How to say thank you in Greek. Greek phrasebook for tourists with translation, accent and pronunciation in Russian, plus phrases and gestures that you will need when traveling around Greece. Words and phrases for communication
When the suitcases are already packed, but there is still a little time left before departure to Greece, experienced travelers try to use this opportunity to memorize a few phrases in Greek, because knowing how to say “hello”, “please” and “thank you” is always a good gesture, when traveling to any country in the world, and even more so to Greece, where the population is so jealous of its thousands of years of history.
We have put together a short guide for tourists - a dictionary of the most common Greek words, phrases and gestures that will be useful to you at the airport, hotel, store, tavern, cafe and in any, even the most unexpected situations!
And, perhaps, studying it will be the first step for a deeper acquaintance with this beautiful ancient, but still ageless language.
Words and phrases for communication
Sounds
To begin with, it is worth paying attention to certain, but at the same time very significant, subtleties of the pronunciation of certain sounds in Greek words, which should be paid special attention to.
Thus, stress is of great importance in the Greek language, which, if used incorrectly, can radically change the meaning of not only one word, but also an entire phrase.
For example: word " pote" is translated as "when", and " pote" means "never". Asking: " Pote anachori to leoforio?”, you will find out “When the bus leaves”, and by telling your interlocutor that “ Pote anachori to leoforio”, will cause him terrible bewilderment as to why this “bus will never leave.”
You should also not be surprised when you see the accent mark placed twice in some words. For example, " Pu ine to isitirio sas?" - "Where is your ticket?" This is exactly how it should be pronounced, with two accents.
1. It is also worth noting that in Greek the strict emphasis on the sound “ "O"", which should be pronounced clearly, without under any circumstances confusing it in the Moscow manner with " A».
2. Sound " G" in most words is pronounced softer and more muffled, closer to the Little Russian dialect, and " l"almost never sounds firm - always closer to " "l"».
3. Vowels " "e"" And " "And""only after this very thing" "l"" are read softly, as in Russian, but generally they are pronounced more firmly, closer to " "uh"" And " "s"».
We will not discuss here the pronunciation of sounds that have no analogues in the Russian language; we will simply replace them in our transcriptions with the closest suitable analogues.
I assure you that the Greeks will understand you in this case, and for some this may become an additional motivation for a deeper study of Greek phonetics.
Let's start with the numbers
Numerals occupy an important place not only in the theory of any language, but also in the practice of everyday life of every people.
In Greek, a special role is assigned to the unit, which is used as an indefinite article and is divided by gender.
So, " Enas Kyrios mu ipe..." - "One gentleman told me...", but at the same time " Miya Kiriya..." - "One lady..." and " Ena padi...- “One child...” In addition to 1, 3 and 4 are also divided into genders.
0 - Miden
1 - Enas, Miya, Ena
2 - Dio
3 - Tria, Tris
4 - Tessera, Tesseris
5 - Pengde
6 - Exy
7 - Efta
8 - Ohto
9 - Enneya
10 - Deka
11 - Endeka
12 - Dodeka
13 - Decatria, Decatris
14 - Dekatessera, Dekatesseris
15 - Dekapende
16 - Dekaeksi
17 - Dekaefta
18 - Dekaohto
19 - Dekaenneya
20 - Ikosi
21 - Ikosienas, Ikosimia, Ikosiena
22 - Icosidio
23 - Ikositria, Ikositris
30 - Trianda
40 - Saranda
50 - Paninda
60 - Exinda
70 - Efdominda
80 - Okhdonda
90 - Eneninda
Words related to numbers and quantity
Number - Numero
Number - Aritmos
How much - Poso
So much - Toso
Quantity – Poso, Posotita
One kilogram - Ena kilo
Two kilograms - Dio kila
Half - Misos, Misi, Miso
Half a kilo - Misokilo
One and a half kilograms - Enamisi kila
Malo - Ligo
A lot - Poly
Smaller - Pieligo
More - Piyopoli
Smaller (th/y/ee) (by number) - Ligoteros, Ligoteri, Ligotero
Large (th/ee/ee) (by quantity) - Perissoteros, Perissoteri, Perissotero
Small (size) - Mikros, Mikri, Micro
Large (size) - Megalos, Megali, Megalo
Calendar and time
Year - Chronos, Ethos
Season - Epochs
Summer – Kalokeri
Autumn – Ftinoporo
Winter – Himonas
Spring – Anixi
Month - Minas
Week - Evdomada
Monday – Deftera
Tuesday – Triti
Wednesday – Tetarti
Thursday - Pampty
Friday - Paraskevi
Saturday – Savvato
Sunday – Kiryaki
Weekend – Savvatokirjako
Today, later - Apopse
Today - Simera
Tomorrow - Avrio
The day after tomorrow - Metavrio
Yesterday - Htes
The day before yesterday - Prokhtes
Now - Torah
Early - Noris
Late - Arga
Day - Mayor
Morning - Proi
Evening - Vradi
Night - Nykhta
Noon – Mesimeri
Midnight – Mesanichta
Hour - Ora
Minute - Lepto
Second - Defterolepto
Immediately, immediately - Amesos
Urgent - Sindoma
After about half an hour - Sho kanena misaoro
In a quarter of an hour - Se ena tetarto
In five minutes - Xie pende mite
Wait a minute - Ena lepto
One moment - Mya stigma
Last year - Parisi
Next year - that time
What time is it - Ti ora ine
When does it open - Pote anigi
When does it close - Pote klini
When will it arrive - Pote ftani
When he leaves - Pote favgi
Greetings
Welcome - Kalos orisate! Kalos irfate!
Hello(those)/Goodbye(those) - Yyasu/Yasas
Hello/Bye - Ya
Bye (Adju) - Andio
Greetings to everyone - Kherete / Kheretizmus se olus
Hello - Ela / Legete / Ambros
Good morning - Kalimera sas/su! Kalimera!
Good afternoon (use in the afternoon) - Kalog apogevma
Good evening (upon meeting) - Kalispera!
Good evening (at parting) - Kalo for enmity!
Good night (farewell before bed) - Kalinichta!
How are you/you – Pos iste/ise
How are you - Ti kanete/kanis
OK, thank you! And how about you - Kala ime, efkharisto! Esis/Esi?
We haven’t met for a long time - Kero ekhume na ta pume / Kero echo na se do
Acquaintance
Your name is Pyo ine to onoma sas/su?
What is your name - Pos sas/se lene, Pos legeste/legese, Pos onomazeste/onomazese
My name is Me lene.../ Onomazome.../ Legome...
Where are you from - Apopu iste/ise, Apopu katageste/katagese
I am from Russia - Ime apotyn Rosiya, Katagome apotyn Rosiya
Nice to meet you - Harika ya tyn gnorimiya
I’m very glad - Hero poli
Wishes
All the best to you (you) - Nase/Naste kala!
Bon appetit - Kali oreksi!
Have a nice trip - Kalo taxidi!
Have a nice flight - Kali Ptysi
Good luck - Kali Tihi!
Healthy toasts - Styniya su/Styniya mas/Styniya sas
To your health - Ysygiyan!
Congratulations
Have a nice Christmas - Cala Christugenna!
Happy New Year - Eftichizmeno to neo etos / Kali hronya
Happy Easter - Kalo Paskha
Christ is risen - Christ anesti
He is risen indeed - Aliftos anesti
Many years - Chronicle of Polla
Happy birthday - Harumena Genetlia
Congratulations – Sinharitiria
Politeness
Forgive me - Me singhoris/synchorite
Sorry - Signomi
I'm sorry - Lipame
Please - Parakalo
Thank you - Efkharisto/Efkharisto Poli
Reply to gratitude - Parakalo
Appeals
Help - Voitya!
Fire - Fotya!
Stop (those) - Stamata/Stamatiste!
Call the police - Kaleste tin astynomiya!
Feelings
Friendship - Philia
Kiss - Fili
“Smack-smack” - Filakya
Love - Agapi
My regrets - Lipame
I missed you - Mu lipis
I love you/you - Saagapo/Sas agapo!
Family
I am Ego
You are Esi
We are Amis
You are Esis
He, this one - Aftos
She, this one - Afti
It, this is Afto
They, these - Afti/Afta
Man - Andras
Woman - Gineka
Boy - Agori
Girl - Cinnamon
Child - Padi
Grandmother - Yaya
Grandfather - Papus
Are you married - Iste pandremeni
Are you married - Iste pandramenos
Do you have children - Ekhete padya
How many children do you have - Posa padya ehete
Where do you live - Pu menete esis
Conversation
I understand - Catalavano
I don't understand - Dan Catalavano
I know - Xero
I don't know - Denkzero
I want - Felo
I don’t want to - Danfalo
I can - Boro
I can't - Danborough
Yes - Ne
No - Ohi
Everyone - Olya
Everything - Ola
Nothing - Typota
Good - Kalos/Kali/Kalo
Bad (oh/th/oh) - Kakos/Kaki/Kako
Okay - Kala
Bad - Askima
Good/Order – Endaxy
Everything is fine - Ola Endaxy
Everything is fine - Ola kala
Possibly - Isos
Maybe (in the question) - Mipos
Do you have - Mipos ehete
Please speak more slowly Parakalo milas/milate pyo arga
Say it again - Borite na epanalavete
Speak Russian Milate Rosika
Speak English - Milas/Milate aglika
Yes, a little - Ne, ligaki
As they say in Greek - Pos legete hundred hellenika
Words and phrases by topic
Tourism, recreation
Rest – Ksekurasi, Anapavsi
Tourism – Turizmos
Moscow — Moskha
St. Petersburg - Agia Petroupoli
Athena - Athena
Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki
Crete - Kriti
Vacation - Adya
Vacations – Djakopes
Non-working day – Argiya
Car – Aftokinito
Airplane - Aeroplano
Tourist office – Turistico grafio
Tourist police – Tourists astynomiya
Guide, tour guide - Xenagos
Excursion – Ekdromi
City tour – Periigisi polis/Yiros thousand polis
Mountain, to the mountains - Vuno, hundred vuna
I love to travel - Mu aresi on taxi devo
Tomorrow we are going on an excursion - Avrio pame ekdromi
I liked the excursion to the monasteries - And the ecdromist of the monastery of mu arese
I really like Greece - And Hellas mu aresi parapoli
In an Aeroport
I need to exchange dollars for euros - Hriyazome for halaso dolarya and euros
Help - Plyrophories
VAT refund – Epistrophy Phi Pi A
I lost my ticket/passport - Ehasa to isytyrio/dyavatyrio
I was late for my flight - Echo argisi ya tyn ptysi mu
What is my excess luggage - Poso ipervaros aposkevon echo
How much should I pay extra - Poso prepi na plyroso epipleon
I need a declaration form - Hriyazome ena endipo dylosis
I only have personal things - Echo mono prosopika mu andikimena
Group meeting place - Topos sinandysis
I want to report missing luggage - Telo na dyloso tyn apolia aposkavon
In transport
Airport - Aerodromio
Train - Trano
Bus – Leoforio
Metro - Metro
Ship/Ferry – Plio
Arrival – Afiksi
Departure – Anachorisi
Adult – Enylikos
Children's - Pedikos
Ticket – Isytyrio
One ticket please - Ena isytyrio, parakalo
Metro/train station - Statmos tu metro\train
Bus stop - Stasi tou leoforou
Where is this bus going - Pu pai afto leoforio?
Where are you going - Pu pate esis?
Where is the stop for the bus going to the city - Pu ine i stasi tu leoforou, pro tyn poli?
This place is taken - Afti i tesi ine pjazmeni?
Where can I buy tickets for the ship - Pu boro na agoraso isytyriya ya to plio?
Bile (y/you) there and back - That isytyrio / That isytyriya metepistrofis
Departure no earlier than – Anachorisy ohi noritera
Return no later than - Epistrophy to Argotero
In the city
City - Poli
Hotel – Xenodokhio
Shop – Katastyma, shop
Kiosk-Periptero
A pack of cigarettes - Ena paketo cigaro
Market, bazaar - Agora, pazari
Post office - Tahidromio
Bank - Meal
Pharmacy – Pharmakio
Restaurant – Estyatorio
Tavern - Tavern
Cafe – Cafeteria
Church – Eklisyya
Museum – Musio
Area -Platyya
Center - Kentro
Street - Odos
Road - Dromos
Avenue - Leoforos
Parking – Parkin
Police – Astynomiya
To the left - Aristera
To the right - Dexya
Straight - Eftya
Far away - Makryya
Close - Konda
Here is Edo
There - Eki
Map - Hartis
Where... Puine...
Where is - Pu vriskete
Where is the hotel - Pu vriskete to xenodokhio?
I'm lost - Khatyka
Can you help me - Borite na mu voitysete?
Police station - Astynomico tmima
How much does an hour of parking cost - Poso kani mya ora statmefsis?
How far is it from here to the city center - Poso makrya apo do mehri to kentro thousand polis?
In a hotel
Reception - Reception
Passport – Dyavatyrio
Luggage – Aposkeves
Suitcase – Valica
Key - Klidi
Breakfast – Proino
Lunch – Mesimariano
Dinner - Vradyno
Hot/cold water – Zesto/cryo nero
Towel – Petsata
Bedsheet - Sedoni
Pillow – Maxilari
Salon, living room – Saloni
Maid - Camarera
Staircase - Rock
Corridor - Dyadromos
Floor – Orophos/Patoma
First floor - Isoyo
Second floor – Protos orophos
Room, room – Domatyo
Single room – Monoclino Domato
Double room – Diklino domatyo
Door - Porta
Window – Parafiro
Balcony – Balconies
Bathroom – Banio
Toilet paper – Harti iyas
Air conditioning – Erkondysjön
Account - Logaryazmos
Where is Pu ine?
Where can I get Pu boro na paro?
Who is there - Pyos ine?
Here's my passport - That's why
My last name is To epifeto mu ine
Can I call Boro on telephoniso?
Do you have a room with air conditioning - Ekhete domatyo me erkondysyon?
Can I use the safe - Boro na hrisimopiiso to hrimatokivotyo?
How much does a room cost per night - Poso kani to domatyo ana imera?
I would like a room on another floor - Ta ifela ena domatyo s alo orofo?
Please give me the key - Doste mu to klidi, parakalo
Please change the bed linen - Alakste ta sedonya, parakalo
I'm leaving (we're leaving) - Favgo (favgume)
Thank you for the good service - Efkharisto ya tyn peripisi
I had a very good rest - Xekurastica poly kala!
On the beach
Sea - Talas
Island - Nishi
Beach - Paralia
What is the water temperature - Ti thermokrasiya ehi to nero?
