Category Archives: Hellenic News Blog

Secret Training Techniques of Ancient Hellenic Culture

ORIGINS

I was always curious as to why ancient Hellenic culture was able to achieve an almost unbelievable pace of innovation on and off the battlefield. This small nation of made up of city states at war with each other for most of the time somehow found the leisure time to invent theatre, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, democracy, nutrition, systematic exercise and muscle development, sculpture, that we still use and are still relevant to this present day. My journey to understanding the secret of rational thought has been a life long pursuit. This article is the first I am publishing on this subject and will be followed up others and eventually by a book I have been writing for a long time titled: “Recipes for the Revival of the ancient Hellenic Spirit” The book will take a little while longer, but there is no need to wait.

The Dancing Warriors

There is one aspect of the ancient Hellenic culture that always intrigued me. Their physical development seemed so extraordinary that to this day very few if any really understand how they trained. What did they know about physical training and development? Based on the evidence they left behind they knew a great deal more than our present athletes and warriors. Dance was at the center of their training. You can still see some elements of the ancient Hellenic dance in classical forms of ballet. This form of dance began in Italy after the Hellenic scholars and merchants arrived fleeing the Ottoman empire after it occupied Constantinople. They brought their most treasured books and manuscripts and they brought their gold. This wealth fuelled the Italian renaissance and began the march out of the dark ages of human expression. It is assumed that classical dance began by simply copying the poses of the ancient Hellenic sculptures. But what if their books described a training technique of the body? What if there were detailed drawings of the exercises and rhythms and steps? Continue reading Secret Training Techniques of Ancient Hellenic Culture

17 days in November

I moved back to Greece in October 1973 with my parents after living in Canada for 7 years. I was looking forward to returning to my country of origin.

We landed in Athens in the early morning. Of course there was no way I could sleep the first day. My father and I went downtown to have a coffee at the Syntagma Square in front of the Parliament building. Suddenly we heard some yelling and singing coming from one of the streets. We got up to see what was going on and walked right into a demonstration against the Junta governing Greece at the time. Whoa! What a way to be welcomed!

I had a keen interest in the anti-war demonstrations in America from a very young age. I was very aware of political protest and violence. I saw the shootings in Kent State and the riots surrounding the ‘68 Democratic Party convention in Chicago on television, as well as the ’68 Olympics and the Black Power salute given by some American Athletes when receiving their gold medals on the podium. So here I was in the middle of this spontaneous eruption of protest in my own country. Tear gas, baton wielding police and demonstrations right before my eyes. I found it exhilarating. From that moment I knew that I wanted to be involved.

Continue reading 17 days in November

Hellenic thought is emerging

Our minds have been poisoned by wrong assumptions about the origin of our civilization. Pericles, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were not the ones that built the Hellenic culture they were the ones that presided over its destruction. The ones that built that magnificent Hellenic culture were the pre-Socratics. They built the greatest civilization this world has ever seen. Their story is about to be finally revealed. True Hellenic thought is emerging from 2,500 years of misinformation.

We need this more then ever because we like Pericles, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle before us, we are now the ones presiding over the greatest destruction of our natural resources, animal and human life this planet has ever seen. The damage has continued over the last 2,500 years.

My upcoming book “Recipes for the Revival of the Hellenic Spirit” will uncover the true nature of pre-Socratic intelligence, nutrition and physical exercise. Recipes that built the greatest civilization the world has ever seen. It is a personal story of my lifelong quest to unravel the mystery of their advanced rational thinking abilities, their sense of freedom and individual rights, their search for the most nutritional foods, their superior training methods and their will for joy, learning and unlimited curiosity about the world around them.

All their knowledge has been in plain sight this whole time. It is embedded in the original marble and bronze statues they left behind. It is embedded in the temples like the Parthenon at the Acropolis, Temple of Poseidon at Sounio and the temples of Aphaia in Aigina Island. The origins go much deeper then the building of the temples. The stage was set much earlier for the emergence of a new consciousness for humanity based on their ability for rational beingness.  This embodied knowledge can only be accessed by shifting our perception from thinking to being. An integral part of rational beingness is proper nutrition, and properly performed exercise. Certain original statues still in existence today hold the total knowledge of physical exercise, nutrition and embodied rationality. The world is searching for answers everywhere except where the real answers lie waiting to be accessed: in the Ancient Hellenic pre-Socratic culture.

