Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Present for our fiends
Hello our e-twinning friends, we are making some presents for you, which we are going to post them in the next 12 days. Then we finish school.
Most of them are 2011 calendars with Greek landscapes. We are also going to send them with email, in case you want to print them.
Most of them are 2011 calendars with Greek landscapes. We are also going to send them with email, in case you want to print them.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Greetings from Greece!
We were informed by our teacher that our Indian friends are finishing lessons in the next few days.
We would really like to thank you, about all that information you offered to us theese months about the myths and the legends from India.It will be great to work together again next year in a e-twinning program, because this year we had a great time!
Happy holidays!!!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Easter Customs
Hello our e-twinning friends.
On Friday 26/03/2010 we are going to be on holiday for two (2) weeks, because we celebrate our easter. We are going to tell you few things about our easter.
These are customs related to the religious holiday of Easter which is the biggest celebration of the Orthodox Christians and the one richest in folklore. The word “Pascha”, Easter in Greek, stems from the Jewish “Pasah” which means “Passover”. Jewish people celebrated “Pasah” to commemorate their liberation from the Egyptians and the passage of the Red sea, while Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ the Saviour and the passage from death to life. The corresponding Greek word for “Pascha” is “Lambrí” (Brightness) because the day of the resurrection of Christ is a day full of joy and exhilaration. Easter is a moveable holiday. Its celebration falls on the first Sunday after the full moon of the spring equinox. All over the country a plethora of customs and traditions are observed during the week prior to Easter (Holy Week).The preparations for the celebration of the Resurrection start on Holy Thursday. On that day housewives traditionally prepare tsourekia (sweet buns resembling brioche) and colour eggs with special red dyes. Ever since antiquity the egg symbolises the renewal of life and the red colour symbolises the blood of Christ. In the past, people used to place the first red egg on the icon stand of the house in order to cast out evil spirits. In some villages they used to mark the head and the back of small lambs with the red dye used for the dyeing of the eggs. They also used to keep one of the big round Holy Thursday loaves at the icon stand in order to protect the members of the family from
spells.Friday is the most sacred day of the Holy Week, the day of the culmination of the passion of Christ with the deposition from the cross and Christ’s burial. Because it is a day of mourning, housewives do not do any house chores, avoiding even cooking. Women and children go to church to decorate the Epitaph (Bier of Christ) with flowers they collect or buy. In the morning of Good Friday, Christ’s Burial is reenacted in church and in the evening the Epitaph procession takes place.On Easter Saturday morning, preparations start for the festive dinner of the night of the Resurrection and housewives cook “maghiritsa” (
a tripe and herbs soup). Shortly before midnight, people gather in church holding white candles which they light with the “Holy Light” distributed by the priest. When the latter chants “Christ is risen” (Christós Anesti), people exchange wishes and the so-called “Kiss of Love”. With the “Holy Light” of the candles they thrice make the sign of the cross on the door post over the front door of their houses for good luck. Then they allgather around the festively laid table, they crack red eggs and feast on the traditional “maghiritsa”.On Easter Sunday morning, in many parts of the country lamb is prepared on the spit. In other regions, the meat for the Easter table - lamb or kid - is roasted in the oven. There is a festive atmosphere everywhere and people eat and dance usually until late into the night.
a tripe and herbs soup). Shortly before midnight, people gather in church holding white candles which they light with the “Holy Light” distributed by the priest. When the latter chants “Christ is risen” (Christós Anesti), people exchange wishes and the so-called “Kiss of Love”. With the “Holy Light” of the candles they thrice make the sign of the cross on the door post over the front door of their houses for good luck. Then they allgather around the festively laid table, they crack red eggs and feast on the traditional “maghiritsa”.On Easter Sunday morning, in many parts of the country lamb is prepared on the spit. In other regions, the meat for the Easter table - lamb or kid - is roasted in the oven. There is a festive atmosphere everywhere and people eat and dance usually until late into the night.Sunday, March 21, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Our Country, Our Town, our Area, our School
Hello our etwinning friends,
we are sending some information about us.
A different group of students worked on each page of the following presentation. The worked hard for their friends ffrom the other countries
we are sending some information about us.
A different group of students worked on each page of the following presentation. The worked hard for their friends ffrom the other countries
Ourschool
View more presentations from vservou.
25th of March
Hello our etwinning friends.
