CYPRUS:
Cradle of the Greek Alphabet and Knowledge at the Birthplace
of Hellenism
The
myth of the Cypro-Minoan script – the Eteocypriots and the origins of the Greek alphabet in the
Phoenician.
Which
is the Greek syllabary?
Savvas Papadopoulos
"To Kafestiatorio"
parking area of
Agios Neophytos Monastery
8577, Paphos
Civilization in Cyprus
The scientific
dating of the various items excavated by archaeologists, indicates that
civilisation in Cyprus
At the prehistoric
settlement of Choirokitia, primitive Cypriots built organised housing units with
a remarkably functional structure, and on the smooth inner surface of a wall at
Tenta settlement in Kalavassos, traces were found of a painting of which a
section has survived depicting two human forms with arms raised high[1].
Moreover, the various
findings bear witness to the skill with which primitive Cypriots decorated
stone vessels and fashioned primitive jewellery. The effort to create better
living conditions and improve the aesthetics of life reveals both the will and
the ability of this ancient people to create civilisation.
And here two
important questions arise in connection with the title of this paper:
- How did this primitive civilisation, which came 4000 years before the appearance of the so-called Indo-European civilisation, evolve?
- If logic dictates that writing originates from ancient simple painted images, what could be the contribution and course of the paintings in the 6000 years that came before 2000 BC and the appearance of the Cypro-syllabic script?
The origins of Homer
in Old Salamis
That which is chiefly
sought here is not the place from where the great poet originated, but the unbelievably
high level of civilisation – for those ancient times – hidden behind his
homeland.
The fact that both
Homeric works – the Iliad and Odyssey – are written mainly in the Ionic dialect,
has led both Smyrna and Chios
to claim Homer as their own. The weakness of the arguments, as well as the
absence of powerful, living and authentic evidence on the poet’s origins
gradually led to scores of cities being added to the list of those cities
which, relying on thin arguments or facts of a clearly mythical nature,
claiming to have been Homer’s birthplace. This enables us to speculate that
perhaps the poet’s homeland was destroyed and that was why it was not able
protect its great heritage.
In my book entitled
“Salamis of Paphos – Testimonies and Theories”[2] I refer extensively to the large body of evidence which
points to the fact that Homer was descended from Salamis
in Cyprus
Although the official version of history says that Hellenism
arrived in Cyprus through its
colonisation by the Achaeans (1250 - 1.000 BC), a logical approach to a series
of events indicates that Hellenism in Cyprus Delphi . Thus when we speak about
colonisation by the Achaeans, what we really mean is that they were going back
and forth from the motherland.
The geographical position of Cyprus Cyprus
The results of the excavations taking place in recent
years in the Mavrorachi region of Pyrgos village in Limassol bear witness to the
high cultural and commercial-industrial level of Cyprus
Organised
industrial unit in 2350 BC
Archaeological digs have brought to light the world’s
oldest industrial unit. This was an industrial complex which produced a variety
of goods, and was run in a single space covering an area of 4000 square metres,
from 2350 BC until 1850 BC, when it was destroyed by earthquake. The first
perfume workshop and a workshop producing medicines operated under its roof. In
other departments there were copper-processing workshops, where evidence has
been found of the burning of oil at high temperatures - a unique finding in the
ancient world. The complex also contained workshops which produced olive oil,
wine and textiles. Traces have been found of evidence of the manufacture of
silk at a time which predates even silk production in China
Script in the
greater Hellenic world
In order to approach the cyprosyllabic script, or, more
correctly, the Cypriot syllabary, we must first look at what was happening with
written language in the Greek world as a whole. Excavations in the greater Greek
world have brought to light various pre-alphabetic scripts, particularly from Crete , where they were more widespread.
Iconographic or hieroglyphic script
One of these is largely made up of iconic characters,
and that was why the English archaeologist, Arthur John Evans, who discovered it, named it iconographic or hieroglyphic.
Two other pre-alphabetic scripts which came to light during
the same period, exhibited a more diagrammatic form and that was why Evans
called it linear. He divided the
scripts into Linear A (the older of the
two) and Linear B (the newer).
Linear Α
The dated texts in Linear A, which consists of about 100 characters, belong
for the most part to the period from the mid 18th to the mid 15th
century BC.
To date approximately 1500 texts have been published in
Linear A, containing a total of about 7500 symbols. More than 9/10 of the
inscriptions are thought to be account ledgers.
Linear Β
When the Mycenaeans encountered the syllabic script
system, Linear A, they ‘borrowed’ it in order to use it to record the Greek
language. This adapted script was called Linear B.
Linear B exhibits a phenomenon whereby basic forms of
Linear A (almost half) are not used, and instead, elements of hieroglyphic
script appear.
The explanation that can be given is that Linear A recorded
a non-Greek language and the forms which are not used ascribe acoustic values which
are not found in the Greek language.
The Mycenaeans showed no inclination to adapt this
script to the Greek language and develop it further, but instead limited
themselves merely to serving the accounting needs of the Mycenaean palaces.
For this reason, one cannot be certain which words are
written in Linear B if this cannot be deduced from the context as a whole. It
seems that this was not a problem for the users, since only a small group of
experts were privy to the written word, and they used it only to record a
limited range of accounting information. Indeed, the same is true nowadays with
account ledgers, which use only a sparse vocabulary, unclear to outsiders but
readily understood by the accountants themselves.
Taking the above into account, it can be said that Linear
B cannot be considered a separate entity of writing. In order to make this understood,
we cite the following for argument’s sake: nowadays all email addresses are
written in the Latin alphabet. If 3000 years from now some extremely voluminous
lists of addresses of Chinese citizens were to fall into the hands of
archaeologists, would it be correct to call the Latin alphabet Chinese?
The Cypriot syllabary brings about a
revolution in written language
In Cyprus archaeological excavations have
brought to light a system of syllabic script whose mature phase can be
described as the most remarkable achievement in the history of writing
worldwide. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a revolution was taking
place in the area of writing, with an excellent technique being used to introduce
vowels, and, by extension sound, with the result that language was rendered in
a precise phonetic way and for the first time a written text was produced
exactly as it was spoken. The result is a complete phonetic system which allows
us today to read a word, which was written thousands of years ago, precisely as
it was read by the ancient people of the time. Furthermore, it is a script which
is characterised by extreme simplicity and clarity.
The oldest dated evidence of this script is encountered
on a fragment of a clay inscribed plate[5] from Engomi which dates to the 16th
century BC. The number of syllabograms in relation with the size of the plate
as well as the orderly layout, suggest it was created several centuries
earlier.