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Democracy is Flourishing on Wall Street

Cleisthenes” by http://www.ohiochannel.org/. Licensed under Attribution via Wikimedia Commons.
Cleisthenes: The inventor of Democracy

Democracy is Flourishing

Ancient Athenian style Democracy is flourishing in only one place in the modern world. The Wall Street stock markets. They vote everyday on everything. In ancient Athens where participatory democracy was born this is how it worked. Citizens debated and voted on every issue. Up, or Down, Yes, or No. There were no elected officials that ruled unhindered for a period of 4 or 5 years. The modern politicians have turned a creative way to express the will of the people “Democracy” into an “Olympic” event. The winner is awarded 4 years of absolute rule. Democracy is not an Olympic event waged by Politicians to win power. It is the direct expression of the people’s will in all their affairs. The Athenian people’s will was obeyed and actualized on a regular basis. Not just once every 4 years.

In modern times we find this type of Democracy in only one place. The Wall street stock market.

Did some news of calamity hit the newswire the stock market participants and big capital immediately vote on Wall Street by buying or selling. They drive the prices up or down in a flash. Wall Street is the modern version of the Acropolis where they meet and rule over their vast financial empire. They control the money supply of our modern democracies. Unlike their predecessors the Athenians, they are not seekers of truth, justice or free thought. They are seekers of ever expanding wealth in the hands of the very few. Continue reading Democracy is Flourishing on Wall Street

What is wrong with the Greek olive oil industry?

Shooting the Messenger

My last article on the fears of how low prices may effect the quality of olive oil Greeks will be consuming this year ruffled a few feathers. A Greek website claimed they had received phone calls and complaints. They even “warned” me that people are very angry. They claim olive oil companies have lost a great deal of money because of my article. They published my photo without authorization. They refuse to ask for permission or remove it. This is the sorry state of modern Greek journalism. This is the type of hyperbole that mirrors the state of the olive oil industry in Greece today. Thinly veiled threats from people hiding behind the “journalist”.  I asked them out for a cup of coffee and they have so far refused.

The fact is, 70-80 percent of our exported, high-quality EVOO is being sold off at the lowest prices to Italians and other foreign buyers in bulk. The question the Greek government, olive oil companies and Greek journalists need to answer is: why are we still selling our best EVOO in bulk? Why are the prices dropping during a period of limited supply? We are not alone in this race to the bottom of the price pool. There is another country that is struggling to add value as it sells its liquid gold off in bulk at lower prices: Tunisia

Italian and the Spanish Olive Oil Companies are Thriving

In contrast, Italian olive oil companies who had to deal with some very real stigmas to their reputation are thriving. Honest and hard working Italian olive oil companies have managed to flourish in spite of the stigma of adulteration in the past and even into the present. They have become so successful they are forced to buy up Greek or Tunisian EVOO in bulk in order to fill their orders. Producers in Spain have bounced back from adversities and are thriving. What is wrong with the Greek olive oil industry?

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON OLIVEOILTIMES.COM PLEASE VISIT: http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/opinion/continuing-slide-of-olive-oil-prices-in-greece/45574

 

Time Has Come to Say Goodbye

The time has come to embrace our greatness. Time has come to once again embrace the drachma. The time has finally arrived to say goodbye to the euro. This simple thought instills enormous fear and tribulation. The fear is palpable and the panic seeps through everything and everyone in its path. This simple thought can change the course of history. Time has come to say goodbye. Think this simple thought in the privacy of your own imagination and let it come alive in your heart. “Time to say goodbye to the euro and time to embrace the drachma” Do not let them scare you do not let anyone put fear in your heart. Our choices will determine our future. Let them know you are not going to take it anymore.

