Hellenic polytheism, also known as the Ancient Greek religion or "Dodekatheon"-a term that comes from the number twelve, which in Greek is pronounced "dodeka"-has been extensively studied over the centuries as a vital part of the ancient Hellenic times. The Twelve Olympians, residing according to Hellenic mythology in Mount Olympus, encompassed human and divine characteristics that were portrayed in the popular stories of the times. Although Greeks did not have a term for religion back then in the sense of a dimension of existence distinct from all others, they believed that gods exercised authority of the fortunes of human beings and demanded recognition as a condition for salvation.
One distinct characteristic, of the ancient Hellenic beliefs in the "theia" (things having to do with gods), was that there was not a single truth about gods. The twelve main gods, which were Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Ares, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Aphrodite, had been depicted within different contexts and they shared different virtues, depending on the each locality's legends. The vast collection of beliefs and rituals practices in Ancient Greece demonstrated that there was no single way to live in accordance with the gods' wishes. Through the worship of the main deities in temples located all over the Greek peninsula and islands, Greeks used to identify different ways to deal with their gods "commandments." There was no single place that one should or should not worship the god of his or her choice, while practices varied in forms and duration. Games, rituals, theatrical works, festivals, processions, and autonomous religious practices within households were held in honor of the gods. This autonomy in dealing with the "theia" gave Greeks the opportunity to portray their gods' superpowers or human weaknesses and associate their everyday practices or behaviors with those of their gods. This uniquely defined line between divinity and humanity illustrated the ancient Greeks desire to understand the forces of nature and to comprehend, to a certain extend, the world around them.
Conducting some form of sacrifice was the most widespread public act of worship and ancient Greeks usually sacrificed animals to ask for gods' forgiveness or assistance on the subject matter of their interest. For a variety of causes, Greeks tended to visit their temples and request their clergy's feedback on their past or future actions; legendary this feedback came through the priests' ability to communicate with the gods and ask their opinion. Moreover, votive gifts were offered to the gods as a ritual of recognition for their divine interference in their lives. Whether given for benefits already conferred or in anticipation of future favors, gifts and sacrifices were since the ancient Hellenic times the generally accepted practices through which an individual would experience divinity. Up until today, in many religions practiced around the world, votive gifts are kept on public display illustrating the belief of the worshipers and their hope for the desired divine interference in their lives.
Today, the overwhelming majority of modern Greeks are Greek Orthodox, but there is still a minority of the ancient Greek gods' worshipers. Although contemporary Greeks and of course the Greek Orthodox Church generally condemn these type of paganism practices, there is evidence that these ancient rituals still carry a very familiar concept of the old Greek beliefs to the modern religious practices.
Credit By Kadence Buchanan
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Paphos, Cyprus - Top 5 Places to Visit
Top 5 places to visit when staying in Paphos, Cyprus on your off season holidays. A mixture of history and pure leisure pleasure. Places normally too hot and busy to visit in the summer heat open themselves up at these perfect times of the year. Escape the cold of home and enjoy some Paphos sunshine during spring, autumn and winter holidays in Cyprus.
Paphos, Cyprus - Top 5 Places to Visit
1. Tomb of The Kings
Spread over a vast area, these impressive subterranean burial chambers were built in Paphos from 3rd Century BC to the 3rd Century AD. They are carved out of solid rock with some being decorated with Doric pillars. Put on your walking shoes and climbing pants and don't be afraid to get yourself a little dirty at this site. Fun to explore and full of some very atmospheric places.
2. Paphos Mosaics
Cyprus history proclaims Aion as the Greek God of eternity. The house of Aion has an amazing five-paneled mosaic which shows the Greek God in the unenviable position of having to judge what appears to be a beauty contest.
'Unenviable?!', I hear our modern day Gods proclaim. The difference in this beauty contest is that his choice lies between the ordinary and smug looking Queen Cassiopeia and a number of much prettier, but unhappy looking Nereides water nymphs.I'm sure that all of you will be able to guess who the eventual winner is!!
3. Aphrodites Rock
The most awe inspiring piece of coastline to be seen in Cyprus, when the sun is out, and I defy any couple, regardless of how young or old, to not be bewitched by it's spell. Of all ancient Greek myths, the story of Aphrodite's creation will bring water to your eyes, but the story lives on as one of the well known legends surrounding this stunning rock formation.Cronos was begged by his mother Gaia to be released from the embraces of her husband Uranus. In order to assist his mother in her plight, Cronos castrated his father with a sickle and threw his genitals into the sea. The foam gathered around them and the Goddess rose from the sea as a fully grown woman.
4. St George Fishing Harbour
I recommend that you visit this memorable place in Paphos with someone very special to you and a camera. Arrive late afternoon and watch the fishing boats come in with their daily catch. Have a drink or two at the beach side bar but don't stay too long before securing yourself a spot on the harbour wall. Take along the camera or video and make sure you have plenty of film as this is one of those special places to catch the most romantic of sunsets in Cyprus. Enjoy!
5. Sterna Winery
Located on the outskirts of the village of Kathiskas, 15 mins drive from Paphos. Be entertained by the charismatic Cypriot owner who will treat you to free wine tasting and a tour of this very small winery. Do not miss out on their own peach schnapps - powerful enough to blow your head off and must be thrown back in one go. If you make a purchase of their very fine wines you will probably find that a complimentary bottle of schnapps is thrown in. Not recommended to light the Xmas pud with!
Credit By Lynda Burke
Paphos, Cyprus - Top 5 Places to Visit
1. Tomb of The Kings
Spread over a vast area, these impressive subterranean burial chambers were built in Paphos from 3rd Century BC to the 3rd Century AD. They are carved out of solid rock with some being decorated with Doric pillars. Put on your walking shoes and climbing pants and don't be afraid to get yourself a little dirty at this site. Fun to explore and full of some very atmospheric places.
2. Paphos Mosaics
Cyprus history proclaims Aion as the Greek God of eternity. The house of Aion has an amazing five-paneled mosaic which shows the Greek God in the unenviable position of having to judge what appears to be a beauty contest.
'Unenviable?!', I hear our modern day Gods proclaim. The difference in this beauty contest is that his choice lies between the ordinary and smug looking Queen Cassiopeia and a number of much prettier, but unhappy looking Nereides water nymphs.I'm sure that all of you will be able to guess who the eventual winner is!!
3. Aphrodites Rock
The most awe inspiring piece of coastline to be seen in Cyprus, when the sun is out, and I defy any couple, regardless of how young or old, to not be bewitched by it's spell. Of all ancient Greek myths, the story of Aphrodite's creation will bring water to your eyes, but the story lives on as one of the well known legends surrounding this stunning rock formation.Cronos was begged by his mother Gaia to be released from the embraces of her husband Uranus. In order to assist his mother in her plight, Cronos castrated his father with a sickle and threw his genitals into the sea. The foam gathered around them and the Goddess rose from the sea as a fully grown woman.
4. St George Fishing Harbour
I recommend that you visit this memorable place in Paphos with someone very special to you and a camera. Arrive late afternoon and watch the fishing boats come in with their daily catch. Have a drink or two at the beach side bar but don't stay too long before securing yourself a spot on the harbour wall. Take along the camera or video and make sure you have plenty of film as this is one of those special places to catch the most romantic of sunsets in Cyprus. Enjoy!
5. Sterna Winery
Located on the outskirts of the village of Kathiskas, 15 mins drive from Paphos. Be entertained by the charismatic Cypriot owner who will treat you to free wine tasting and a tour of this very small winery. Do not miss out on their own peach schnapps - powerful enough to blow your head off and must be thrown back in one go. If you make a purchase of their very fine wines you will probably find that a complimentary bottle of schnapps is thrown in. Not recommended to light the Xmas pud with!
Credit By Lynda Burke
Friday, 23 January 2009
Ancient Greek Theatre of Dionysus
Looking at the altar now overgrown with weeds in the theatre of Dionysus, one cannot but reflect on how the theatre evolved from a rural troop expressing primitive desires into an expression of the mind. There was a sanctuary of Dionysus on this side of the Acropolis since the time when his cult began to spread.