According to the findings of the excavations in
the city of Ashkelon in Israel, the Philistines borrowed and used the Cypro-syllabic
script in the mid-17th century BC[6].
Finally, with regard to Homer’s works, if logic
supports the position that it would have been impossible for them to have survived
through oral speech, the 12,110 lines that make up the Iliad and the 15,963 lines
of the Odyssey could only have been written originally in the Cypro-syllabic
script.
Logical approach
to the creation of writing
A logical approach to the matter suggests that it was trade
which first required the use of certain symbols to record the name, quantity,
quality and value of the merchandise. From the moment that trade began to move outside
the narrow geographical boundaries of each local region, certain accounting
symbols which had been established acquired an ‘international’ character.
When living standards, and by extension, cultural standards
rose, the need came up to record laws, events, dedications etc. This work was
no longer in the domain of merchants (it was probably a matter of indifference
to them then, as it is now), but of the wise men and the priesthood. The
international trade symbols undoubtedly played an important role, since, as
successors to simple painted images, they were the precursors of written
language.
That is why it is logical that certain similar forms
of letters can be seen in the scripts of different civilisations, without this
meaning that these scripts are related to each other.
Local variations or different forms
of writing
The island was not ruled by one single kingdom but
instead each city was a separate, independent city-state. Relations between the
kingdoms seem to have been harmonious and they cooperated well with each other.
Various sources lead to the assumption that at first at least some of the royal
families belonged to the same lineage[7].
Thus, the aspiration to expand writing beyond accounting
ledgers passed from kingdom to kingdom and gradually took root in all the kingdoms.
Depending on the level of their intelligence or the zeal and intellectual level
of the school of each kingdom, the people who engaged in this discipline, developed
certain local styles in designing the syllabograms. On the one hand they had to
reduce the degree of difficulty, when the writing was carved out on stone and
marble, and on the other, they also sought the best possible aesthetic result,
which would make the written words simpler to learn and therefore easier to
read.
It was only reasonable that the continuous improvement
of writing, particularly in its initial stages, would result in frequent
alterations as well as removals and additions of symbols, leading to the
establishment of a number of different schools or forms of script.
Scripts that are not expected to be read
Such scripts are difficult or even impossible
to read. Apart from the fact that the scribes had not yet decided on the final
forms of the symbols, the use of writing was still limited. With the exception
of a small number of inscriptions, time has destroyed all those which were
written on soft surfaces, such as animal skins or wood. Consequently, it is not
possible to amass a satisfactory collection of samples of the early stages of
writing, which comes from the same period in time and the same kingdom, in
order to have a satisfactory basis for comparison and have any hope of reading
some of the very early inscriptions.
The common form of writing
The cultural pressure to finally arrive at a common
form of writing arose when social conditions made it necessary for all social
strata to understand and read the written word. By that stage, writing had
arrived at a relatively mature stage and offered the possibility of choice of
the symbols and shapes which would eventually prevail.
Who else used the Cypriot syllabary?
Traders from the ancient civilisations of the
region had established their headquarters in Cyprus, which was at that time the
centre of international trade. In addition to the small traders who travelled
around selling their wares, there were also the large merchants or brokers, who
arranged large trade deals, between palaces for example, or were in charge of
regulating transit trade. In times of peace, - wars were not an everyday
occurrence, - merchants were the nucleus around which small settlements
gradually developed, made up of various ethnicities which engaged in all manner
of activities in order to ensure their physical survival. This, of course, is a
phenomenon which is still encountered in the present day, and not only in
Cyprus but in almost all developed countries.
Once settled in Cyprus, these groups of ancient
people were inevitably influenced by the local society. Thus, among other
things, they borrowed the system of writing, which was highly developed for its
time, and adapted it as far as possible to their own languages, in order to
write down both their account ledgers and anything else they wanted to record.
Scripts that will never be read
The fact that:
1. writing was still at a very early stage
and therefore exhibited weaknesses;
2. the forms used were designed to render
the sounds of the Greek language;
3. we had settlers from many ancient civilisations
with different languages,
means that archaeological excavations have found
and will continue to find inscriptions which are completely impossible to read.
We must also not overlook the fact that at the time there was no common ‘All-Cyprus
Ministry of Education’ which trained the scribes and then awarded them diplomas.
It therefore makes sense that the forms of the syllabograms varied among the scribes
of the same period and even the same city.
Since we are unable to read the Greek inscriptions
belonging to the early form of written language or even because different professors
have read such inscriptions in entirely different ways[8], what chance do we have of reading an
inscription which might be in Assyrian or Egyptian or Phoenician or Hittite or
Minoan or some other language unknown to us, without having a broad data base
for each separate language? Moreover, if we also take into account that a
number of acoustic values of these languages is not rendered through the
symbols of the Cypro-syllabic script, it can easily be understood that some
inscriptions which were written either at the early or even at the mature
stages of writing, will remain for ever unread.
Better unread than wrongly read and
interpreted
Sometimes even though the answers we seek are simple
and can be found near at hand, we nonetheless manage to obscure them either by
misinterpreting an inscription or by formulating unfounded theories.
Particularly when such interpretations are uttered from the mouths of renowned
personalities they automatically acquire gravity which results in a distortion
and complication of historical fact and leads to dark and inaccessible paths in
which we are finally held captive and can never escape.
How the myth of the Cypro-Minoan
syllabary was born
Inscriptions from the early phase of the
Cypro-syllabic script came to the attention of Sir Arthur John Evans, who at
that time was excavating the palaces of Minos in Crete. After identifying
certain symbols as being similar to those of Linear A, he decided that the
Cypro-syllabic script had its origins in Crete and thus dubbed it ‘Cypro-Minoan
syllabary’: a term which was accepted by the archaeologists. He also paralleled
the relationship between Linear A (older) and Linear B (newer) with Cypro-Minoan
(older) and the Cypro-syllabic (newer). Subsequently, the term Cypro-Minoan
syllabary included later inscriptions[9], which we are unable to decipher,
simply because they do not appear to be written in Greek.
Thus, the myth of Cypro-Minoan syllabary was
born. In order to consolidate the theory and close the circle of the myth, it
would have been necessary to also discover the civilisation which spoke this
unknown language which as scientists we are unable to read.
How the myth of the Eteocypriots was
born
This was how the myth arose of the so-called
Eteocypriots as well, a term which supposedly denotes the indigenous or genuine
inhabitants of Cyprus during antiquity. This term is not found in any ancient
philological or other source, and is merely an invention of more recent
researchers, based on the term ‘Eteocretans’, which denotes the indigenous
Cretans and is found in Homer [10].