How much does it cost per hour - Poso kostyzi ana ora
In the cafe
Water - Nero
Cool drink - Anapsiktiko
Mineral water – Metaliko nero
Soda water - Soda
Ice cream – Pagoto
Juice - Himos
Orange – Portocali
Apricot - Verikoko
Peach – Rodakino
Cherry — Vishino
Vinogradny – Stafili
Coffee – Cafes
Sweet - Gliko
Middle -Matrio
A little sweet - Me Ligi Zachary
No sugar - Sketo
With milk - Me gala
Greek coffee – Ellinikos cafe
Instant coffee - Nescafe
Cold instant coffee - Frape
Tea - Tsai
Sugar - Zachary
With lemon - Me lemony
Chocolate drink – Sokolata
Beer – Bira
Wine - Beautiful
White - Aspro (Levko)
Red — Kokino
Pink - Rosé
Dry – Xiro
Sweet – Gliko
Semi-sweet – Imigliko
There are smoking areas here - Iparhi khoros ya kapnistes
Where is the toilet room - Puine and toilet / Puine to banio
Waiter, please - Garson, parakalo
Fork - Ena piruni
Spoon - Ena wrapped
Plate - Ena pyato
Ashtray - Tasaki
In the tavern
Breakfast – Proino
Lunch - Gevma
Dinner – Dypno
Waiter - Servitoros
Table - Trapesi
Chair – Karekla
Menu – Catalogos
Portia - Merida
Plate - Pyato
Spoon – Kutali
Fork – Piruni
Knife - Maheri
Glass - Potiri
Napkin – Hartopetseta
Scrambled eggs - Omelette
Sausage – Salami
Ham – Zabon
Mushrooms – Manitarya
Cheese - Tiri
Olives - Elies
Greek salad – Khoryatyki
Tomato and cucumber salad - Angurodomosalata
Eggplant salad – Melizanosalata
Cucumbers with garlic and yogurt – Dzadzyki
Spicy salad (cabbage, carrots) – Pikandiki
Beetroot salad – Pazzarosalata
Cheese and hot pepper salad - Tirokafteri
Cauliflower - Kunupidi
Brussels sprouts - Brocola
Soup - Supa
Bean soup - Fasolada
Meat - Kraas
Beef – Vodino
Veal – Mosharisyo
Lamb - Arnisjo
Pork - Hirino
Kebab - Souvlaki
Lula kebab - Suzukakya
Sausages – Lukanika
Cutlets – Biftekya
Meatballs – Keftedes
Potatoes - Patates
Vegetables – Lahanika
Roast - Psito
Ribs (lamb, pork) – Paidakya (arnisya, hirina)
Chicken – Kotopoulo
Fish Psari
Fried fish – Tiganito psari
Boiled – Vrasto
Smoked – Kapnisto
Fish on coals - Dogs of a hundred karvuna
Seafood – Talasina
Crabs – Kavurya
Shrimp – Garides
Squids – Kalamarya
Oysters – Stridya
Omar - Astakos
Octopuses – Htapodhya
Mussels - Midya
Dessert – Glika
Fruits – Fruta
Wine - Beautiful
Wine on tap - Khima Krasi
Wine made from pine resin - Retsina
Anise vodka - Ouzo
Moonshine - Tsypuro
You can have a snack here - Boro na tsimbiso edo?
Where can I wash my hands - Pu boro na plino ta herya mu?
Do you have a menu in Russian - Mipos ehete ena katalogo hundred rosika?
What is your signature dish - Are you special?
What do you have for vegetarians - Ti ehete ya hortophagus?
Can I order... (something else) - Boro na parangilo (typota alo)?
Bon appetit - Kali oreksi
A little more bread - Ligo psomi akoma
Enough - Ftani/Okhi alo
Very tasty - Polí nostymo
Please bring the bill - Ferte ton logariazmo, parakalo
This gentleman/lady will pay for everything - O kyrios/And kyria ta plirosi yaola
Thank you for the good service - Efkharisto ya tyn peripisi
Night club
Vodka - Votka
Whiskey - Whiskey
With ice - Mae Pago
Tonic - Tonic
Brandy - Brandy
Cognac - Cognac
Champagne - Sambanha
Liqueur - Liqueur
Do you want to dance with me - Felis na horepsis mazy mu?
Do you often come here - Erheste/Erkhese sihna edo?
Leave/leave me alone - Afiste\Afise me isikho! (or hesihi if it’s a woman speaking)
Purchases
Closed - Klysta
Open - Anichta
Gift, souvenir – Doro, souvenir
Cash desk - Tamio
Price – Timi
Size - Number
Growth - Magethos
Color – Chroma
Check - Apodyksi
Money - Lefta, hrimata
Clothing – Disima
Coat - Coat
Cloak - Adyavrokho
Suit – Suit
Pants – Pandeloni
Jacket - Sakaki
Jacket – Bufan
Shirt - Pukamiso
Dress – Forema
Blouse – Blouse
Skirt – Fusta
Underwear – Esoruh
Swimsuit – Mayo
Robe - Bournuzi
Shoes – Paputsya
Sandals – Padila
Slippers – Pandofles
Bag – Tsanda
Belt – Zoni
Expensive – Akrivo
Cheap - Ftyno
I need - Felo
Do you have - Mipos ehete
How much does it cost - Poso kani
How much does it cost - Poso kani afto
I want to buy souvenirs/gifts – Telo na agoraso merica anamnistyka/souvenir/dorakya
It's too expensive - Ine poli akrivo
How much do I owe you - Poso sas crostao?
Can I use this amount to arrange a tax-free for tourists - Boro na kano touristsko tax-free apafto poso
Can you recommend to me - Borite na mu ipodikset
For a woman/girl – Yya gineka/koritsy
For a man/boy – Yya andra/agori
You can try it on - Boro na dokimaso
Is there something better - Ekhete typota kalitero
Is there something cheaper - Iparhi kati ftynotero
I'll buy it - Fa to agoraso
Museums and excursions
What time does the museum open - Pote anigi to mushio?
What exhibitions are currently open in the city - Are you ektesis liturgun torah styn poly?
Do you have a guide who speaks Russian - Ekhete kanena xenago na milai rosika?
How much does the entrance ticket cost - Poso kani ena isytyrio?
Photography is allowed here - Epitrapete and lipsey fotografion edo?
In the hospital
Hospital - Nosokomyo
Doctor - Yatros
Nurse - Nosokoma
First aid - Protes Voites
Ambulance – Astenoforo
Arrosti's disease - Asthenia
Treatment - Therapy
Medicine – Pharmaco
Rana - Plig
Trauma - Trauma
Analysis – Eksetasi
X-ray - Actinography
Temperature - Piratos
Pain - Diarrhea
Headache - Ponocephalos
Dizziness – Zalada
Insomnia - Aipnya
Drowsiness – Nista/Ipnylia
Cough - Vihas
Runny nose Sinahi/Katarroi
Heartburn – Kaura
Nausea - Tasi I am this
Vomiting - Emetos
Seasickness – Naftya
Shortness of breath - Dyspnia
Chills - Rigi
Bleeding - Emorraia
Low blood pressure - Hypotasis
High blood pressure - Ipertasi
Diarrhea - Diarria
Constipation - Disability
Allergy - Allergy
Cold – Cryologima
Sunstroke - Iliasi
Burn - Engauma
Inflammation - Phlegmon
Rash - Exanthyma
Tumor - Ongos
Swelling - Priximo
Dislocation - Exartrosi
Stretching - Strambuligma
Fracture - Katagma
Get well soon - Perastika!
Greek body language is the topic of a separate large article, or even a serious scientific study, because it can be said without exaggeration that the Greeks are the champions of gestures throughout the Mediterranean.
And not at all because they gesticulate more than the Italians or, say, the French, but due to the fact that here, on the border of Europe and Asia, the traditions and customs of different cultures mixed together, and the 400-year Turkish yoke, when silence really was “golden” ", taught the Greeks to speak without words - with subtle movements of the eyebrows, lips, eyes, barely noticeable tilts of the head and crossing of the fingers.
That is why, here, non-verbal signs used in ordinary conversation often tell much more and more truthfully than spoken words and phrases, and sometimes they can mean something directly opposite to what was said.
The bodies, faces, and hands of the Greeks rarely remain motionless during a conversation, and anyone who knows this symbolism well enough, observing them from a sufficiently large distance, will be able to understand the essence of the conversation without even hearing the words.
Ordinary tourists are unlikely to have to deal with this in full, but still, it won’t hurt to remember a few gestures in order to better understand what is being said, even without knowing the Greek language.
In addition, this will allow you to avoid awkward situations of using seemingly harmless gestures, which can turn out to be quite rude in the Greek understanding of decency, and cause an unwitting insult to your interlocutor.
Personal space
One of the most important non-verbal signs in the culture of any nation is maintaining personal distance.
This is especially easy to appreciate by looking at a regular queue somewhere in Japan, the USA or, for example, Russia. The Greeks in this table are probably closest to us. For them, the personal distance is quite short: handshakes, hugs, kisses when meeting and parting, patting and touching the interlocutor during a conversation are commonplace here.
Eye contact
Looking openly and interestedly into the eyes of your interlocutor is also taken for granted here, and looking away and avoiding direct contact is a lack of interest, a sign of secrecy and even deceit.
On the other hand, an extremely close gaze, from a very close distance, can be regarded as a challenge or even a threat.
Negative answer
Sometimes foreigners ask a Greek the same question several times, thinking that he does not understand them or does not want to answer at all. And he, in turn, is surprised at such persistence: after all, he has already answered them several times: “No! Why ask again and again?
Is it really not clear that raised eyes and slightly protruding, tightly compressed lips mean: “Actually, I don’t know!”
Simply raised eyebrows mean the usual “No!”, and partially or completely closed eyes mean a firm “No!”
When all this is accompanied by tilting the head back, it says: “No! Of course not!”, and if this is accompanied by clicking of the tongue, then it says: “No! In no case!"
All this can be done either with a quick, barely noticeable movement, or with an emphatically slow movement to give what is shown a pronounced emphasis.
Yes
A head tilted down and slightly to the side means, in any case, “Yes!”
For additional emphasis, this movement can be performed deliberately slowly and accompanied by a slight closure of the eyes. And no repeated head shaking! As in the case of denial, all this is done once, and whoever was inattentive is to blame!
Gratitude
Following the gesture meaning “Yes!”, the right hand pressed to the heart shows an expression of gratitude, which is also accompanied by verbal confirmation during close contact.
If the object of gratitude is far away, then only one gesture is performed.
Doubt
Tightly compressed lips with the tips down and a rotation of the hand from side to side, reminiscent of screwing in a light bulb in its movement, means an expression of doubt about what was said or something indefinite: “Either this way or that!”
Invitation
A palm down and movements back and forth with bent fingers pressed together are sometimes perceived by foreigners as a gesture inviting them to take a few steps back. In reality, it means an invitation to come closer and join. By the way, if you turn your hand palm up, it will become completely identical to a similar well-known gesture: “Come to me!”
Listen
Lightly touching the lower lip with the index finger or patting it is often perceived as an invitation to remain silent, although it means the exact opposite: “Listen! I’ll tell you something!”
Together with the previous gesture, he invites you to come up and talk.
Misunderstanding
Similar to a common expression of denial, shaking the head from left to right, often accompanied by a palm turned from bottom to top with the thumb, index and middle fingers extended to the sides, invites the interlocutor to repeat or explain what was said, or the reason why it was said.
To add emphasis, this gesture can be enhanced by wide open eyes.
Impolite and vulgar gestures
As in other countries, in Greece there are harsh and vulgar gestures, which in certain situations are more expressive than any words. Moreover, some of them are visually similar to those widely used in other countries, completely harmless, and sometimes absolutely friendly, positive signs.
Therefore, it is worth mentioning them here in order to avoid them during your stay in Greece: after all, it is unlikely that anyone wants to leave an unfavorable impression of themselves.
Mutza
Sometimes foreigners, trying to demonstrate the number “5,” raise their hand up with their fingers spread towards the interlocutor. In Greece, such a gesture, reminiscent of throwing a ball into a basket and meaning an expression of complete contempt, is a serious insult.
Tourists can often see it on the roads, when not-so-polite drivers show what they think of each other, or during demonstrations on Constitution Square in the capital, when protesters express their opinions about the government. However, in this case, this is done impersonally, and what is seen does not at all mean that these people often use such a gesture in a personal conversation.
In general, of all the Greek gestures, for some reason this is the most mentioned, and many fables have been written about it. In fact, its history goes back to Byzantine, and perhaps even more ancient times, when the judge, in order to show general contempt for the convicted person, dipped his hand into a bowl of ashes, which he then smeared on the face of the guilty person.
Thumb
Used in many countries as a symbol of approval, in Greece this gesture is equivalent to raising the middle finger in the US and is quite offensive.
OK
Widespread recently, thanks to Hollywood cinema, the circle of the thumb and index finger is also a very rude and offensive gesture, hinting at the homosexual inclinations of the interlocutor. In Greece, if you want to tell someone that you consent, you must say it out loud.
Index and little fingers
Some people, when taking pictures, often playfully cuckold each other. In Greece, such a sign, shown to the interlocutor, impartially informs the person that he is a “cuckold.”
Little finger
Funny video: watch how Greeks talk while constantly gesticulating:
A little about etiquette when communicating
When in Greece and interacting with its inhabitants, take a little time to show even the slightest attention to the lives of people, regardless of whether you know them.
For example, ask about their well-being - "chi kane te" - before asking for directions anywhere. This is important for creating a favorable attitude towards yourself and establishing good relationships in the future.
Feel free to be honest about yourself if you can. Greeks tend to share personal details of their lives and appreciate it when others do the same.
To get to know you better, they will likely ask you personal questions during a casual conversation.
In addition, Greeks are open-minded about everything that interests them, so don't be offended if you constantly find yourself the center of attention wherever you go.
The spoken word is valued in Greek culture just as much as the written word, and people must be true to what they say.
Greeks with whom you have developed close relationships may expect you to do them favors and be more loyal to them than others. If possible, do what they ask - they will probably do the same for you in return.
A few words in conclusion
Greek is one of the oldest languages that has made an invaluable contribution to global culture.
Hearing and saying every day: politics, economics, democracy, Europe, theater, drama, history, physics, trauma..., as well as many other words, few of us think that they were once borrowed into other languages from Greek and sounded thousands of years ago on the land of ancient Hellas, exactly the same as they sound now.
After all, over the last twenty-five centuries, the Greek language has changed much less than, say, English over the last five, and the classical ancient Greek alphabet is the same one that is used today.
It must be said that the language and pronunciation of the Hellenes is not easy to learn and local residents, as a rule, do not expect that foreigners know anything in Greek, and the level of English proficiency here, at least in tourist places, is quite sufficient for communication. But, on the other hand, Russians have a huge advantage over the inhabitants of most European countries, because the Greek alphabet, to which the British, Germans, and French often give in, once upon a time, with the advent of Byzantine Orthodoxy in Rus', became the basis for the Slavic alphabet , so reading most street inscriptions and names in Greece after a little practice will not be difficult for you, believe me. And if you learn at least a few words and common phrases, no matter what level of knowledge you reach, the Greeks will enthusiastically appreciate your efforts, and your reward will be an increase in status from the usual “xenos” - stranger to the almost honorary “philos” - friend.