Pausanias spoke of a Delphic oracle which compelled the reluctant Athenians to accept this foreign god and that it was a zealous priest from Erythres who brought in the first cult statue. Erythres was situated at the point where one crossed from Boeotia into Attica, at the foot of Mt Cithaeron, in present day Kaza. Knowing that the Dionysiac cult reached its peak in Thebes with orgiastic rituals, we can understand the reason why this sacred idol came from there. It is very likely that there was a circular area with an altar situated beside a 6th century temple and used for some early type of performance.
There was also a large round orchestra in the Agora area where, in about 495 BC, during a theatrical contest between Choirilos, Pratinas and Aeschylus, the wooden benches collapsed, killing many spectators. It was then decided to build a more permanent structure. Scholars still disagree about when the theatre of Dionysus was built, because whatever has survived up to our time belongs to various ages. Construction of some kind continued on this site for many centuries. Excavations have shown that the 6th century orchestra was added to an auditorium with lateral retaining walls, which show 5th century construction details. But no trace of permanent seats have been found from that period.
A Doric temple was built in the 4th century to house the gold and ivory statue of Dionysus that Pausanias later saw. The remains of this temple with its magnificent masonry is the first thing we see upon entering the present archaeological site. There was also a wall supporting the earth on the side of the orchestra, which together with the natural slope of the round, created an extended Doric portico near the older archaic temple. In 430 BC, the Athenian orator Lykourgos built the stone seats, saw to the drainage of the rain water and planned the construction of a square building, behind the circular orchestra and higher than it, which had small porticoes near the side entrances: it was the logeio, the first speaking place for the actors.
Later, during the rule of Nero, the stage was raised even higher, and the wall of the logeio was ornamented with statues which can still be seen today. It was then that the orchestra took on its present shape, i.e. 2/3 of the initial circle, with a diameter of almost 20 m, and was paved with marble slabs. Also, during the years of Roman rule, a low stone dividing wall was built over the drainage gutter. Even later, in the 3rd century AD, a certain Phaedros built a new stage, since the theatre was used for various assemblies, as indicated by an inscription on the speaker's podium.
The theatre could hold about 20,000 spectators. In its final form, the lower section had 13 wedge-shaped sections separated by stairways, steps, and 32 rows of seats radiating out around the orchestra. The upper diazoma had another 32 rows of seats, which covered only the centre, since on one side, the Odeion of Pericles abutted onto it and on the other, the natural rock restricted the extent of the auditorium. Later a third section was added, especially for foreigners, increasing the number of rows to a total of 78. Today only 25 of them have been preserved. The material used to build them was Piraeus limestone, with the exception of the 67 officials' thrones in the first row, which were built of white Pentelic marble.
The inscriptions inform us that 45 of these thrones belonged to the elected priests. The others were intended for distinguished citizens, benefactors, local archons, and even orphaned children whose fathers had fallen in war and whom the state wished to honour. Somewhere in the first rows must have been the seats of the critics for the tragedy contests during the Dionysian feasts. During the years of Roman rule, thrones were added for officials of the conquerors, with a special place for the throne of the Hellenist Hadrian in a prominent position.
The most impressive seat was certainly the one bearing the inscription PRIEST OF DIONYSUS ELEFTHERIOS which we can still see facing the altar. This marble throne rests on lion's feet and has bas relief sculpture on its back which depict two strong satyrs carrying an enormous bunch of grapes, the sacred symbol of the god. While all the other seats have a simple rounded line, this one is an imposing throne with arm rests and sculptured decoration of winged human forms. The front of the seat shows griffins and men wearing Eastern dress, perhaps an allusion to the origin of the god.
All this luxury showed how important was the priest of Dionysus Eleutherios who, seated in a place of honour, would watch the performances that constituted a spiritual libation to the god he served. The thrones of the Archon General and the Herald, high officials in the Athenian hierarchy, were right behind the position of the Dionysian priests, stressing the latter's importance even more.
On the side of the stage, construction works were carried out at different epochs owing to the constant changes and use of older materials in subsequent buildings. Archaeologists believe that the stage was built in the first century AD and that the sculptured decoration on the facade of the platform may very possibly have been taken from some other monument on the site and been placed there in some architectural arrangements. These sculptures depict scenes from the myth of Dionysus: a man, perhaps Theseus, and a woman carrying a horn of plenty are welcoming the young god; on the other side Dionysus is shown seated on a luxurious throne similar to that of his priest, while behind him the Parthenon is faintly visible. Most impressive of all is the mature kneeling satyr who, in the position of Atlas, holds the proscenium on his back. When the theatre was excavated, all the sculpted figures on the logeio were covered with a thick layer of plaster which was cleared off in 1862.
The astonished archaeologists realised then that this inexplicable layer was the solution found by some Roman official, with the delicacy of a legionary, to create a closed space in the orchestra which could be filled with water for the representations of naval battles. Apart from this extreme lapse of artistic appreciation, there were also splendid examples of people who contributed to the area, such as the Emperor Hadrian. When Hadrian came to Athens, where he had studied, he gave the order that gladiators' contests be forbidden and such spectacles which had been imposed on the Athenians by his predecessors be banned.
On the east side of the theatre was the Odeion of Pericles, which has yet to be excavated fully. Plutarch mentioned it in his Lives as a large square building with many interior columns supporting the conic wooden roof. This strange edifice was built in the 5th century under the personal supervision of the great Athenian politician and owes its shape to Xerxes' tent which was left behind after the battle of Salamis. In this way Pericles wanted to remind the Athenians of their amazing victory over the Persians and, at the same time, to have a venue for the musical contests held during the Panathenaia which he himself had established. But since the Athenians preferred open spaces for events of all kinds, this odeion came gradually to be used only for try-outs for contests and rehearsals of theatrical works. It was destroyed by fire in the 1st century, when Sulla occupied Athens, but Pausanias reported that it had been rebuilt. Today we can only see part of one side which was hewn out of the rock, occupying part of the upper diazoma of the theatre of Dionysus.
Above Pericles' Odeion and above this upper diazoma of the Theatre of Dionysus, was the Peripatos, a path around the sacred rock and a place for people to spend their leisure time. An inscription carved onto the rocky northeastern surface provides us with information about its name and length. It was about one kilometre long, starting out where the Panathenaic Way ended at the entrance to the Acropolis. It wound past by the Klepsydra spring, the sanctuary of Pan on the north side, the sanctuary of Aphrodite, and the ancient Mycenean stairway which led to another spring. Turning the eastern corner of the rock, the path wended westward above Pericles' odeion and was used for access to the upper tiers in the theatre of Dionysus. It then sloped slightly down toward the sanctuary of Asclepius and then rose again to the foot of the rock, up toward the entrance to the Acropolis. Thus Athenians could walk on either the sunny or shady side of their religious centre.
The most important road in the region was unquestionably Tripodon Street, which started out from the Agora, ended at the Theatre of Dionysus, and was used for festive processions. This broad (6 m. width) and heavily frequented road took its name from the monuments built to house the tripods by which the state honoured sponsors of theatrical performances. Pausanias said that it was not only the monuments that were remarkable, but also the works of art frequently kept inside them. As an example he referred to the Satyr which Praxiteles regarded as one of his best works. It was said that, for her services, the courtesan Phryne had asked the great sculptor to give her whatever work he considered to be his best. But the artist said nothing. Then the clever beauty pretended that the sculptor's workshop had caught fire, and when the frantic Praxiteles exclaimed that if his works the Satyr and Eros burned he would be truly destroyed, everybody realized that he had evaluated his own work. Phryne ultimately chose the statue of Eros for obvious reasons.