The myth of the so-called Eteocypriots, might have supported
Evans’s theory, but it shed darkness and not light over the landscape, since,
as will be shown below, the so-called ‘Eteocypriots’ are none other than the
Greeks.
How the myth of
the Cypro-Minoan syllabary is debunked
Theoretical experiment: Phase One
Evans’s theory on the Cypro-Minoan syllabary can be dismissed
on the basis of the following, albeit, theoretical experiment:
If we draw up a list containing the 95 syllables that result
from the 18 consonants of the Greek alphabet (βα-βε-βι-βο-βου, γα-γε…etc.), and the five vowels α-ε-ο-ι-ου, with the exception of certain syllables which consist
of two consonants and one vowel the list will basically contain the sounds
which any person can utter in any of the world’s languages.
This list will then be divided among three groups of
primary school children in three different countries. The first group will be in
Cyprus, the second in Finland and the third in Brazil. The three groups will be
asked to invent a kind of writing which will codify the ninety syllables and
the five vowels, so that each syllable and vowel separately will acquire its
own symbol (form).
They will also be asked to take into account the
degree of difficulty of the script they will deliver, since the forms will be
carved out using primitive tools on hard surfaces (stone, marble) or inscribed
on clay, animal skins etc. Finally, an example will be given to them so that it
is absolutely clear what they are being asked to do.
And the question is the following: Is there any possibility
that the three groups of children will manage to draw the 95 linear forms without
using some forms that are similar or at least similar to the shapes: Τ – Χ – Υ – Δ – Λ – F – Ι – O – M – N?
If the results are then given to professors of linguistics
to interpret the result, it would be anticipated that voluminous scientific and
documented studies would arise proving the common origins of the
cyprofinnishbrazilian script.
Phase Two
We would then give the same assignment to professors of
linguistics. Because the script that would arise should not be considered to be
related either to Linear A or the Cypro-syllabic or even the alphabetic script,
we will ask them to choose symbols that will not be similar to those included
in the aforementioned scripts. In addition, they must design symbols which can
be carved on hard surfaces such as stone and marble.
If they succeed in finding, not ninety five forms, but
even ten worthwhile forms, then the so-called term ‘Cypro-Minoan script’ will
acquire the foundations of scientific documentation.
Questions
which lead to conclusions
If the so-called ‘Cypro-Minoan script’ does not
render the Greek language, answers must be sought to the following questions:
- Why have there not been found examples of the early phase of the Cypro-syllabic script, that is to say, the initial stage, which the so-called Cypro-Minoan script borrowed in order to write in the Greek language?
- If such examples do not exist, what was the raw material for the Cypro-syllabic script, particularly if we take into account that the form of the syllabograms of the oldest dated writing[11], which was dated to the 11th century BC, is placed within the mature phase of writing?
- If the so-called Cypro-Minoan script was used to write the unknown language of the so-called Eteocypriots, how did the Greeks manage to adapt it so quickly and impeccably in order to render the Greek language?
- Could this achievement have been performed miraculously?
- If the answer is in the affirmative, why did not the same occur with Linear B also, when it borrowed syllabograms from Linear A?
The answers to the above questions indicate
that only one syllabary was born in Cyprus, devised and designed to record the
language of the so-called Eteocypriots, and that is the Greek language.
Who
are the Eteocypriots?
It is now up to the archaeologists to decide which are
the origins and identity of this people whose roots go back to the depths of
antiquity“απόλλυνται εν ταις αχλύσι της αρχαιότητος”
and which
brought forth Greek writing in order to record the Greek language.
The
terms Cypro-syllabic script or Cypriot Syllabary do not correctly describe what
they refer to. The correct wording should be ‘Greek syllabic script’.
For
a short time in the greater Hellenic world, (1450 BC.-1200 BC), the Mycenaeans borrowed
a number of syllabograms from a non-Greek script, Linear A and adapted them to the
Greek language in order to serve the accounting needs of the Mycenaean palaces.
Thus,
the one and only syllabic script which was designed from the beginning to record
the Greek language, is the Cypro-syllabic. However, the language referred to as
Cypro-syllabic does not record some Cypriot language, but only the Greek
language. Hence, the name emanating from the language and technique that is
written is ‘Greek syllabic script or
syllabary’.
Where does the greatness of the
Greek Syllabary lie?
Despite
the fact that the alphabetic system of writing was born and developed subsequently,
it did not displace the syllabic script for the simple reason that it did not
exhibit shortcomings compared to the alphabet. Thus, the two writing systems
coexisted side by side for several hundred years. This should not cause any
surprise since a similar phenomenon can be seen today in the Greek language.
A Greek syllabic
inscription describing the employment of the doctor Onasilus and his brothers by
the king and citizens of Idalion in order to treat the wounded after Idalion was
attacked by the Persians and the Phoenicians of Citium [12].
The Church kept Hellenism alive
Whereas
nowadays ancient languages are found only in museums and encyclopaedias, the Orthodox
Church has kept the Greek language alive and unaltered exactly as it was spoken
2500 years ago, at the time of the great Greek philosophers. In addition to the
language, the Church is the only ‘organisation’ today which has also preserved
the essence of the teachings of the great Greek philosophers, who defined as
the greatest of all virtues the acquisition of knowledge which unites man with
the divine entity of its origins.
In
a hypothetical end and rebirth of the world, it would be impossible for archaeology
to accept that the same people, who spoke Greek in the form that it was spoken
in their own time, could also speak the Greek language in the form that it was
spoken 2500 years before them (!)
Was the Greek syllabary abandoned or
was its use banned?
It
is interesting to see why the syllabary was abandoned around the end of the 3rd
century BC. It is also rather sad because the Greek language lost a number of
idioms which alphabetic script cannot render. Some of these idioms survived
through oral speech, especially in Paphos, where I come from, and where
expressions of ancient Greek grammar and a number of purely Homeric words are
still in use.
The
prevailing view that the syllabic script was abandoned owing to the superiority
of the alphabet, cannot be accepted and this is founded on the following two
realities:
1.
The
first reality is that the syllabary was not abandoned over time as it gradually
fell into disuse, but instead its end came suddenly. This conclusion can be drawn,
among other things, from the findings at Kafizin[13], where the syllabic script exists
side by side with the alphabetic, and a number of inscriptions are written in
both scripts. The important thing is that these inscriptions belong to the late
3rd century, that is, the period when the syllabic script fell into
disuse. However, a total of 65 inscriptions in the syllabic script were found in
Kazifin alone. Thus, it cannot be accepted that a mature system of writing,
which evolved over many centuries, could suddenly disappear overnight.
