March 25 is Greek Independence Day. The day Greece set into motion the revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821. One of my heroes of the Greek Revolution was Laskarina Bouboulina (google her- she was INCREDIBLE).
To all my fellow Greek compatriots – Χρόνια Πολλά! Ζήτω η Ελλάδα!
Wish I was back in the land of my birth for this day.
The Greek National Anthem – The Hymn to Liberty is so stirring (and I took a line from the long version anthem for my first novel “In the Blood of the Greeks” from Rudyard Kipling’s translated edition into English.) – See below the video for Kipling’s translated version.
Hymn of Liberty / Hymn to Freedom
Translated by Rudyard Kipling (1918)
We knew thee of old,
Oh divinely restored,
By the light of thine eyes
And the light of they Sword.
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again —
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn,
Awaiting some voice
That should bid thee return.
Ah, slow broke that day
And no man dared call,
For the shadow of tyranny
Lay over all:
And we saw thee sad-eyed,
The tears on thy cheeks
While thy raiment was dyed
In the blood of the Greeks.
Yet, behold now thy sons
With impetuous breath
Go forth to the fight
Seeking Freedom or Death.
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
The Greek Jewish Community in Thessaloniki is commemorating the Black Saturday of 1942, when 95% of the city’s Jews were deported to concentration camps and killed. This year marks the 80th anniversary of Black Saturday, and the Greek Jewish Community is holding a number of events to commemorate it.
Thessaloniki was home to a thriving Jewish community for centuries before World War II. In 1942, however, Nazi Germany occupied Greece, and began systematically persecuting the Jews. On September 28, 1942 – known as Black Saturday – the Nazis rounded up the city’s Jews and deported them to concentration camps where most were killed.
The Greek Herald has written an article about “Black Saturday” and that calls from the Greek Jewish Community has requested that the Thessaloniki Liberty Square be a place of Rememberence in honour of “Black Saturday”.
“Eleftherias Square marks the place where the Nazis began to strip the humanity of people born Jewish,” the Board said.
“It is the beginning of the ‘ultimate evil’ that led to the Holocaust of 6,000,000 Jews, including 60,000 Greek Jews, many of whom defended their homeland and fought against the Italian and German occupiers and breathed their last breath in the concentration camps with Greece deeply rooted in their souls.”
This is such an amazing story of bravery. On the evening of May 30, 1941, two teenaged Greek boys, Manolis Glezos and Lakis Santas, climbed up the Acropolis and took down the Nazi flag.
Manolis Glezos passed away on 30 March 2020 – 79 years after his heroic deed. He was 97 years. Lakis (Apostolos) Santas passed away on 30 April 2011 aged 89 years old.
How did this brave act of resistance against the occupying army in Greece during WWII come about? The Greek Herald finds out:
The daring plan to remove the Nazi flag from the Acropolis was born one dusk evening in Zappeion as Glezos and Santas looked up at the archaeological monument and saw the flag waving in the breeze. They went to the National Library and read everything about the Acropolis until they realised the only route they could take to avoid capture by the German guards was through the Pandrosi Cave. On the morning of May 30, 1941, Glezos and Santas were informed by radio that Crete had fallen and they made the decision to implement their plan that night.
The two young men had no weapons, only a lantern and knife. They jumped the wires, crawled through the cave and upon reaching the flagpole, they removed the huge flag which measured 4 x 2 metres. Glezos and Santas quickly escaped with the flag.
The next morning, when the German guards realised the flag had been removed, they began interrogations and quickly replaced it with a new flag. Glezos and Santas were sentenced to death in absentia, the men of the guard were executed, the Greek commanders of the police stations in the area were relieved of their duties, while the Acropolis guards did not find any incriminating evidence.
Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes is a major exhibition from the British Museum. It features iconic objects that have never before toured the Southern Hemisphere. The exhibition explores the theme of competition through sports, politics, drama, music and warfare, illuminated by more than 170 objects from the British Museum’s peerless collection.
National Museum director Mathew Trinca said he was delighted Ancient Greeks was among the exhibitions on offer in the Museum’s 20th birthday year.
‘I know audiences will be mesmerised by the stories of competition in the ancient Greek world and by the beautiful depictions of athletes, the ceramics, sculptures, armour and jewellery featured in the show,’ Dr Trinca said.
Today marks the 200th anniversary of Greeks rising up to overthrow the rule of the Ottomon Empire in Greece in 1821 (The Greeks eventually won that brutal war in 1830). It’s also Greek Independence Day! In honour of this day, the world’s landmarks were bedecked out in blue and white – (the national colours of Greece and the Greek flag). In Sydney that meant the sails of the iconic Sydney Opera House lit up to show Australia’s support for Greece!
Australia and Greece share a friendship that stretches back to World War 1 and Gallipoli. The island of Lemnos was where wounded Allied forces (Australian, New Zealand and English soldiers) were sent. Australians never forgot how the Greeks welcomed them and offered hospitality.
In 1941, the Australians returned that hospitality when our forces were sent to Greece to defend her against the Italians and Germans.
Australia has a long, proud history of welcoming Greeks and Melbourne (Victoria) has the highest population of Greeks outside of Athens.
This week, the German Army invades Greece and Yugoslavia as it launches Operation Marita and Operation 25 respectively. They also take some remarkable captives in North-Africa.
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This is such an amazing story of bravery. On the evening of May 30, 1941, two teenaged Greek boys, Manolis Glezos and Lakis Santas, climbed up the Acropolis and took down the Nazi flag.
Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes is a major exhibition from the British Museum. It features iconic objects that have never before toured the Southern Hemisphere. The exhibition explores the theme of competition through sports, politics, drama, music and warfare, illuminated by more than 170 objects from the British Museum’s peerless collection.
Today marks the 200th anniversary of Greeks rising up to overthrow the rule of the Ottomon Empire in Greece in 1821 (The Greeks eventually won that brutal war in 1830). It’s also Greek Independence Day! In honour of this day, the world’s landmarks were bedecked out in blue and white – (the national colours of Greece and the Greek flag). In Sydney that meant the sails of the iconic Sydney Opera House lit up to show Australia’s support for Greece!