Enough is enough

The ancient Athenians under the leadership of Themistocles, when faced with certain military defeat abandoned Athens and fled to Salamis. Every single person new that it was time to say goodbye to their beloved city. They abandoned their homes their temples. They abandoned Athens. Their courage and daring paved the way for the eventual victory against the Persians. Now we are called once again to make the choice for freedom instead of eternal slavery to foreign powers. We can make the rational choice free from fear and superstition. If only we had a Themistocles among us to show us the way; some cry out. Themistocles will not arrive as a leader but as an idea and a willingness to take action and a willingness to sacrifice everything for freedom. Victory was not assured then and victory is not assured now. But defeat is guaranteed if we do nothing. At least think about it. At least do that. Greatness does not live in the past, it can reside in our present, in our hearts  and in our future.

Athan

SNGCop 039.jpg
SNGCop 039” by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com – Classical Numismatic Group. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Two new Polyphenols Discovered in EVOO by Greek Scientists

Two new Polyphenols Discovered in EVOO by Greek Scientists

Dr. Eleni Melliou and Dr. Prokopios Magiatis made 3 very significant announcements at the just completed “Mediterranean Diet and Workplace Health” conference organized by Harvard.

Dr. Eleni Melliou at Harvard
Dr. Eleni Melliou at the Mediterranean Diet and Workplace Health” conference

1. Two new compounds found in olive oil, oleomisssional and oleokoronal, have been identified and so named
2. A new test, called the Melliou-Magiatis method, (Aristoleo™ Test Kit) can measure the amount of oleocanthal and oleacein in olive oil in a test tube using a handheld colorimetric index in the field
3. Tests on mice indicate oleocanthal in combination with oleacein showed a better result in lowering LDL oxidation than oleacein on its own.

http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-health-news/new-phenolic-compounds-unveiled-at-harvard-conference/41387

Super Selene

I love to look up at the moon late on a summer night lying on the ground looking up and dreaming of limitless possibilities. It is an almost daily treat here in Hellas during the late spring to early fall. Clear skies and warm nights make it an ideal place to call home.

From Wikipedia: Super Selene In Greek mythologySelene (/sɨˈlni/; Greek Σελήνη [selɛ̌ːnɛː] ‘moon‘;) is the goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of thesun-god Helios, and Eos, goddess of the dawn. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens. Several lovers are attributed to her in various myths, including Zeus,Pan, and the mortal Endymion. In classical times, Selene was often identified withArtemis, much as her brother, Helios, was identified with Apollo.[1] Both Selene and Artemis were also associated with Hecate, and all three were regarded as lunar goddesses, although only Selene was regarded as the personification of the moon itself. 

Super Selene Hellenic Goddess of the Moon
Super Selene Hellenic Goddess of the Moon
Selene slowly turning away
Selene slowly turning away

My book “Recipes for the Revival of the Hellenic Spirit” purpose is to clear the cobwebs surrounding the true nature and practical value of the Hellenic spirit. Connecting with the Hellenic spirit will untame your creativity and unleash your capabilities to their full potential.

Rising above superstition and fear, “Recipes for the Revival of the Hellenic Spirit” is a guide to personal happiness, physical health, and intellectual freedom. A road map for reclaiming our fullest potential as a species.

One city one world one human at a time”

I will be publishing a new excerpt from my upcoming book every week or when I get around to it. Subscribe in order to stay informed.

all rights reserved copyright 2014 

Lego invented by an ancient Hellenic architect?

One of the most enduring mysteries may have been finally solved. How did they build the temples so they stay standing for thousands of years? The answer was in plain sight the whole time. I came face to face with this elusively obvious answer to this puzzle when I visited the Aphaia temple on Aegina Island. This is one of three Parthenons built during the 5th and 6th century BC. Only recently did archaeologists realize they form a perfect triangle when these three temples were viewed from high above. Considering the fact they were not all built at exactly the same time and the positioning of these temples predate Hellenes known ability to triangulate their position, it would seem to be purely coincidental. Especially when you consider their placement in very specific places that leave no room for adjustments. The Parthenons at Acropolis in Athens, Aphaia on Aigina island nor Sounio at the cliffs edge of Attica could be moved a few hundred feet this way or that way in order to get the precise triangle formation without falling off the mountain or into the sea. So this mystery remains unsolved. Continue reading Lego invented by an ancient Hellenic architect?