We are Anthoula, Eleni and Petros.
March 25 is both a national (revolution against the Turks) and religious holiday (Annunciation). The Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Greeks remained under the Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years. During this time their language, their religion and their sense of identity remained strong. On March 25, 1821 the bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Greek flag at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Peloponnese and one more revolution started against the Turks. The people of Greece shouted "Freedom or Death" and they fought the War of Independence for 9 years (1821-1829) until a small part of modern Greece was finally liberated and it was declared an independent nation.
We are Anthoula, Eleni and Petros.
In few days we have a national celebration in our country and we do various activities at school to honour our ancestors.
We are going to write to you a piece of information about it, we are preparing some videoclips and presentations as well.
March 25 is both a national (revolution against the Turks) and religious holiday (Annunciation). The Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Greeks remained under the Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years. During this time their language, their religion and their sense of identity remained strong. On March 25, 1821 the bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Greek flag at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Peloponnese and one more revolution started against the Turks. The people of Greece shouted "Freedom or Death" and they fought the War of Independence for 9 years (1821-1829) until a small part of modern Greece was finally liberated and it was declared an independent nation.Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
To our friends from India
Dear friends from India,
We are Peter, Helen and Anthoula!
First of all, we would like to thank you for your flattering comments that you send us through our teacher.
Your work is very impressive and you worth congratulations! The information you have sent us through PowerPoint is very interesting. While we were reading it, we wanted to come and visit your beautiful city. You refer that Chunnambar has a Water Sports Centre in which the visitors can have a boating experience.
Here in Greece we have many rivers and boating is very popular. This is the reason why we would like to visit your Water Sports Centre.
We are Peter, Helen and Anthoula!
First of all, we would like to thank you for your flattering comments that you send us through our teacher.
Your work is very impressive and you worth congratulations! The information you have sent us through PowerPoint is very interesting. While we were reading it, we wanted to come and visit your beautiful city. You refer that Chunnambar has a Water Sports Centre in which the visitors can have a boating experience.
Here in Greece we have many rivers and boating is very popular. This is the reason why we would like to visit your Water Sports Centre.
Goodbye and we are looking forward to seeing your comments too!!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
For our Indian friends from Greece
Hello,we are Maria and Stavroula and we are writing these comments,in order to express our opinions about your project.Thank you for your positive comments you have sent to our professor about the project. We were faschinated by Podicherry and your culture. We hope to visit your country and taste your different dishes as well as go sightseing. Moreover, the pictures you have sent us are absolutely attractive and this is the reason why we write to you.Finally,we are glad to learn so many things about your culture.
The legend of the enchanted horse
Hello, we are Roxana and Maria. We come from Romania and Serbia, we live in Greece, we are students at the first lyceum of Ilioupolis and we are going to present you myths from our countries too.
Here we present a Romanian myth.
Here we present a Romanian myth.
On a stormy night an old lady came to the prince's palace to ask for shelter. The prince saw her and told her to leave. If she wanted to work she could get a shelter. The old lady changed into a princess and told him ' You have no mercy and you have no soul. You'll turn into a horse. The spell will be broken only if a maiden will give you a gift.' Many years passed and the prince was unhappy and he was sorry for what he'd done. All these years many princesses came to bring him gifts in vain. One day a young shepherdess called Giralda, who was in love with the prince, picked a snowdrop and she wrapped it in a white paper. On the back she wrote with white and red letter 'martisor'.
When she came to the prince he was wandering when he had seen those clear honest eyes? The girl said her gift was a symbol of her love for the prince. She gave him the 'Martisor'. When the prince touched her gift he changed back into a human being, the prince. They got married and they lived happily ever after. The prince decided that from that year on everybody had to remember the 1st of March and girls were to give the boys a Martisor as a sign of gratitude and love.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Nemean Lion
The Nemean lion was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived in Nemea. He was eventually killed by Heracles.
The lion was usually considered the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, but it was also said to have fallen from the moon as the offspring of Zeus and Selene. A third origin has
it being born of the Chimera. The Nemean Lion was sent to Nemea to terrorize the city. After the lion had been slain, its pelt became a battle spoil and was said to be impenetrable.
The First Labour of Heracles
The first of Heracles' twelve labours, set by King Eurystheus (his cousin) was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its pelt.
