they all envy the most... 

Yes... I am an Hellene... And I AM BACK!

 The Time For Re-Hellenization Has Arrived

SYRIZA-ANEL organize ‘alternative’ way to celebrate March 25th

The annual March 25 festivities marking Greek Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary are apparently going to be different this year to what Greek citizens are accustomed to. The coordination of the festivities has been designed by Defence Minister Panos Kammenos and Attica Region’s Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) Prefect Rena Dourou. The SYRIZA-ANEL government said that it is planning to offer Greek citizens an "alternative" way to celebrate the events and from what we read it certainly will be a unique event, or at least resemble something of a Balkan feast.

Parallel to the official military parade, the state plans to stage a number of other happenings at Syntagma square including Greek traditional songs and dances. Also, there will be no special stand for VIPs at the parade on Wednesday and all dignitaries will be forced to stand with the crowd.

The state is also going to distribute thousands of blue and white flags to onlookers to wave during the march and at the end of the event, the 90-member military band (s) will stay behind and entertain everyone as dance troops from around the country perform.

Leftist groups against military parades were quick to compare the events to those held during the time of Greece’s military junta, but SYRIZA quickly responded that the junta only danced “tsamika” (a traditional folk dance).

The leader of the (media-backed) Potami party, Stavros Thoeodrakis, together with several PASOK groups quickly slammed SYRIZA for allowing ANEL to organize the event, so Panos Kammenos in return advised Theodorakis not to attend the event.

(Good one)

Greek Students Shock Europe And Win At SEEMOUS Mathematical Olympiad

Greece won almost every single award at the 2015 Mathematical Olympiad (SEEMOUS) which was held in Ohrid between March 3-8. As such, the Democritus University of Thrace, the National Technical University Of Athens, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki were awarded with five gold, five silver and five bronze medals.

The South Eastern European Mathematical Olympiad for University Students with international participation began in 2007 following an initiative from the Mathematical Society of South Eastern Europe.

The Mathematical Society of South Eastern Europe (MASSEE) was established in March 2003.

Smile of the Child awarded with the European Citizen’s Prize 2014

Keep in mind that the Smile of the Child is hosting Christmas Bazaars all over Greece and is once again giving Greek citizens the opportunity to shop for a good cause! All ornaments, gifts and Christmas products are made by volunteers and employees at the Voluntary Creative Workshops of the Smile of the Child.

Meanwhile it was announced that the Smile of the Child was awarded with the European Citizen’s Prize 2014 in honour of its work towards promoting children’s rights.

This year’s winners received their medals during the national award ceremony that was held by the Information Office of the European Parliament in cooperation with the Representation of the European Commission in Greece on Friday 12 December, 2014. The Smile of the Child, NGO Diogenis and the Centre for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind were this year’s winners from Greece.

The European Citizen's Prize was launched by the Parliament in 2008 to recognise exceptional achievements by citizens, groups, associations or organisations. The Citizens' Prize is given for activities that either facilitate cross-border cooperation within the EU or promote better mutual understanding and closer integration between citizens and member states. It can also be awarded for day-to-day activities reflecting the values enshrined in the EU's charter of fundamental rights.

This year 47 people and organisations from 19 member states were selected for the prize in honour of their good work. They will receive their medals in national award ceremonies and they will have the chance to showcase their work and meet MEPs at the European Parliament in Brussels on 25-26 February 2014.

     “Today’s award belongs to our friends, staff, supporters and volunteers. Above all, this recognition belongs to our children and people who fight in the frontline promoting Greece as a country fighting with decency”, Costas Yannopoulos, Chairperson of “The Smile of the Child” underlined.

Costas Yannopoulos presented the wide spectrum of nationwide actions of “The Smile of the Child” where 729 children have been raised in its 19 years of work. During the same period 3.843 children with serious health problems were supported, while the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 received 2.471.824 calls. The Chairperson of the Greek organization thanked the Greek MEPs Miltiadis Kyrkos and Dimitris Papadimoulis for their decision to nominate and support “The Smile of the Child” for the European Citizen’s Prize 2014.

Greek MEP Miltiadis Kyrkos (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Greece) referred to the significance of recognizing the important work of civil society organisations. “Very often the work of these organisations is forgotten by the society. I would like to say a personal thank you to all of those that support our co-citizens in need”, Miltiadis Kyrkos underlined.

Greek MEP Elissavet Vozemberg (Group of the European People's Party) underlined the fact that this year’s European Citizen’s Prize comes as recognition to their work and promotes Greece abroad, while representatives from the Information Office of the European Parliament and the Representation of the European Commission in Greece extended their warm thanks to this year’s winners of the European Citizen’s Prize.