Present-day Tripodon Street crosses half the Plaka, whereas the ancient street of the same name is now buried a few metres underground, right below it. The foundations of some new houses, after 1950, revealed the width of the initial street and the pedastals of four choragic monuments, in addition to that which was built in 334 BC to hold on its conic roof the tripod won by the Athenian sponsor Lysikratis. Built in the form of a little cylindrical temple, the most elegant expression of the architecture of the times, this monument has survived through the centuries almost intact. On a heavy square base three m. deep rests a round crepidoma with three steps. On it stands a little marble temple with Corinthian columns three and a half m. high. The architrave is adorned with a narrow frieze of bas-relief sculpture depicting Dionysus' adventures with the pirates. On the dome, there was a triangular Corinthian column which supported the victor's tripod. On the eastern side was the inscription with the name of the sponsor, obviously visible to passers-by.
This marvellous monument has gone through many adventures and name-changes; most Athenians still know it as Diogenes' Lamp. In 1669, it was purchased together with a plot of land by the Capuchin monks who incorporated it into their monastery, first as a chapel and later as a library. That was when it acquired the name Demosthenes' Lamp since its floral crest struck them as resembling the base of a lamp. Demosthenes was just a memory retained by the people. A passing priest testified that it had been the office of Lord Byron, who we know passed through Athens just before the War of Independence broke out in 1821, and that he stayed in the nearby house of the widow Makri. It would appear that this charming structure offered him refuge when he wanted to write poetry, like the lines dedicated to the Fair Maid of Athens. The double name of the monument, Demosthenes and Diogenes, may possibly mean that there was another similar monument in the vicinity, as yet unknown, since the district still conceals many secrets relatively close to the surface of present day roads.
Perhaps the most original of the choragic monuments is that of Thrasyllos of Dekeleia, who won a tripod in the 4th century. Selecting a natural cave right above the theatre of Dionysus, he had the rough rock smoothed down and created an opening about 6 meters wide which he closed with a double- leafed door. On the upper part of the monumental portal, a space was levelled off to receive the honorary tripod. No better place could be found to show off his prize, and for this reason, when Thrasyllos' son Thrasykles, won a choragic award fifty years later, he set his tripod in the same position. Above the cave we can still see other choragic monuments consisting of unfluted columns with triangular Corinthian capitals, built especially to support tripods. This seems to have been was the most popular spot judging from the niches in the rock, perhaps to hold more monuments, and a marble sun dial. The monument of Thrasyllos has come down to us today as a chapel, because the local people dedicated the cave to the Panaghia Chrysospeliotissa (Blessed Virgin of the Golden Cave).
At the foot of the Acropolis, right next to the Theatre of Dionysus, there was another natural cave with a spring from which bubbled forth a small but constant stream of water. In antiquity, this spring was the reason for the site being dedicated to the healing god Asclepius.
In mythologies all over the world, water is regarded as being the principle of life. The Babylonians believed that the universe was created by the union of fresh and salt water and in China the green dragon which brought the waters was the positive male element, Yang. Among the Sumerians, the god of water was called Enki, which means "Master of the Earth" and in Iran the goddess of fertility was Anahita, "the Mistress of the Springs" who is still revered among Zoroastrians. The Aztecs called the god of rain Tlaloc, the terrible, "Flesh of the Earth" whose likeness was found in shrines. Germanic tribes considered the fountain Mimir as the font of all wisdom and Odin, god of war, sacrificed one of his eyes in order to drink of this miraculous water. Among the Indian Bedes, water was regarded as being of dual substance because it destroys by flood and regenerates by growth, but it also heals because it cleanses, washing away whatever is unclean. Equally healing is the water from the spring of Shiloe in the Scriptures.
In antiquity, there were references to purifying baths, in the same way as Saint John later baptized converts. And let us not forget the timeless dream of humans to find the "elixir of life"; the same sources are references to life which rush forth wherever and whenever they want, like uncontrolled mobile presences. The Greeks called springs "nymphs", gave them forms that were fair and fluid like running water, and had them living in damp caves, thus making the very ancient association of water-semen with cave-womb in the creation of life. On the slopes of the Acropolis, there were at least two sanctuaries dedicated to local nymphs, suggesting at the same time also the existence of subterranean rivers. One of these springs was granted to the healing Asclepius when his cult was established in Attica in the 5th century.
Very possibly born a mortal, Asclepius was deified in the classical years in Epidaurus, where the best known of his sanctuaries was located. In myth, he was the son of Apollo, from whom he inherited the ability to heal. His shrines, the Asclepia, were the hospitals of antiquity where human pain received comfort. On the south side of the Acropolis, a natural cave was hollowed out to make a circular area in which patients were bathed before being led to the sleeping room. There at night in their sleep, the god would appear to each one and give them instructions about curing themselves, uttered through the mouths of priest-healers and early psychologists, since the medicine of the times was based primarily on autosuggestion and practical prescriptions. The sleeping room was built in the form of a two-storey portico in front of which there was an open space for a small temple and an altar to the god while other buildings were added later, as the cult gained followers. With the advent of Christianity, the water of the springs was regarded as being blessed, and thus a church of impressive dimensions was soon built on the site of the ancient sanctuaries. Even today the cave is a chapel, and its entrance, with its well-preserved ancient walls, bears witness to the timelessness of hope.
The Asclepeion opened onto the Peripatos which passed right in front of it. In the 2nd century BC, Eumenes, king of Pergamon, built a grand colonnade with 64 Doric columns which started out at the side of the theatre and continued in a westerly direction serving at the same time to support the Peripatos. Very few of the columns in the stoa have been preserved, but the two-storey retaining wall of the Peripatos was preserved fairly well. For the spactators of Dionysian theatre, this meeting place must have been especially popular; thus when Herod Atticus built his own Odeion west of it in the 2nd century AD, he incorporated the Stoa of Eumenes in it as an access to the new building.
Herod Atticus was born in Marathon of a noble family; he was well educated and went on to become a famous orator. Much favoured by the Emperor Hadrian, he was granted significant public offices up to the rank of consul, causing the Athenians to regard him as being the Romans' man. Since he was very rich, Herod was able to offer public buildings to his fellow citizens. In addition to the beautiful villa he built in Kifissia, he remarbled the Athens Stadium on the banks of the Ilissos river and had a bridge constructed over the same river which was still in existence until the end of the 18th century. But his masterpiece was the Odeion, dedicated to his wife Regilla, a work which cost an enormous sum of money owing to the selected materials used to construct it.
The outer three-storey facade of the Odeion was almost thirty metres high, built with carefully quarried large rocks and arched openings which showed that it was the continuation of the older Stoa of Eumenes, thus stressing the natural rock of the Acropolis and the magnificence of the Parthenon at its peak. The interior was in the shape of a smaller Roman theatre, with a stage surrounded by walls on three sides, obviously for acoustic reasons. There were five sections in the lower diazoma and 10 in the upper one, with broad marble benches. The orchestra was confined to a paved semi-circle with steps leading up onto the stage, which had a very luxurious wall construction with openings on two sides and arched decorative niches. But the wonderful thing about this building was that the roof was constructed of cedar wood. The Odeion had a capacity of about 6000 spectators and was in use up to the 3rd century AD, at which time the inhabitants used its building materials for the hasty construction of fortification works. From that time until the last century, its role in the architectural history of the city was insignificant since, because of its position near the ramparts of the Acropolis, it was covered over. A traveller in 1819 mentioned that there were only two sections of seats visible. The Odeion was cleared of earth after the Greek War of Independence and restored both outside and in. After many centuries of abandonment, it has now been turned over to artistic events.
Go through this Athens Guide and learn more about Ancient Greece and Greece in general.
Credit By Stella G
Pausanias spoke of a Delphic oracle which compelled the reluctant Athenians to accept this foreign god and that it was a zealous priest from Erythres who brought in the first cult statue. Erythres was situated at the point where one crossed from Boeotia into Attica, at the foot of Mt Cithaeron, in present day Kaza. Knowing that the Dionysiac cult reached its peak in Thebes with orgiastic rituals, we can understand the reason why this sacred idol came from there. It is very likely that there was a circular area with an altar situated beside a 6th century temple and used for some early type of performance.
