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Magna Graecia – Part 6: The eternal return

The Greek Herald
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Magna Graecia – Part 6: The eternal return

By Dr. Themistocles Kritikakos (Historian)

Across this series, we have journeyed through the Greek settlements of southern Italy, tracing how Hellenic civilisation spread, flourished, and was transformed in a new environment.

From Parthenope’s mythic shores on the Bay of Naples to the bronze warriors recovered from Calabrian waters in 1972, from Syracuse’s commanding harbour, where the failed Athenian expedition altered the course of the Peloponnesian War, to remote mountain villages in Calabria’s Aspromonte (Greko) and in Puglia’s Salento (Griko), we have seen how the legacy of Magna Graecia endured.

The Greeks founded cities—Neapolis, Syracuse, Kroton, and Taras—that stood as equals to the greatest centres of the ancient world. This was never mere imitation but rather adaptation and transformation. Hellenic civilisation was woven into the very landscape through living myth. Parthenope was the Siren who threw herself into the sea in sorrow, ending her life after failing to captivate Odysseus with her song. The first Greek settlement in Neapolis was named after this mythical figure.

Mythological accounts tell of oracle prophecies influencing Phalanthus, the divine hero, to colonise Taras, named after Poseidon’s son. Other stories speak of the enraged Typhon, imprisoned by Zeus, roaring from beneath Mount Etna near Catania.

The settlements in southern Italy were not merely Greece’s periphery but a vibrant second heart of the Hellenic world. The settlers brought with them language, customs, religious practices, and civic ideals of the mother cities. At times they rivalled their mother cities and even Athens itself, occasionally surpassing them in wealth, innovation, and cultural achievement.

This cultural dynamism attracted some of the greatest minds of the ancient world. Plato travelled three times to Syracuse between 387 and 361 BCE, seeking to guide tyrants Dionysius I and II toward his ideal of philosopher-kings. His visits demonstrated that Magna Graecia had become a true extension of Greek civilisation, firmly establishing the region as a hub of intellectual and cultural influence.

The region was home to philosophical schools that would reshape human thought. Pythagoras established his influential community in Kroton around 530 BCE, revolutionising mathematics and mystical understanding. In Elea, Parmenides and Zeno laid the foundations of logic and metaphysics that would challenge thinkers for centuries. In Sicily, Empedocles at Akragas proposed his theory of four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) that would dominate scientific thought.

Meanwhile, Alcmaeon of Kroton pioneered medical and anatomical study, becoming one of the first to perform dissections and to locate intelligence in the brain rather than the heart. Zaleucus, the lawgiver from Locri Epizephyrii, established one of the earliest written legal codes. His aim was for the laws to be applied consistently and to prevent the arbitrary power of the aristocrats. Archimedes (287–212 BCE) from Syracuse in Sicily transformed mathematics, engineering, and physics; his innovations echo through the ages.

These intellectual achievements were matched by equally bold political and artistic experimentation. Syracuse alternated between tyranny and democracy, achieving its most notable reforms under Timoleon (344–337 BCE), who established democratic laws, citizen protections, and the symbolic destruction of tyrannical strongholds. Taras, originally oligarchic with Spartan roots, saw stronger democratic elements emerge after heavy aristocratic losses. Under Archytas, Pythagorean mathematical and philosophical ideas were blended with practical governance.

In architecture and art, the cities of Magna Graecia transformed Greek traditions into original expressions. The temples at Paestum (Ancient Poseidonia) combined Ionic and Doric elements in unprecedented ways. Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, recognised by UNESCO as among the world’s best examples of Doric architecture, demonstrated how Greeks could flourish beyond their homeland.

Greek cities often employed more systematic planning than established settlements. Neapolis embodied this rational approach through its carefully ordered grid of streets, and visitors today still walk along routes that follow the ancient Greek thoroughfares that have shaped the city.

Syracuse’s cultural patronage under Hieron I attracted prominent figures of the time. Aeschylus staged tragedies at the Greek theatre, including The Persians and The Aetnaeans. The theatre, where audiences still gather today, became a showcase for Hellenic dramatic achievement.

This cultural and political innovation was supported by extraordinary economic prosperity. The prosperity of Magna Graecia was celebrated. Cities like Sybaris and Metapontum were synonymous with luxury and agricultural wealth. Sybaris became so associated with luxury that “sybaritic” entered the language itself, while Metapontum’s sophisticated agriculture, symbolised by the ear of barley on its coinage, made it a major grain centre of southern Italy. The collective prosperity of these cities created standards of living that struck the ancient world.

Magna Graecia offers profound lessons for our interconnected world. These cities demonstrate how cultural encounter can spark innovation rather than mere imitation. The Greeks who sailed west were not seeking to rebuild Athens; they were bold enough to reimagine what it meant to be Greek among new peoples, under new skies.