Greek Chief of Staff Elected President of EU Military Committee

The Greek Chief of Staff General Michael Kostarakos was recently appointed as the new president of the European Union Military Committee. Kostarakos was a clear favorite in the election and secured his election against a Spanish Admiral and Finnish Lieutenant General with ease in the first round.

The European Union Military Committee is the EU’s highest tier military body and directs all EU military activities and provides the Political and Security Committee (PSC) with advice and recommendations on military matters. The Committee is composed of the Chiefs of Defense (CHOD) of EU Member States, who are regularly represented by their permanent Military Representatives (MilReps). The European Union Military Committee has a permanent Chairman, selected by the Chiefs of Defense of the Member States and appointed by the Council.

More Than 70,000,000 Words in the Greek language! & Zolotas' Speeches

The Hellenic language is indeed the most perfect human achievement in the linguistic field. The uniqueness of the ancient language is so grand that dates back a very long way. It is the language perceived as the symbol of Western Civilization and described to be as the transition point between Eastern wisdom and Western science.

The language is one of the oldest languages in use today. It has a complex and varied history, spanning many centuries.

And I do not say this because I am an Hellene, it has had an enormous impact on all the modern languages we know and speak today, especially the English language. I will prove this point further down, but I want to firstly note that it is the first recorded Indo-European language, and the Hellenic alphabet was the first known language to include written vowels instead of just consonants.

We already know that many words, which involve science and academia are all of Hellenic origin. The impact of the language can be seen everywhere. So much so, that it prompted the University of California at Irvine to codify its riches in a Thesaurus entitled “Linguae Graecae”. The brainchild behind this project is none other than Professor of Classics, Marianne MacDonald (a non-Hellene by the way) and her research team! The authors testify that the thesaurus contain some 6,000,000 word-forms (lektikoi tipoi - orous) derived from the Hellenic language, whereas the English words only number 490,000 and only 300,000 are noted as technical terms.

Though its influence goes beyond what is presented here, it should be noted that there are roughly 50,000 Hellenic words in the English language (and even more that are recognized in the French language as well as many other European languages totalling - 500,000 words). In all, the Hellenic language contains approximately 70,000,000 words including, derivatives, medical terms and scientific expressions.

From Mathematics, {science}, Geometry to Philosophy, from Geology to Palaeontology, Poetry to Architecture, Aesthetics and art, to the names of motor vehicles such as Scorpion, Sigma, Astra, Echo, Magna, Apollo, Stratos, Kalon, Trios, Astina, Mira, Mentor, Triumph, Odyssey, Olympic Classic, Neon, Calais, Micra, Metra, Proton, Lexus, and Focus. It is only fair to say that the Hellenic language is spoken globally.

From the Zodiac signs in Astrology to Zoology from Anthropology to Astronomy, from the "Apollo" space Program, History & Geography, Physics, from Meter to Meteor and {Linkin' Park's album} "Meteor" are all derived from the Hellenic language.

From Glossary to Bibliography to the names of Stars and Planets, and from Idol to Idiosyncrasy as well as from Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Podiatrist, Physiotherapist, Chiropodist, Neurologist to Cardiologist to ECG (Electrocardiograph) in medicine, the Hellenic language is used by all citizens all over the globe.

From the Bible to Catholic, Orthodox, Apostolic, Christadelphians, Christians, to Mass, Eulogy, liturgy, Eucharist, Christ, canons, ecclesiastical, to Apocalypse to Apocrypha, from Comedy, Drama, Satyr, Theatre, Music, Hellenic and Hellenics can be found in every sphere of human existence.

Antarctica to the Arctic Circle are all Hellenic words, as are Democracy to Nano-technology, no wonder Julius {Caesar} maintained he was from Aphrodite's lineage and Marc Anthony underlined that he was of the lineage of Hercules.

From Calabria in Italy, to Alexandria in Egypt and from Ambouria & Neapolis in Spain up to the Yunnan province in China, and the Kalash in Northern Afghanistan (who by the way claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great) a form of the Hellenic dialect is still spoken.

From Basil to Daphne, Thyme and Mint, to Pharmaceuticals to Phantoms, from Pyrric Victory, Pandora's Box, Achilles Heal, Hoi Polloi, Elysian fields, Kyrie Eleison, Hippocratic Oath, Oedipus complex, Trojan horse, Troy, Platonic love, Herculean task, and Eureka up to the phrase "I Am the Alpha and the Omega" (from Jesus Christ) all stem from the Hellenic language.

And so on… and so on… and so on…

It's a difficult language with complex construction and grammar, trust me I know… after a decade here in Greece, I still make mistakes when I want to say something, but anyone can learn the language if they try. The really hard part is that it embraces Hellenic philosophy. Unless one studies ancient Hellenic and history, they will never realize and appreciate its profound uniqueness.

But there are very few that do. Recognizing its significance, a brilliant Hellenic economist, who also served as an interim non-party Prime Minister, Xenophon Zolotas, (1904 – 2004), made headlines in the United States in the mid 20 century when he voiced both his speeches in Hellenic.