There was also a large round orchestra in the Agora area where, in about 495 BC, during a theatrical contest between Choirilos, Pratinas and Aeschylus, the wooden benches collapsed, killing many spectators. It was then decided to build a more permanent structure. Scholars still disagree about when the theatre of Dionysus was built, because whatever has survived up to our time belongs to various ages. Construction of some kind continued on this site for many centuries. Excavations have shown that the 6th century orchestra was added to an auditorium with lateral retaining walls, which show 5th century construction details. But no trace of permanent seats have been found from that period.
A Doric temple was built in the 4th century to house the gold and ivory statue of Dionysus that Pausanias later saw. The remains of this temple with its magnificent masonry is the first thing we see upon entering the present archaeological site. There was also a wall supporting the earth on the side of the orchestra, which together with the natural slope of the round, created an extended Doric portico near the older archaic temple. In 430 BC, the Athenian orator Lykourgos built the stone seats, saw to the drainage of the rain water and planned the construction of a square building, behind the circular orchestra and higher than it, which had small porticoes near the side entrances: it was the logeio, the first speaking place for the actors.
Later, during the rule of Nero, the stage was raised even higher, and the wall of the logeio was ornamented with statues which can still be seen today. It was then that the orchestra took on its present shape, i.e. 2/3 of the initial circle, with a diameter of almost 20 m, and was paved with marble slabs. Also, during the years of Roman rule, a low stone dividing wall was built over the drainage gutter. Even later, in the 3rd century AD, a certain Phaedros built a new stage, since the theatre was used for various assemblies, as indicated by an inscription on the speaker's podium.
The theatre could hold about 20,000 spectators. In its final form, the lower section had 13 wedge-shaped sections separated by stairways, steps, and 32 rows of seats radiating out around the orchestra. The upper diazoma had another 32 rows of seats, which covered only the centre, since on one side, the Odeion of Pericles abutted onto it and on the other, the natural rock restricted the extent of the auditorium. Later a third section was added, especially for foreigners, increasing the number of rows to a total of 78. Today only 25 of them have been preserved. The material used to build them was Piraeus limestone, with the exception of the 67 officials' thrones in the first row, which were built of white Pentelic marble.
The inscriptions inform us that 45 of these thrones belonged to the elected priests. The others were intended for distinguished citizens, benefactors, local archons, and even orphaned children whose fathers had fallen in war and whom the state wished to honour. Somewhere in the first rows must have been the seats of the critics for the tragedy contests during the Dionysian feasts. During the years of Roman rule, thrones were added for officials of the conquerors, with a special place for the throne of the Hellenist Hadrian in a prominent position.
The most impressive seat was certainly the one bearing the inscription PRIEST OF DIONYSUS ELEFTHERIOS which we can still see facing the altar. This marble throne rests on lion's feet and has bas relief sculpture on its back which depict two strong satyrs carrying an enormous bunch of grapes, the sacred symbol of the god. While all the other seats have a simple rounded line, this one is an imposing throne with arm rests and sculptured decoration of winged human forms. The front of the seat shows griffins and men wearing Eastern dress, perhaps an allusion to the origin of the god.
All this luxury showed how important was the priest of Dionysus Eleutherios who, seated in a place of honour, would watch the performances that constituted a spiritual libation to the god he served. The thrones of the Archon General and the Herald, high officials in the Athenian hierarchy, were right behind the position of the Dionysian priests, stressing the latter's importance even more.
On the side of the stage, construction works were carried out at different epochs owing to the constant changes and use of older materials in subsequent buildings. Archaeologists believe that the stage was built in the first century AD and that the sculptured decoration on the facade of the platform may very possibly have been taken from some other monument on the site and been placed there in some architectural arrangements. These sculptures depict scenes from the myth of Dionysus: a man, perhaps Theseus, and a woman carrying a horn of plenty are welcoming the young god; on the other side Dionysus is shown seated on a luxurious throne similar to that of his priest, while behind him the Parthenon is faintly visible. Most impressive of all is the mature kneeling satyr who, in the position of Atlas, holds the proscenium on his back. When the theatre was excavated, all the sculpted figures on the logeio were covered with a thick layer of plaster which was cleared off in 1862.
The astonished archaeologists realised then that this inexplicable layer was the solution found by some Roman official, with the delicacy of a legionary, to create a closed space in the orchestra which could be filled with water for the representations of naval battles. Apart from this extreme lapse of artistic appreciation, there were also splendid examples of people who contributed to the area, such as the Emperor Hadrian. When Hadrian came to Athens, where he had studied, he gave the order that gladiators' contests be forbidden and such spectacles which had been imposed on the Athenians by his predecessors be banned.
On the east side of the theatre was the Odeion of Pericles, which has yet to be excavated fully. Plutarch mentioned it in his Lives as a large square building with many interior columns supporting the conic wooden roof. This strange edifice was built in the 5th century under the personal supervision of the great Athenian politician and owes its shape to Xerxes' tent which was left behind after the battle of Salamis. In this way Pericles wanted to remind the Athenians of their amazing victory over the Persians and, at the same time, to have a venue for the musical contests held during the Panathenaia which he himself had established. But since the Athenians preferred open spaces for events of all kinds, this odeion came gradually to be used only for try-outs for contests and rehearsals of theatrical works. It was destroyed by fire in the 1st century, when Sulla occupied Athens, but Pausanias reported that it had been rebuilt. Today we can only see part of one side which was hewn out of the rock, occupying part of the upper diazoma of the theatre of Dionysus.
Above Pericles' Odeion and above this upper diazoma of the Theatre of Dionysus, was the Peripatos, a path around the sacred rock and a place for people to spend their leisure time. An inscription carved onto the rocky northeastern surface provides us with information about its name and length. It was about one kilometre long, starting out where the Panathenaic Way ended at the entrance to the Acropolis. It wound past by the Klepsydra spring, the sanctuary of Pan on the north side, the sanctuary of Aphrodite, and the ancient Mycenean stairway which led to another spring. Turning the eastern corner of the rock, the path wended westward above Pericles' odeion and was used for access to the upper tiers in the theatre of Dionysus. It then sloped slightly down toward the sanctuary of Asclepius and then rose again to the foot of the rock, up toward the entrance to the Acropolis. Thus Athenians could walk on either the sunny or shady side of their religious centre.
The most important road in the region was unquestionably Tripodon Street, which started out from the Agora, ended at the Theatre of Dionysus, and was used for festive processions. This broad (6 m. width) and heavily frequented road took its name from the monuments built to house the tripods by which the state honoured sponsors of theatrical performances. Pausanias said that it was not only the monuments that were remarkable, but also the works of art frequently kept inside them. As an example he referred to the Satyr which Praxiteles regarded as one of his best works. It was said that, for her services, the courtesan Phryne had asked the great sculptor to give her whatever work he considered to be his best. But the artist said nothing. Then the clever beauty pretended that the sculptor's workshop had caught fire, and when the frantic Praxiteles exclaimed that if his works the Satyr and Eros burned he would be truly destroyed, everybody realized that he had evaluated his own work. Phryne ultimately chose the statue of Eros for obvious reasons.
Present-day Tripodon Street crosses half the Plaka, whereas the ancient street of the same name is now buried a few metres underground, right below it. The foundations of some new houses, after 1950, revealed the width of the initial street and the pedastals of four choragic monuments, in addition to that which was built in 334 BC to hold on its conic roof the tripod won by the Athenian sponsor Lysikratis. Built in the form of a little cylindrical temple, the most elegant expression of the architecture of the times, this monument has survived through the centuries almost intact. On a heavy square base three m. deep rests a round crepidoma with three steps. On it stands a little marble temple with Corinthian columns three and a half m. high. The architrave is adorned with a narrow frieze of bas-relief sculpture depicting Dionysus' adventures with the pirates. On the dome, there was a triangular Corinthian column which supported the victor's tripod. On the eastern side was the inscription with the name of the sponsor, obviously visible to passers-by.