In Greece, in churches and monasteries it is not prohibited to submit notes written in Latin or even in Russian, but still, out of respect for the Greeks, it is better to do this in their native language. Names in notes should be written in Greek in the genitive case. Feminine proper names ending in - α or - η will have the endings - ας and -ης in the genitive case. Masculine proper names ending in - ος, in Gen. case, will have the ending -ου. For convenience, we have compiled a table of Russian names and their Greek analogues. To write a note, just find the name you want, tick it, and then print the notes.
LIST OF NAMES
| Russian name | Greek equivalent in I.p. | Pronunciation in Russian | Writing in Greek in R.p. is how it should be written in notes |
| Alexander | Αλεξανδρος | Alexandros | Αλεξανδρου |
| Alexandra | Alexandra | ||
| Alexei | Αλεξιος | Alexios | Αλεξιου |
| Anastasia | Αναστασια | Anastasia | Αναστασις |
| Andrey | Ανδρεας | Andreas | Ανδρεαυ |
| Anna | Αννα | Anna | Αννας |
| Anton | Αντωνιος | Andonis | Αντωνιου |
| Valentina | Βαλεντινη | Valentini | Βαλεντινης |
| Varvara | Βαρβαρα | Varvara | Βαρβαρας |
| Victor | Βικτωρ, Βικτορας | Victor | Βικτορος |
| Vladimir | Βλαντιμιρ | Vladimir | Βλαντιμιρ |
| Galina | Γαλινη | Galini | Γαλινης |
| Georgiy | Γεωργιος | Georgios | Γεωργιου |
| Gerasim | Γερασιμος | Gerasimos | Γερασιμου |
| Hermann | Γκερμαν | Hermann | Γκερμαν |
| Gregory | Γρηγοριος | Grigorios | Γρηγοριου |
| Daniel | Δανιηλ | Daniel | Δανιηλ |
| Denis | Διονυσιος | Dionysios | Διονυσιου |
| Dmitriy | Δημητριος | Dimitrios | Δημητριου |
| Evdokia | Ευδοκια | Evdokia | Ευδοκιας |
| Elena | Ελενη | Eleni | Ελενης |
| Elizabeth | Ελισσαβετ | Elisavet | Ελισσαβετ |
| Catherine | Αικατερινη | Ekaterini | Αικατερινης |
| Zinaida | Ζηναιδα | Zinaida | Ζηναιδας |
| Jacob | Ιακωβος | Iakovos | Ιακωβου |
| Ilya | Ηλιας | Ilias | Ηλιου |
| John | Ιωαννης | Ioannis | Ιωαννου |
| Joseph | Ιωσηφ | Joseph | Ιωσηφ |
| Irina | Ειρηνη | Irini | Ειρηνης |
| Ksenia | Ξενια | Ksenia | Ξενιας |
| Konstantin | Κωνσταντινος | Constandinos | Κωνσταντινου |
| Kuzma | Κοαμας | Kosmas | Κοαμα |
| Lazarus | Λαζαρος | Lazaros | Λαζαρου |
| Leonid | Λεωνιδας | Leonidas | Λεωνιδου |
| Lydia | Λυδια | Lydia | Λυδιας |
| Luke | Λουκας | Lucas | Λουκα |
| Love | Aγαπη | Agapi | Αγαπης |
| Magdalena | Μαγδαληνη | Magdalini | Μαγδαληνης |
| Margarita | Μαργαριτα | Margarita | Μαργαριτας |
| Marina | Μαρινα | Marina | Μαρινας |
| Maria | Μαρια | Maria | Μαριας |
| Mark | Μαρκος | Marcos | Μαρκου |
| Marfa | Μαρθα | Marfa | Μαρθας |
| Michael | Μιχαλης | Michael | Μιχαλη |
| Hope | Ελπιδα (Ελπις) | Elpida | Ελπιδος |
| Natalia | Ναταλια | Natalia | Ναταλιας |
| Nikita | Νικητας | Nikitas | Νικητου |
| Nicodemus | Νικοδημ | Nicodemus | Νικοδημου |
| Nikolay | Νικολαος | Nicholas | Νικολαου |
| Olga | Ολγα | Olga | Ολγας |
| Paul | Παυλος | Pavlos | Παυλου |
| Peter | Πετρος | Petros | Πετρου |
| Seraphim | Σεραφειμ | Seraphim | Σεραφειμ |
| Sergius | Σεργιος | Sergios | Σεργιου |
| SvetlanaFotinia | Φωτεινη | Fotini | Φωτενης |
| Sofia | Σοφια | Sofia | Σοφιας |
| Stepan | Στεφανος | Stefanos | Στεφανου |
| Taisiya | Ταισια | Taisia | Ταισιας |
| Tamara | Ταμαρα | Tamara | Ταμαρας |
| TatianaTatiana | Τατιανα | Tatiana | Τατιανας |
| Philip | Φιλιππος | Philippos | Φιλιππου |
| Fedor | Θεοδωρος | Theodoros | Θεοδωρου |
| JuliaIulia | Ιουλια | Julia | Ιουλιας |
RUSSIAN OPTION GREEK OPTION
| About health | Υπερ Υγειας |
| About repose | Υπερ αναπαυσεως |
THE GREEKS PLACE A CROSS ONLY ON RESTAL NOTES
- Notes should contain no more than 15 names
- The donation amount per note is approximately half a euro
Next to the name, the Greeks do not write “baby”, “sick”, etc.,
believing that the Lord Himself sees the soul of every person
- The Greeks rarely place candlesticks next to icons; they are mostly located at the entrance to the temple on the street
In churches you can only buy candles; icons and books are sold in special stores
Unlike our temples, candles purchased there cannot be taken out of Greek ones.
You cannot, in the presence of a group priest or a clergyman of a given church, independently place icons or other church objects on the relics of saints for consecration. Everything you are
If you want to consecrate, you must give it into the hands of a clergyman located next to the shrine.
The Greeks do not have a separate prayer service for health. Christians buy prosphora at a bread store and in the morning, before the Liturgy, serve it at the altar along with a note about health. In some churches, notes on health are read during a prayer service to the revered saint.
If you are going to receive communion, remember that when approaching the Chalice, you do not have to cross your hands. Take the edge of the plate yourself, which the priest is holding at the other end, and after receiving the Holy Gifts, wipe your lips. Do not kiss the Chalice under any circumstances! The Greeks revere it as the greatest shrine, which is forbidden to touch.
If you want to turn to a Greek priest for a blessing, say: Πατερ, ευλογειτε! (Pater, eulogite), which means “Father, bless.” The priest will answer you “ο Κυριος” (O Kyrios), that is, “God bless.”
KALIMERA - KALISPERA, good morning - good afternoon, these words are heard everywhere when you get to GREECE! So I ended up on Greek soil - I am fulfilling the dream of my dad, who did not have time to get here, did not have time in his entire life, although our ancestors once lived here.
The trip turned out to be spontaneous, initially we were going to go to Egypt, but due to the turbulent situation the choice fell on Greece, the country of olives, sirtaki and my historical homeland. We flew with a Greek airline, I was impressed by the uniform of the Greek flight attendants, very beautiful, dark blue dresses with a flounce on the back and a scarf in the colors of the Greek flag around the neck. Everyone, as if chosen, is dark-skinned, thin, black-haired and very smiling. On the plane, in regular economy class, we were given dry Greek wine and meatballs with mashed potatoes, with an amazing sauce that tasted of delicious herbs. Throughout the flight, the televisions displayed our movement in the air, with the time until the end of the flight and the territory that we were currently flying through. As usual, applause to the crew for their professional flight and the immediate arrival of the ramp.
We went out and it felt like we were in a sauna, there was no breeze, no sea breeze - intense heat, somehow unusual after the rainy and cold weather in St. Petersburg. I immediately realized that half of the things in the suitcase could have been left out...
As you know, the island of Rhodes, to which our love of travel has brought us this time, is washed by two seas: the Mediterranean and the Aegean. Our hotel
Marianna Palas 4*, is located on the Mediterranean Sea, a 30-minute drive from Rhodes airport, in the village of Kolymbia. Yes, exactly in the village, because in the morning we woke up to the crowing of roosters. Hotels are located on the seashore mixed with private houses, shops, taverns, a kind of immersion in local life.
Some background information about the hotel...
Upon arrival, we immediately noticed a sound, it came from everywhere, did not stop for a minute, then it dawned on me - these are cicadas! Exactly, I heard them at home, in Anapa, just a single crackling, but so collectively these insects sang all day long! I wonder where in their body they make this sound? We observed when the cicada crackles, its body and wings probably all tremble, but not with its throat, no ligaments can withstand this!
A person gets used to everything and we, naturally, got used to it; on the second day it seemed that it couldn’t be any other way!
The hotel is located 400 meters from the sea, the path is not tiring, passes through flat terrain and takes no more than 10 minutes if you waddle. You go and see how the local population lives. In general, the nature and climate are very similar to our Anapa: the same mountains, rocks, scorched grass in places, it felt like I was on the Black Sea coast, somewhere in the area of Sukko or Utrish. It seems to me that we have even more vegetation and greenery and the nature is more picturesque. But these are first impressions, let's see what happens in other areas of the island. The hotel is small, like its territory, three 2-3-storey buildings, two swimming pools with clean and warm water - for adults and for children, a bar where from 12 noon to 12 at night you can drink various cocktails and dry red without restrictions and white wine, beer, coffee. We didn’t even try strong drinks, since it was impossible in the heat; we didn’t even want to try it in the evening. There is no food in the bar, this is unusual, since our Russian people are accustomed to drinking at deliciously laid tables, let’s be honest, we love to eat! And not even because they are hungry, but for the sake of order: with a glass, there should be a plate! Well, this is my opinion, maybe someone will disagree.
In general, the food was good, breakfasts were the same as breakfasts, this is how we eat them at home: scrambled eggs -
fried eggs, scrambled eggs, sausages, fried bacon, fruit and natural yoghurts, various types of cereal with milk, sausage cheese, just a sea of pastries, all kinds and delicious (this is for those with a sweet tooth). Tea, coffee - anyone makes a coffee machine, alcohol for lunch and dinner and all day long, juices, forfeits - Sprites - Pepsi, plain ice water. They serve soup for dinner, that’s their tradition, the soups are pureed and tasty - also good, a break from our borscht and pickle soup. I wouldn’t eat them all the time, but on vacation, for the sake of variety, it’s very acceptable and good for the stomach. For lunch there is enough of everything, several types of side dishes: rice in all its variations, fried-stewed-boiled potatoes, pasta, two or three types of meat, fish, various salads, a blast from the Greek Tzatziki sauce (a combination of natural yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh cucumbers, garlic, spices), it is very good to season vegetable salads with it. Fruits: watermelons, melons, peaches, bananas, apples, oranges. From the sea of food, so far we have only eaten mussels, cooked directly in their shells, poured with lemon juice and washed down with dry white wine.
I was pleased with the work of the hotel staff when serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the dishes sparkled, there was no need to look for spoons, forks and knives (happened in other hotels), the tablecloths were snow-white. Moreover, when cleaning the table after departed guests in anticipation of new ones and if even the slightest stain was found, the tablecloth was immediately changed to a new one. I would like to note the excellent performance of the air conditioning in the restaurant; we ate at a very comfortable temperature, given the incredible heat outside.
Our vacation will last two weeks, we are quite satisfied with the hotel cuisine, and what is not here, we will try in local taverns, they are here at every turn.
There is no entertainment in the hotel; it is intended for a calm, measured holiday. This time we were looking for one, since the year was very busy.
Some sunbathe by the pool, some go to the sea, and some sip cocktails at the bar.
The staff is very nice, they work like bees from morning to evening and are always ready to help, no one speaks Russian, but my not yet completely forgotten English was enough. The rooms are cleaned, towels are changed every day, linen, it feels like the same. The safe was paid, we didn’t use it, there was nothing to hide, all things were in plain sight, nothing was missing. The air conditioner worked silently, with both hot and cold water everything was fine.
The bathroom has a bathtub itself, not a shower, shampoo gels are provided as needed, there is a hairdryer, but I didn’t use it; in such heat, the hair dried instantly without it.
The beach of our hotel is pebbly, small pebbles - foot massage, special slippers are sold for those who are particularly picky. For those who are too lazy to walk, a bus runs from the hotel 3 times a day. The water is clear, warm, without any algae or mud. A noticeable disadvantage of the beach is the lack of changing cabins and toilets. We found one shower, next to the rental point for catamarans and cheesecakes, closer to Mount Tsambika. Umbrellas and sun loungers are paid, beach towels are available at the reception for a deposit of 10 euros, and then returned (we took our own for the beach, from home). We changed our clothes behind huge stones near the mountain under the surprised and incomprehensible glances of wild goats, there are an incredible number of them here, crawling along steep cliffs-mountains, held by some incomprehensible force of gravity, a person would have fallen headfirst long ago.
There are catamarans, cheesecakes, canoes - you won’t get bored!
There are no accidents in our family, and this time was no exception - two minutes before arriving at the hotel, it turned out that my husband had FORGOT MY RIGHTS! It’s not difficult to imagine my reaction, I thought I’d rip the skin off him with a stocking and without anesthesia! The entire vacation was planned by me, routes were drawn up, when and what to visit, which bays, beaches, attractions. Well, after thinking about it, I decided, apparently, God saved me from the accident in this way; no one knows what would have happened if he had not forgotten them! After all, the main thing is to be able to calm yourself down and convincingly analyze the situation in your head. A bunch of defensive arguments immediately arose in Seryoga’s favor: poor thing, he’s so tired after a year, he’s driving all the time at work anyway, the guy can’t drink, isn’t that the point, and in general the Greeks drive cars without any rules, so try not to cause an accident . In general, while he sat huddled in the chair of the transfer bus, horrified by what he had done, I found something to calm myself down, sulked for only ten minutes, then changed my anger to mercy: summer, heat, we are in Greece, hurray! Can't we find something to do with ourselves? The next day, with the hotel guide Lena, we developed a new scenario for our vacation, took four excursions: a sightseeing tour of the island, to Rhodes, to Lindos and on a yacht to the island of Symi. Someone will say that they could travel themselves, the bus stop is two minutes from the hotel, get on and go for two or three euros. But! In the heat, +37, it’s simply unrealistic, buses run outside of any schedule, it’s a complete hassle, maybe we’re just unlucky?
HOTEL LIVING FEATURES - add-ons
Don't forget to take fumigators; Greek mosquitoes are, of course, not as aggressive as ours. They don’t rush around like Messerschmitts and don’t attack with a nasty squeak, they bite slowly, sadly and silently, apparently corresponding to the motto of Greek life - SEGA-SEGA (slowly-slowly). And the bites from them, even for me, who is allergic, were almost unnoticeable the very next day, although I did take FENISTIL.
There are no clotheslines or clothespins in the rooms, and, as you understand, there are no washing machines in a 4-star hotel either. And with two weeks of rest, and in such heat, washing is inevitable, so we took powder, clothespins and a structure for drying clothes with us (any
I like to live comfortably, like at home). T
Internet is only at the reception and by the pool, paid, costs 15 euros for the entire stay, they give you an individual login and password, write it down on your receipt - don’t lose it, it’s only your password, not the general one at the hotel. If you lose it (as happened to me), you will have to ask for a new one.