As we conclude this series, the Riace warriors offer the perfect metaphor. For over two thousand years, they waited beneath the sea, hidden until the moment came to rise again into the light. They emerged like messengers from antiquity. These bronze guardians remind us that Magna Graecia’s influence was never truly buried. It pulses still in Naples’ restless energy and in Calabria’s ancient voices. It lives in Sicily’s eternal temples and in the memory of Spartan exiles who became Tarentine masters. The legacy endures in Metapontum’s golden grain, in theorems bearing Pythagoras’ name, in Parmenides’ philosophy, and in Archimedes’ innovations.

Today, travellers to Agrigento’s temples, visitors marvelling at the Riace bronzes, students encountering philosophical and scientific insights, or audiences watching performances in Syracuse’s ancient theatre all join that timeless dialogue between past and present. Magna Graecia reminds us that great civilisations never truly disappear—they await rediscovery by each generation.

This article concludes the series on Magna Graecia.

Links to the series:

Magna Graecia – Part 1: Hellenism beyond the homeland

Magna Graecia – Part 2: The Greek foundations of a new city

Magna Graecia – Part 3: Hellenism cast in bronze

Magna Graecia – Part 4: From Colony to Colossus: Syracuse and Hellenism in Sicily

Magna Graecia – Part 5: Exiled Spartans and Forgotten Greek Cities

*Dr Themistocles Kritikakos is a Greek-Australian historian, philosopher and writer. He holds a PhD in History from the University of Melbourne. His forthcoming book explores intergenerational memories of violence in the late Ottoman Empire, identity, and communal efforts toward genocide recognition, focusing on the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian communities in Australia.

Kiato: Greece’s seaside town loved by locals and the diaspora

Kathy Karageorgiou
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Kiato: Greece’s seaside town loved by locals and the diaspora

Kiato is a seaside town, about 25 kilometres from Korinthos on the northern coast of the Peloponnese. On the national highway, it’s roughly an equal distance of around 100 kilometres each way between Athens and Patras. 

A relatively quiet, non-assuming town, Kiato has a gorgeous, long pebble beach studded with cafes and tavernas. Surprisingly, foreign tourists are rare even though it has easy train access from the airport of Athens and the port of Piraeus. 

Personally, I have been holidaying in Kiato for over 20 years and although charmed by its above mentioned, usual summer locale attractions, I quite like the rather grungy feel of it. It has a slightly rough-around-the-edges vibe. 

Locals such as workers – public servants, store owners, bank staff, tradies and farmers – coming down to the city from the nearby mountainous areas, make Kiato lively and colourful. 

Its population of around 10,000 swells to much more in the summer months with predominantly Greek tourists, although a few Greek Australians and Greek Americans, mostly with family owned and inherited properties also visit. Of course, there’s also the odd foreign tourist who prefers a more genuine, off-the-beaten track experience.

Kiato has a special feel – relaxed, accessible to shops and small local pockets of greenery including a park with exercise equipment, while it’s also close to archaeological and cultural sites. The beach has free showers, disabled access, a walking path, a bike path, a port, views to mountains – and even a few palm trees. Oh, and there’s even a gorgeous outdoor cinema (in its bordering Kato Dimino village).

There are many wonderful food offerings in Kiato too. You can enjoy souvlaki in a casual taverna setting on tables and chairs literally sea side (at good prices). In the early morning you can see the fishing boats out on the water testifying to the fresh seafood that’s also on offer.

There’s also great tasting meat here (perhaps sourced from the nearby villages), as well as all the other traditional Greek foods and the not-so-Greek – burgers and pizzas and surprisingly good, Italian style gelati ice cream.

Rye
From L-R (Hubby, Rye and George)

Oh, and the local Kiatoans’ sense of humour shows itself though their ‘re-naming’ of a very popular hole in the wall – a take-away kebab shop they call “to vromiko” (the dirty one). Officially named ‘Kyriakidis’, its kebabs most likely stem from a recipe of Asia Minor Greeks many of whom came to Kiato from the 1922 population exchange. My family and I have been enjoying their amazing kebabs for years so I can verify “the vromiko” is good, clean food regardless of its down and dirty, cheeky name pun.

Of course, I’m not the only one who’s in love with Kiato. Years ago, we met Rye there, a baseball coach from Canada.

“Kiato is my love, apart from my wife and daughters of course! My discovery of Kiato took place in 2021 while coaching the Hellas National Baseball Team. Between tournaments in Lithuania and Italy, I needed a place to stay for two months,” he says.

“Kiato was the city I settled in and felt in love immediately. The area has all that Greece has to offer, beautiful sea, great views, wonderful food and the famous Hellenic hospitality.

“The city centre is full of wonderful tavernas, beach bars and welcoming coffee shops along with mouth-watering bakeries.