Another fact that powerfully contradicts the
prevailing view is the example of the Church, which was not affected by the
changes in the form of the language, but preserved Greek in its unadulterated
form, as it was used 2500 years ago. If we had not experienced this reality at
first hand, we would never have believed it.
2. The second reality concerns the quality,
philosophy and structure of the Greek syllabary which despite the vagaries of time,
has remained alive even after 2200 years in the Japanese script, which even applies
the same logic to its grammatical rules.
And yet it could still
have been in use even today
In
the tables below it is possible to compare, and wonder at, the degree of great
simplicity and purity of an ancient system of writing, the use of which was
banned 2200 years ago, set beside the two forms of modern Japanese writing.
Historical
events at the time when the syllabary ceased to be used
Consequently, the answer to the previous question should be sought in
the historical events of the time during which the syllabary fell into disuse.
This was a long period during which Cyprus suffered greatly as a result of
continuous bloody wars fought over the domination of the island, the outcomes
of which were often in the balance.
After the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) Cyprus was fought over by
his successors, Ptolemy I Lagides or Soter, and Antigonus Monophthalmus or Cyclops.
This dispute resulted in military operations headed by both combatants with the
aim of occupying Cyprus. The island passed first into the hands of Ptolemy, but
was later conquered by Demetrius the Besieger (son of Antigonus) following a
very bloody war. Thousands of soldiers on both sides were transferred to Cyprus
to fight in this war. Some years later, a new military conflict ensued, which
was won by Ptolemy who resumed power in the island and abolished the Cypriot
kingdoms and placed Cyprus –as a single country- in his Ptolemaic kingdom with
its headquarters in Alexandria.
After that, the powerful Selucids, kings of Syria, tried repeatedly to
take Cyprus away from the Ptolemaic dynasties of Egypt. During the reign of Ptolemy
IV (Philopator) (221-204 BC) king Antiochus III of Syria attempted to occupy
Cyprus, as he had done in south Syria, but was defeated in 216 BC at Raphia
near Gaza, and was forced to abandon the attempt. He returned during the reign of
Ptolemy VI Philometor, whom he defeated at Pelusium thereby seizing from Egypt
its conquests in Syria. The governor of
Cyprus at the time, Ptolemy Macron, betrayed the island to Antiochus, who
appointed Sostratus governor of the island. However, the Ptolemaic dynasty managed
to regain control of Cyprus, and retain it until 58 BC, when it became a Roman
province.
It is in the context of these historical events that the ban on the use
of the syllabic script must be sought. Various hypotheses can be made, such as
for example, that it was a way to punish the priests who used the script
extensively and who took a particular side which later lost the war. Another
reason for the ban could have been because unlike the alphabet, the conquerors
could not decipher the syllabary. Another hypothesis could be that the ban was
aimed at cutting the Cypriots off from their deeper roots, namely Hellenism,
and converting them to some other culture.
How the alphabet came to be
The
view is put forward for the first time that the alphabetic script was not the
invention of one man but was simply the fruit which created itself and was born
from the tree of the Greek syllabary, when this matured and reached the
fruit-bearing stage.
At
this stage the syllabic script and, by extension, syllables had crystallised
and men of letters were by now focusing on their new duties: to teach others.
The ability by more and more social strata to comprehend writing was the next step
towards ensuring that it would attain its true value. Consequently, teachers first
instructed people in how to spell out the syllables of a word and then to learn
the syllables which were written in the syllabic script. More attention had to be
paid to the syllables which resulted from the voiceless consonants belonging to
the same family, that is, the palatal κ-γ-χ, the labial π-β-φ and the dental τ-δ-θ.
When
they attempted to pronounce the slight difference in the sounds of the
syllables, τα-δα-θα, δη-θη, δε-θε or πα-βα-φα, βου-φου or κα-γα-χα, γο-χο etc,
how did they explain this? They said: τ – α =
τα, δ – α = δα, θ – α = θα etc.
So what were they doing
without at first realising it?
The
answer is simple: they were alphabetising the syllables. As soon as they realised
that this is what they were doing, the Greek alphabetic system was born
automatically at that very moment. All that remained was for them to understand
it fully and then to devise the symbols which would represent the sound of each
phoneme-letter.
Why the Greek alphabet could not have
come from any script other than the Greek syllabary
The
only two pre-alphabetic scripts that rendered the Greek language in writing
were Linear B and the Greek syllabic.
Linear
B remained an incomplete system of writing which consisted of some of the syllabograms
of Linear A, which the Mycenaeans borrowed and adapted to the Greek language.
This adapted script was used exclusively to record account ledgers and was
abandoned in the 12th century BC without any attempt to improve it.
In
contrast, the Greek syllabary was designed from the beginning to record the
Greek language and developed to full maturity.
In
the same way that it stands to reason that wine cannot be produced from unripe and
sour grapes which were either harvested too early from the vine, or where the
vine dried up before the grapes managed to ripen and reach full maturity and
sweetness, the same logic would dictate that the only system of writing through
which the Greek alphabet could have been born is the Greek syllabary.
The oldest alphabetic scripts
Although
the oldest dated examples of alphabetic script were found outside Cyprus, they
are nonetheless connected to the island.
The
first is a wine jar found at the site of ancient Dipylos (Kerameikos, the main
gate of ancient Athens), in 1871 and which is dated to 735-750 BC. It appears to have been the trophy for a dance competition
since the inscription reads: ‘’Whichever
now of the dancers moves with lightest step…’ The next part is hard to
read, but probably says ‘will receive the
prize’, i.e. the wine jar. There
are rumours that in the same tomb where the wine jar was found there were also
stone plates inscribed in the Greek syllabic script (of Cyprus). Unfortunately,
this fact was covered up or merely allowed to pass without comment. For the
sake of science, if this is true, the archaeologists of Greece should either
confirm or deny it.
On
what is known as the cup of Nestor, which belongs to the same period and was found
on the island of Pithekoussai (Ischia) in the Adriatic, there is reference to
the goddess Aphrodite. A translation of the alphabetic inscription reads as
follows: ‘I am Nestor’s cup, good to
drink from. Whoever drinks from this cup will immediately be seized by desire
for beautifully-crowned Aphrodite’.
The ancient construction of
alphabetic script
There
can be no doubt that, to begin with linear shapes had to be found which would
render in written form the sound of each phoneme. These symbols would have to
be simple and clear and must not be the same as those contained in the
syllabary otherwise there would be confusion between the two systems of
writing.