On September 26, 1957, Zolotas addressed the members of the International Reconstruction and Development Bank in the Hellenic language, but did use the necessary acronyms, modifiers, conjunctions and what not in English in order that it make sense, The result: Hundreds of esteemed academicians were left in complete awe! His speech, was so unique, that it later made headlines in the New York Times as well as the Washington Post, but it also impressed his colleagues to such an extent that the President of the of the World Bank Eugene Black invited him to be the formal speaker at the World Bank’s second meeting on October 2. 1959, with the promise that the speech once again be given in the Hellenic language, and Zolotas gladly accepted…

First speech - September 26, 1957

     "I always wished to address this Assembly in Hellenic, but realized that it would have been indeed too “Hellenic” to all present in this room. I found out, however, that I could make my address in Hellenic which would still be English. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, l shall do it now, using with the exception of articles and prepositions, with only Hellenic words." " Kyrie,
I eulogize the archons of the Panethnic Numismatic Thesaurus and the Ecumenical Trapeza for the orthodoxy of their axioms, methods and policies, although there is an episode of cacophony of the Trapeza with Hellas.
     With enthusiasm we dialogue and synagonize at the synods of our didymous Organizations in which polymorphous economic ideas and dogmas are analyzed and synthesized.
     Our critical problems such as the numismatic plethora generate some agony and melancholy. This phenomenon is characteristic of our epoch. But, to my thesis, we have the dynamism to program therapeutic practices as a prophylaxis from chaos and catastrophe.
     In parallel, a panethnic unhypocritical economic synergy and harmonization in a democratic climate is basic.
     I apologize for my eccentric monologue. I emphasize my eucharistia to you Kyrie, to the eugenic and generous American Ethnos and to the organizers and protagonists of this Amphictyony and the gastronomic symposia.''

Second speech - October 2, 1959

     "Kyrie,
      It is Zeus' anathema on our epoch for the dynamism of our economies and the heresy of our economic methods and policies that we should agonise between the Scylla of numismatic plethora and the Charybdis of economic anaemia.
      It is not my idiosyncrasy to be ironic or sarcastic but my diagnosis would be that politicians are rather cryptoplethorists. Although they emphatically stigmatize numismatic plethora, energize it through their tactics and practices.
     Our policies have to be based more on economic and less on political criteria.
     Our gnomon has to be a metron between political, strategic and philanthropic scopes. Political magic has always been antieconomic.
In an epoch characterised by monopolies, oligopolies, menopsonies, monopolistic antagonism and polymorphous inelasticities, our policies have to be more orthological. But this should not be metamorphosed into plethorophobia which is endemic among academic economists.
     Numismatic symmetry should not antagonize economic acme.
     A greater harmonization between the practices of the economic and numismatic archons is basic.
     Parallel to this, we have to synchronize and harmonize more and more our economic and numismatic policies panethnically.
     These scopes are more practical now, when the prognostics of the political and economic barometer are halcyonic.
The history of our didymous organisations in this sphere has been didactic and their gnostic practices will always be a tonic to the polyonymous and idiomorphous ethnical economics. The genesis of the programmed organisations will dynamize these policies. I sympathise, therefore, with the aposties and the hierarchy of our organisations in their zeal to programme orthodox economic and numismatic policies, although I have some logomachy with them.
     I apologize for having tyrannized you with my hellenic phraseology.
     In my epilogue, I emphasize my eulogy to the philoxenous autochthons of this cosmopolitan metropolis and my encomium to you, Kyrie, and the stenographers."

Quite impressive don't you think? - BRILLIANT to say the least!

The inevitable conclusion… the Hellenic language is indeed the creation of people with superior thought and mental consistency.

"The Greek" in 1940

 "We employ two systems. First, wait till the sun comes out, then pull forth the bayonet and shake it over the head so the Italians can see the gleams. Then put the bayonet on the rifle. Second, gather shoulders-to-shoulders, take a deep breath and together shout: 'Aera! Aera!' " Aera means "wind."

Field Marshall Keitel, who was Chief of Staff of the German Army, came across as being bitter when he said that:

     "the unbelievable strong resistance of the Greeks delayed by two or more vital months the German attack against Russia; if we did not have this long delay, the outcome of the war would have been different in the eastern front and in the war in general, and others would have been accused and would be occupying this seat as defendants today".

After the war there were 10% fewer Greeks alive than when the war started and the overall devastation of the country took years to recover from, but this small country showed the world at a time when it mattered the most that freedom is worth fighting for. The sacrifices made by the Greek nation ultimately changed the course of history and contributed in preventing the evils of Fascism and Nazism from dominating the world.

The poem below was written in 1941 as a tribute to the heroism of the Greek nation after their defeat by the Germans.