“Kind, wonderful people are everywhere and add a special charm to this beautiful area along the gulf of Corinth. The sea is forever a changing masterpiece of colour and texture. It has become my home and a place where I feel that I need to be, it has fulfilled me and connected me back to my Greek heritage.”

Katina and George

Both Rye and my family stay at Katina’s rooms/hotel: a 1970s built, three-storey place right on the beach, now mainly run by her son George. It’s actually officially in ‘Kato Diminio’ which is basically a continuation of Kiato, very close to its border and has become our yearly, summer hang out. A very welcoming, quiet, friendly, family vibe place serving food and coffee with retro rooms (some of which have been renovated) right on the beach.

Mary in Sydney
Mary in Kiato

I also speak to Aussie, and long-time Kiato resident Mary, who perhaps has a less starry eyed view of Kiato compared to short stayers such as Rye and I (including my Aussie husband who loves the place). 

“When I first came from Australia to Kiato – to my mother and father’s hometown, I was thrilled that you can see and live near the sea every day. It’s a quiet place with friendly people, only an hour away from Athens,” Mary says.

“Although I was only 13 years old, I knew that I wanted to live and work in this town. Finally, I do live and work in Kiato. Even my children who studied in Athens and stayed there for five years did the same as me, and now we all work in the family business (accounting office) only five minutes near our houses. But I still miss and love Australia and go whenever I can.”

There you have it, we love Kiato!

Changing your name and surname abroad and in Greece

The Greek Herald
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Changing your name and surname abroad and in Greece

By Anastasia Miliou, Attorney at the Supreme Courts

It is generally known that in Greece to live and work many foreigners have acquired Greek citizenship by naturalisation or by determination. On the other hand, many Greeks now live and work abroad.

In both cases, sometimes it is judged necessary the change of the first name or even the surname for reasons of facilitation of their social and professional activities.

The change of the first name in Greece according to Greek law is not at all a simple matter. The change of the surname is almost impossible or very difficult and there must exist exceptional reasons for such an application to be accepted.

The change of the first name is done by application of the interested person to the Magistrate’s Court, while the change of surname is done at the Municipality to which each one belongs. In both cases it depends almost exclusively on the discretionary power of the judge or the mayor as to whether it will be accepted or not.

There is no specific law which permits the change of the name, rather the opposite occurs. The application is based not on the provisions of the Civil Code, but on the fundamental principles of the Constitution regarding the free development of personality.

Practically the change of name is done on the birth registration act of the applicant, and for this reason, foreigners who have acquired Greek citizenship by naturalisation do not have a Greek birth registration act and cannot submit an application for change of name, because there does not exist a birth registration act to be modified.

Foreigners who are of Greek origin and have acquired Greek citizenship by determination have a birth registration act registered at the Special Registry.

Therefore, any foreigner interested in change of his/her first name in Greece must first turn to the Special Registry and see if he/she has there a birth registration act. If indeed there is, then he/she can make application in Greece directly for change of name.

For those who do not have a Greek birth registration act, and for Greeks who live and work permanently abroad, there exists another procedure which, especially for Greeks, perhaps is more practically easy in order to change their name, even their surname which is extremely difficult to do in Greece.

Generally, it appears that the legislation of foreign states is more relaxed on the matter of change of name-surname, compared with Greece.

Therefore, Greeks who live and work abroad and want to change their name-surname for practical reasons are given a great opportunity to do it first there, so that afterwards very easily the change of their details may follow also in Greece.

Once they change their details abroad, they resort again judicially for the recognition this time of the validity of the foreign administrative act of the change of name or surname in our country.

The application is made at the Single-Member Court of First Instance, and this time the court is almost obliged to accept the changes and to modify all the public documents of the applicant whether it concerns first name or surname.

Especially in Great Britain the change of name or surname is done with a simple application and two witnesses. The decision of change of name-surname is called “deed poll” and is recognised in Greece as an administrative act that has validity and is applied in our country.

Thus, very simply and easily, if someone can change his/her details in England, afterwards he/she can change them also here.

In the same way, foreigners who do not have a Greek birth registration act in Greece, if they can change their details in their country of origin, then afterwards they can, with a judicial application request, achieve the recognition of this change also in Greece.

Anastasia C. Miliou is an Attorney at Law at the Supreme Courts with experience in international law and a large clientele in both Greece and abroad. Her telephone number is 6945028153. If you would like questions answered as part of her articles in English online, you can e-mail her at natmil@otenet.gr or visit www.legalaction.gr

Action over inertia: Building the future of the Greek diaspora in Australia

Anastasios Tamis
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Action over inertia: Building the future of the Greek diaspora in Australia

Having in mind the galloping ageing of the diaspora in Australia, the lack of a sufficient number of institutional bodies of Hellenism and mainly the, as a rule, withering and petrification of the parochial ethno-local organisations, whose social cycle essentially closed from the beginning of the second decade of our century, it is necessary that we now be led to the need of finding mechanisms that will halt the demographic withering, the social inertia and the cultural thinning, and will act as factors of rebirth and rekindling.