A reasonable
period would have elapsed between the time when the initial idea was conceived and
its practical implementation as well as the subsequent establishment of its
final form. When this work was completed, the need would have arisen for each
of the linear shapes that were devised to acquire its own name and by extension
its own identity and entity; otherwise it would have been impossible to teach
the alphabetic script.
In
the early stages the letters were given the names of objects whose names began
with the corresponding letter; for example the letter “Β” might have been called Βούς, meaning ox.
This
is a method encountered in radio-telegraphy. When the wireless operator is
asked to spell a word or give the international four-letter sign for his ship,
he uses the following phonetic alphabets:
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The Greek phonetic alphabet
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Α = Αστήρ
|
Β = Βύρων
|
Γ = Γαλή
|
Δ = Δόξα
|
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Ε = Ερμής
|
Ζ =Ζεύς
|
Η = Ηρώ
|
Θ = Θεά
|
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Ι = Ίσκιος
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Κ = Κενόν
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Λ = Λάμα
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Μ = Μέλι
|
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Ν = Ναός
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Ξ = Ξέρξης
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Ο = Οσμή
|
Π = Πέτρος
|
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Ρ = Ρήγας
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Σ = Σοφός
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Τ = Τίγρης
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Υ = Ύμνος
|
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Φ = Φοφό
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Χ = Χαρά
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Ψ = Ψυχή
|
Ω = Ωμέγα
|
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|
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|
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The Latin phonetic alphabet
|
|||
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A = Alfa
|
B = Bravo
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C = Charlie
|
D = Delta
|
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E = Echo
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F = Foxtrot
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G = Golf
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H = Hotel
|
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I = India
|
J = Juliet
|
K = Kilo
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L = Lima
|
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M = Mike
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N = November
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O = Oscar
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P = Papa
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Q = Quebec
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R = Romeo
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S = Sierra
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T = Tango
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U = Uniform
|
V = Victor
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W = Whisky
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X = X-ray
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Y = Yankee
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Z = Zulu
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|
|
Without
a doubt this must have been how the letters of the Greek alphabet were given
their names at the time of the alphabet’s creation. The fact that letters and
objects shared the same name would have required continuous clarification as to
whether the name related to the letter of the alphabet or the object which was
lending its name to the letter. It would be very naïve to assume that the
current names of the letters were given before the alphabet reached its mature
phase.
Improvement of the alphabetic script
Thus,
when the skeleton of the new writing ‘edifice’ had been completed, the team of
‘architects’ and ‘decorators’ came into the fray. Because it constituted a
manifestation of the soul of language, the alphabet had to contain within it the
sum of human wisdom, beauty and knowledge. Of course all this did not take place
over a short period. In the same way that it took centuries for the foundations
of the edifice to be laid, so too the actual construction would have required
that each of many human generations add its own little pebble in the building.
In
the mature phase of the alphabet, each letter acquired its own name, and by
extension, its identity and standing. The sound of each letter was rendered in an
extremely artful sound-metre so that as a whole they united and unified the
acoustic aspect of the alphabet into a musical motif, thereby making it easier
for people to learn the alphabet.
The
names of the first letters have two syllables and end with the most resonant of
all the phonemes: “Α”. The
phoneme “Η” is called ήτα
and its name is added to the second letter of the alphabet, or
the second consonant “Β” (beta), as well as the two consonants which come before and after it,
(β-ήτα, ζ-ήτα, ήτα, θ-ήτα). After the first two-syllable letters come
the single-syllable ones. Some later corrections-interventions in the alphabet
appear to have interrupted its concise musicality.
The order of the letters
It
would appear that there is a kind of logic in the order in which the letters
are placed, and this is related to people’s everyday lives. With regard to the first
letter, Alpha, the possible provenance
of its name is set down for the first time. The word appears to be made up of the
first two letters of two words: “αλ -” from the word αλέκτωρ (cock). I had the good fortune to have spent my
early childhood in the village of Salamiou and my early morning awakening has
remained imprinted in my mind. Just before daybreak, scores of cocks from
varying distances, close to my house and further away, set up a fantastic
musical feast with their crowing, which awakened the whole neighbourhood. The second
syllable, “- φα” comes from the word φάος meaning light, in other words, the trigger for the crowing of the cocks.
For
the people of that time, living as they did absolutely within the laws of nature,
without artificial light and night-time activities, these two words represented
the beginning of each new productive day.
The
second letter of the alphabet is “Β” perhaps from βούν (ox). Then ox was the most useful and valuable ‘tool’ for human survival,
since it was used to plough the land and help it retain rainwater and become
fertile and bounteous.
The
letter “Γ” came next, perhaps from the word for earth γη
whose fruits nurture mankind.
Then comes “Δ”, perhaps from the ancient word δώμα, meaning home, which sheltered and protected the
family. In ancient Greek Δέλτα is also the word for the isosceles
triangle – the form for the upper case letter, since the lower case letters
came much later.
The myth that the
Greek alphabet came from the Phoenician
When the Phoenician alphabet was discovered in the 19th
century, its origins were unknown. Thus, a number of scenarios arose in
connection with its provenance. Some people put forward the theory that it evolved
from the Egyptian script, others said it was from the Proto-Semitic language,
or the Proto-Canaanite script. The earliest known inscriptions in the
Phoenician alphabet come from the city of Byblos.
However, no link has been found to
bridge the enormous gap between the above writing systems and the Phoenician alphabet
(it is a little bit of an exaggeration to call it an alphabet since it does not
include vowels, and perhaps it would be more correct to include it among the systems
of writing). To give an example of the magnitude of the gap in evolution which divided
the above writing systems from the Phoenician alphabet, it could be said that
it is as if the invention that came immediately after the bicycle was the space
rocket.
The similarity between the letters of the Phoenician and Greek alphabets
gave rise to the view that the Greek alphabet derived from the Phoenician. This
view was also based on the fact that it was the Phoenicians who spread the use
of the alphabet.
Unlike the Phoenician alphabet which does not possess the roots that
would justify its having evolved from some older writing system, the Greek alphabet
was on an incessant course of development, since it derived directly from the Greek
syllabary. In addition it was founded on
the infrastructure of a civilisation of an inconceivably high intellectual level,
an example of which has survived by way of Homer, and which goes even further back
to a demonstrably uninterrupted civilisation going back as far as 8000 BC.