 

The Greek

Il Duce with his mighty legions

Knocked at Greece’s ancient gate

He had forty million people

And the Greeks had only eight

With his Fascist banners gleaming

From the high Albanian Peak,

“I am coming,” cried Il Duce.

“Come ahead,” replied the Greek.

“Forward!” shouted the commanders

With a good old Roman curse;

And the legions started rolling,

Rolling swiftly – in reverse,

And throughout the startled nation

The news began to leak

That the Duce had been walloped

By the sturdy little Greek.

Then that poor, moth-eaten Caesar,

What a different song he sang!

“This great big bully licked me!

Hey Adolph, get your gang!”

“You’re a dumkopf,” cried the Fuehrer,

As he pulled his trusty gun;

“You don’t know how to murder kids;

“I’ll show you how it’s done.”

And then the tanks began to roll

With clank and roar and groan:

The great planes blacked the sky and filled

The air with ceaseless drone,

In endless ranks with flame and bomb

And gray guns long and sleek;

The mighty German war machine

Moved down upon the Greek.

And still that fellow wouldn’t run –

He didn’t quite know how.

“We’ve got some help,” he said, “and that

just makes it even now.”

“Bring on your millions, Adolph dear,

We’re neither scared nor meek.

The British, sixty thousand strong,

Are standing with the Greek!”

They fought a fight like Homer’s song

They died, as brave men must

Their ranks, “neath dark odds,

Were beaten to the dust.

And then heroic chivalry

Attained its highest peak

As the victors clasped their bloody hands

Above the fallen Greek.

Someday, beyond this veil of tears,

We’ll all stand on the spot

To tell the Judge of all the world

Just who we were – and what.

I wouldn’t be a Fascist then,

Or Nazi grim and bleak;

But I’d be proud to tell my God

That once I was a Greek! 

Source - YouTube

US Congressman's Historic Speech on OXI Day - THIS IS A MUST READ

The following report is a re-publication of a speech that was given by the Honorable Micheal Bilirakis of Florida in the US Congress on Friday, October 28, 2005.  Mr. Bilirakis words represent the Diaspora HellasFrappe has been lobbying for and the Diaspora that makes everyone of Hellenic background proud. We thank you Sir.

The full text of Congressman Bilirakis’ remarks follow:

    Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly to celebrate “oxi” day. The historical significance of this day and what it meant to the outcome of World War II cannot be overstated. The outcome of a decision made on a day in 1940, had a profound impact on the conducting of the war by Nazi Germany. We’re talking about a stand made by a small, battered and courageous nation, namely Greece, against the larger, more powerful aggressors Italy and Germany.
    By October of 1940, World War II had begun, and the Nazi war machine was already in high gear. Along with Hitler’s ally, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the German and Italian forces were threatening the whole of Europe. European nations were bowing to tyranny and destruction as the Germans and the Italians marched through Europe.
    Great Britain endured Germany’s aerial bombardment, forcing Hitler to seek another avenue to subdue the British. Hitler intended to eliminate British operations in the Mediterranean in order to weaken their ability to deter German advances.
    To achieve this, Hitler needed the Axis powers to strike at British forces in Greece. By conquering Greece, Hitler would gain access to an important connecting link with Italian bases in the Dodecanese islands. This would give the Italians a strangle hold on British positions in Egypt, where British forces were already facing attack from the Italian army in north Africa. The British considered the defense of Egypt vital to allied positions in the oil rich Middle East.
    On October 28, 1940, the Italian Ambassador in Athens presented an insulting ultimatum to Greek Prime Minister Metaxas, demanding the unconditional surrender of Greece or Italy would declare war and invade Greece. Mussolini had given the Greek Prime Minister Metaxas three hours to reply.
    Ioannis MetaxasPrime Minister Metaxas responded with the now historic word “oxi”, which means “no” in Greek. His statement embodied the true spirit of the Greek people. His words of defiance echoed the same devotion and love of country that Greek patriots exhibited during their war of independence against the Ottoman empire when they shouted the defiant words “liberty or death.” Prime Minister Metaxas’ actions marked the beginning of one of the world’s most heroic efforts against tyranny and oppression. Italy then invaded.
    It is important to note that in addition to Greece having a population seven times smaller than Italy, the disparity in their armed forces was even greater: Italy had close to ten times the firepower of Greece in its army and navy and seven times the troops. Italy’s large air force had total air superiority since Greece had a very small defensive air force. However, despite their lack of equipment, the Greek army proved to be well-trained and resourceful. Within a week of the invasion, it was clear that Italian forces were suffering serious setbacks despite having control of the air and fielding superior armored vehicles.
    On November 14th, the Greek army launched a counter-offensive and quickly drove the Italian forces back into Albania. By the next month, the Greeks had captured the town of Pogradec in eastern Albania. The fighting continued for a few more months…it was clear that the Greeks were not going to stand for defeat. In a last ditch effort to bring the war to a close before the Italians would be forced to ask Hitler to intervene, they launched another assault on March 12, 1941. After six days of fighting, the Italians had made only insignificant gains, and it became clear that German intervention was necessary.
    German-Bombing-of-Piraeus-in-GreeceOn April 6, 1941, Hitler ordered the German invasion of Greece. It took the Germans five weeks to finally end the conflict. This delay proved to be critical to the outcome of the war. Italy’s inability to capture Greece enabled the British to win major victories against Mussolini’s forces in north Africa. This solidified British positions in the region as well as in Cyprus. In addition, it contributed to the failure of the German Barbarossa campaign to conquer Russia.
    Due to Mussolini’s humiliating defeat by the Greeks in Albania and Greece, Hitler was compelled to capture the Balkans, mainly Yugoslavia and Greece, thus, delaying his Barbarossa plan to invade and capture the Soviet Union before the winter of 1941. The Greek resistance, both in Albania, and in the other famous battle in Crete, altered, favorably for the allies, his Barbarossa time table by at least six months.
    Perhaps most importantly, the Germans never gained the advantage against the British. Although Germany had conquered much of Europe, its inability to decimate British and Russian forces early in the war would eventually prove to be fatal. Thanks to the heroic Greek resistance and their countless sacrifices, the war tide had been permanently changed for Hitler due to the delay of this critical time table.
    Nearly one million Hellenes died during that time. That was 14% of the population in 1940. That is equivalent to losing 39 million people in this country TODAY in the case of a war to defend our country.
    The entire Western world, discouraged and fearful of the Axis powers and the growing ugly war, took hope from these incredible victories. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said of the Greeks: “Today we say that Greeks fight like heroes, from now on we will say that heroes fight like Greeks.”
    A very small number of those Greeks who fought like heroes are still alive today – some now are American citizens. One of those heroes lives in my congressional district – Mr. Demetrios Palaskas who, along with others, has shared those traumatic stories of the mountain fighting by the rag-tag Greeks against such a powerfully equipped invader. We all salute you Mr. Palaskas – you and your many fellow heroes for helping to keep the world free.
    Mr. Speaker, “oxi” day is an inspiration to all those who cherish democracy and freedom. It marks defiance against terrible odds. As an American of Greek descent, I am proud to honor the memory of those brave patriots who fought for freedom for themselves and ultimately for all the free world on this important day.