This marvellous monument has gone through many adventures and name-changes; most Athenians still know it as Diogenes' Lamp. In 1669, it was purchased together with a plot of land by the Capuchin monks who incorporated it into their monastery, first as a chapel and later as a library. That was when it acquired the name Demosthenes' Lamp since its floral crest struck them as resembling the base of a lamp. Demosthenes was just a memory retained by the people. A passing priest testified that it had been the office of Lord Byron, who we know passed through Athens just before the War of Independence broke out in 1821, and that he stayed in the nearby house of the widow Makri. It would appear that this charming structure offered him refuge when he wanted to write poetry, like the lines dedicated to the Fair Maid of Athens. The double name of the monument, Demosthenes and Diogenes, may possibly mean that there was another similar monument in the vicinity, as yet unknown, since the district still conceals many secrets relatively close to the surface of present day roads.
Perhaps the most original of the choragic monuments is that of Thrasyllos of Dekeleia, who won a tripod in the 4th century. Selecting a natural cave right above the theatre of Dionysus, he had the rough rock smoothed down and created an opening about 6 meters wide which he closed with a double- leafed door. On the upper part of the monumental portal, a space was levelled off to receive the honorary tripod. No better place could be found to show off his prize, and for this reason, when Thrasyllos' son Thrasykles, won a choragic award fifty years later, he set his tripod in the same position. Above the cave we can still see other choragic monuments consisting of unfluted columns with triangular Corinthian capitals, built especially to support tripods. This seems to have been was the most popular spot judging from the niches in the rock, perhaps to hold more monuments, and a marble sun dial. The monument of Thrasyllos has come down to us today as a chapel, because the local people dedicated the cave to the Panaghia Chrysospeliotissa (Blessed Virgin of the Golden Cave).
At the foot of the Acropolis, right next to the Theatre of Dionysus, there was another natural cave with a spring from which bubbled forth a small but constant stream of water. In antiquity, this spring was the reason for the site being dedicated to the healing god Asclepius.
In mythologies all over the world, water is regarded as being the principle of life. The Babylonians believed that the universe was created by the union of fresh and salt water and in China the green dragon which brought the waters was the positive male element, Yang. Among the Sumerians, the god of water was called Enki, which means "Master of the Earth" and in Iran the goddess of fertility was Anahita, "the Mistress of the Springs" who is still revered among Zoroastrians. The Aztecs called the god of rain Tlaloc, the terrible, "Flesh of the Earth" whose likeness was found in shrines. Germanic tribes considered the fountain Mimir as the font of all wisdom and Odin, god of war, sacrificed one of his eyes in order to drink of this miraculous water. Among the Indian Bedes, water was regarded as being of dual substance because it destroys by flood and regenerates by growth, but it also heals because it cleanses, washing away whatever is unclean. Equally healing is the water from the spring of Shiloe in the Scriptures.
In antiquity, there were references to purifying baths, in the same way as Saint John later baptized converts. And let us not forget the timeless dream of humans to find the "elixir of life"; the same sources are references to life which rush forth wherever and whenever they want, like uncontrolled mobile presences. The Greeks called springs "nymphs", gave them forms that were fair and fluid like running water, and had them living in damp caves, thus making the very ancient association of water-semen with cave-womb in the creation of life. On the slopes of the Acropolis, there were at least two sanctuaries dedicated to local nymphs, suggesting at the same time also the existence of subterranean rivers. One of these springs was granted to the healing Asclepius when his cult was established in Attica in the 5th century.
Very possibly born a mortal, Asclepius was deified in the classical years in Epidaurus, where the best known of his sanctuaries was located. In myth, he was the son of Apollo, from whom he inherited the ability to heal. His shrines, the Asclepia, were the hospitals of antiquity where human pain received comfort. On the south side of the Acropolis, a natural cave was hollowed out to make a circular area in which patients were bathed before being led to the sleeping room. There at night in their sleep, the god would appear to each one and give them instructions about curing themselves, uttered through the mouths of priest-healers and early psychologists, since the medicine of the times was based primarily on autosuggestion and practical prescriptions. The sleeping room was built in the form of a two-storey portico in front of which there was an open space for a small temple and an altar to the god while other buildings were added later, as the cult gained followers. With the advent of Christianity, the water of the springs was regarded as being blessed, and thus a church of impressive dimensions was soon built on the site of the ancient sanctuaries. Even today the cave is a chapel, and its entrance, with its well-preserved ancient walls, bears witness to the timelessness of hope.
The Asclepeion opened onto the Peripatos which passed right in front of it. In the 2nd century BC, Eumenes, king of Pergamon, built a grand colonnade with 64 Doric columns which started out at the side of the theatre and continued in a westerly direction serving at the same time to support the Peripatos. Very few of the columns in the stoa have been preserved, but the two-storey retaining wall of the Peripatos was preserved fairly well. For the spactators of Dionysian theatre, this meeting place must have been especially popular; thus when Herod Atticus built his own Odeion west of it in the 2nd century AD, he incorporated the Stoa of Eumenes in it as an access to the new building.
Herod Atticus was born in Marathon of a noble family; he was well educated and went on to become a famous orator. Much favoured by the Emperor Hadrian, he was granted significant public offices up to the rank of consul, causing the Athenians to regard him as being the Romans' man. Since he was very rich, Herod was able to offer public buildings to his fellow citizens. In addition to the beautiful villa he built in Kifissia, he remarbled the Athens Stadium on the banks of the Ilissos river and had a bridge constructed over the same river which was still in existence until the end of the 18th century. But his masterpiece was the Odeion, dedicated to his wife Regilla, a work which cost an enormous sum of money owing to the selected materials used to construct it.
The outer three-storey facade of the Odeion was almost thirty metres high, built with carefully quarried large rocks and arched openings which showed that it was the continuation of the older Stoa of Eumenes, thus stressing the natural rock of the Acropolis and the magnificence of the Parthenon at its peak. The interior was in the shape of a smaller Roman theatre, with a stage surrounded by walls on three sides, obviously for acoustic reasons. There were five sections in the lower diazoma and 10 in the upper one, with broad marble benches. The orchestra was confined to a paved semi-circle with steps leading up onto the stage, which had a very luxurious wall construction with openings on two sides and arched decorative niches. But the wonderful thing about this building was that the roof was constructed of cedar wood. The Odeion had a capacity of about 6000 spectators and was in use up to the 3rd century AD, at which time the inhabitants used its building materials for the hasty construction of fortification works. From that time until the last century, its role in the architectural history of the city was insignificant since, because of its position near the ramparts of the Acropolis, it was covered over. A traveller in 1819 mentioned that there were only two sections of seats visible. The Odeion was cleared of earth after the Greek War of Independence and restored both outside and in. After many centuries of abandonment, it has now been turned over to artistic events.
Go through this Athens Guide and learn more about Ancient Greece and Greece in general.
Credit By Stella G
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Greek Island Carnival - Skyros
The most famous of the traditional Carnival celebrations is held on the island of Skyros. By far the most important and striking of the Carnival figures which make their appearance there is the yeros, or "old man".
The costume of the yeros is very elaborate. Basically it is the traditional dress of an island shepherd: wooden clogs, the black woolen shepherds' jacket with a hood, with the inside, or furry side, out; long, white, baggy, woolen trousers; white leggings fastened with black garters, and laced shepherds' sandals. However, under his jacket at the back the yeros stuffs a pillow, to provide the appearance of a hump. His belt is joined at the front by means of a handkerchief.
Over his face, the yeros wears a mask with two eyeholes cut into it, made from the skin of a kid, either one still-born, or too weak to survive. The skin is tied by its back legs behind the wearer's head, and the head of the animal dangles over his face and chest. Holes are cut for the eyes, but not for the nose or mouth. Since the skins are likely to have a very strong smell, they are frequently sprinkled with ouzo.