Breakfast from 7-10, lunch from 13-15, dinner from 19-22
Don’t rush to rent a car at the hotel; there are plenty of places in the area where you can do it cheaper.
They say you can do the same with excursions, but we decided not to risk it and bought all the excursions from the hotel guide.
You need comfortable shoes with low heels or no heels at all, since you will have to walk and walk, and the streets in old cities are cobbled. Moreover, the pebbles are laid out so interestingly - not flat, as usual, but edge-on.
Those who smoke, take cigarettes, they are much more expensive here, a pack of Winston is light - 3.5 euros.
EAT PRAY LOVE...
SEGA-SEGA, which translated from Greek means Slowly and Slowly, is the life motto of the Greeks. Someone says that they are slow and sluggish, lazy, but this is not true. People work a lot, but they also know a lot about relaxation, they know how to do it from the heart....
Our first excursion was a sightseeing tour of the island and was called “EAT, PRAY, LOVE”, after the book of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Thematically, it, accordingly, consisted of three parts, namely, in the first part we visited the villages: tomato, honey and wine, where we tasted freshly squeezed juices from watermelon to cucumber, tried different types of olive oil, dry wine, excellent homemade cheeses, dried tomatoes and olives, pine and thyme honey (heals the throat and vocal cords). At the end, we were taken to a Greek tavern for lunch, where the owner Sava himself treated us to Moussaka, Tzatziki sauce, incredibly soft and tasty lamb and many other national dishes. Everything is prepared with soul and at home, so we completed the first part of the “EAT” program one hundred percent and at the same time got acquainted with the national Greek cuisine.
In the second part - “PRAY”, we visited the church of Panteleimon, who cares and prays for our health. The church is located on a mountain, in a very picturesque place, stone steps lead to it, which from time to time (since knightly times) and from the number of people who climbed them have become smooth and slippery like ice. Therefore, it was necessary to go up and down very carefully. The views from above are breathtaking!!!
In general, the Greeks are a very religious nation, they don’t make money from religion, and in the church it’s enough to leave any amount of money, even one cent, and you can take as many candles as you need, leave notes for the health of your loved ones and for the repose of people dear to you. After this part of the excursion I was left with some peace and warmth in my soul....
A visit to Cape PRASONISI was the final stage of our excursion and was called “LOVE”!
PRASONISI - the kiss of two seas, the place where the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas merge, the southernmost point of the island. In summer, in hot weather, they are separated by a narrow strip of land, a sand spit. And in winter both seas merge together. According to legend, if you kiss your partner on the spit, your family life will be long and happy.
From the observation deck, on a hill, in front of the cape, photographs were taken, where the quiet and calm Mediterranean Sea is clearly visible on the left, and the seething Aegean Sea on the right, covered in curly lambs. There is some touchingness in the desire of two seas to unite in a kiss....
Already returning to the bus, having swam in both seas, when will this ever happen again, in a local tavern, on the shore we tried freshly caught (they are caught directly here, on Prasonisi) and grilled octopuses, fried the tentacles, sprinkled with lemon and served with dry white wine . DELICIOUS! I recommend it to anyone who loves seafood to try it. We ate octopus for the first time, so we made a wish...
Well, our amazingly educational, informative, wonderful excursion has come to an end. This is an ideal solution for those who have not rented a car, and indeed for anyone who would like to explore the island and immerse themselves in local life. We traveled around the entire perimeter of Rhodes in one day, visited many beautiful places, attractions, visited two seas, the highest mountain of the island Ataviros, touched the saint - visited the chapel of Panteleimon, got acquainted with Greek cuisine, what else do you need for happiness? I recommend this excursion to everyone, you won’t regret it!
RHODES - THE MAGIC OF AGES
That was the name of our next excursion, it was conducted by the same guide Nadya from St. Petersburg. The girl is in love with the island, she has been living here for 4 years, she works for the tour operator Bibleo Globus.
This time we went to the very north of the island of Rhodes, to the city of the same name, Rhodes, the capital. Along the way we visited Mount Fileromos, where there is a 15th century icon, or rather a list from it. LIST, this is the name of the copy of the icon; the original is kept in Montenegro. The mountain is named after the monk Filerim, who, having fled from Israel, saved the icon. Its miraculousness lies in the fact that it was written from the Virgin Mary during her lifetime...
The mountain is crowned with a huge cross and from the observation deck, from a bird's eye view, breathtaking views open up - the incredible color of the sea, lush green mountains and islands...
On Filerimos there is a wonderful alley where peacocks walk, proud and beautiful. Nadya told a funny story...
Once upon a time, some guide had the imprudence to tell one of the tourist groups that if someone found a feather from a peacock’s tail on this mountain, he would inevitably become incredibly rich! This story has caught on and is passed on from group to group, and it’s not hard to guess what the first thing tourists do when they set foot on this holy land! Of course they are going to inspect the ancient icon, you might think. No, and no again, they chase the unfortunate peacocks in droves, hoping to find that coveted feather! The peacocks are already accustomed to seeing another group of tourists and immediately take to their heels! Watching from the side will make you laugh! But we, too, could not resist and did the same, a herd feeling, nothing can be done about it. As a result, I didn’t find the feather myself, but our second Greek guide Stefanos gave it to me! There was no limit to happiness, now my husband and I are waiting for countless riches to fall upon us!
Jokes aside, the excursion was serious and educational.
The city of Rhodes arose in 408 BC, as a result of the merger of three ancient city-states, namely Kameros, Lindos and Ialyssos, turned into a powerful single state, whoever ruled it, whoever conquered it, but it lives and prospers according to this day, delighting everyone with its beauty.
We all know from the school curriculum that according to legend, at the entrance to the city from the sea there was a huge statue of the Colossos of Rhodes, a monument to the God Helios. It was 32 meters high and made of pure bronze, it took 12 years to build, stood for 65 years and lay in ruins for another 600 years, then it disappeared unknown where and to this day not a single fragment has been found.
It collapsed as a result of a strong earthquake, the Colossus gave way at the knees and fell into the sea from its entire height, crumbling into pieces. The ancient Greeks considered this a curse from God, they were frightened and afraid to restore the statue, fearing retribution.
It lay there for many years, for six centuries. But copper in those days was a very expensive metal and one enterprising Egyptian merchant, again according to legend, bought the fragments of the statue, equipped a huge caravan consisting of 900 camels and sent it across the desert to their homeland. But God Helios did not like this idea and he sent a sandstorm into the desert, which wiped out the caravan from the face of the earth,
burying the remains of the statue in the depths of sand! This is the story - neither ours nor yours, don’t open your mouth to someone else’s loaf, what else can you say!
In fact, as our Nadyusha said, the statue of the Colossus could not stand in this place, at the entrance to the port of Mandraki from the sea, then he would simply sit on the twine, she joked, since it is too far from each other - the pedestals are widely located, on which supposedly stood the giant's feet.
This is a mystery of centuries, let it remain a mystery, it awakens our imagination!
Now, at the supposed place of the statue, on the pedestals where the Colossus of Rhodes stood, a deer and a doe, symbols of Rhodes, are comfortably located. According to another legend, the island was originally overrun with poisonous snakes and no one could live here for long. But these beautiful deer trampled all the snakes with their hooves and Rhodes found new life and blossomed! Myths, legends, traditions... This is incredible Greece, shrouded in secrets....
Finally we are at the gate to the Old Town, people still live there, it’s like living in the open air in a museum. The city is a fortress from the time of the Ionite knights, the walls are in three rows, you can’t get through, no one could take this fortress in the times of knights, and only Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (who didn’t cry over the series The Magnificent Century, is there anyone like that?) managed to come to an agreement with the knights, They gave up the fortress without fighting in exchange for life and the opportunity to leave in peace, and not because they were cowards and did not want to fight, but because they had a higher goal - to spread Christianity throughout the world. What does it mean that everyone will die?
The old town made an indelible impression on us, I simply fell in love with it. It felt like I had been transported back in time, I wanted to close my eyes and open them again - where am I, in what century? Narrow, cobbled streets, centuries-old walls of houses, some ghostly spirit of antiquity hovers everywhere. We walked and walked, there was so little time. We will definitely come here again one of these days, without a tour.
It was time for lunch and the same Nadyusha took us to her home tavern, where she always dines herself. Again, we ordered grilled octopus, steamed mussels in some amazing lemon-wine sauce, all this was just from the sea, I could have eaten such food forever, it was finger-licking good. It was possible to order more delicious dishes, but it was impossible to eat so much, so we left it for next time. These Greek hosts were very friendly; they didn’t just serve food, but asked us a hundred times whether we liked it or not. As a compliment, we were treated to Greek anise liqueur and coffee. The bill was brought in a mirror box (the candy inside is a small change, but nice), it feels like people live and love this life, the beauty around them. I absolutely didn’t want to leave, I’ll definitely come back and recommend it to everyone!
I forgot an important fact from the excursion - in the North of the island there is also a confluence of seas, not as obvious and visible as in the South, but there it is! Living in the city of Rhodes, you can swim in two seas at the same time - the Mediterranean and the Aegean.
The excursion ended, I was left with exciting memories, a desire to return and, as a reminder, a peacock tail feather and Greek leather sandals that I bought in one of the shops in the Old Town...
LINDOS MAGICAL
A visit to Magic Lindos and the Seven Springs (Epta Piges, as this place is called in Greek) was the third excursion in our program.
Lindos, one of the three ancient city-states that merged into the single state of Rhodes. The city is located on a mountain, at the top is the Acropolis and a serpentine of narrow, cobbled streets with snow-white houses leads to it. The bus stopped at a special parking area, then we walked further to the foot of the mountain, since it was very narrow for vehicles to pass or turn around. And then there was a surprise, local donkey taxis, they are the ones who take tourists, exhausted from the heat, to the top of the mountain, to the Acropolis. The pleasure costs 5 euros, but we were warned to only go up, since donkeys run down the mountain very quickly and this is too extreme a journey, not everyone will dare. My Seryozhka, like a real man, flatly refused to use these donkeys as a taxi, with sad eyes, apparently also very tired from the endless ups and downs. But I, a fragile woman (that’s how I described myself to calm my own conscience), nevertheless stepped on pity and decided to go, I really wanted to, when else would I have to? The donkeys go in pairs, in a bunch, and are accompanied by a handler. I’ve already ridden camels; I’ll tell you, donkeys are more comfortable and not so scary.
Seryozhka stood at the top with a camera to capture this historical moment: LENA ON A DONKEY! Next, we broke away from the excursion and decided to explore the city and the Acropolis on our own, since the heat was unbearable, and my molten brain refused to perceive any historical facts. And to be honest, the guide was not very successful, well, not everyone can hold the attention of a group or present information in a lively and interesting manner. Ours, picture-perfectly shone with erudition, admiring itself, inserted an irritating Uh every other word and featured an unimaginable number of historical dates and names that no one will remember anyway. They remembered Nadenka, the previous guide who led the first two excursions with a kind word, a hundred times, now the person is in the right place! As a result, we were not the only ones who disappeared imperceptibly into the narrow streets of the city and left the group.
From the heights of the mountains, which have already become familiar, views of indescribable beauty, the heart-shaped bay of St. Paul, the magnificent beaches of Lindos, a web of streets with shopping shops, taverns and private houses. Comfort and a calm, measured life - these are the feelings you get from the city. But for some reason Rhodes suited my soul more; it is a more convenient city for living, not so mountainous and somehow warmer in my opinion.
Exhausted by the scorching sun, the group piled onto the bus and we set off on our way to the protected park area - the Seven Springs, to the underground tunnel into which the streams merged. This structure was built by the Italians when they ruled the island in order to deliver water to the other side of the mountain, where there was none. I still didn’t understand how it worked, apparently fatigue took its toll, but I believed the legend and remembered it perfectly, because it is useful and gives hope for a dream to come true!
According to legend, if you walk through a tunnel where seven streams merge in complete darkness (without lighting any flashlights), in complete silence and ankle-deep in cold (+16 degrees) water, you will be cleansed of all your earthly sins and your wish will come true! Who would refuse such prospects? I can’t say that moving through the tunnel is comfortable, it is very narrow, dark, without any glimpses of light, there is only one light window in the middle of the path. The bottom is unknown, freezing cold and frightening unknown. Our group followed the instructions completely, walked in a chain, one after another, in deathly silence, without making a sound, that’s discipline, I thought, we can do it whenever we want and when we beckon with a sweet roll! This is why our Russian people are strong - we unite in extreme situations, we walk, as they say, in ONE FOOT, with our inherent sentimentality and gullibility in our souls. For example, the Italians and Germans who followed us were not imbued with this legend at all; later, from the skylight, when we were already walking back along the top of the tunnel, we heard them screaming underground, laughing, apparently they had no sins or cherished desires and they are not as gullible as we are.
We walked for what seemed like an eternity, an unpleasant thought was drilling into our brains - what if it collapses and we will find ourselves in a stone sack! But it turned out that we only walked 180 meters, the long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel finally dawned, we are free, hurray!!!
Yes, it was also promised that we would look 7 years younger and lose weight (on nerves, no less).
I immediately rushed to the mountain stream to look at my reflection in the water, maybe I’m already slim, like a cypress tree and young???? But alas, I didn’t find a noticeable difference in appearance... Probably these transformations don’t happen right away, I reassured myself again, the main thing is to believe!
Another day of life in Greece has come to an end, the box of impressions and sensations has been noticeably replenished, all that remains is a sea voyage to the island of Symi, we are looking forward to it.
TALES OF SIMI ISLAND
A truly fabulous island, part of one of the Greek Dodecanese archipelagos and located in the Aegean Sea. The excursion was for the whole day, picked up from the hotel by bus at 7 am, and returned at 7 pm.
From the city of Rhodes we sailed by boat for 1.5 hours, looking at the islands and islets passing by, there are actually a lot of them, the Greek archipelagos include more than 2000 islands, and the Dodecanese has more than 120.
The first stop is Panormitis Bay and the Monastery of the Archangel Michael. Archangel means the first angel and his day is November 8th. On this day, something incredible happens... Thousands of pilgrims from all over Greece and other countries sail to the island to venerate the miraculous icon, right from the pier, on their knees, they move towards it. There are steps leading to the entrance to the church and they also walk through them on their knees.
The monastery lives its own, isolated life; they even bake their own bread in wood-burning ovens. The bread is very tasty, blessed, you can take it from large wicker baskets and try it. Candles, again, for a nominal fee, or you can pay nothing at all. Everyone who takes a candle is given an icon and oil. I like the Greek policy in the field of religion - faith and money, in my opinion, are incompatible concepts. Several ships can sail to the island at the same time, there are a lot of people, and therefore we had to stand in line to get to the church where the icon is located, just like here in St. Petersburg, to see St. Xenia the Blessed.