All who live in Melbourne or Sydney, in the ethno-linguistic centres of Hellenism of Australia and perhaps of the worldwide Greek diaspora, are in a position to testify that the parochial organisations are experiencing days of decline and inertia, their committees are not renewed, meetings are postponed due to lack of quorum, general assemblies are cancelled due to absence of their members, the social events that once flourished with life and enthusiasm are characterised by lethargy and weakness.

By exception of course there are also certain organisations that resist and mainly produce work, cultural, educational and social. They organise lectures, publish magazines, promote cultural events, put on some comedies even with obscenities in order to attract an audience, make efforts to awaken, to come out of inactivity, of withering.

The functioning of our day schools, the existence of the afternoon schools, despite their deficient functional character, with the minimal hours of teaching and the teaching and learning of the Greek language, must receive the appropriate recognition.

There also exist our established secular social bodies which make titanic efforts to respond to the needs of our declining community with the nursing homes, which indeed are necessary, and their organised social care.

Nevertheless, the whole movement is not systematic and methodical, because it does not have institutional structure and universal or majority diasporic recognition, and mainly is spasmodic. It resembles the pilot who lost control of the aircraft and as the aeroplane sinks into the abyss presses all the buttons at the same time, perhaps in order to… be saved.

For there to be a rebirth of Hellenism, the following are necessary:

  1. New institutional bodies should be founded or re-founded, operating with a secular and democratic structure, broad-based consent, a clear vision, and a strong future orientation. Their role will be to support the historic Communities, which must be embraced and recognised as the very nuclei of Hellenism’s existence in the decades ahead. Beyond our day schools, these institutional bodies must be robust, well-organised, and democratically elected collective formations that represent the diaspora and serve as instruments of political and social advocacy.
  2. There must be established strong social, economic, cultural, and educational links between the base — that is, the members who comprise the Diaspora — and the above institutional bodies together with the Communities of the Greeks. Continuity, growth, renewal, and rebirth will only be possible when these Communities and new institutions provide services that meet the immediate human and socio-economic needs of their members. These include education, nurseries, kindergartens, early childhood centres, conference facilities, theatres and cinemas, and meeting halls, as well as social programmes delivered through geriatric clinics and hospitals.

In providing such services, the Communities of the Greeks, the Common of the Greeks, and the new institutional bodies will gain the support not only of Diaspora members — including the second, third, and fourth generations who rely on childcare and schooling while parents work — but also of Australian governments, which will inevitably be obliged to subsidise and support these services. In this way, decline can be contained. Such arrangements echo the experience of the wider Greek world, particularly during the absence of a Greek state under Ottoman rule, and across the vast historical Diaspora from southern Russia to the eastern Mediterranean basin.

At the beginning of this century, Melbourne alone was home to more than seven hundred Greek associations, recognised by both the state and the local courts. The majority of these associations owned their own premises, held shares in property, maintained bank savings, or possessed all three. By 2025, however, the vast majority of these parochial associations are barely functioning: meetings are rare, their buildings stand abandoned and cobwebbed, devoid of human presence and warmth. Their statutes remain outdated, often copied from association constitutions of the interwar period.

Typically, the final clause of these statutes states that, in the event of dissolution, their property should be donated to a charitable institution in Australia or Greece. This outdated provision must now be revised. Remaining councillors and members must convene General Assemblies to decide that these assets instead be transferred to the Communities of the Greeks — the Common of the Greeks — a diasporic consortium that must, however, be guided by vision and a future plan for development, creating genuine bonds of responsibility and mutual dependence between members and the consortium.

The Communities of the Greeks, in collaboration with the Greek Church, must set contemporary objectives and present the Diaspora with a new programme of goals. This includes the establishment and operation of multi-purpose, multi-faceted service centres for the Diaspora, designed to foster ties of solidarity and interdependence. With the support of the Commonwealth, state governments, and local councils, the Communities of the Greeks must work to establish and operate:

  1. Bilingual or exclusively Greek-speaking nurseries in state capitals and major urban centres for the children of working Greek parents.
  2. Bilingual or Greek-speaking preschool centres (ages 3–5) in state capitals and major urban centres for the needs of working Greek parents.
  3. Conference complexes in every state, including Greek-language theatres and workshops, cultural event halls, film-screening rooms, and conference facilities.
  4. Cultural Centres of Study and Learning, equipped with libraries, research laboratories, archives, and a Diasporic Museum of Migration.