Most versions of the legend took the following form:
Heracles wandered the areas until he came upon the town of Cleonae. There, a boy met him and swore: If Heracles slew the Nemean lion (who lived in a cave) and returned alive within 30 days of leaving, they would sacrifice a lion to Zeus, the king of all the ancient Greek gods. If he did not return within 30 days or he died, however, the boy would sacrifice himself to Zeus.
While he was looking for the lion, he made arrows to use against it, not knowing that it was impervious. When he found the lion, he started shooting arrows at the lion, but the lion would not die. After some time Heracles made the lion return to his cave. The cave had two entrances, one of which Heracles blocked; he then entered the other. Because the lion's skin was impenetrable, Heracles was forced to stun the beast with his club and strangled it. He then used the lion's own claws to cut off its pelt. There is another version that says that Heracles tried to shoot it with arrows, and he eventually shot it in the throat and killed it. When he returned to the King, King Eurystheus was shocked. He gave Heracles the lion's invincible pelt to wear as a cloak, but warned Heracles that the tasks set for him would become increasingly difficult and then King Eurystsheus sent Heracles off to complete his next, more difficult quest.
Heracles completed this task over the course of three months when he was eighteen years old.
The lion was usually considered the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, but it was also said to have fallen from the moon as the offspring of Zeus and Selene. A third origin has
it being born of the Chimera. The Nemean Lion was sent to Nemea to terrorize the city. After the lion had been slain, its pelt became a battle spoil and was said to be impenetrable.The First Labour of Heracles
The first of Heracles' twelve labours, set by King Eurystheus (his cousin) was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its pelt.
Most versions of the legend took the following form:
Heracles wandered the areas until he came upon the town of Cleonae. There, a boy met him and swore: If Heracles slew the Nemean lion (who lived in a cave) and returned alive within 30 days of leaving, they would sacrifice a lion to Zeus, the king of all the ancient Greek gods. If he did not return within 30 days or he died, however, the boy would sacrifice himself to Zeus.
While he was looking for the lion, he made arrows to use against it, not knowing that it was impervious. When he found the lion, he started shooting arrows at the lion, but the lion would not die. After some time Heracles made the lion return to his cave. The cave had two entrances, one of which Heracles blocked; he then entered the other. Because the lion's skin was impenetrable, Heracles was forced to stun the beast with his club and strangled it. He then used the lion's own claws to cut off its pelt. There is another version that says that Heracles tried to shoot it with arrows, and he eventually shot it in the throat and killed it. When he returned to the King, King Eurystheus was shocked. He gave Heracles the lion's invincible pelt to wear as a cloak, but warned Heracles that the tasks set for him would become increasingly difficult and then King Eurystsheus sent Heracles off to complete his next, more difficult quest.Heracles completed this task over the course of three months when he was eighteen years old.
Anthoula, Elenh, Petros
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The myth of Alcyone
In Greek mythology, Alcyone (Ancient Greek: Aλκυόνη Halkyónē) was the daughter of Aeolus, either by Enarete or Aegiale. She married Ceyx, son of Eosphorus, the Morning Star. 
They were very happy together in Trachis, and according to Pseudo-Apollodorus's account, often sacrilegiously called each other "Zeus" and "Hera . This angered Zeus, so while Ceyx was at sea (going to consult an oracle according to Ovid's account), the god threw a thunderbolt at his ship. Ceyx appeared to Alcyone as an apparition to tell her of his fate, and she threw herself into the sea in her grief. Out of compassion, the gods changed them both into halcyon birds, named after her.
Ovid and Hyginus both also recount the metamorphosis of the pair in and after Ceyx's loss in a terrible storm, though they both omit Ceyx and Alcyone calling each other Zeus and Hera (and Zeus's resulting anger) as a reason for it. Ovid also adds the detail of her seeing his body washed up onshore before her attempted suicide.
Ovid and Hyginus both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for "halcyon days", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally the seven days each year (either side of the shortest day of the year) during which Alcyone (as a kingfisher) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach and during which her father Aeolus, god of the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. The phrase has since become a term used to describe a peaceful time generally.
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They were very happy together in Trachis, and according to Pseudo-Apollodorus's account, often sacrilegiously called each other "Zeus" and "Hera . This angered Zeus, so while Ceyx was at sea (going to consult an oracle according to Ovid's account), the god threw a thunderbolt at his ship. Ceyx appeared to Alcyone as an apparition to tell her of his fate, and she threw herself into the sea in her grief. Out of compassion, the gods changed them both into halcyon birds, named after her.