The strong presence of the Phoenicians in Cyprus, the centre of trade, is
linked to their presence during the Cypro-Geometric period as well. The city of
Citium is described as a Phoenician city which was used as a transit post for the
goods arriving from Carthage[14], and the city of Lapithos was also under their rule[15]. By nature a trading
people, mainly through sea trade, the Phoenicians spread the use of the
alphabet both in North Africa and Europe, where it was mistakenly assumed that
the alphabetic script was their invention.
Consequently, the only logical explanation is that the Phoenician alphabet,
as well as the philosophy of the names and forms of its letters, was taken from
the early stages of the Greek alphabet. No other logical explanation can be documented,
unless of course the alphabet fell out of the sky (!)
Where confirmation of the above positions
and views can be expected to come from
Close
to the present-day village of Salamiou in Paphos is the site of the kingdom of
the ancient city of Old Salamis. A terrible geological phenomenon during the 11th
century BC resulted in part of the ancient city being swept to the depths of
the earth, and the part which remained over-ground was destroyed in its
entirety. This part of the ancient city is today a virgin archaeological park.
The tragedy of the destruction had one silver lining for the science of
archaeology, since the earth kept within it frozen testimony to that time,
which would not have been preserved had the city continued to live.
Cypro-Arcadian civilisation
In
the geographical boundaries of this extremely ancient kingdom were settlements
whose names can be found in the greater region of ancient Arcadia and Argolida.
It should be noted that the borders of ancient Arcadia are not the same as
those of the present day city, and were much larger than they are now. Thus, apart
from the island of Salamis, which bears the name of the kingdom, we had the
ancient cities of Cyllene, Troezen, Hermione, Methana and Asini, which, however
heretical this might sound, could conceivable have owed their origins to this
region of Old Salamis, and not the other way around, as it is generally
thought.
Besides,
the fact should not be overlooked that the ancient language of Arcadia is none other
than genuine Greek, as this was spoken in Cyprus – the language known as Cypro-Arcadian.
In order to understand how far back this goes, it should be noted that the
Arcadians were the most ancient Greek race.
In lieu of bibliography
The
primordial roots of the civilisation of the Greeks of Cyprus, as is the case with
the Greeks of Arcadia, go back so far that the bibliography cannot deal with it
and continually tries to find a place to fit our origins. In order to give weight
to this theory, in recent years the literature has invented the so-called
Indo-European races on the basis of a shallow logic founded on the common roots
of certain words.
Specifically, the similarity of certain basic words
in Sanskrit, Ancient Greek, Latin, German,
English, etc, such as πατέρας (Sanskrit pita, Ancient Greek πατήρ, Latin pater, German Vater, English father), μητέρα (Sanskrit,
mata, Ancient Greek μήτηρ, Latin. mater, German Mutter, English
mother), σπίτι (Sanskrit, dáma-,
Ancient Greek δόμος, Latin domus)
άλογο (Sanskrit, áśva-,
Ancient Greek ἵππος, Latin equus)
etc, led linguists to assume that these words have common roots.
Whereas the truth is that the German language contains
16,530 simple or composite words, which are an essential part, both qualitatively
and quantitatively, of the total wealth of the German language[16] … (!)
Whereas the English language contains more than 35,000
Greek words[17] …(!)
Whereas according to a study by the
French Ministry of Education, 64% of French words have Greek roots[18]… (!)
Whereas, although according to the prevailing theory,
the Latin alphabet derives from the Greek and the morphology and structure in general
of the Latin language are based on Ancient Greek, they claim equal historical
and temporal origins with the Ancient Greek language.
Whereas,
simple plain logic dictates that it was transit trade that spread the
primordial knowledge of language to primitive man, the literature chose to
construct a fantastic theory built on non-existent nomadic populations, the
existence of which it placed in around 4000 BC.
Even
on the basis of this fantastic scenario, it should be noted that, according to archaeology,
in around 8000 BC the primordial civilisation of the Cypriots was at a
remarkable level of civilisation for its time. Specifically, these ancient
people were constructing organised housing units, decorating the inside walls
with paintings and making themselves beautiful with primitive jewellery. In addition,
the hundreds of years of maturity which came before this civilisation reached the
level described above, are not taken into account. Why then would this emerging
civilisation have had to freeze its development for up to 6000 years, that is,
until the literature had invented the so-called Indo-European races, which
supposedly discovered it and brought knowledge to it? And how ridiculous and naïve
it sounds when we read in the literature:
“A branch of the Indo-Europeans, the Greeks (the name of course is much later)
wandered for many centuries over the plains of central Europe and the northern Balkans.
However, around 2000 BC they began to move in waves towards the southern end of
the peninsula.”[19]
And of all the absurdities, this so-called branch of the Indo-Europeans,
arrived in Greece in 200 BC to bring civilisation, which later on, between the
13th and 10th centuries BC came to Cyprus via the
Achaeans.
What does the literature have to say when we put forward the fact that at
the time when this so-called branch of the Indo-Europeans was supposedly wandering
over the plains of central Europe and the northern Balkans, during that very same
time, the Greeks in Cyprus were operating organised industrial units[20], and had invented the syllabic
script in order to record their Greek language?
That
is why, in lieu of bibliography, I am citing my identity as author. I admit that
I do not belong to the academic community, but I do claim the right to put
forward my point of view, feeling as I do a part of this history, which though
distant is nonetheless inseparable from the present. As a counterweight to
academic knowledge I place the simple human logic with which God endowed us.
Thus, being a part of this history, but on the basis of a simple logical
outlook, I cannot accept outrageous propositions which are reproduced and by
extension imposed, through the system of scientific papers, where any view and
interpretation is accepted as long as it is ‘documented’ by citing the
bibliography.
I am not blaming the scientific system, but
reason tells us that the only people who do not make mistakes are those who do
not produce any work. Those who produce little work make few mistakes and those
who produce much work make many mistakes. However, those who produce a large
volume of work are considered important scientific figures. Under the weight of
their personalities, any views and ideas they put forward are taken by later
scholars as being valid, and are reproduced and gradually become accepted as
fact.
The
centuries-old living tradition, of which I am a part, as well as common logic suggest
that from the beginning the good Lord placed the Greeks in these two lands which
have been so blessed by nature, where they produced civilisation; a
civilisation which was spread by the traders like a divine gift to all peoples,
ancient and modern. Therefore, the smallest token of respect that the world literature
owes them is not to forge their history.
And
in order to ‘compel’ the international bibliography to recognise Greek civilisation
as the first primordial pool of knowledge, from which almost all ancient civilisations
drew, it is necessary first that the Greek bibliography should shoulder its
share of the responsibility, and shed light on the gaps which relate to the deepest
roots of Hellenism, and where ancient Cyprus is a main factor behind the birth
of Hellenism.