Long white goats-hair ropes, knotted at the back are crossed over the shoulders. Hanging from these are the goat bells. These are of three distinct types, each of which has its own range of sounds. Although each bell is unique, a shepherd could recognise his goats individually by the sound of the bells they wore, and it is said that out of the cacophony made by a herd on the move, he could detect a single missing bell. The hooped wooden collars of the bells are threaded onto the ropes and fastened with looped knots at a suitable distance from each other. These are placed in two series, with the larger at the back. The arrangement of the bells is made very carefully with two considerations in mind. The first is that they will not injure the wearer as they swing, and the second is determined by the different sounds produced by different arrangements of bells.
If the wearer is strong, he may carry as many as seventy or eighty bells, depending upon his strength and stamina; although thirty to forty, perhaps weighing forty or fifty kilos, is more usual. To steady himself, and also to tease and provoke onlookers, he carries a shepherd's crook. Freshly cut wild flowers decorating the hood, breast and crook complete his remarkable outfit.
Not surprisingly, it is very difficult to move at all in this strange costume, and the first few steps he takes will determine whether or not he will have to be completely redressed. Traditionally, six "gaits" are recognised, by which the yeros makes his way about the town. Some seem to be designed to allow for mobility, and others to help him create the greatest possible cacophony with his bells. Thus a yeros will occasionally stop, either alone or in a group, stand with his legs firmly planted apart, and his staff stuck in the ground in front to steady him. He then bends over backwards and forwards from the waist, while at the same time shaking his shoulders. The result is an incredible din.
The bells on the yeros are like a local dance. Can everyone dance well? The yeros must be a ... craftsman or expert, his steps must be ... jumpy or springy; he must calculate in order to make the sound ... have the right beat, and to ... thunder or boom correctly... Exceptional yeri are famous across the island. One such, yeri were supposed to be anonymous, the occasion frequently would be taken to settle old scores over stolen animals, or animals thought to have been stolen, pasture rights, the disputed results of card games, and women. The most deadly insult which could be offered to a yeros was to cut the ropes holding his bells. Outbreaks of fighting, sometimes between large crowds of yeroi and their supporters, were a common occurrence.
During the twentieth century the atmosphere mellowed. With the decline of shepherding and large-scale emigration from the island, there are fewer yeroi. Such is the strength and stamina required to be a yeros, it had already long been the practice for strong men to adopt the role, whatever their occupation, and to borrow the bells of shepherds unable to act as yeroi themselves. Hundreds of yeroi would once appear in town on the last two Sundays of Apokreas, whereas now they are numbered only in tens. Yet every year men still return to their home island from Athens to take part in these festivities. But, as Joy Coulentianou points out, these townsmen are neither so rude, nor so tough, as their ancestors.
Today the ubiquitous plastic masks are also worn by revellers, and the children dress up in fancy dress, as elsewhere in Greece. The younger boys, aspiring yeroi, walk the streets with goat bells tied around their waists. Women today sometimes take the part of the korella, or even, occasionally, as a yeros.
A curious and singularly unconvincing story is told by the islanders to explain the strange appearance of the "goat dancers". It is said that many years go there was a particularly cold winter, and snow lay thick on the ground for several weeks. When a goatherd went out to retrieve his animals following the thaw, he found every one of them dead. Afterwards he entered the town, accompanied by his raggedly-dressed wife, with all his valuable sheep and goat bells tied around his waist. On that day during the next year, someone re-enacted the scene, and the practice grew in popularity.
Clearly however, the goat-dancers of Skyros are a local version of the carnival figures found throughout the north. In any case, there are many tantalising traces of a close connection between this rite and the cult of Dionysos. In ancient times, the goats of Skyros were proverbial for their productivity, being lauded for it in the odes of Pindar, so that a particularly productive person was known as a "Skyros goat". King Aegeus, from whom the Aegean took its name, (the name is said to mean 'goatish',) was believed to have thrown himself to his death into the sea which took his name from the cliffs of Cape Sounion. His son Theseus, was believed to have suffered a similar, but involuntary, fate on Skyros, by being pushed by a treacherous host, from a cliff.
The goat was the animal most commonly associated with Dionysos, who is frequently depicted in art with satyrs, or goatmen, as his attendants. According to myth, the god was disguised in infancy as a kid and nurtured by nymphs to escape from the wrath of Hera, and reared in disguise as a girl. In a similar manner, Achilles was sent by his mother, Thetis, to Skyros, to be brought up as a girl, in a vain attempt to prevent him from going off to his doom in the Trojan war. The korella shows that cross-dressing plays an important role in the Skyrian carnival. Although part of the general pattern observed across northern Greece, this is evidence of an ancient cult of Dionysos as a goat-god on Skyros, traces of the ritual of which have survived until today.
Skyros is one of the most beautiful Greek Islands worth visiting for many reasons including its wonderful Beaches.
Credit By Vanilla Hofmann
The costume of the yeros is very elaborate. Basically it is the traditional dress of an island shepherd: wooden clogs, the black woolen shepherds' jacket with a hood, with the inside, or furry side, out; long, white, baggy, woolen trousers; white leggings fastened with black garters, and laced shepherds' sandals. However, under his jacket at the back the yeros stuffs a pillow, to provide the appearance of a hump. His belt is joined at the front by means of a handkerchief.
Over his face, the yeros wears a mask with two eyeholes cut into it, made from the skin of a kid, either one still-born, or too weak to survive. The skin is tied by its back legs behind the wearer's head, and the head of the animal dangles over his face and chest. Holes are cut for the eyes, but not for the nose or mouth. Since the skins are likely to have a very strong smell, they are frequently sprinkled with ouzo.
Long white goats-hair ropes, knotted at the back are crossed over the shoulders. Hanging from these are the goat bells. These are of three distinct types, each of which has its own range of sounds. Although each bell is unique, a shepherd could recognise his goats individually by the sound of the bells they wore, and it is said that out of the cacophony made by a herd on the move, he could detect a single missing bell. The hooped wooden collars of the bells are threaded onto the ropes and fastened with looped knots at a suitable distance from each other. These are placed in two series, with the larger at the back. The arrangement of the bells is made very carefully with two considerations in mind. The first is that they will not injure the wearer as they swing, and the second is determined by the different sounds produced by different arrangements of bells.
If the wearer is strong, he may carry as many as seventy or eighty bells, depending upon his strength and stamina; although thirty to forty, perhaps weighing forty or fifty kilos, is more usual. To steady himself, and also to tease and provoke onlookers, he carries a shepherd's crook. Freshly cut wild flowers decorating the hood, breast and crook complete his remarkable outfit.
Not surprisingly, it is very difficult to move at all in this strange costume, and the first few steps he takes will determine whether or not he will have to be completely redressed. Traditionally, six "gaits" are recognised, by which the yeros makes his way about the town. Some seem to be designed to allow for mobility, and others to help him create the greatest possible cacophony with his bells. Thus a yeros will occasionally stop, either alone or in a group, stand with his legs firmly planted apart, and his staff stuck in the ground in front to steady him. He then bends over backwards and forwards from the waist, while at the same time shaking his shoulders. The result is an incredible din.
The bells on the yeros are like a local dance. Can everyone dance well? The yeros must be a ... craftsman or expert, his steps must be ... jumpy or springy; he must calculate in order to make the sound ... have the right beat, and to ... thunder or boom correctly... Exceptional yeri are famous across the island. One such, yeri were supposed to be anonymous, the occasion frequently would be taken to settle old scores over stolen animals, or animals thought to have been stolen, pasture rights, the disputed results of card games, and women. The most deadly insult which could be offered to a yeros was to cut the ropes holding his bells. Outbreaks of fighting, sometimes between large crowds of yeroi and their supporters, were a common occurrence.
During the twentieth century the atmosphere mellowed. With the decline of shepherding and large-scale emigration from the island, there are fewer yeroi. Such is the strength and stamina required to be a yeros, it had already long been the practice for strong men to adopt the role, whatever their occupation, and to borrow the bells of shepherds unable to act as yeroi themselves. Hundreds of yeroi would once appear in town on the last two Sundays of Apokreas, whereas now they are numbered only in tens. Yet every year men still return to their home island from Athens to take part in these festivities. But, as Joy Coulentianou points out, these townsmen are neither so rude, nor so tough, as their ancestors.