The next stop on the island, after a half-hour swim, in fact, its administrative center, went around the rock and a simply bewitching view opened up... Multi-colored houses, as if multi-tiered, suspended on rocky mountains, narrow stone stairs lead to them. How do people live here? And they live great, as the guide told us, they have virtually no cardiovascular diseases due to daily physical activity! I imagined, like this I climbed home after work, stretched out on the sofa and then you remember that you forgot to buy something in the store, you no longer run away once or twice, you think ten times whether you really need it. For this reason, the local residents are all slim; they haven’t seen any fat people.
The island of Symi is famous for its sponges, an incredible variety of types and colors are mined and sold here, there are silk sponges, wool sponges, and some in the shape of an elephant ear (they are cut into pieces and used for peeling the face). It is believed that the greater the depth of the sponge, the better quality it is and, accordingly, more expensive. There are now a lot of devices and technologies for catching sponges, but before, it was a rather labor-intensive and dangerous process; in order to get to the depths, a diver hung a stone weighing up to 15 kilograms on his neck!
Next we visited the leather workshop of Mr. Takis, he is both a designer and manufacturer of various leather products rolled into one. His leather paintings measuring 1.7 by 2.0 meters are included in the Guinness Book of Records. Takis himself conducted a master class on how to recognize natural leather, distinguish it from artificial leather, and then those who wished could buy themselves whatever their heart desired: bags, wallets, business card holders, shoes.
After completing the excursion, there were three hours of free time to walk around the island, swim in the emerald-sapphire, incredibly clear sea, have lunch in local taverns, and try the famous Simsky shrimp.
Taking a walk, this, of course, is said loudly, moving around in the heat of + 42 (according to the guide, the temperature on Symi is still 5-6 degrees higher than on Rhodes), under the scorching sun, is very problematic. Therefore, we limited ourselves to a walk along the lower tier, along the embankment, contemplating all the surrounding beauty from the bottom up, and everything is clearly visible. Meanwhile, our legs, unconsciously, headed towards a cool tavern (the guide also recommended it to us).
Greek taverns, not those that have set their sights on mass catering catering to tourists and making money from it, but Greek, family-run ones, where the Greeks themselves have lunch and dinner, this is where you should definitely go. Only here you will truly feel the flavor of local life and national cuisine. The feeling that you came to visit friends, where they were waiting for you and you were really welcome. We were lucky, we were such guests in Rhodes and now we found ourselves in a very cozy and nice place. Walking through the narrow streets between fabulous miniature houses, we found ourselves in a small square covered with grapes, where the tavern was located.
The tables are set in the fresh air, blown by two huge fans, very comfortable and fresh. The owner himself or one of them, as they say, came out with open arms and a smile on his face, seated us at a table and gave us a menu in Russian with a description of the dishes. There are not many people here, since the establishment is not designed for a massive tourist flow and therefore each guest is greeted as a guest at home, very pleasantly. And in general, Greece is very pleasant - warmth for both soul and body.
Having managed to get hungry, we, of course, punished everything that our eyes fell on. First of all, an assortment of seafood baked on the grill: octopus, mussels, squid, mullet (mullet with lemon juice with a crispy crust, almost boneless - just a song). I called this grilled seafood mix dish FISH SIRTAKI. Simsky shrimps are very similar to ours, Anapa ones, just as small in size, but they are not boiled, but deep-fried and then eaten directly with the peel.
The next dish is lamb shish kebab with baked vegetables and is also served with a huge plate of Greek salad and side dish (fried potatoes and rice, wild mixed with regular). We organized a belly festival for ourselves, we live once in a lifetime (that’s how I, always striving to lose weight, reassured myself)!
The portions in Greece are huge, I advise you to order one for two; we, who do not suffer from poor appetite, could barely finish it.
Having said goodbye to the hospitable hosts, we decided to go to the beach for a swim; it’s impossible not to dive into such a colored sea! And the accumulated calories had to be burned, how tired I was of fighting with them!
Along the way, as the guide advised, on the ancient bridge we fed fish with bread, there were whole schools of them there, you throw a piece and they pounce on it like piranha torpedoes, jumping out of the water.
The sea was refreshing and invigorating, but not for long, it was hot and very hot! We happily plopped down on the sofas on our boat, departure in five minutes...
We were located on the first deck, where there was air conditioning and the windows were covered with sun-proof curtains. The people, exhausted, fell onto armchairs and sofas in such unimaginable positions and fell asleep: some with their heads thrown back, some with their arms dangling like a whip, some with their legs in the aisle - sleep and fatigue overwhelmed everyone. There was a feeling that an evil wizard had bewitched those traveling to a fabulous island and turned the ship into a sleepy kingdom. My Seryozhka also passed out, resting his head on the pillars (the column in our opinion, it was he, the sailor, who taught me the correct terms). Well, I, having decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet, the romantic atmosphere, rocking on the waves with the boat, sat down to write this report...
We arrived at the hotel at 19-00, it’s good that we were delivered right to the entrance, we immediately dived into the coolness of our lobby, KALISPERA - we greeted the staff at the reception and learned the good news - today is GREEK EVENING! That's how it is, but I have no strength! Run to the room, take a cold shower, change clothes and go to the restaurant. And there is a holiday, waiters in Greek, national clothes, tables full of Greek food, Greek music playing. A second wind opened and we got involved in the process! After dinner, the hotel staff set up chairs and tables in front of the pool bar, musicians and dancers came and it began! Greece is the birthplace of the word DEMOCRACY, that’s what the country is, everything is possible and everything is there and no crises are scary for it! If you want to drink at the table, if you want to smoke, if you want to dance, no one will shush you or look askance at you! People of all nationalities: Greeks, Italians, Poles, Russians - all swirled in one big circle of SIRTAKA, putting their hands on each other's shoulders. Here, I thought, politicians are causing confusion, dividing something, conflicting, but the common people don’t care about anything!
I already wrote that our hotel is run by a Greek family, I don’t know who is related to whom and whether this is really true (information from tourists’ reviews), but it feels like it was a family, the staff is doing their job in a very friendly manner, they are trying as for yourself. So, in the restaurant and bar we were served by two Greeks, we decided for ourselves that they were father and son. One is somewhere up to 35, and the other is already a respectable age, with gray hair, but incredible vitality. From 12 noon to 12 at night they continuously mix cocktails in the bar, pour alcohol, serve guests in the restaurant and at the same time smile and not in a forced, forced way, but sincerely.
And these guys, suddenly, at the Greek evening turned into artists! The father turned out to have a very beautiful voice, he sang, and the son, wearing a red belt, danced and it was all so professional! He will dance and again pour another cocktail at the bar, we were simply amazed
energy and cordiality. It was impressive and, already in the dark, very unexpected - it looked beautiful when one of the hotel employees spilled some kind of flammable liquid in a circle and then set it on fire, and the bartender-dancer in the middle of this circle danced an incendiary Greek dance.
The next dance was for the ladies, a table was brought out, and each woman invited from the vacationers danced up onto this table, and our favorite bartender showered her with flower petals from a basket! All the men, leaving their places at the tables, stood around and applauded!
The fact is that in Greece they treat a woman with great respect, here the order of things is somewhat different - a girl is born, the parents immediately begin to build a house (well, ideally, of course, who can afford it, but that’s how it’s supposed to be). Because it is not the wife who goes to her husband’s house, but the husband who goes to his wife!
The evening continued until late at night, we left early, fatigue took its toll, and we wanted to sit on the balcony a little longer, discuss the impressions of the day, looking at the starry sky. Such a finale during a holiday in Rhodes has already become a tradition....
TSAMBIKA BEACH
On one of the days free from excursions, we independently went to the sandy beach of Tsambika, it is a 10-minute drive from our pebble beach behind the mountain. The bus never came, we waited in the sun for half an hour, and ended up catching a taxi for 10 euros. The beach did not disappoint, just gorgeous, the sea, the sand, and the views around. Perfectly equipped with cafes, cabins, showers, toilets. The way back was even more fun, again there was no wait for the bus, there was no taxi and we walked up the mountain and then down the mountain! In the heat, which is called “tongue on side”, we somehow dragged ourselves to the main highway and there, lo and behold, we got on the bus, but not to the hotel itself, we walked for what seemed a painfully long time, my husband brought me to the hotel almost shoulder The goal of climbing a high mountain to the Tsambika monastery was not achieved, maybe there are some paths, a shorter route, but we did not find it. I decided that if there weren’t enough impressions from the island, we’d take another tour of the churches. Price: sightseeing tour of the island - 50 euros, Rhodes - 35, Lindos - 35, Symi island - 45. The bus is delivered directly to the hotel, comfortable, with air conditioning, guide and full excursion support.
If you are looking for a relaxing holiday, then yes, if you are looking for entertainment and adventure, then look for something else. Almost only foreigners are on vacation, but we still heard Russian speech, mostly people over 40, there are few young people. For children there is only a small pool, a couple of swings, no slides. I’ll say one thing for sure - you should definitely take the car! This means comfort, mobility, a more complete impression of the island and, of course, freedom of movement and choice.
This is all nonsense that the Spaniards invented the siesta. Absolutely Greeks. Exactly until one o'clock in the afternoon they greet each other - “Kalimera!” - “Good morning!”, and after about six in the evening - “Kalispera!” - they want it to be as successful as possible.
It’s like there is no day. All the more kind. Kotabazilev’s “Children should sleep at night” can easily be paraphrased here as “Greeks should sleep during the day!” In any case, rest. Crazy tourists, not attached to excursions or stupefied by the sea, hang out along quiet streets and stumble upon locked doors and shutters: “Quiet, there is no one, move on.” The birds and the promised evil dogs, pinned to the fences of farmland in the form of pictures, are silent. By the way, it’s not that hot – only +23-25 – why don’t they work? Very simply – because they DON’T WANT.
Dear Greek government, go make a Greek work! He has no time - he has fishing, a lot of beautiful women who are not yet available. He's finally on strike! The Greek wife is not far from her husband: from morning to night (with a break for a siesta, of course) she will chill in a coffee shop, drink cup after cup of black drink and, lighting one cigarette after another, impulsively chat with her friend. All as one, plump, in miniskirts and open tops, you meet them either sitting cross-legged or racing on motorbikes.
Do salespeople in stores and shops diligently hide behind shelves? Make no mistake, these are Aboriginal people. They do not like to bargain and to every proposed price reduction they wearily answer: “Fixed price” (fixed price). A rare Greek or Greek woman will drive you back to the shop on the way out and show you the wonders of the world that you have not discovered, and if you are going on a trip to buy souvenirs in the evening, God forbid you run into those shops where your friends have gathered. They will laugh, chatter incessantly, and not one will pay any attention to you. A very self-sufficient nation. Of course, how many thousands of years are behind us, what kind of spirits roam the expanses of ancient Hellenic... These spirits did everything to ensure that Greece did not die from its own laziness, and sent here immigrants from the former USSR. I don’t know if Mr. Gorbachev is aware that Zeus and Sparta helped him, but as a result of the collapse of our once great Motherland, thousands and thousands of Ukrainians, Moldovans, Latvians, Lithuanians, especially Ukrainians, settled here in Greece. True, they are all still Russian. They rightly note that there are already more of them here than locals, they rent, or even buy real estate, get married, send their children to schools (having visited several towns, I haven’t seen a single one) and do not dream of returning back. They say that “it’s nice here, only it’s warm all the time. Well, it can’t be so warm all the time!”
Let it be warm all the time, otherwise where can we go on vacation so cheaply? But it’s impossible for it to be SO ruined? Every town on an island (and there are about two thousand of them in Greece, it’s unlikely that the industrious Greeks could count them all) has its own acropolis. The price for the happiness of visiting freshly made ruins on the site of mythical glory costs from two to ten euros, but why pay, as they say, twice, if amazing things are nearby? Greece combines a relaxed, half-ruined, half-unfinished state and at the same time lives beautifully.
On the territory of the museum, rising above the abyss of the sea, there is an actively frozen construction site - cranes, mechanisms (maybe we are experiencing a permanent siesta?) and only young caretakers, tired of the sun, making it clear where photography is allowed and where it is prohibited. Not a single sign with a camera crossed out. Thank you. From a distance, the views of the sea and the houses clinging to the rocks are incomparable. The ruins nearby are also stunning. Crushed stone, debris, wire, God knows what in general and dust, dust, dust. Why in neighboring - just a stone's throw - Turkey (these comparisons are inevitable and unchangeable) we even broke off the shiny leaves of the orange trees standing along the road - we did not believe that they were not artificial, but here the dense layer of dust does not make it possible to distinguish where the fertile land is and where it is just road?!
Probably, the eternal siesta and the spoiled Greeks, like that little Ukrainian Galya from the joke, are to blame for everything. Yes, let him. You both marvel at this lordly laziness acquired over thousands of years and enjoy it. All of Europe regularly visits Greece, but they love exclusively Russians. Because we are brothers and sisters, “orthodox” - Orthodox. It was rare that a bartender did not want to treat us, determining our nationality from afar. You can’t offend a Greek by stopping by his coffee shop for a cup of espresso at 11 am and refusing a glass or two of Baileys. At his expense, of course. Or metaxes. Or white-red wine. In the evening, the handsome hotel bartender pours glasses of ouzo (rakia) for me and himself and winks: well, let’s have a glass each? And without a twinge of conscience, he actually slams his in front of the administrator. "You can't do this!" - I scream in horror, preventing, as I think, the inevitable dismissal. "Why?" - he asks, also in shock, choking. “Well, you’re at work...” - I mumble, already realizing that I look like a complete fool at this Greek festival of general disobedience.
Well, really, they are terribly cute, these Greeks. In order to somehow apologize for our reluctance to sit down at a table in a cafe while we were full, we tried to teach them “Russian Traditional About Gris” - something like a “Russian proverb about Greece.” Well, you know: “The Greek was driving across the river...” and so on. They repeated it with pleasure, joyfully reproducing “cancer by the hand of the Greek DAC!” and they always asked: “Wat from the mines?” - "What does it mean?". I had to compose a terrible story in long-forgotten English about the fearless “elinios” (“Greek” in Greek), conquering a stormy “riva” (river) and fighting a “big-big” (big, big) ... lobster (well, it wasn’t in school cancer program!). But national Greek pride rose from incredible to unattainable heights, and grateful waiters and bartenders let us go on our way, apparently feeling that they owed us something... some kind of equally magical and heart-warming story. From our Russian life.
Almost all of it is cats. But not our fluffy Barsiki. There are an unimaginable number of them in Greece. They are terribly thin, emaciated, and absolutely not prone to flirting or begging. Not yelling at each other like crazy because of the division of territory. Quiet, silent, usually red or black, in groups of 7-8, cats sat wherever they could and abstractly looked at life passing by. Only the kittens looked lively, crawling straight out of a crevice in the rock towards their mother. It’s simply amazing how she managed to “put them aside” there and, most importantly, feed them to the delight of tourists?
There are no luxury hotels here: when you go out onto the balcony, it seems like you’re in a hotel. There is no Turkish importunity, no deception, no haste. There is sincerity: for example, one waitress, constantly pressing her hands to her chest and rolling her eyes, talked about the wedding troubles and even showed a mock-up of the invitation, asking advice if everything was fine. And so she did with everyone sitting in her tavern. There is Greek friendliness and slight naivety. Sea. Another. And after the meeting, the desire for a new date remains. And don't care about this damn dust.