Such a vision would be embraced by Hellenism, and individuals would be found willing to sacrifice time, invest money, dedicate their passion, and pledge themselves to its service. With such a vision, diasporic associations would entrust their properties to the Common of the Greeks and the Communities of the Greeks, donate their savings, and endow them in the name of both the unborn and the departed. These donations would be placed in a special trust, released upon the realisation of the vision, so that the endowments endure into eternity and the name of Hellenism becomes a model for others to follow.

As the renowned social linguist George Smolicz once said to me publicly: “If you Greeks, Mr Tamis, with 4000 years of living in the Diaspora, do not teach us how to survive, then we other peoples have no hope of survival…”

*Professor Anastasios M. Tamis taught at Universities in Australia and abroad, was the creator and founding director of the Dardalis Archives of the Hellenic Diaspora and is currently the President of the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS).

Costeen Hatzi opens up on life after Nick Kyrgios split

The Greek Herald
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Costeen Hatzi opens up on life after Nick Kyrgios split

Costeen Hatzi has spent her summer in Europe, enjoying her first overseas girls’ trip — a milestone that carried extra meaning for the 25-year-old. “I’ve never gone on a girls’ trip overseas,” she told Stellar.

Before meeting former partner Nick Kyrgios, Hatzi had never left Australia. “Nick really showed me the world, but this [was] more of a holiday, just to live life to the fullest,” she explained, according to The Daily Telegraph.

For three years, she traveled with Kyrgios while he competed worldwide, but their breakup became public in March. Now, speaking openly for the first time, Hatzi reflected on her past and embraced her new independence.

“I was fully supportive,” she said. “I went to all the tournaments. I was doing everything behind the scenes – his washing, his cooking … everything. I was happy to, because I loved him and we had a great relationship at the time. So I don’t regret anything that I’ve done.”

She added, “It’s different now. I have all this time for myself. I’m in a really reflective but motivated place… it wasn’t a shock.”

Hatzi has channeled her energy into her fashion brand Style Studio and content creation for her 174,000 Instagram followers. “I’ve been leaning deeper into my career with fashion and beauty and content creation. It’s a big focus for me – building a brand that’s accessible and empowering, and style forward for women.”

Though she and Kyrgios “don’t talk,” Hatzi remains positive: “That chapter of my life was meaningful and I’m grateful for the memories… I’m really just embracing this next chapter of rediscovery and independence.”

For now, romance can wait. “I’m just focused on myself,” she said.

Source: DailyTelegraph.com

Sigri Olive Mill, Lesvos: Quality, taste and sustainability

The Greek Herald
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Sigri Olive Mill, Lesvos: Quality, taste and sustainability

By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold.

In the village of Sigri on the island of Lesvos in Greece, Sigri Olive Mill stands as a testament to a harmonious blend of tradition, innovation, and environmental stewardship. After restoring biodiversity to once-barren land by the sea, the Sigri Olive Mill team produces award-winning extra virgin olive oil that showcases the fruit of a revived ecosystem.

From the beginning, Sigri Olive Mill has integrated sustainability into its core mission and vision. The initial goal was to transform a bare, eroded, desertified peninsula into an oasis of healthy soil and biodiversity. By planting tens of thousands of trees, building terraces, and using regenerative agricultural practices on Faros Estate, they succeeded.

Regenerating biodiversity through reforestation and sustainable development

We see an example of the true meaning of sustainable development in the sculpting of terraces on a barren hillside on Faros Estate. Terracing helps prevent root system diseases, retains rainwater, prevents soil erosion, and makes trees accessible for harvest and care. In Sigri, the trees planted on terraces grew faster than the ones on flat land.

Over the years, it became evident that the olive was the most adaptable species for conditions on the peninsula. So in addition to 40,000 other trees, the Sigri Olive Mill team planted 50,000 olive trees from 12 different native, Greek, and international varieties. Local flora now flourish among the trees. Herbs such as thyme, oregano, and lavender thrive alongside other wild plants, acting like a sponge to prevent soil erosion and flooding. Thanks to environmentally friendly practices, the plants attract many bees, as well as other insects and wild animals.

The team at Faros Estate does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides–only organic treatments. They grow nitrogen-fixing legumes, cut them, and leave them on the soil. They mix Posidonia Oceanica seaweed, organic manure, shredded branches, leaves, and olive mill byproducts into their own compost to enhance soil fertility. Their data-driven agriculture includes measurements of soil moisture and consultation of their weather station to avoid overwatering.

These efforts have improved the microclimate in western Lesvos and contributed significantly to carbon offsetting and temperature regulation. The Faros Estate now counterbalances the carbon footprint created by 2,000 people. This evidence of the human capacity to create impactful environmental change has been recognized on a European Commission website. 