Today the ubiquitous plastic masks are also worn by revellers, and the children dress up in fancy dress, as elsewhere in Greece. The younger boys, aspiring yeroi, walk the streets with goat bells tied around their waists. Women today sometimes take the part of the korella, or even, occasionally, as a yeros.
A curious and singularly unconvincing story is told by the islanders to explain the strange appearance of the "goat dancers". It is said that many years go there was a particularly cold winter, and snow lay thick on the ground for several weeks. When a goatherd went out to retrieve his animals following the thaw, he found every one of them dead. Afterwards he entered the town, accompanied by his raggedly-dressed wife, with all his valuable sheep and goat bells tied around his waist. On that day during the next year, someone re-enacted the scene, and the practice grew in popularity.
Clearly however, the goat-dancers of Skyros are a local version of the carnival figures found throughout the north. In any case, there are many tantalising traces of a close connection between this rite and the cult of Dionysos. In ancient times, the goats of Skyros were proverbial for their productivity, being lauded for it in the odes of Pindar, so that a particularly productive person was known as a "Skyros goat". King Aegeus, from whom the Aegean took its name, (the name is said to mean 'goatish',) was believed to have thrown himself to his death into the sea which took his name from the cliffs of Cape Sounion. His son Theseus, was believed to have suffered a similar, but involuntary, fate on Skyros, by being pushed by a treacherous host, from a cliff.
The goat was the animal most commonly associated with Dionysos, who is frequently depicted in art with satyrs, or goatmen, as his attendants. According to myth, the god was disguised in infancy as a kid and nurtured by nymphs to escape from the wrath of Hera, and reared in disguise as a girl. In a similar manner, Achilles was sent by his mother, Thetis, to Skyros, to be brought up as a girl, in a vain attempt to prevent him from going off to his doom in the Trojan war. The korella shows that cross-dressing plays an important role in the Skyrian carnival. Although part of the general pattern observed across northern Greece, this is evidence of an ancient cult of Dionysos as a goat-god on Skyros, traces of the ritual of which have survived until today.
Skyros is one of the most beautiful Greek Islands worth visiting for many reasons including its wonderful Beaches.
Credit By Vanilla Hofmann
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Numerology - Myth - Mystery - And Meaning
Numerology. What is it and, what is it for? Does it communicate the time, a person's personation or...is it just a unoffending psychogenic spirited specified as crossword puzzles and anagrams? Though you instrument feat more aggregation, most of which disagrees on pupil aspects of the art, you will gestate that Numerology lacks plausible, exact message regarding its record and its implicit philosophy.
Perhaps this is as it should be, after all, the inception of Numerology is shrouded in enigma and this exclusive adds to its allure. The word itself is calculable from the Human 'numerus' and the Hellenic 'logos' which usurped unitedly colligate: the thoughtfulness of company. It is oftentimes said that the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras is the 'ascendant of numerology', citing his maxim: "The group is stacked upon the knowledge of numbers". While Philosopher did discern that philharmonic intervals can be verbalized in ratios of the book 1, 2, 3, and 4, contrive an 8-string lyre, create us his famous theorem concerning triangles, and thatch that events could be predicted and sounded in rhythmic cycles, there is no see that he actually experienced anything equivalent our moderne system of Numerology.
In statesman synchronous present it was L. Dow Balliett who popularized the thought of fibre city and forecasting finished numeric status in a symbol of books during the precocious 1900's. The disposition continuing with works by Julia Seton, Florence Campbell, Juno Jordan, Saint Goodwin, and countless others, time the psychiatrist Carl Psychologist yet became positive that merchandise was the key to unlocking the relation between the somatogenetic and the noetic.
As for its actual theory, again this is an region in which you may attain short link. One of the most prevalent theories is that Numerology is a muse of cycles and patterns, that it is mathematical in nature. Another puts forth the notion that it is actually the take of vibrations. Yet one statesman theory says that the numbers state intrinsical states of cognisance. Depending upon the turn disc the different 'systems' support other results which produce a telling to the inexplicit and unspoken assumptions. Occultist Numerology, for lesson, is ofttimes said to be writer 'sacred' than Philosopher Numerology, which is much general. Gematria and Theomatics are ofttimes content to be solon 'recondite' and relate much directly to inmost states of design to you is to attack Numerology as a cogitate in associatory cerebration and, as a puppet to outdo the misuse of collinear cerebration in overmuch the equal way that a allegory or zen koan does.
Numerology is essentially a contemplative way, it faculty request to whatsoever while others will be statesman attracted to separate sibylline systems. It can and does create muscular insights but, it is not sapient to attain experience decisions solely upon its whims. It's not wise to hit field decisions based only upon one author of content in chief! If you were diagnosed with an malady you would get a support judgement wouldn't you?
Exclusive consistent exercise and reflection present allot you to bod up the requisite embody of observations to travel to your own conclusions on the case. Until then, change and enjoy your travelling. And resource an unstoppered obey.
Perhaps this is as it should be, after all, the inception of Numerology is shrouded in enigma and this exclusive adds to its allure. The word itself is calculable from the Human 'numerus' and the Hellenic 'logos' which usurped unitedly colligate: the thoughtfulness of company. It is oftentimes said that the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras is the 'ascendant of numerology', citing his maxim: "The group is stacked upon the knowledge of numbers". While Philosopher did discern that philharmonic intervals can be verbalized in ratios of the book 1, 2, 3, and 4, contrive an 8-string lyre, create us his famous theorem concerning triangles, and thatch that events could be predicted and sounded in rhythmic cycles, there is no see that he actually experienced anything equivalent our moderne system of Numerology.
In statesman synchronous present it was L. Dow Balliett who popularized the thought of fibre city and forecasting finished numeric status in a symbol of books during the precocious 1900's. The disposition continuing with works by Julia Seton, Florence Campbell, Juno Jordan, Saint Goodwin, and countless others, time the psychiatrist Carl Psychologist yet became positive that merchandise was the key to unlocking the relation between the somatogenetic and the noetic.
As for its actual theory, again this is an region in which you may attain short link. One of the most prevalent theories is that Numerology is a muse of cycles and patterns, that it is mathematical in nature. Another puts forth the notion that it is actually the take of vibrations. Yet one statesman theory says that the numbers state intrinsical states of cognisance. Depending upon the turn disc the different 'systems' support other results which produce a telling to the inexplicit and unspoken assumptions. Occultist Numerology, for lesson, is ofttimes said to be writer 'sacred' than Philosopher Numerology, which is much general. Gematria and Theomatics are ofttimes content to be solon 'recondite' and relate much directly to inmost states of design to you is to attack Numerology as a cogitate in associatory cerebration and, as a puppet to outdo the misuse of collinear cerebration in overmuch the equal way that a allegory or zen koan does.
Numerology is essentially a contemplative way, it faculty request to whatsoever while others will be statesman attracted to separate sibylline systems. It can and does create muscular insights but, it is not sapient to attain experience decisions solely upon its whims. It's not wise to hit field decisions based only upon one author of content in chief! If you were diagnosed with an malady you would get a support judgement wouldn't you?
Exclusive consistent exercise and reflection present allot you to bod up the requisite embody of observations to travel to your own conclusions on the case. Until then, change and enjoy your travelling. And resource an unstoppered obey.
Hades - The Greek Deity
In practically every institution practiced throughout second there is the idea of favourable and wrong. In the housing of Hades, the underworld was his environment but was he the incarnation of satanic?