58 important words that will help you understand the ancient Greeks
Prepared by Oksana Kulishova, Ekaterina Shumilina, Vladimir Fayer, Alena Chepel, Elizaveta Shcherbakova, Tatyana Ilyina, Nina Almazova, Ksenia Danilochkina
Random word
Agon ἀγώνIn the broadest sense of the word, agon in Ancient Greece was any competition or dispute. Most often, sports competitions were held (athletic competitions, horse racing or chariot races), as well as musical and poetic competitions in the city.
Chariot racing. Fragment of the painting of a Panathenaic amphora. Around 520 BC e.Metropolitan Museum of Art
In addition, the word "agon" was used in a narrower sense: in ancient Greek drama, especially ancient Attic, it was the name of the part of the play during which an argument between the characters took place on stage. The agon could unfold either between and, or between two actors and two half-choirs, each of which supported the point of view of the antagonist or protagonist. Such an agon is, for example, the dispute between the poets Aeschylus and Euripides in the afterlife in Aristophanes’ comedy “Frogs”.
In classical Athens, the agon was an important component not only of the theatrical competition, but also of the debates about the structure of the universe that took place in. The structure of many of Plato's philosophical dialogues, where the opposing views of the symposium participants (mainly Socrates and his opponents) collide, resembles the structure of a theatrical agon.
Ancient Greek culture is often called “agonal”, since it is believed that the “spirit of competition” in Ancient Greece permeated all spheres of human activity: agonism was present in politics, on the battlefield, in court, and shaped everyday life. This term was first introduced in the 19th century by the scientist Jacob Burckhardt, who believed that it was customary for the Greeks to hold competitions in everything that included the possibility of fighting. Agonality indeed permeated all spheres of the life of the ancient Greek, but it is important to understand that not everyone: initially agonism was an important part of the life of the Greek aristocracy, and commoners could not participate in competitions. Therefore, Friedrich Nietzsche called the agon the highest achievement of the aristocratic spirit.
Agora and agora ἀγορά
Agora in Athens. Lithography. Around 1880
Bridgeman Images/Fotodom
The Athenians elected special officials - agoranoms (market caretakers), who kept order in the square, collected trade duties from, and levied fines for improper trade; They were also subordinate to the market police, which consisted of slaves. There were also positions of metronomes, whose duty was to monitor the accuracy of weights and measures, and sitophilacs, who monitored the grain trade.
Acropolis ἀκρόπολις
Athens Acropolis at the beginning of the 20th century
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Translated from ancient Greek, akropolis means “upper city.” This is a fortified part of an ancient Greek city, which, as a rule, was located on a hill and originally served as a refuge in times of war. On the acropolis there were city shrines, temples of the city’s patrons, and the city treasury was often kept.
The Acropolis of Athens became a symbol of ancient Greek culture and history. Its founder, according to mythological tradition, was the first king of Athens, Cecrops. Active development of the Acropolis as the center of the religious life of the city took place during the time of Pisistratus in the 6th century BC. e. In 480 it was destroyed by the Persians who captured Athens. In the middle of the 5th century BC. e., under the policy of Pericles, the Athenian Acropolis was rebuilt according to a single plan.
You could climb the Acropolis along a wide marble staircase that led to the propylaea, the main entrance built by the architect Mnesicles. At the top there was a view of the Parthenon - the temple of Athena the Virgin (the creation of the architects Ictinus and Kallicrates). In the central part of the temple stood a 12-meter statue of Athena Parthenos, made of gold and ivory by Phidias; her appearance is known to us only from descriptions and later imitations. But the sculptural decorations of the Parthenon have been preserved, a significant part of which was taken out by the British ambassador to Constantinople, Lord Elgin, at the beginning of the 19th century - and they are now kept in the British Museum.
On the Acropolis there was also the temple of Nike Apteros - the Wingless Victory (devoid of wings, she was always supposed to remain with the Athenians), the Erechtheion temple (with the famous portico of the caryatids), which included several independent sanctuaries to various deities, as well as other structures.
The Acropolis of Athens, heavily damaged during numerous wars in subsequent centuries, was restored as a result of restoration work that began at the end of the 19th century and especially intensified in the last decades of the 20th century.
Actor ὑποκριτής
Scene from Euripides' tragedy "Medea". Fragment of the painting of the red-figure crater. 5th century BC e. Bridgeman Images/Fotodom
In an ancient Greek play, lines were distributed among three or two actors. This rule was violated and the number of actors could reach up to five. It was believed that the first role was the most important, and only the actor who played the first role, the protagonist, could receive payment from the state and compete for an acting prize. The word "tritagonist", which refers to the third actor, took on the meaning of "third-rate" and was used almost as a curse word. Actors, like poets, were strictly divided into comic and.
Initially, only one actor was involved in the plays - and that was the playwright himself. According to legend, Aeschylus introduced a second actor, and Sophocles was the first to refuse to play in his tragedies because his voice was too weak. Since all roles in ancient Greek were performed in, the actor’s skill primarily lay in the art of controlling voice and speech. The actor also had to sing well in order to perform solo arias in tragedies. The separation of actors into a separate profession was completed by the 4th century BC. e.
In the IV-III centuries BC. e. acting troupes appeared, which were called “artisans of Dionysus”. Formally, they were considered religious organizations dedicated to the god of the theater. In addition to actors, they included costume designers, mask makers and dancers. The leaders of such troupes could achieve high positions in society.
The Greek word actor (hypokrites) in new European languages acquired the meaning of “hypocrite” (for example, English hypocrite).
Apotropaic ἀποτρόπαιοςApotropaia (from the ancient Greek verb apotrepo - “to turn away”) is a talisman that should ward off the evil eye and damage. Such a talisman can be an image, an amulet, or it can be a ritual or gesture. For example, a type of apotropaic magic that protects a person from harm is the familiar triple knocking on wood.
Gorgonion. Fragment of painting of a black-figure vase. End of the 6th century BC e.
Wikimedia Commons
Among the ancient Greeks, the most popular apotropaic sign was the image of the head of the gorgon Medusa with bulging eyes, protruding tongue and fangs: it was believed that a terrible face would scare away evil spirits. Such an image was called “Gorgoneion”, and it was, for example, an indispensable attribute of Athena’s shield.
The name could serve as a talisman: children were given “bad”, from our point of view, abusive names, because it was believed that this would make them unattractive to evil spirits and ward off the evil eye. Thus, the Greek name Eskhros comes from the adjective aiskhros - “ugly”, “ugly”. Apotropaic names were characteristic not only of ancient culture: probably the Slavic name Nekras (from which the common surname Nekrasov comes) was also apotropaic.
Swearing iambic poetry - the ritual swearing from which ancient Attic comedy grew - also performed an apotropaic function: to avert troubles from those whom it calls the last words.
God θεóς
Eros and Psyche before the Olympian gods. Drawing by Andrea Schiavone. Around 1540-1545
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The main gods of the ancient Greeks are called Olympian - after Mount Olympus in Northern Greece, which was considered their habitat. We learn about the origin of the Olympian gods, their functions, relationships and morals from the earliest works of ancient literature - poems and Hesiod.
The Olympian gods belonged to the third generation of gods. First, Gaia-Earth and Uranus-Sky emerged from Chaos, which gave birth to the Titans. One of them, Cronus, having overthrown his father, seized power, but, fearing that the children might threaten his throne, swallowed his newborn offspring. His wife Rhea managed to save only the last baby, Zeus. Having matured, he overthrew Cronus and established himself on Olympus as the supreme deity, sharing power with his brothers: Poseidon became the ruler of the sea, and Hades - the underworld. There were twelve main Olympian gods, but their list could differ in different parts of the Greek world. Most often, in addition to the already mentioned gods, the Olympic pantheon included Zeus's wife Hera - the patroness of marriage and family, as well as his children: Apollo - the god of divination and patron of the muses, Artemis - the goddess of the hunt, Athena - the patroness of crafts, Ares - the god of war, Hephaestus - the patron blacksmith's skill and the messenger of the gods Hermes. They were also joined by the goddess of love Aphrodite, the goddess of fertility Demeter, Dionysus - the patron of winemaking and Hestia - the goddess of the hearth.
In addition to the main gods, the Greeks also revered nymphs, satyrs and other mythological creatures that inhabited the entire surrounding world - forests, rivers, mountains. The Greeks imagined their gods as immortal, having the appearance of beautiful, physically perfect people, often living with the same feelings, passions and desires as mere mortals.
Bacchanalia βακχεíαBacchus, or Bacchus, is one of the names of Dionysus. The Greeks believed that he sent ritual madness to his followers, because of which they began to dance wildly and frantically. The Greeks called this Dionysian ecstasy the word “bacchanalia” (bakkheia). There was also a Greek verb with the same root - bakkheuo, “to bacchant,” that is, to participate in the Dionysian mysteries.
Usually women bacchanted, who were called “bacchantes” or “maenads” (from the word mania - madness). They united into religious communities - fias and went to the mountains. There they took off their shoes, let their hair down and put on non-breeds - animal skins. The rituals took place at night by torchlight and were accompanied by screams.
Heroes of myths often have close but conflictual relationships with the gods. For example, the name Hercules means “the glory of Hera”: Hera, the wife of Zeus and the queen of the gods, on the one hand, tormented Hercules all her life because she was jealous of Zeus for Alcmene, but she also became the indirect cause of his glory. Hera sent madness to Hercules, because of which the hero killed his wife and children, and then, in order to atone for his guilt, he was forced to carry out the orders of his cousin Eurystheus - it was in the service of Eurystheus that Hercules performed his twelve labors.
Despite their dubious moral character, many Greek heroes, such as Hercules, Perseus and Achilles, were objects of worship: people brought them gifts and prayed for health. It is difficult to say what appeared first - myths about the exploits of the hero or his cult; there is no consensus among scientists on this matter, but the connection between heroic myths and cults is obvious. The cults of heroes differed from the cult of ancestors: people who revered this or that hero did not always trace their ancestry back to him. Often the cult of a hero was tied to some ancient grave, the name of the person buried in which had already been forgotten: tradition turned it into the grave of a hero, and rituals and rituals began to be performed on it.
In some places, heroes quickly began to be revered at the state level: for example, the Athenians worshiped Theseus, who was considered the patron saint of the city; in Epidaurus there was a cult of Asclepius (originally a hero, the son of Apollo and a mortal woman, as a result of apotheosis - that is, deification - becoming the god of healing), since it was believed that he was born there; in Olympia, in the Peloponnese, Pelops was revered as the founder (Peloponnese literally means “Pelops’ island”). The cult of Hercules was state-owned in several countries at once.
Hybris ὕβριςHybris, translated from ancient Greek, literally means “insolence,” “out of the ordinary behavior.” When a character in a myth shows hybris in relation to, he certainly suffers punishment: the concept of “hybris” reflects the Greek idea that human arrogance and pride always lead to disaster.
Hercules frees Prometheus. Fragment of painting of a black-figure vase. 7th century BC e.
Hybris and the punishment for it are present, for example, in the myth about the titan Prometheus, who stole fire from Olympus and was chained to a rock for this, and about Sisyphus, who in the afterlife eternally rolls a heavy stone uphill for deceiving the gods (there are different versions of his hybrid, in the most common one he deceived and chained the god of death Thanatos, so that people stopped dying for a while).
The element of hybris is contained in almost every Greek myth and is an integral element of the behavior of heroes and: the tragic hero must experience several emotional stages: koros (koros - “excess”, “satiation”), hybris and ate (ate - “madness”, “grief” ).
We can say that without hybrid there is no hero: going beyond what is permitted is the main act of a heroic character. The duality of Greek myth and Greek tragedy lies precisely in the fact that the hero’s feat and his punished insolence are often one and the same thing.
The second meaning of the word “hybris” is recorded in legal practice. In the Athenian court, hybris was defined as "an attack on the Athenians." Hybris included any form of violence and trampling of boundaries, as well as unholy attitude towards deities.
Gymnasium γυμνάσιον
Athletes in the gymnasium. Athens, 6th century BC e.
Bridgeman Images/Fotodom
Initially, this was the name given to places for physical exercise, where young men prepared for military service and sports, which were an indispensable attribute of most public ones. But pretty soon the gymnasiums turned into real educational centers, where physical education was combined with education and intellectual communication. Gradually, some of the gymnasiums (especially in Athens under the influence of Plato, Aristotle, Antisthenes and others) became, in fact, prototypes of universities.
The word “gymnasium” apparently comes from the ancient Greek gymnos - “naked”, since they trained naked in gymnasiums. In ancient Greek culture, the athletic male body was perceived as aesthetically attractive; physical exercises were considered pleasing, gymnasiums were under their patronage (primarily Hercules and Hermes) and were often located next to sanctuaries.
At first, gymnasiums were simple courtyards surrounded by porticos, but over time they grew into entire complexes of covered premises (which contained changing rooms, baths, etc.), united by a courtyard. Gymnasiums formed an important part of the way of life of the ancient Greeks and were a matter of state concern; supervision over them was entrusted to a special official - the gymnasiarch.
Citizen πολίτηςA citizen was considered a member of the community who had full political, legal and other rights. We owe to the ancient Greeks the development of the very concept of “citizen” (in ancient Eastern monarchies there were only “subjects”, whose rights could be infringed at any time by the ruler).
In Athens, where the concept of citizenship was especially well developed in political thought, a full citizen, according to the law adopted under Pericles in the middle of the 5th century BC. e., there could only be a man (although the concept of citizenship, with various restrictions, extended to women), a resident of Attica, the son of Athenian citizens. Upon reaching the age of eighteen and after a thorough check of origin, his name was included in the list of citizens, which was maintained according to. However, in fact, the Athenian received full rights after completing his service.
An Athenian citizen had rights and duties closely related to each other, the most important of which were the following:
— the right to freedom and personal independence;
- the right to own a piece of land - associated with the obligation to cultivate it, since the community allocated each of its members with land so that he could feed himself and his family;
- the right to participate in the militia, while defending one’s loved one with arms in hand was also the duty of a citizen;
Athenian citizens valued their privileges, so it was very difficult to obtain citizenship: it was given only in exceptional cases, for some special services to the polis.
Homer Ὅμηρος
Homer (center) in Raphael's fresco "Parnassus". Vatican, 1511
Wikimedia Commons
They joke that the Iliad was not written by Homer, but by “another blind ancient Greek.” According to Herodotus, the author of the Iliad and Odyssey lived “no earlier than 400 years before me,” that is, in the 8th or even 9th century BC. e. The German philologist Friedrich August Wolf argued in 1795 that Homer's poems were created later, already in the written era, from scattered folk tales. It turned out that Homer is a conventional legendary figure like the Slavic Boyan, and the real author of masterpieces is a completely “different ancient Greek”, an editor-compiler from Athens at the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. e. The customer could have been Pisistratus, who arranged for singers to be the envy of others at the Athenian festivals. The problem of the authorship of the Iliad and Odyssey was called the Homeric question, and Wolf's followers, who sought to identify heterogeneous elements in these poems, were called analysts.