Combining tradition with innovative technology at Sigri Olive Mill

On that breathtaking 200-hectare peninsula, a state-of-the-art olive mill and bottling facility plays a crucial role in producing and storing the Oleve brand extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) that wins awards at international competitions each year. After harvesting with a tree-friendly vibrating technique, the olives are immediately taken to the mill for cold extraction in modern machinery under optimal conditions.

This milling machinery automatically recognizes the degree of ripeness and the variety of the olives, making appropriate adjustments. The entire process takes place in a closed circuit at a carefully controlled low temperature, using very little water, with the inert gas nitrogen used to eliminate oxygen. This enables the preservation of the valuable nutrients, aromas, and flavors in the olive oil. The EVOO is filtered with ecological paper filters before storage to remove any impurities. All stages of production take place in one location.

Sigri Olive Mill can process 75 tons of olives per day, with a total storage volume of 300,000 liters. Its bottling capacity is 1,600 liters per hour. All processes are monitored and controlled digitally. Internationally recognized certifications such as BRCGS, IFS, and ISO 22005, as well as FDA approval, ensure that every Oleve EVOO product meets rigorous quality and safety requirements.

Oleve brand extra virgin olive oils 

Not a misspelling of “Olive” but a carefully crafted set of allusions, “Oleve” combines “Ol” from the Greek word for “all” with “Eve” from the English name of the first woman in the Bible. The brand name thus alludes to the deep, eternal connection between humans and all the rest of creation, between humanity and nature. For millennia, the olive tree has stood as a testament to this connection.

The creators of the Oleve brand recognize this. Oleve extra virgin olive oils are crafted from sustainably produced, organically grown olives, providing consumers with the best nature can offer. Choices range from Oleve Early Harvest EVOO, which is especially rich in health-boosting phenols, to Faros Estate and Special Selection EVOOs, Monocultivar EVOOs, and the aromatic RAYS collection. With their range of bold, authentic flavors offering something for everyone (from fruitier to more bitter and pungent), these oils celebrate the heritage of Lesvos Island while catering to health-conscious and environmentally conscious consumers worldwide.

For the health-conscious, Oleve’s RMD (Remedy) EVOO elevates both health and culinary creations even more with a premium ultra-high phenolic extra virgin olive oil. With over 1,000 mg/kg of natural phenols, a high content of vitamin E, oleic acid, and squalene, Oleve RMD is not just an olive oil; it is a superfood. Daily consumption of 20g (2 tablespoons) can offer multiple health benefits when combined with a balanced diet and lifestyle.

Sigri Olive Mill and Oleve as inspiration

Oleve Kids PLAY is a colorful box (with a handle) that contains a 100ml bottle of premium organic EVOO and a set of colorful stickers children can use to decorate their bottle (or any other surface). The box opens up to reveal a photo of the gorgeous landscape of Faros Estate’s peninsulas full of olive trees next to the deep blue sea. The stickers in the box feature animals, plants, and farm elements from the Estate. The hands-on activity they enable can make healthy eating interesting, while inspiring conversations about biodiversity and sustainability.

As founder Antonis Tirpintiris explained during a presentation at Yale School of Public Health, “we can restore nature where it is destroyed and create ecosystems even in deserted places.” Sigri Olive Mill and Oleve are beacons of quality, sustainability, and innovation for EVOO production worldwide. Through their unwavering commitment to excellence, their diverse range of flavorful, healthful products, and their dedication to environmental stewardship, they have set a new standard in the industry.

*Originally published on Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (greekliquidgold.com). See that site for recipes with olive oil, photos from Greece, agrotourism and food tourism suggestions, and olive oil news and information.

Athens metro to undergo first major track upgrade in its 25-year history

The Greek Herald
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Athens metro to undergo first major track upgrade in its 25-year history

The Athens Metro is set for its first large-scale rail upgrade since operations began 25 years ago, following the signing of contracts valued at €7.3 million, according to amna.com.

The project will replace 32 km of track superstructure along key sections of Lines 2 and 3 — Sepolia to Dafni on the Red Line, and Monastiraki to Ethniki Amyna on the Blue Line. The contract, worth €4.84 million (excluding VAT), was awarded to the consortium Leonardos Rigas Technical SA and Railway Projects SA, in collaboration with STASY (Urban Rail Transport). The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, with Alternate Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis and Transport Secretary General Stelios Sakaretsios present. The deal had been reviewed and cleared by the Hellenic Court of Audit.

Separately, rail delivery for the project is underway at STASY depots. This supply contract, valued at €2.44 million (excluding VAT), has been awarded to Artemis SA, a manufacturer of industrial metal products.

According to officials, the initiative is part of a broader strategy of preventive maintenance and targeted upgrades across the metro system. The focus on Lines 2 and 3 reflects the heavier wear observed on these heavily trafficked routes.