[1]
http://www.mcw.gov.cy/mcw/da/da.nsf/All/FEF9127EDA620270C225719B00228342?OpenDocument
[2] It should be
clarified that I am not referring to the well-known Salamis
of Cyprus Salamis
was situated near the modern village
of Salamiou Old
Salamis
[3] Hesychius, pub. M.Schmidt, Jena
[4] www.pyrgos-mavroraki.net
[5] P. Dikaios, Antiquite XXX, 1956, pp. 40-42 and pl.
IX, Enkomi Excavations 1948-1958, II (Mainz 1971) pp.882-883
[6] http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070419/news_1c19phil.html
[7] Archimandrite Kyprianos Kouriokourineos, History of
Cyprus: Περσαίος Βασιλεύς
Παφίων, ου έτι μετά τα ταύτα το βασίλειον της Σαλαμίνης ο Τεύκρος αποθνήσκων άφησε.
Στέφανος
Βυζάντιος, Εκ των Εθνικών: Αμαθούς, πόλις Κύπρου αρχαιοτάτη … από της
Κινύρου μητρός Αμαθούσης.
[8] A Cypro-syllabic inscription was found on a
triangular pediment at the top of a stone stele, depicting a bearded archer.
This was found at the village of Salamiou andit has been in the British Museum
since 1874, catalogue number C-430.
O Deecke ( I.H.Hall. “The Bearded Archer” The Atheneum, No 2757, August 28, 1880) reads
the inscription as follows: Ιjαρότατος Αριπάος ε(ν)θάδε ηρώι FΩρώ ναό(ν) το(ν) δ` έδωκε ιν Αμύντω τω υιώ Ιθονίκη δόξαι οσεjα.
Masson (Les Incriptions Chypriotes Syllabiges (1983), no 93,pp 148-149) reads the same inscription as follows: Αρισταγόραι τω ΟνασιFοικω επέστασε ο πάς / κας οι κασίγνητοι ο(ι) αυτώ … τόδε.
I have examined the readings
of the two professors and found that I disagreed with both, and have made my
own, different reading: (Papadopoulos
Savvas, Salamis of Paphos – Testimonies and Theories (Nicosia 2008) chap. ‘The
Bearded Archer” pp. 86-107) as
follows: Μυστωρότατος(ε) Αραφάος ετασά εποικά πελάω μετ` έδος(ε) ινα μηδοτ` ου α οίτο. Νικήτωρ ιη ος έρι.
[9] Inscriptions Chypriotes
Syllabiques, Olivier Masson, 196 a & b.
[10] (Odyssey, B176): ...εν
μεν Αχαιοί εν δ' Έτεόκρητες μεγαλήτορες, εν δε Κύδωνες Δωριέες τε τριχαϊκες
διοί τε Πελασγοί...
[11] Comptes vendus de l
Academie des Inscriptions (1980) p. 135 : Οφέλταυ
[12]
Ὅτε τὰ(ν) πτόλιν Ἐδάλιον κατέFοργον Μᾶδοι κὰς ΚετιῆFες ἰ(ν) τῶι Φιλοκύπρων Fέτει τῶ Ὀνασαγόραυ, βασιλεὺς Στασίκυπρος κὰς ἁ
πτόλις ἘδαλιῆFες
ἄνωγον Ὀνασίλον τὸν Ὀνασικύπρων τὸν ἰyατῆραν κὰς τὸ(ν)ς κασιγνήτο(ν)ς ἰyᾶσθαι τὸ(ν)ς ἀ(ν)θρώπο(ν)ς τὸ(ν)ς ἰ(ν) τᾶι μάχαι
ἰχμαμένο(ν)ς ἄνευ μισθῶν. Κάς παι εὐFρητάσα(ν)τυ βασιλεὺς κὰς ἁ
πτόλις Ὀνασίλωι κὰς τοῖς κασιγνήτοις ἀ(ν)τὶ τῶ μισθῶν κὰ ἀ(ν)τὶ
τᾶ ὑχήρων δοFέναι ἐξ τῶι Fοίκωι τῶι βασιλῆFος κὰς ἐξ τᾶι πτόλιFι ἀργύρω ΤΑ
Ι ΤΑ. ἜδυFαν οἶ(ν)νυ ἀ(ν)τὶ
τῶ ἀργύρων τῶδε τῶ ταλά(ν)των
βασιλεὺς κὰς ἁ
πτόλις Ὀνασίλωι κὰς τοῖς κασιγνήτοις ἀπὺ
τᾶι γᾶ(?)ι τᾶι βασιλῆFος τᾶ’ ἰ(ν) τ’ οἱρῶνι τῶι Ἀλα(μ)πριyάται, τὸ(ν) χῶρον τὸν ἰ(ν) τῶι ἕλει τὸ(ν) χραυόμενον Ὄ(γ)κα(ν)τος ἅλFω κὰς τὰ τέρχνιyα
τὰ ἐπιό(ν)τα πά(ν)τα ἔχην πανώνιον ὑFαις γα(?)ν
ἀτελήν. Ἤ
κέ σις Ὀνασίλον ἢ τὸ(ν)ς κασιγνήτο(ν)ς ἢ τὸ(ν)ς παῖδας τῶ(ν) παίδων τῶν Ὀνασικύπρων ἐξ τῶι χώρωι τῶιδε ἐξορύξη, ἰδέ παι, ὃ
ἐξορύξη πείσει Ὀνασίλωι κὰς τοῖς κασιγνήτοις ἢ
τοῖς παισὶ τὸν ἄργυρον τό(ν)δε: ἀργύρω ΤΑ Ι ΤΑ. (vacat) Κὰς Ὀνασίλωι οἴFωι ἄνευ τῶ(ν) κασιγνήτων τῶν αἴλων ἐFρητάσα(ν)τυ
βασιλεὺς κὰς ἁ
πτόλις δοFέναι ἀ(ν)τὶ τᾶ(ς) ὑχήρων τῶ μισθῶν ἀργύρω ΠΕ
ΙΙΙΙ ΠΕ, (vacat) ΙΙ ΔΙ Ἐ. Ἔδωκ’ οἶ(ν)νυ βασιλεὺς κὰς ἁ
πτόλις Ὀνασίλωι ἀ(ν)τὶ
τῶ ἀργύρω τῶδε ἀπὺ
τᾶι γᾶ(?)ι τᾶι βασιλῆFος τᾶ’ ἰ(ν) Μαλανίyαι τᾶι πεδίyαι τὸ(ν) χῶρον τὸν χραυζόμενον Ἀμενίyα ἅλFω, κὰς τὰ τέρχνιyα
τὰ ἐπιό(ν)τα πά(ν)τα, τὸ(ν) ποἑχόμενον πὸς τὸ(ν) ῥόFο(ν) τὸ(ν) Δρύμιον κὰς πὸς τὰν ἱερηFίyαν τᾶς Ἀθάνας, κὰς τὸ(ν) κᾶπον τὸν ἰ(ν) Σι(μ)μίδος
ἀρούραι, τὸ(ν) ΔιFείθεμις ὁ Ἀρμάνευς ἦχε ἅλFω(ν), τὸ(ν) ποἑχόμενον πὸς Πασαγόραν τὸν Ὀνασαγόραυ, κὰς τὰ τέρχνιyα
τὰ ἐπιό(ν)τα πά(ν)τα ἔχην πανωνίο(ν)ς
ὑFαις γα(?)ν, ἀτελίyα ἰό(ν)τα. Ἤ κέ
σις Ὀνασίλον ἢ τὸ(ν)ς παῖδας τὸ(ν)ς Ὀνασίλων ἐξ τᾶι γᾶ(?)ι τᾶιδε ἲ
ἐξ τῶι κάπωι τῶιδε ἐξορύξη, ἰδὲ ὁ ἐξορύξη πείσει Ὀνασίλωι ἢ τοῖς παισὶ τὸν ἄργυρον τό(ν)δε: ἀργύρων ΠΕ ΙΙΙΙ ΠΕ, ΙΙ ΔΙ Ἐ. Ἰδὲ τὰ(ν) δάλτον τά(ν)δε, τὰ Fέπιyα τάδε
ἰναλαλισμένα(ν),βασιλεὺς κὰς ἁ