The era of speculative theories about Homer ended in the 1930s, when the American philologist Milman Perry organized an expedition to compare the Iliad and Odyssey with the epic of Bosnian storytellers. It turned out that the art of illiterate Balkan singers is built on improvisation: the poem is created anew each time and is never repeated verbatim. Improvisation is made possible by formulas - repeated combinations that can be slightly changed on the fly, adapting to a changing context. Parry and his student Albert Lord showed that the formulaic structures of the Homeric text are very similar to the Balkan material, and, therefore, the Iliad and Odyssey should be considered oral poems that were dictated at the dawn of the invention of the Greek alphabet by one or two improvising narrators.
Greeklanguage ἑλληνικὴ γλῶσσα
It is believed that the Greek language is much more complex than Latin. This is true if only because it is divided into several dialects (from five to a dozen, depending on the purposes of the classification). Some works of art (Mycenaean and Arcado-Cypriot) have not survived; they are known from inscriptions. On the contrary, the dialect was never spoken: it was an artificial language of storytellers, combining the features of several regional variants of Greek. Other dialects in their literary dimension were also tied to genres and. For example, the poet Pindar, whose native dialect was Aeolian, wrote his works in the Dorian dialect. The recipients of his praise songs were winners from different parts of Greece, but their dialect, like his own, did not influence the language of the works.
Dem δῆμος
Plates with the full names of the citizens of Athens and the deme. IV century BC e.
Wikimedia Commons
Deme in Ancient Greece was the name given to a territorial district, and sometimes to the inhabitants who lived there. At the end of the 6th century BC. e., after the reforms of the Athenian statesman Cleisthenes, the deme became the most important economic, political and administrative unit in Attica. It is believed that the number of demos under Cleisthenes reached hundreds, and later increased significantly. Demes varied in population size; the largest Attic demes were Acharnes and Eleusis.
The Canon of Polykleitos dominated Greek art for about a hundred years. At the end of the 5th century BC. e., after the war with Sparta and the plague epidemic, a new attitude to the world was born - it ceased to seem so simple and clear. Then the figures created by Polycletus began to seem too heavy, and the universal canon was replaced by refined, individualistic works of the sculptors Praxiteles and Lysippos.
In the Hellenistic era (IV-I centuries BC), with the formation of ideas about the art of the 5th century BC. e. as an ideal, classical antiquity, the word “canon” began to mean, in principle, any set of immutable norms and rules.
Catharsis κάθαρσιςThis term comes from the Greek verb kathairo ("to purify") and is one of the most important, but at the same time controversial and difficult to understand terms of Aristotelian aesthetics. It is traditionally believed that Aristotle sees the goal of the Greek precisely in catharsis, while he mentions this concept in the Poetics only once and does not give it any formal definition: according to Aristotle, tragedy “with the help of compassion and fear” carries out “catharsis ( purification) of such affects." Researchers and commentators have been struggling with this short phrase for hundreds of years: by affects, Aristotle means fear and compassion, but what does “purification” mean? Some believe that we are talking about the purification of the affects themselves, others - about the cleansing of the soul from them.
Those who believe that catharsis is the purification of affects explain that the viewer who experiences catharsis at the end of the tragedy experiences relief (and pleasure), since the fear and compassion experienced are cleared of the pain they inevitably bring. The most important objection to this interpretation is that fear and compassion are painful in nature, so their “impurity” cannot lie in pain.
Another - and perhaps the most influential - interpretation of catharsis belongs to the German classical philologist Jacob Bernays (1824-1881). He drew attention to the fact that the concept of “catharsis” is most often found in ancient medical literature and means cleansing in the physiological sense, that is, getting rid of pathogenic substances in the body. Thus, for Aristotle, catharsis is a medical metaphor, apparently of a psychotherapeutic nature, and we are not talking about the purification of fear and compassion itself, but about the cleansing of the soul from these experiences. In addition, Bernays found another mention of catharsis in Aristotle - in the Politics. There we are talking about a medical cleansing effect: sacred chants heal people prone to extreme religious excitement. A principle similar to homeopathic is at work here: people prone to strong affects (for example, fear) are healed by experiencing these affects in small, safe doses - for example, in, where they can feel fear while being completely safe.
Ceramics κεραμικόςThe word "ceramics" comes from the ancient Greek keramos ("river clay"). This was the name for clay products made under high temperature followed by cooling: vessels (made by hand or on a potter's wheel), flat painted or relief ceramic slabs that lined the walls of buildings, sculpture, stamps, seals and sinkers.
Clay dishes were used for storing and eating food, as well as in rituals and; it was given as a gift to temples and invested in burials. Many vessels, in addition to figurative images, have inscriptions scratched or applied with liquid clay - this could be the name of the owner, a dedication to a deity, a trade mark, or the signature of the potter and vase painter.
In the 6th century BC. e. The most widespread was the so-called black-figure technique: the reddish surface of the vessel was painted with black varnish, and individual details were scratched or colored with white paint and purple. Around 530 BC e. Red-figured vessels became widespread: all the figures and ornaments on them were left in the color of the clay, and the background around them was covered with black varnish, which was also used to create the interior design.
Since ceramic vessels are very resistant to environmental influences due to their strong firing, tens of thousands of their fragments have been preserved. Therefore, ancient Greek ceramics are indispensable in establishing the age of archaeological finds. In addition, in their work, vase painters reproduced common mythological and historical subjects, as well as genre and everyday scenes - which makes ceramics an important source on the history of life and ideas of the ancient Greeks.
Comedy κωμῳδία
Comedy actor. Fragment of the crater painting. Around 350-325 BC. e. A crater is a vessel with a wide neck, two handles on the sides and a stem. Used to mix wine with water. Metropolitan Museum of Art
The word "comedy" consists of two parts: komos ("merry procession"), and ode ("song"). In Greece, this was the name for the genre of dramatic productions, which took place in Athens annually in honor of Dionysus. From three to five comedians took part in the competition, each of whom presented one play. The most famous comic poets of Athens were Aristophanes, Cratinus and Eupolis.
The plot of the ancient Athenian comedy is a mixture of fairy tale, bawdy farce and political satire. The action usually takes place in Athens and/or some fantastic place where the protagonist goes to realize his grandiose idea: for example, an Athenian flies on a huge dung beetle (a parody of Pegasus) into the sky to free and bring back to the city a goddess peace (such a comedy was staged in the year when a truce was concluded in the Peloponnesian War); or the god of the theater Dionysus goes to the underworld and judges a duel there between the playwrights Aeschylus and Euripides - whose tragedies are parodied in the text.
The genre of ancient comedy has been compared to the Carnival culture, in which everything is inverted: women engage in politics, seize the Acropolis” and refuse to have sex, demanding an end to the war; Dionysus dresses up in the lion skin of Hercules; the father instead of the son goes to study with Socrates; the gods send envoys to people to negotiate the resumption of interruptions. Jokes about genitals and feces sit alongside subtle allusions to scientific ideas and intellectual debates of the time. Comedy makes fun of everyday life, political, social and religious institutions, as well as literature, especially high style and symbolism. The characters in the comedy can be historical figures: politicians, generals, poets, philosophers, musicians, priests, and in general any notable figures of Athenian society. The comic consists of twenty-four people and often depicts animals (“Birds”, “Frogs”), personified natural phenomena (“Clouds”, “Islands”) or geographical objects (“Cities”, “Demes”).
In comedy, the so-called fourth wall is easily broken: the performers on stage can come into direct contact with the audience. For this purpose, in the middle of the play there is a special moment - a parabase - when the chorus, on behalf of the poet, addresses the audience and the jury, explaining why this comedy is the best and needs to be voted for.
Space κόσμοςThe word “cosmos” among the ancient Greeks meant “creation”, “world order”, “universe”, as well as “decoration”, “beauty”: space was opposed to chaos and was closely associated with the idea of harmony, order and beauty.
The cosmos consists of the upper (sky), middle (earth) and lower (underground) worlds. live on Olympus, a mountain that in real geography is located in Northern Greece, but in mythology is often synonymous with the sky. On Olympus, according to the Greeks, there is the throne of Zeus, as well as the palaces of the gods, built and decorated by the god Hephaestus. There the gods spend their time enjoying feasts and eating nectar and ambrosia - the drink and food of the gods.
The Oikumene, a part of the earth inhabited by humans, is washed on all sides by a single river, the Ocean, at the borders of the inhabited world. The center of the inhabited world is located in Delphi, in the sanctuary of Apollo Pythian; this place is marked by the sacred stone omphalus (“navel of the earth”) - to determine this point, Zeus sent two eagles from different ends of the earth, and they met exactly there. Another myth was associated with the Delphic omphalos: Rhea gave this stone to Cronus, who was devouring his offspring, instead of the baby Zeus, and it was Zeus who placed it at Delphi, thus marking the center of the earth. Mythological ideas about Delphi as the center of the world were also reflected in the first geographical maps.
In the bowels of the earth there is a kingdom where the god Hades rules (after his name the kingdom was called Hades) and the shadows of the dead live, over whom the sons of Zeus, distinguished by their special wisdom and justice - Minos, Aeacus and Rhadamanthus, judge.
The entrance to the underworld, guarded by the terrible three-headed dog Cerberus, is located in the far west, beyond the Ocean River. Several rivers flow in Hades itself. The most important among them are Lethe, whose waters give the souls of the dead oblivion of their earthly life, the Styx, whose waters the gods swear by, the Acheron, through which Charon transports the souls of the dead, the “river of tears” Cocytus and the fiery Pyriphlegethon (or Phlegethon).
Mask πρόσωπον
Comedian Menander with comedy masks. Roman copy of an ancient Greek relief. 1st century BC e.
Bridgeman Images/Fotodom
We know that in Ancient Greece they played in masks (in Greek prosopon - literally “face”), although the masks themselves were from the 5th century BC. e. was not found in any excavations. From the images it can be assumed that the masks depicted human faces, distorted for comic effect; in Aristophanes' comedies "Wasps", "Birds" and "Frogs" animal masks could have been used. By changing masks, an actor could appear on stage in different roles in the same play. The actors were only men, but the masks allowed them to play female roles.
The masks were shaped like helmets with holes for the eyes and mouth - so that when the actor put on the mask, his entire head was hidden. Masks were made from light materials: starched linen, cork, leather; they came with wigs.
Meter μέτρονModern Russian versification is usually built on the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables. Greek verse looked different: it alternated long and short syllables. For example, the dactyl was not the sequence “stressed - unstressed - unstressed”, but “long - short - short”. The first meaning of the word daktylos is “finger” (cf. “fingerprint”), and the index finger consists of one long phalange and two shorter ones. The most common size, the hexameter (“six-meter”), consisted of six dactyls. The main meter of the drama was iambic - a two-syllable foot with a short first syllable and a long second. At the same time, substitutions were possible in most meters: for example, in a hexameter, instead of two short syllables, a long one was often found.
Mimesis μίμησιςThe word "mimesis" (from the Greek verb mimeomai - "to imitate") is usually translated as "imitation", but this translation is not entirely correct; in most cases it would be more accurate to say not “imitation” or “imitation”, but “image” or “representation” - in particular, it is important that in most Greek texts the word “mimesis” does not have the negative connotation that the word “imitation” has "
The concept of "mimesis" is usually associated with the aesthetic theories of Plato and Aristotle, but, apparently, it originally arose in the context of early Greek cosmological theories based on the parallelism of microcosm and macrocosm: it was assumed that the processes in and processes in the human body are in mimetic similarity relations. By the 5th century BC. e. this concept is firmly rooted in the field of art and aesthetics - to such an extent that any educated Greek would most likely answer the question “What is a work of art?” - mimemata, that is, “images”. Nevertheless, it retained—particularly in Plato and Aristotle—some metaphysical connotations.
In the Republic, Plato argues that art should be banished from the ideal state, particularly because it is based on mimesis. His first argument is that every object existing in the sensory world is only an imperfect likeness of its ideal prototype located in the world of ideas. Plato's argument goes like this: the carpenter creates a bed by turning his attention to the idea of a bed; but every bed he makes will always be only an imperfect imitation of its ideal prototype. Consequently, any representation of this bed - for example, a painting or sculpture - will only be an imperfect copy of an imperfect likeness. That is, art that imitates the sensory world further distances us from true knowledge (which can only be about ideas, but not about their likenesses) and, therefore, does harm. Plato's second argument is that art (such as ancient theater) uses mimesis to make audiences identify with and sympathize with characters. , moreover, caused not by a real event, but by mimesis, stimulates the irrational part of the soul and removes the soul from the control of reason. Such an experience is harmful for the entire collective: Plato’s ideal state is based on a rigid caste system, where the social role and occupation of everyone is strictly defined. The fact that in the theater the spectator identifies himself with different characters, often “socially alien”, undermines this system, where everyone should know their place.
Aristotle responded to Plato in his work “Poetics” (or “On the Poetic Art”). Firstly, man as a biological species is by nature prone to mimesis, therefore art cannot be expelled from an ideal state - this would be violence against human nature. Mimesis is the most important way of knowing and mastering the world around us: for example, with the help of mimesis in its simplest form, a child masters language. The painful sensations experienced by the viewer while watching lead to psychological release and, therefore, have a psychotherapeutic effect. The emotions that art evokes also contribute to knowledge: “poetry is more philosophical than history,” since the former addresses universals, while the latter considers only particular cases. Thus, a tragic poet, in order to believably portray his heroes and evoke in the viewer emotions appropriate to the occasion, must always reflect on how this or that character would behave in certain circumstances; Thus, the tragedy is a reflection on human character and human nature in general. Consequently, one of the most important goals of mimetic art is intellectual: it is the study of human nature.
Mysteries μυστήριαMysteries are religious with rites of initiation or mystical union with. They were also called orgies. The most famous mysteries - the Eleusinian Mysteries - took place in the temple of Demeter and Persephone in Eleusis, near Athens.
The Eleusinian mysteries were associated with the myth of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, whom Hades took to the underworld and made him his wife. The inconsolable Demeter achieved the return of her daughter - but only temporarily: Persephone spends part of the year on earth, and part in the underworld. The story of how Demeter, in search of Persephone, reached Eleusis and herself established the mysteries there, is described in detail in the hymn to Demeter. Since the myth tells of a journey leading to and returning from there, the mysteries associated with it were supposed to provide initiates with a more favorable afterlife fate than that awaiting the uninitiated:
“Happy are those of earth-born people who have seen the sacrament. / The one who is not involved in them, after death, will never have a similar share in the many-gloomy underground kingdom,” the hymn says. What exactly is meant by “similar share” is not very clear.
The main thing that is known about the Eleusinian Mysteries themselves is their secrecy: initiates were strictly forbidden to disclose what exactly happened during the sacred actions. However, Aristotle tells something about the mysteries. According to him, initiates, or mystai, “gained experience” during the Mysteries. At the beginning of the ritual, the participants were somehow deprived of their ability to see. The word "myst" (literally "closed") can be understood as "with closed eyes" - perhaps the "experience" gained was associated with the feeling of being blind and being in darkness. During the second stage of initiation, the participants were already called “epopts,” that is, “those who saw.”