Ovid and Hyginus both also recount the metamorphosis of the pair in and after Ceyx's loss in a terrible storm, though they both omit Ceyx and Alcyone calling each other Zeus and Hera (and Zeus's resulting anger) as a reason for it. Ovid also adds the detail of her seeing his body washed up onshore before her attempted suicide.
Ovid and Hyginus both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for "halcyon days", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally the seven days each year (either side of the shortest day of the year) during which Alcyone (as a kingfisher) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach and during which her father Aeolus, god of the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. The phrase has since become a term used to describe a peaceful time generally.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Introducing ourselves
Hello,
My name is Apostolos and I live in Ilioupoli which is a suburb of Athens in Greece. I am a student of the 1st senior high school of Ilioupoli’s and I am seventeen years old. I like spending my free time mostly reading books, and playing musical instruments.I also like to play football in a profesional team.
Our school
My name is John and I live in Ilioupoli which is a suburb of Athens in Greece. I am a student of the 1st senior high school of Ilioupoli’s and I am seventeen years old. I like spending my free time mostly with my friends and going out with them or playing my favorite sport which is basketball.I also adore playing the guitar and listening to music.I also like spending my time playing video games.
Celebrating at school
My name is Gerasimos and i leave in Ilioupoli which is a suburb of Athens in Greece.I am a student of the 1rst senior high school of Ilioupoli's and i am seventeen years old.I spend my free time usually playing the piano or playing football with my friends.
We all like to meet new friends from other countries and exchange thoughts and ideas.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Lernaean Hydra
In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast that possessed numerous heads—the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint—and poisonous breath (Hyginus, 30). The Hydra of Lerna was killed by Heracles as one of his Twelve Labours. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, though archaeology has borne out the myth that the sacred site was older even than the Mycenaean city of Argos, for Lerna was the site of the myth of the Danaids. Beneath the waters was an entrance to the Underworld, and the Hydra was its guardian (Kerenyi 1959, p. 143...)
In Greek mythology, The Lernaean Hydra was a snake-like beast that possessed nine (usually nine, it ranged from five to one hundred) heads and poisonous breath, killed by Heracles as one of his Twelve Labours. The Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, noisome creatures of the Goddess who became Hera. It was said to be the sibling of the Nemean Lion, the Chimaera and Cerberus. As such, it was said to have been chosen as a task for Heracles so that Heracles would probably die.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Antigone
Daughter and sister of her father, Oedipus, Antigone's life was doomed from the start. She followed her father into exile and then, after her brothers Eteocles and Polyneices' deadly quarrel, Antigone, against Creon's orders, buried her brother Polyneices. Although betrothed to his son Haemon, she was punished by Creon. Accounts differ at this point, for she was either buried alive or surrendered to Haemon for punishment. In the latter version, Haemon married and lived with Antigone in secrecy. When their son accidentally revealed the existence of his mother, Haemon killed his wife and himself. Medea
Medea, whose name means "the cunning one", was the daughter of the king of Colchis. She was a ruthless sorceress who was something between a witch and a goddess. She was the first wife of Jason who came to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. It was actually Aphrodite and Eros who caused Medea to fall in love with him as they knew, without her help, he would be unable to perform the tasks her father insisted of him. She did use her magic to aid him in his tasks, and then returned on the Argo with him to Iolcus.On the way back, with her father's ships in hot pursuit, she cut her half-brother into pieces and threw them into the sea knowing that her father would stop to retrieve them. Iolcus was, at that time, ruled by King Pelias, and Medea tricked his daughters into boiling him, which resulted in his death. Because of this, both Jason and Medea were banished.
Jason went on to take a second wife named Glauce, which really ticked Medea off, and she saw to it that Glauce was given a poisoned wedding dress which burned her skin and killed her. Then she went a little further and killed her own children by Jason. She then escaped to Athens in her grandfather, Helios', chariot and married King Aegeus. This was before Aegeus knew that Theseus was his son, and when he one day showed up in his court, Medea tried to put doubts in her husband's mind that Theseus was not his heir because she wanted her own son by Aegeus to succeed him. But, when Aegeus finally realized that Theseus was indeed his son, Medea fled with her son and returned to become ruler of Colchis.