Reference - http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2005-10-28/pdf/CREC-2005-10-28-pt1-PgE2221.pdf

Hellenic Air Force To Star In "OXI" Day Celebrations

The Hellenic Air Force aerial display team is going to participate in the celebrations marking the anniversary of October 28th, or OXI day, in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.

The Air Force is apparently going to display various F-16 Zeus aircraft. A test flight is scheduled to be carried out at noon on Monday, or one day before the parade, and then the aerial show will take place as expected on Tuesday high above the Thermaikos bay, immediately after the customary military parade through the city centre.

Greece Tops Red Bull Free Runners Int'l Event in Santorini (VIDEO)

Dimitris Kyrsanidis from Greece won this year's Red Bull Art of Motion 2014, which was held at the weekend on the island of Santorini after beating 17 of the world’s best freerunning athletes. Coming up in second place was Pavel Petkuns Latvia and Alexander Baiturin from Russia apparently finished third.

Red Bull Art of Motion returned for another year to the Greek island of Santorini with some of the world's best freerunners performing superlative moves over the hot roofs and off scorching white-painted walls in front of a capacity crowd.

Deploying their unique style in a demanding and natural track, the world class freerunners were competing against the course and themselves, presenting their own unique skills through their awesome tricks, runs and drops.

It was a winning run full of creative tricks and fluid movements from Kyrsanidis who gave a world-class performance above the whitewashed stone roofs of Santorini to impress the judges. A crowd of 1,500 spectators celebrated the 19-year-old winning the fourth edition of freerunning’s most celebrated title. The shock result saw two-time champion Pavel Petkuns pushed into second place.

Kyrsanidis started freerunning at the age of 12 and has been steadily building his reputation within the sport in recent years. Following victory in his native Greece it seems as though Kyrsanidis will be the man to beat for years to come.

The best trick of the day came from Alexander Baiturin who pulled off a great high bar combination that finished with a 2.5 metre diveroll at the end of the track. Luci Romberg claimed the women's award, as the American blew everyone away with her high level of performance.

Tsatoumas Awarded Silver in Long Jump at European Games

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Monday congratulated Louis Tsatoumas who was awarded a silver medal in the long jump at the European Championships which are being held in Zurich, Switzerland. The Greek champion reached 8.15m in his first attempt just behind British Greg Rutherford, who reached 8.29m.