The Eleusinian Mysteries were incredibly popular among the Greeks and attracted numerous devotees to Athens. In The Frogs, the god Dionysus meets the initiates in the underworld, who spend their time in blissful revelry on the Champs Elysees.
The ancient theory of music is well known from the special treatises that have come down to us. Some of them also describe a notation system (which was used only by a narrow circle of professionals). In addition, there are several monuments with musical notations. But, firstly, we are talking about brief and often poorly preserved passages. Secondly, we lack many details necessary for performance regarding intonation, tempo, method of sound production, and accompaniment. Thirdly, the musical language itself has changed; certain melodic moves do not evoke the same associations in us as they did in the Greeks. Therefore, existing musical fragments are hardly capable of resurrecting ancient Greek music as an aesthetic phenomenon.
Not a citizen
Slaves picking olives. Black-figure amphora. Attica, around 520 BC. e.
The Trustees of the British Museum
The basis of the order is a column standing on three levels of the foundation. Its trunk ends in a capital supporting an entablature. The entablature consists of three parts: a stone beam - an architrave; above it is a frieze decorated with sculpture or painting, and, finally, a cornice - an overhanging slab that protects the building from rain. The dimensions of these parts are strictly consistent with each other. The unit of measure is the radius of the column - therefore, knowing it, you can restore the dimensions of the entire temple.
According to myths, the simple and courageous Doric order was designed by the architect Ion during the construction of the temple of Apollo Panionian. The Ionian type, lighter in proportions, appeared at the end of the 7th - 6th centuries BC. e. in Asia Minor. All elements of such a building are richerly decorated, and the capital is decorated with spiral curls - volutes. The Corinthian order was first used in the temple of Apollo at Bassae (second half of the 5th century BC). His invention is associated with a sad legend about a nurse who brought a basket with her favorite things to the grave of her pupil. After some time, the basket sprouted the leaves of a plant called acanthus. This view inspired the Athenian artist Callimachus to create an elegant capital with floral decoration.
Ostracism ὀστρακισμός
Ostracons for voting. Athens, around 482 BC. e.
Wikimedia Commons
The word "ostracism" comes from the Greek ostrakon - a shard, a fragment used for recording. In classical Athens, this was the name given to a special vote of the people's assembly, with the help of which a decision was made to expel a person who posed a threat to the foundations of the state structure.
Most researchers believe that the law on ostracism was adopted in Athens under Cleisthenes, a statesman who in 508-507 BC. e., after the overthrow, he carried out a number of reforms in the city. However, the first known act of ostracism occurred only in 487 BC. e. - then Hipparchus, the son of Charm, a relative, was expelled from Athens.
Every year the people's assembly decided whether ostracism should be carried out. If it was recognized that there was such a need, each voting participant arrived at a specially fenced part of the agora, where ten entrances led - one for each Athenian phyle (after the reforms of Cleisthenes in the 6th century BC, this was the name of the territorial districts) , - and left there the shard he brought with him, on which was written the name of the person whom, in his opinion, should have been sent into exile. The one who received the majority of votes was sent into exile for ten years. His property was not confiscated, he was not deprived, but was temporarily excluded from political life (although sometimes an exile could be returned to his homeland ahead of schedule).
Initially, ostracism was intended to prevent the revival of tyrannical power, but it soon turned into a means of struggle for power and eventually ceased to be used. The last time ostracism was carried out was in 415 BC. e. Then the rival politicians Nicias and Alcibiades managed to come to an agreement with each other and the demagogue Hyperbolus was sent into exile.
Policy πόλιςThe Greek polis could be relatively small in territory and population, although exceptions are known, for example Athens or Sparta. The formation of the polis occurred in the archaic era (VIII-VI centuries BC), V century BC. e. is considered the heyday of the Greek city-states, and in the first half of the 4th century BC. e. the classical Greek polis experienced a crisis - which, however, did not prevent it from continuing to remain one of the most important forms of organization of life.
Holiday ἑορτήAll holidays in Ancient Greece were associated with worship. Most holidays were held on certain dates, which formed the basis of the calendar of the ancient Greeks.
In addition to local holidays, there were Panhellenic holidays, common to all Greeks - they originated in the archaic era (that is, in the 8th-6th centuries BC) and played a crucial role in the formation of the idea of pan-Greek unity, which in one form or another existed in throughout the history of independent Greece, despite the political independence of the poleis. All these holidays were accompanied by various kinds. In the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia (in the Peloponnese) they took place every four years. In the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi (in Phocis), the Pythian Games were also held once every four years, the central event of which was the so-called musical agons - competitions. In the area of the Isthmian Isthmus near Corinth, the Isthmian Games were held in honor of Poseidon and Melicert, and in the Nemean Valley in Argolis, the Nemean Games were held, at which Zeus was revered; both - once every two years.
Prose πεζὸς λόγοςInitially, prose did not exist: only one type of artistic speech was opposed to spoken language - poetry. However, with the advent of writing in the 8th century BC. e. stories began to appear about distant countries or events of the past. Social conditions were favorable to the development of eloquence: speakers sought not only to convince, but also to please their listeners. Already the first surviving books of historians and rhetoricians (History by Herodotus and the speeches of Lysias in the 5th century BC) can be called artistic prose. Unfortunately, from Russian translations it is difficult to understand how aesthetically perfect the philosophical dialogues of Plato or the historical works of Xenophon (IV century BC) were. Greek prose of this period is striking in its discrepancy with modern genres: there is no novel, no short story, no essay; however, later, in the Hellenistic era, an ancient novel appeared. A common name for prose did not appear immediately: Dionysius of Halicarnassus in the 1st century BC. e. uses the expression “walking speech” - the adjective “foot” could also mean “(most) ordinary.”
Satire drama δρα̃μα σατυρικόν
Dionysus and satyr. Painting of a red-figure jug. Attica, around 430-420 BC. e.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
A dramatic genre that consists of satyrs, mythological characters from the retinue of Dionysus. In the tragic competitions held on, each tragedian presented three, which ended with a short and funny satyr play.
Sphinx Σφίγξ
Two sphinxes. Ceramic pyxid. Around 590-570 BC. e. Pixida is a round box or casket with a lid. Metropolitan Museum of Art
We find this mythological creature among many peoples, but its image was especially widespread in the beliefs and art of the ancient Egyptians. In ancient Greek mythology, the sphinx (or “sphinx”, because the ancient Greek word “sphinx” is feminine) is the creation of Typhon and Echidna, a monster with the face and breasts of a woman, the paws and body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. Among the Greeks, the Sphinx is most often a bloodthirsty monster.
Among the legends associated with the Sphinx, the myth of the Sphinx was especially popular in antiquity. The Sphinx lay in wait for travelers near Thebes in Boeotia, asked them an unsolvable riddle and, without receiving an answer, killed them - according to different versions, either devoured them or threw them off a cliff. The riddle of the Sphinx was as follows: “Who walks in the morning on four legs, in the afternoon on two, and in the evening on three?” Oedipus was able to give the correct answer to this riddle: this is a man who crawls in infancy, walks on two legs in his prime, and leans on a stick in old age. After this, as the myth tells, the Sphinx threw itself from the cliff and fell to its death.
A riddle and the ability to solve it are important attributes and a frequent designation in ancient literature. This is exactly what the image of Oedipus turns out to be in ancient Greek mythology. Another example is the sayings of the Pythia, a servant of the famous Apollo in Delphi: Delphic prophecies often contained riddles, hints and ambiguities, which, according to many ancient writers, are characteristic of the speech of prophets and sages.
Theater θέατρον
Theater in Epidaurus. Built around 360 BC. e.
According to some researchers, the rule of returning money was introduced by the politician Pericles in the 5th century BC. e., others associate it with the name Aguirria and date it back to the beginning of the 4th century BC. e. In the middle of the 4th century, “show money” constituted a special fund, to which the state attached great importance: in Athens for some time there was a law on the death penalty for proposing to use the money from the show fund for other needs (it is associated with the name of Eubulus, who had been in charge of this fund since 354 BC.).
Tyranny τυραννίςThe word “tyranny” is not of Greek origin; in the ancient tradition it was first found by the poet Archilochus in the 7th century BC. e. This was the name of one-man rule, established illegally and, as a rule, by force.
Tyranny first arose among the Greeks during the era of the formation of Greek - this period was called early, or older, tyranny (VII-V centuries BC). Some of the older tyrants became famous as outstanding and wise rulers - and Periander of Corinth and Peisistratus of Athens were even named among the "". But basically, the ancient tradition has preserved evidence of the ambition, cruelty and arbitrariness of tyrants. Particularly noteworthy is the example of Phalaris, the tyrant of Akragant, who was said to have roasted people in a copper bull as punishment. The tyrants brutally dealt with the clan nobility, destroying its most active leaders - their rivals in the struggle for power.
The danger of tyranny - a regime of personal power - was soon understood by the Greek communities, and they got rid of the tyrants. Nevertheless, tyranny had an important historical significance: it weakened the aristocracy and thereby made it easier for the demos to fight for the future of political life and the triumph of the principles of the polis.
In the 5th century BC. e., in the era of the heyday of democracy, the attitude towards tyranny in Greek society was clearly negative. However, in the 4th century BC. e., in an era of new social upheavals, Greece experienced a revival of tyranny, which is called late, or younger.
Tyrannicides τυραννοκτόνοι
Harmodius and Aristogeiton. Fragment of the painting of a red-figure jug. Attica, around 400 BC. e.
Bridgeman Images/Fotodom
The Athenian Harmodius and Aristogeiton were called tyrannicides, who, prompted by personal resentment, in 514 BC. e. led a conspiracy to overthrow the Peisistratids (sons of the tyrant Peisistratus) Hippias and Hipparchus. They managed to kill only the youngest of the brothers, Hipparchus. Harmodius died immediately at the hands of the bodyguards of the Pisistratids, and Aristogeiton was captured, tortured and executed.
In the 5th century BC. e., in the heyday of Athens, when anti-tyrannical sentiments were especially strong there, Harmodius and Aristogeiton began to be considered the greatest heroes and their images were surrounded with special honor. They had statues made by the sculptor Antenor installed, and their descendants received various privileges from the state. In 480 BC. e., during the Greco-Persian Wars, when Athens was captured by the army of the Persian king Xerxes, the statues of Antenor were taken to Persia. Some time later, new ones were installed in their place, the works of Critias and Nesiot, which have come down to us in Roman copies. The statues of tyrant fighters are believed to have influenced the ideological concept of the sculptural group “Worker and Collective Farm Woman,” which belonged to the architect Boris Iofan; this sculpture was made by Vera Mukhina for the Soviet pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937.
Tragedy τραγῳδίαThe word “tragedy” consists of two parts: “goat” (tragos) and “song” (ode), why - . In Athens, this was the name for the genre of dramatic productions, between which competitions were organized at other holidays. The festival, held in Dionysus, featured three tragic poets, each of whom had to present a tetralogy (three tragedies and one) - as a result, the audience watched nine tragedies in three days.
Most of the tragedies have not reached us - only their names and sometimes small fragments are known. The complete text of seven tragedies by Aeschylus (in total he wrote about 60), seven tragedies by Sophocles (out of 120) and nineteen tragedies by Euripides (out of 90) has been preserved. In addition to these three tragedians who entered the classical canon, approximately 30 other poets composed tragedies in 5th-century Athens.
Typically, tragedies in tetralogy were interconnected in meaning. The plots were based on the stories of heroes of the mythical past, from which the most shocking episodes were selected related to war, incest, cannibalism, murder and betrayal, often occurring within the same family: a wife kills her husband, and then she is killed by her own son (“Oresteia” Aeschylus), the son learns that he is married to his own mother (“Oedipus the King” by Sophocles), the mother kills her children to take revenge on her husband for betrayal (“Medea” by Euripides). Poets experimented with myths: they added new characters, changed the storyline, and introduced themes that were relevant to the Athenian society of their time.
All tragedies were necessarily written in verse. Some parts were sung as solo arias or lyrical parts of the choir with accompaniment, and could also be accompanied by dance. The maximum number on stage in a tragedy is three. Each of them played several roles during the production, since there were usually more characters.
Phalanx φάλαγξ
Phalanx. Modern illustration
Wikimedia Commons
The phalanx is a combat formation of the ancient Greek infantry, which was a dense formation of heavily armed infantrymen - hoplites in several ranks (from 8 to 25).
Hoplites were the most important part of the ancient Greek militia. The complete set of military equipment (panoplia) of the hoplites included armor, helmet, greaves, round shield, spear and sword. Hoplites fought in close formation. The shield that each phalanx warrior held in his hand covered the left side of his body and the right side of the warrior standing next to him, so the most important condition for success was the coordination of actions and the integrity of the phalanx. The flanks were the most vulnerable in such a battle formation, so cavalry was placed on the wings of the phalanx.
The phalanx is believed to have appeared in Greece in the first half of the 7th century BC. e. In the VI-V centuries BC. e. The phalanx was the main battle formation of the ancient Greeks. In the middle of the 4th century BC. e. King Philip II of Macedonia created the famous Macedonian phalanx, adding some innovations to it: he increased the number of ranks and adopted long spears - saris. Thanks to the successes of the army of his son Alexander the Great, the Macedonian phalanx was considered an invincible striking force.
Philosophical school σχολήAny Athenian who had reached the age of twenty and had served could take part in the work of the Athenian ecclesia, including proposing laws and seeking their repeal. In Athens during its heyday, attendance at the national assembly, as well as the performance of public office, was paid; The amount of the payment has varied, but it is known that in Aristotle's time it was equal to the minimum daily wage. They usually voted by show of hands or (less often) with special stones, and in case of ostracism, with shards.
Initially, public meetings in Athens took place from the 5th century BC. e. - on the Pnyx hill 400 meters southeast of the agora, and somewhere after 300 BC. e. they were transferred to Dionysus.
Epic ἔποςSpeaking about the epic, we first of all remember the poems about and: “Iliad” and “Odyssey” or the poem about the campaign of the Argonauts by Apollonius of Rhodes (III century BC). But along with the heroic epic there was a didactic one. The Greeks loved to put books of useful and educational content in the same sublimely poetic form. Hesiod wrote a poem about how to run a peasant farm (“Works and Days,” 7th century BC), Aratus devoted his work to astronomy (“Apparitions,” 3rd century BC), Nikander wrote about poisons (II century BC), and Oppian - about hunting and fishing (II-III centuries AD). In these works, the “Iliads” and “Odysseys” - hexameter - were strictly observed and signs of Homeric poetic language were present, although some of their authors were a thousand years removed from Homer.
Ephebe ἔφηβος
Ephebe with a hunting spear. Roman relief. Around 180 AD e.
Bridgeman Images/Fotodom
After 305 BC. e. The institution of ephebia was transformed: service was no longer compulsory, and its duration was reduced to a year. Now the ephebes included mainly noble and rich young people.