Dionysos the Twice - Born
In the early stories of Dionysus, from the ancient epics, attributed to Homer and Hesiod, Dionysus is the son of the king of the gods, Zeus, and a mortal woman named Semele.
Zeus was married to his sister Hera, who expected her husband to prove faithful.
Time and again, Zeus failed to live up to Hera's expectation. Since she was a goddess, Hera was more powerful than mortal women and used a sort of passive-aggressive pattern of behavior to punish her husband. Hera learned that Zeus had impregnated yet another woman, so Hera tricked the woman into asking Zeus to do something for her that would prove fatal. Zeus was obliged to give Semele whatever she asked for, so when Semele, on Hera's say-so, asked the god to reveal himself in all his glory, Zeus did so, and unintentionally, but unavoidably, destroyed Semele with his lightning bolts.
Before Semele's unborn child could be destroyed by the flames taking his mother, Zeus snatched the fetus and sewed him in his leg. That was Dionysus' first birth. The second came when Dionysus emerged at term from the thigh of Zeus.
Semele is also known as Thyone. Dionysus retrieved her from the Underworld and brought her to Olympus where she was known as Thyone, goddess of inspired frenzy [source: Theoi - Thyone].
Retrieved on Wednesday 03/02/2010 from: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/myths/Ancient_Greek_Myths_and_Legends_The_Stories_of_the_Ancient_Greeks.htm
Monday, January 18, 2010
Greek Legends Discover The Real Story Behind the Greek Legends
Greek Legends
Discover The Real Story Behind the Greek Legends
The true story behind the most famous Greek Legends has at last been rediscovered after a life time of carefull research.
The Trojan war was not waged by Greeks and not caused by the abduction of Helen of Troy which is a popular myth. The real cause was access to tin which was abundant in the Britain, a precious metal which was essential for the production of bronze, a key weapons material of its day, just like the key materials of today such as oil and chemicals.
The dicoveries are supported by a substantial range of evidence including ancient writtings, precise geographic and linguistic evidence as well a vast range of archaeological finds.
The Greek Legends are based on a false assumption that the Trojan War was waged near Hissarlik in Asia Minor over the abduction of Helen of Troy, where NO traces of war are found, which dates back to the eight century BC when the first Greeks settled on Turkey's west coast, nearly 400 years after the Greek Legendary events.
The Greeks did not know that the Trojans who once lived in the Hissarlik area (the legendary Troy) were migrants because the collective memory of this fact was lost during the Dark Ages (1200-750 BC).
From 1180 to 1100 Hissarlik (in Turkey) was indeed inhabited by a non-local people. They were the migrant survivors of the greatest war of prehistory, when Troy on the Gog Magog Hills in Cambridgeshire, England, was destroyed. Here, huge quantities of bronze weapons and other remains of a major war in the late Bronze Age have been found, a small selection of these are on show in local museums.
The great migrations of the second millennium BC brought also Achaeans, Troy's enemies, from regions along the Atlantic coast of the European Continent to the Mediterranean where they caused the collapse of many civilisations.
The name 'Achaeans' means 'Watermen' or 'Sea People' (the Gothic 'acha' for 'water' or 'stream' is cognate with Latin 'aqua'). The Greek historian Herodotus (fifth century BC) confirms that Pelasgians ('Sea Peoples') had settled in Greece long before his time. They founded Athens, renamed places, merged with the local population and adopted their language.
With the Achaeans came their gods and their oral tradition, including the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were both written down in Greek around 750 BC long after the events they depict.
The migrant newcomers engaged in the time-honoured practice of renaming towns, rivers and mountains after familiar places in their former homelands. The transfer of place-names naturally led to the belief over time that the events described in the epics took place in Greece and the Mediterranean and that the Achaeans were Greeks.
In this way, the origin of the Trojans and Achaeans was forgotten and the real story behind Greek Legends, the Iliad and the Odyssey was lost. but now it has all been rediscovered.
For in depth information and about Iman Wilkens life time research and the true story behind Greek Legends please click the More Info button below.
Bibliography
Iman Jacob Wilkens, University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology Cambridge, retrieved on 19 of January 2010 from: http://www.troy-in-england.co.uk/greek-legends/greek-legends.htm
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