He won his first major senior medal in 2007 at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, where he claimed the silver medal behind an Italian record-breaking Andrew Howe. On June 2nd, 2007 in Kalamata Tsatoumas jumped 8.66 metres, achieving a personal best and a Greek record for the event. The performance was the best in the world since Iván Pedroso leaped 8.70 m to win the gold medal at the 1995 World Championships. Tsatoumas ranks as the eighth best long jumper in history and holds the European record in the event at low altitude.

According to Wikipedia, at the 2008 Olympics he had the longest qualifying jump with 8.27m, but after three consecutive fouls in the final he finished in last place. He was the bronze medallist at both the 2009 Mediterranean Games and 2009 European Team Championships.

He represented Greece at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, reaching the final round, but finished only eleventh overall. At the 2010 European Athletics Championships he was sixth.

Earlier in 2014 Tsatoumas set a Greek indoor record of 8.23m to win the national indoor title.

Greeks Win Silver At European 5km Open-Water Event in Germany

Three Greek swimmers won silver in the 5 km open-water team event of the 32nd LEN European Swimming Championships in Berlin at the weekend. The games run from August 13-24 and include the categories of Swimming, Diving, Open Water and Synchro (synchronized swimming).

The Greek team consisted of Spyros Gianniotis, Antonis Fokaidis and Kelly Araouzou, and they collected Greece's first medal in this year's European championship.

The winning teams had the following times, with split timings (2.5 km) in the race given in parentheses:

1. Netherlands, 55:47.8 (27:59.9)

2. Greece, 56:05.5 (28:01.8)

3. Germany, 56:14.8 (28:03.3)

According to a dispatch from ANA-MPA, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras sent a message of congratulations to three Greek athletes, saying, "You proved that hard work and team work wins in the end. All Greeks feel proud of you; thank you."

Int'l Excitement Over Tomb In Amphipolis Dating To Alexander The Great (PHOTOS)

The archaeological finds of the tomb of Amphipolis have stirred the interest of the global media. Over the past few days the news was featured in many newspapers and online news services such as the BBC, Time, The Guardian, Le Figaro, NBC, The Washington Post, Newsmax, etc. and every story seemed to agree that the tomb that was discovered at Amphipolis, Serres is a royal tomb dating back to the period of Alexander the Great. The news about this archaeological find is so great that even newspapers in Taiwan and India wrote feature articles about it.

To our north, our neighborly media in FYROM is also showing a keen interest and has over the past few days referred to the statements made by Samaras and an article in the Agelioforos newspaper which spoke about the significant findings that have been unearthed proving once again that Macedonia is (was and forever will be) Greek.

If the treasures that are found there prove to be the last residence of the king of kings, then this place will become a global sensation and what will come after that -as far as our national interests are concerned- will be unprecedented.

Let us not forget what the mayor of this town said: “The premier’s (Samaras') visit means the excavation is expected to reveal something significant. The “area and Greece will become known around the world.”

Read more on this article and watch videos by clicking HERE
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2014/08/is-greece-getting-ready-to-unveil.html

Here are some of news services / papers that featured the news:

Time Magazine - Time magazine underlined that the findings in the area date from the end of the reign of king Alexander the Great. However, the article notes that it is not possible that the tomb is the grave of Alexander the Great, since he “died in Babylon and was moved to Egypt to be buried in 323 BC”.

The Telegraph - The Telegraph commented on the Greek Prime Minister’s statements about a “clearly extremely significant discovery”, and at the same time those made by the archaeologist Katerina Peristeri regarding the data that lead to the conclusion that the tomb dates from the era of Alexander the Great.

Die Welt - Die Welt referred to the important discovery noting that: “The Greeks are hoping that they have found the grave of a member of the family of Alexander the Great. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras visited the site and spoke of a very significant discovery”.

Reuters - Reuters spoke about the tomb that was discovered by archaeologists in Amphipolis as well as the visit of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to the site.

Business Insider - Business Insider headlined a report titled: ”There’s A Lot Of People Speculating That Alexander The Great’s Tomb May Have Been Found”

The Washington Post - The paper said that: "Built in the time of Alexander, the tomb may house members of his family. Or one of his top generals may be buried there. Either way, an archaeology crew led by Katerina Peristeri may have an answer by the end of the month."

The National Oserver - On its part the Nat. Observer said that: "Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a vast tomb that they believe is connected with the reign of the warrior-king Alexander the Great, who conquered vast areas of the ancient world between Greece and India."

NBC - The American TV channel said: "the tomb is expected to be opened in the next two weeks. So far, workers have unveiled a flight of 13 steps that lead to a broad path, flanked by masonry walls, which end in a built-up arch covering two headless, wingless sphinxes — mythical creatures that blend human, bird and lion characteristics. A strong police guard has been mounted around the fenced-off mound."