πτόλις κατέθιyαν ἰ(ν) τὰ(ν) θιὸν τὰν Ἀθάναν τὰν περ’ Ἐδάλιον, σὺν ὅρκοις μὴ λῦσαι τὰς Fρήτα(ν)ς τά(ν)σδε ὑFαις
γα(?)ν. Ὅπι (?) σίς κε τὰ(ν)ς Fρήτα(ν)ς τά(ν)σδε
λύση, ἀνοσίyα/ἀνόσιyα Fοι γένοιτυ. Τά(ν)ς γε γᾶ(?)(ν)ς τά(ν)σδε κὰς τὸ(ν)ς κάπο(ν)ς τό(ν)σδε οἱ Ὀνασικύπρων παῖδες κὰς τῶ(ν) παίδων οἱ παῖδες ἕξο(ν)σι αἰFεὶ, ο’ ἰ(ν) τ’ οἱρῶνι τῶι ἘδαλιῆFι ἴω(ν)σι.
[13] Kafizin or little Aronas, is an archaeological site
near Aronas hill in Aglantzia. At this site in a cave which served as a Nymph’s
shrine significant archaeological art works and inscription were found in the
Cypro-syllabic and alphabetic scripts. On the basis of dates found on certain
inscriptions, the use of Nymphaeum dates to the Hellenistic period –
specifically, between 225 and 218 BC, that is, from the 23rd year of
the reign of Ptolemy Euergetes (Benefactor) to the 4th year of
Ptolemy Philopator.
The
Nymphaeum of Kafizin, Terence B. Mitford,
Kadmos, 1981.
[14] Hadjioannou Kyriakos, ΑΚΕΠ, vol. Ε΄ p.149, Nicosia 1983
[15] Skylax
Karyandeves. Periplous, Εκδ. Muller I
p. 77.103 : Κατά δε Κιλικίαν εστί νήσος Κύπρος και
πόλεις εν αυτή αιδε. Σαλαμίς Ελληνίς … Καρπασεία, Κερύνεια, Ληπηθίς Φοινίκων, …
[16] Prokopides Harilaos A., Greek in the German language=
Das Griechische in der deutschen Sprache, Athens
Cactus, 1994.
[17] Greek words in the English language, Aristides Constantinides, Thessaloniki, 1994
You speak Greek; you just don't know it, Annie Stefanides, publ. Ianos 2010.
Moreover, former Prime Minister of Greece and
professor Xenophon Zolotas gave two speeches in English in Washington, on 26
September and 2 October 1959, which have gone down in history. With the
exception of a few conjunctions, articles and prepositions, all the words were
borrowed from Greek. This was repeated later by Dr Ioannis Kalaras in a
scientific paper at the Titania Hotel on 15/03/2000 and Professor of
Orthopaedics at Ioannina University, Panayiotis Soukakos, at the 5th
European Orthopaedics Congress, held in Rhodes.
[18] The speech by French diplomat at the Embassy in Athens, M Luc Asselin de
Williencourt, which used only French words of Greek origin, following the
example set by Zolotas, is evidence by itself.
“En cette epoque historique de l’euro, les cycles de la politique et de l’orthodoxie economique sont en synergie dans notre sphere geographique. L’Enosis europeenne, atome dans le cosmos et dans la galaxie des idees geopolitiques, a un programme thematique et geographique orchestre. C’est un phenomene authentique et non un periple chmerique ou ephemere. Entre parentheses, pour laconique, ce n’ est pas la boite de panadore, encore moins les Danaides”.
“In this historic age of the euro, the political and economic orthodoxy circles are finally in synergy in our geographical sphere. The European Union, an atom in the cosmos and in the galaxy of geopolitical ideas, has a thematic and orchestrated programme. This is authentic and not a chimeric or ephemeral periplous. In parenthesis, to be laconic, it is not Pandora’s box, or of course the jar of the Danaids”..
“En cette epoque historique de l’euro, les cycles de la politique et de l’orthodoxie economique sont en synergie dans notre sphere geographique. L’Enosis europeenne, atome dans le cosmos et dans la galaxie des idees geopolitiques, a un programme thematique et geographique orchestre. C’est un phenomene authentique et non un periple chmerique ou ephemere. Entre parentheses, pour laconique, ce n’ est pas la boite de panadore, encore moins les Danaides”.
“In this historic age of the euro, the political and economic orthodoxy circles are finally in synergy in our geographical sphere. The European Union, an atom in the cosmos and in the galaxy of geopolitical ideas, has a thematic and orchestrated programme. This is authentic and not a chimeric or ephemeral periplous. In parenthesis, to be laconic, it is not Pandora’s box, or of course the jar of the Danaids”..
[19] History of the Greek Language, designed and edited
by M. Z. Kopidakis, Athens
[20] www.pyrgos-mavroraki.net