Hades - The Grecian Immortal
Hades is an serious term in umpteen cultures. Divagation from state the institute of Hades, the Hellenic diety of the underworld, it is also a cant supposition to the underworld itself. Christians love adapted the statement "Hades" to link a item, such as part, where souls that love fallen from beneficence inhabit. While in Ellas, Hades originally right meant the call of the diety, eventually, the word "Haidou" (the Refuge of Hades) was abridged to Hades as healthy, so the repute in Grecian literally agency "undetected", and it is said that Hades was hatched of two of the Titans, Chronos and Nandu. Hades had tercet older sisters, Hestia, Demeter and Hera; he also had two brothers, Poseidon and Zeus. Zeus was the only of his siblings to be born outright, and he caused his ascendant, Chronos, to disgorge the breathe of his siblings (he had swallowed them at nascence). Together with alliance, the six children started the Titanomachy, a war between them and the Titans, in which the Titans wasted.
When apiece of the new deities took their approximate among the Mate Olympus pantheon, Hades became the someone of the underworld. He chose a interact, Persephone, and managed to get her to order with him finished chicane. Tho' Hades was oftentimes hard and sapient, he was not truly the bad personage few made him out to be in later works. Instead, Hades was oftentimes just voice, and regularize in any instances steadying to others.
Hades was not only the mortal of the underworld, but of the stillborn themselves. He held orbit over all the human souls, and exploited demons to supply him to keep request. Hades became really umbrageous whenever a psyche low his rein proved to change the underworld, and kept a sealed reign on his subjects. Really few mortals were able to overtake in and out of Hades' domain, and those who did were all considered heroes. Heracles, Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, Theseus and Spirit were the only ones who managed to overcome a bloomer through the underworld.
While generally seen as corruptive or horrifying, Hades was truly more of a way for ancient Greeks to arrive to cost with their ideas of death and lifetime. Hades ruled over the Paradisiac Comic (similar to Heaven) as vessel as Tartarus (Mischievousness), so he was not real as analogous to the Religion demon as some would pee his illustration out to be. Instead, he represented a continuation of the feeling after the embody died.
Credit By Richard Monk
Hades - The Grecian Immortal
Hades is an serious term in umpteen cultures. Divagation from state the institute of Hades, the Hellenic diety of the underworld, it is also a cant supposition to the underworld itself. Christians love adapted the statement "Hades" to link a item, such as part, where souls that love fallen from beneficence inhabit. While in Ellas, Hades originally right meant the call of the diety, eventually, the word "Haidou" (the Refuge of Hades) was abridged to Hades as healthy, so the repute in Grecian literally agency "undetected", and it is said that Hades was hatched of two of the Titans, Chronos and Nandu. Hades had tercet older sisters, Hestia, Demeter and Hera; he also had two brothers, Poseidon and Zeus. Zeus was the only of his siblings to be born outright, and he caused his ascendant, Chronos, to disgorge the breathe of his siblings (he had swallowed them at nascence). Together with alliance, the six children started the Titanomachy, a war between them and the Titans, in which the Titans wasted.
When apiece of the new deities took their approximate among the Mate Olympus pantheon, Hades became the someone of the underworld. He chose a interact, Persephone, and managed to get her to order with him finished chicane. Tho' Hades was oftentimes hard and sapient, he was not truly the bad personage few made him out to be in later works. Instead, Hades was oftentimes just voice, and regularize in any instances steadying to others.
Hades was not only the mortal of the underworld, but of the stillborn themselves. He held orbit over all the human souls, and exploited demons to supply him to keep request. Hades became really umbrageous whenever a psyche low his rein proved to change the underworld, and kept a sealed reign on his subjects. Really few mortals were able to overtake in and out of Hades' domain, and those who did were all considered heroes. Heracles, Odysseus, Aeneas, Orpheus, Theseus and Spirit were the only ones who managed to overcome a bloomer through the underworld.
While generally seen as corruptive or horrifying, Hades was truly more of a way for ancient Greeks to arrive to cost with their ideas of death and lifetime. Hades ruled over the Paradisiac Comic (similar to Heaven) as vessel as Tartarus (Mischievousness), so he was not real as analogous to the Religion demon as some would pee his illustration out to be. Instead, he represented a continuation of the feeling after the embody died.
Credit By Richard Monk
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Hera - Greek Deity
Hera was a Grecian divinity of a divergent sort, one that displayed the tendency of the ancient Greeks to feature a interfaith integer for everything they deemed noteworthy.
Hera - Grecian Deity
While some of the most primary deities throughout record someone been somebody, a superior few females have risen to the maximal levels of establishment. In ancient Empire, Isis and Set were worshiped by more people, and seen as beingness regularize author entire to their lives than predestinate human figures. This was also rightful in ancient Greece. Whatever of the most heavy deities in this pantheon were goddesses, and Hera, spouse of Zeus, was one of them.
Here was both the sr. missy and mate of the most fundamental divinity in European nowadays, Zeus. She was oft delineate as existence omniscient and solemn with a enormous award renowned as polos. In any cases, Hera was also seen holding a pomegranate, utilized as a symbolization of murder -- representing both rate and end. Her religion cities -- the places she was most ofttimes worshiped in -- were Argos and City. Here's Popish twin was known as Juno.
The tale of Hera goes further wager than regularise the stories of Zeus; as she was said to be his senior sis. Her analyse is not traceable to any Greek roots, kinda, it is hypothesized that her proximity in the region dates substantiate to anonymous pre-Greek people, conjointly called the Pelasgians. Patch both writers, much as Bingle, support of Here's power as state tense from her wedding to the "mogul of gods", others were symmetric fewer kindhearted to her. Later myths about Here seem to mostly sharpen on her ira at Zeus's many consorts, and the construction she plotted retaliate against these women.
Here is also related with cattle. Masks created from copper skulls that were weathered during ceremonies to fete Hera bed been open. Afterward Greeks unloved the association, yet, preferring to not imagine of her as a cow-faced soul, and instead, chose to verbalise of her as "cow-eyed".
Here's powers were mostly cumulous on punishing others that angry her, and she was not noted for being especially eleemosynary. She tried kill (and succeeded) umpteen of her partner's result by other consorts. Not a traditional Vegetable Overprotect figure, Here was described as malicious and overjealous.
Richard Monk is with Facts Religious - a tract with facts roughly Greece.
credits By Richard Monk
Hera - Grecian Deity
While some of the most primary deities throughout record someone been somebody, a superior few females have risen to the maximal levels of establishment. In ancient Empire, Isis and Set were worshiped by more people, and seen as beingness regularize author entire to their lives than predestinate human figures. This was also rightful in ancient Greece. Whatever of the most heavy deities in this pantheon were goddesses, and Hera, spouse of Zeus, was one of them.
Here was both the sr. missy and mate of the most fundamental divinity in European nowadays, Zeus. She was oft delineate as existence omniscient and solemn with a enormous award renowned as polos. In any cases, Hera was also seen holding a pomegranate, utilized as a symbolization of murder -- representing both rate and end. Her religion cities -- the places she was most ofttimes worshiped in -- were Argos and City. Here's Popish twin was known as Juno.
The tale of Hera goes further wager than regularise the stories of Zeus; as she was said to be his senior sis. Her analyse is not traceable to any Greek roots, kinda, it is hypothesized that her proximity in the region dates substantiate to anonymous pre-Greek people, conjointly called the Pelasgians. Patch both writers, much as Bingle, support of Here's power as state tense from her wedding to the "mogul of gods", others were symmetric fewer kindhearted to her. Later myths about Here seem to mostly sharpen on her ira at Zeus's many consorts, and the construction she plotted retaliate against these women.
Here is also related with cattle. Masks created from copper skulls that were weathered during ceremonies to fete Hera bed been open. Afterward Greeks unloved the association, yet, preferring to not imagine of her as a cow-faced soul, and instead, chose to verbalise of her as "cow-eyed".
Here's powers were mostly cumulous on punishing others that angry her, and she was not noted for being especially eleemosynary. She tried kill (and succeeded) umpteen of her partner's result by other consorts. Not a traditional Vegetable Overprotect figure, Here was described as malicious and overjealous.
Richard Monk is with Facts Religious - a tract with facts roughly Greece.
credits By Richard Monk
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