The Liberty Voice - The paper said: "the newly discovered burial tomb is about 1,600 feet in length and was erected from marble that was imported from the neighboring island of Thassos. It is also believed that the mound could have been designed by a legendary architect of the time known as Dinocrates. He was believed to have been a close friend of Alexander’s."

The Alaska Highway News - This paper said: "archaeologists believe the apparently unlooted Amphipolis grave, which is surrounded by a surprisingly long and well-built wall with courses of marble decorations, may have belonged to a senior ancient official."

The Raw Story - The online news service said: "built on the banks of the river Strymon — some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the modern city of Serres — Amphipolis was an important city of the ancient Macedonian kingdom under Alexander. Alexander’s Persian wife Roxanne and son Alexander were exiled to Amphipolis and murdered there on the orders of his successor King Cassander around 310 BCE."

The China Topix - This Asian news service writes: "even though Alexander died in Babylon - about 50 miles from Baghdad in modern-day Iraq - his tomb has not been found so far."

Newsmax - The paper notes that: "a Greece tomb was unearthed recently in the northern part of the country, but archaeologists are stumped as to who was buried in the funeral mound, which could date back to the time of Alexander the Great."

 

Is Greece Getting Ready To Unveil Alexander's Tomb At Ancient Amphipolis? (VIDEOS)

Accompanied by his wife Georgia and Culture Minister Constantinos Tassoulas, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday visited the excavation site of Ancient Amphipolis, in the northern Greek region of Serres. This was not a common visit, and Samaras was not in the area for his holiday enjoyment. rumor has it that an important archaeological discovery is about to be announced to the world and an important tomb (maybe Alexander's) is about to be revealed.

The findings were already presented in March by the head of 28th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Katerina Peristeri during the 27th archaeological scientific meeting. Over the last two years, excavations at Casta hill have unearthed a unique grave circle which dates back to the last quarter of the 4th century BC.

Samaras met with locals and when pressed about the mysteries surrounding the site, he was quoted as saying: “Be patient for a few (more) days.”

The Greek Premier did not make any comments to journalists and did not allow the press to enter the excavation site either (only adding to the mystery).

The site was founded by Athenians in eastern Macedonia on the Strymon River in 438-437 B.C. The Tomb of Casta Amphipolis, which was discovered in 2013, captured the immediate attention of archaeologists who have openly expressed the hope of finally discovering the ancient tomb of a Macedon king (maybe Alexander).

Samaras visited the Kasta Tomb and was guided through the excavation site by the archaeologist in charge Katerina Peristeri who briefed him on the findings.

     “It is clear that we stand before an extremely important finding,” the state news agency quoted him as saying.
He added that the land of Macedonia continues revealing unique treasures that “weave the unique mosaic or our Greek history.”
     “This is a monument with unique features: A surrounding peribolos of 497 meters, almost a perfect circle carved in Thassos marble. The Lion of Amphipolis over 5 meters high, 5.20 meters; let΄s imagine it as being on the top of the tomb," he said while also referring to the wide path that leads to the tomb entrance and the two Sphinxes that seem to be guarding it.
     “I believe all these findings have allowed archaeologist Katerina Peristeri to be optimistic that this is a unique burial monument, which –as she said- dates between 325 and 300 BC.

Regarding the key question, the excavation will reveal the identity of the person who is buried there and will continue.

Constantinos Melitos later told the sate news agency ANA-MPA that “the premier’s visit means the excavation is expected to reveal something significant” adding that the “area and the whole of Greece will become known around the world.”

Looks like it since ProtoThema said that guards have already been posted outside the excavation site and the area will be guarded around the clock. This obviously further fuels speculation about the person buried there.

Funding of 100,000 euros have already been allocated to the site by the Ministry of Culture for the completion of the excavation of the marble-faced wall.

The wall was built with Thassian marble that was brought to the area with special ships and marble domes from Aliki of Thassos were placed with special cranes, made of wood, iron and lead. Traces of these were found in the area, however portions of the perimeter wall appear to have been removed during Roman times. Some of the missing portions were found at the area of the Lion monument of Amphipolis, causing archaeologists to believe that the structure may be linked to the Amphipolis Lion.

Others are in the opinion that it was placed at the highest point of the mount.

The pyramid-shaped mound is 498 meters long and three meters high, ten times larger than the tome of Alexander’s father, Philip II of Macedon.

The grave can also belong to Roxana. She was a Bactrian princess and wife of Alexander the Great. She was born before 343 BC, and died in ca. 310 BC. In 327BC Alexander married Roxana despite strong opposition from his companions and generals. After Alexander's sudden death at Babylon in 323 BC, she bore him a posthumous son called Alexander. Roxana and her son were protected by Alexander's mother, Olympias, in Macedonia, but her assassination in 316 BC allowed Cassander to seek kingship. Since Alexander IV Aegus was the legitimate heir to the Alexandrian empire, Cassander ordered him and Roxana to be killed ca. 310 BC. 

But... If this is the mysterious and until today unknown tomb of Alexander the Great my dear Frappers, then we are living historical moments. After the beating Greece has received over the issue of Macedonia and the political, social and especially economic woes it has endured over the past two decades, an announcement such as this would not only lift the spirits of the people of this country, but Greeks all over the world. Speculating that this is the tomb of Alexander is not as far-fetched as it sounds, because when experts first began excavations at the site, they had said that they believed that the remains of a king or at least a very important royal Macedonian official were buried here. Imagine if it is true? It will surely upset our neighbors to the North who have spread propaganda and lies about their history -for territorial gains as we all know- and will glorify and vindicate the grander of Greek history! It will indeed be something!

A Bike Ride From London to Athens To Support The Return Of the Parthenon Marbles

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This story touched our hearts here at HellasFrappe so we decided to feature it. Italian professor Salvatore Lo Sicco who apparently lives and works in Britain decided to get on his bike for a 35-day ride from London to Athens in order to raise awareness over the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

The “London to Athens Bike Tour 2014” was immediately supported by the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, which has campaigned for the return of the artifacts exhibited in the British Museum.

When he arrived in Greece, Lo Sicco was greeted by Deputy Minister of Culture Angela Gerekou in Athens. The Greek Deputy Minister praised him for his initiative stating that the Parthenon Marbles demand is not a “Greek” request, but an demand that has been made by the global community. The Italian professor agreed, adding that “the return of the Parthenon Marbles is a moral and historic obligation”.

Greek Choir Wins Silver At World Choir Games

Over 480 choirs from 74 countries participated (ing) at the 8th World Choir Games that are set to wrap up in Riga, Latvia on July 19. The Greek choir “Manolis Kalomoiris” was awarded several days ago with the Silver Diploma in the category “Mixed Choirs”.

The Greek choir began its musical journey in 1989 as a children’s chorus under the professor of Musicology in Athens University, Nikolaos Malliaras. It then worked alongside major symphonic and choir groups such as the Philharmonic Orchestra of London and the National Symphonic Orchestra of former Greek National Broadcaster (ERT).

The winning repertoire included major symphonic works such as “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff and Choral Finale “Ode to Joy” of the 9th Symphony by Beethoven, musical tales by Nick Xanthoulis, Greek and foreign songs and nursery rhymes by Manolis Kalomiris.

Greece's Nat. Volleyball Team Goes On To European League Semifinals

The Greek national volleyball team managed to secure a spot in the European League semifinals on Sunday, after defeating Montenegro in the final match of the first phase. By claiming victory over Montenegro 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 24-26, 23-25) Greece now ranks second in its group and is going to progress to the semi finals after eight years, where it is set to face the 2014 European League’s hosting nation Slovenia, while Montenegro will face FYROM.

The country that wins the European League is also expected to secure a spot in next season’s World League competition.

Go team!!!!

Greek Law Students Win Over Harvard Students At World Moot Court

This year, more than 100 teams signed up to deepen their understanding of WTO law and practice their skills outside of the lecture halls of their universities, in an international environment. The teams worked extremely hard for their success.

Preparation for EMCC meant hours of studying, researching, questioning and having a high level of determination. The team from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece was shining in the WTO Headquarters and won the 12th edition of the ELSA Moot Court Competition! The runner up was the team from the Harvard Law School. Sincere congratulations to both  and all the teams that challenged themselves and applied for this edition!

 (The students are: Anna Ventouratos, Persephone Vernadou, Panayiotis Theodoropoulos and Panayiotis Kyriakou.)

With some 117 participating universities, the 20 best teams went to the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland to plead for the last time; of those, the two finalists were the teams from the Athens Law School and Harvard Law School.

In order to reach the finals, the team had to beat teams from the American University, Washington and Rhodes University (South Africa), the University of Hong Kong, and in the semifinals they competed with the team from the University of Amsterdam

BRAVO - Young Greek From Kalamata Wins FIAT New Car Design

Thanos Pappas is obviously second in line

Thanos Pappas, a 23-year-old man from Kalamata, Greece, recently participated in FIAT’s "Design the future of accessibility" contest and guess what, he won! Thanos's design team "Exarsis" apparently undertakes vehicle design projects in Greece. In 2012, this young man from the southern Peloponnese did an internship through the Department of Product and Systems Design at the University of the Aegean, where he worked from the island of Syros with Korres Engineering for Project D3, a city car designed for people who use wheelchairs.

Thanos is also taking part in the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award with a hybrid (or purely electric) small vehicle which is expected to soon be manufactured in Greece and is accessible to people with disabilities.

Major thumbs up to Thanos Pappas for making Hellenes proud everywhere!