Work is expected to begin immediately and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. Once finished, the project will enhance the reliability and safety of Athens’s busiest metro lines, ensuring smoother and more durable operations for thousands of daily commuters.

Source: amna.com

Twelve Greek beaches lose ‘Blue Flag’ distinction

The Greek Herald
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Twelve Greek beaches lose ‘Blue Flag’ distinction

Twelve beaches across Greece have been stripped of their prestigious “Blue Flag” status after failing to meet the program’s strict standards, recognised globally as a benchmark for environmental quality and visitor services, according to tovima.com.

The removals followed a series of surprise inspections by both Greek and international assessors. Inspectors cited shortcomings in visitor amenities, safety measures, and information displays, despite the fact that water quality at these sites continues to meet program criteria.

The deadline for Blue Flag certification in Greece was July 1. After evaluations, the National Jury Committee and the Coordinating Committee of the Blue Flag Program decided to withdraw the awards from 12 beaches to protect the credibility and integrity of the initiative.

Authorities confirmed that inspections are ongoing. If additional violations are detected, further removals will be announced.

The beaches losing their status are:

  • Plaka, Kondyli, Karathona, and Tolo (Municipality of Nafplio, Argolis)
  • Lichnos (Municipality of Parga, Preveza)
  • Georgioupoli/Fereniki (Municipality of Apokoronas, Chania)
  • Vasilias, Kanapitsa, Aselinos, Gournes Elia, and Ampelakia/Elivi (Municipality of Skiathos, Sporades)
  • Fanari/Camping (Municipality of Komotini, Rhodope)

The Blue Flag is awarded annually to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating operators that demonstrate high environmental protection, water quality, safety, and accessibility standards. For many destinations, the flag serves as both a mark of international recognition and a draw for tourism.

With these withdrawals, Greek authorities emphasize that while the waters remain clean, stronger beach management practices are essential to uphold the country’s reputation as a leading seaside destination.

Source: tovima.com

Restoration completed at Panayia Kanakaria monastery in Cyprus

The Greek Herald
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Restoration completed at Panayia Kanakaria monastery in Cyprus

The monastery and church of Panayia Kanakaria in the village of Lythrangomi, Karpasia, one of Cyprus’s most significant heritage sites, has now been fully restored, according to cyprus-mail.com.

The project was funded by the European Union and overseen by the United Nations Development Programme, with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot experts collaborating under the bicommunal committee on cultural heritage.

Greek Cypriot co-chair of the committee, Sotos Ktoris, told the Cyprus News Agency that “the restoration of Panayia Kanakaria is yet another tangible example of how cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can produce concrete results with powerful symbolism.” He stressed that monuments across Cyprus, whether Christian or Muslim, embody the island’s enduring ties to its land and history.

“They remind us that Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins shared the same geography for centuries, and that Cyprus’s monuments are irrefutable witnesses to the island’s multicultural heritage,” Ktoris added.

Panayia Kanakaria is considered a rare architectural landmark, containing elements from early Christian and Byzantine traditions. It stands on the ruins of a 5th-century wooden-roofed basilica. Of particular note is the semi-circular apse, originally home to the renowned 6th-century mosaic depicting the enthroned Virgin Mary, angels, and medallions of the Apostles.

The church evolved over centuries: rebuilt in the 8th century as a barrel-vaulted basilica, then again in the 12th century with the addition of a dome and new apse.

The apse mosaics were looted after 1975 and sold abroad, an event covered by the New York Times and other outlets. Following lengthy legal proceedings, they were repatriated to Cyprus and are now exhibited in the Byzantine Museum in Nicosia.

Source: cyprus-mail.com

The Woman at the Well: A Feminist Perspective

The Greek Herald
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The Woman at the Well: A Feminist Perspective

By Dean Kalimniou

Among the Gospel narratives, there exists an encounter so rich in meaning that it lends itself to endless meditation: the meeting of Christ with the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s well. Though John records the encounter as dialogue, its symbolic texture renders it parabolic, summoning interpretations that reach beyond the immediate.

In this brief yet profound exchange, a woman whose existence has been circumscribed by social disdain and patriarchal suspicion becomes the recipient of revelation, the vessel of theological truth, and the herald of salvation to her community.

Orthodox tradition names her Fotini, Equal to the Apostles, and through her, we discern the subversion of the oppressive structures that sought to confine her.

The circumstances of the encounter carry a startling audacity. Jesus converses with a woman, a Samaritan, in public, and at midday. Every element of the scene subverts accepted proprieties. He crosses boundaries of gender, religion, propriety and ethnicity, collapsing the barriers that men had erected to police interaction and enforce segregation.

The very place is emblematic: the well, source of life in arid landscapes and a symbol of the womb, becomes the stage upon which a dialogue unfolds concerning the deeper draught of living water. Scholars such as Musa Dube have perceived here a dismantling of imperial hierarchies, for in allowing the Samaritan woman to speak, to question, and to challenge, Christ endows her with subjecthood rather than objecthood.

Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza would call this a confrontation with kyriarchy: the system of interlocking dominations in which women, foreigners, and the disenfranchised are silenced. Yet at this well, silence is transfigured into voice, and voice into active witness.

Much ink has been spilled over the cryptic reference to her “five husbands” and the man with whom she presently lives. Centuries of interpreters have read in this detail the sign of moral failing. A patriarchal gaze, accustomed to judging female identity through sexuality, has exaggerated this point. Yet philological nuance and historical awareness invite a gentler understanding.

The Greek word ἀνήρ designates both husband and man, and the realities of widowhood, forced remarriage, or unilateral divorce, realities over which women had little say, hover over the text. What emerges is less the portrait of a libertine than of one battered by circumstance. The shame that others projected upon her was arguably the product of systemic forces rather than personal wantonness. Even if it was her personal choice, Christ transcends stigma, offering her instead the dignity of dialogue.

What is striking is the length and depth of their conversation. The account in the Gospel of John grants her more sustained theological discourse with Christ than any of his male interlocutors. She questions, she reasons, and she ventures into the contested terrain of worship, daring to engage with Christ on matters of sacred geography and true devotion, on an equal basis. The revelation she receives is astonishing in its directness: “I am he.” In few other places does Christ unveil his messianic identity with such clarity.

In the vision of feminist scholar Sandra Schneiders, this woman is cast as the archetypal disciple: an agent of inquiry, a seeker of truth, and a herald of salvation, who receives revelation and immediately sets about its proclamation. There can be nothing more empowering.

The Fathers of the Church articulated a similar perspective. St John Chrysostom marvels at her prudence. With delicacy and wisdom, she does not order her townsfolk to believe but instead invites them in a spirit of collegiality: “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” Chrysostom praises her discernment, observing that she transforms even what could have shamed her into the very substance of her testimony.

Her honesty, her willingness to expose herself for truth, and her courage before communal scorn become the hallmarks of her apostleship. It is no coincidence, therefore, that Orthodox liturgy honours her as Isapostolos, a title also awarded to Constantine, the Emperor.

Orthodox hymnography deepens this recognition. In the apolytikion of the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman we hear: “When Thou didst come to the well, O Fountain of wonders, the Samaritan Woman found Thee, the water of wisdom, and having drunk abundantly, she inherited the Kingdom on high forever.” The kontakion continues: “Coming to the well in faith, the Samaritan Woman beheld Thee, the Water of Wisdom; wherefore she drank abundantly and inherited the Kingdom on high forever.”

For her feast, the hymns acclaim: “All illustrious Fotini, the Samaritan Woman, thou didst abandon the water of the well, and with greater fervour thou didst drink of the water of wisdom. Thou didst also receive the crown of glory, for thou wast glorified by the Lord.” Another sticheron praises her martyrdom: “Having drunk of the divine water, O glorious one, thou didst quench the burning of idolatry; and with the streams of thy blood thou didst water the Church, O Fotini, Equal to the Apostles.”

These hymns, echoing across the centuries, weave together her initial encounter with Christ and her ultimate witness in martyrdom. They portray her as one who abandoned the perishable water of Jacob’s well for the inexhaustible draught of divine wisdom, who, having tasted of that living stream, poured it forth abundantly upon her people, and who finally irrigated the Church itself with the blood of her confession.

In the liturgical imagination she becomes both vessel and fountain: first filled with the gift of Christ, then emptied in sacrifice, until her life itself becomes the river that waters the Kingdom. To frame such imagery around a woman and an outcast has profound feminist resonance, for it shows that the liturgical tradition itself preserves and proclaims female authority, theological discernment, and apostolic courage.

That the Church’s imagination was seized early by her figure is evident from the catacombs of the fourth century. On the Via Latina in Rome, frescoes already depict Christ with Fotini at the well, enshrining her encounter in the earliest Christian imagination. To immortalise her in sacred art at so early a stage is to affirm that the community of faith perceived her story as foundational, no less integral than the Passion narratives or the triumphs of the martyrs. The well thus became inscribed not only in words but also in images, and her dialogue became a visual catechesis of baptism, revelation, and witness.

The implications are profound. Where patriarchy relegates, Christ restores. Where human judgment condemns, divine revelation confers dignity. The very act of entrusting to a woman the announcement that led her city to believe constitutes an inversion of established hierarchies.

The first theologian of the Johannine Gospel is a Samaritan woman. The first missionary to the Samaritans is she, even in the face of the social unacceptability of women in the time to speak in public. Feminist readers and faithful are right to perceive here a narrative that resists the reduction of women to silence or shame. Orthodox hymnography confirms this, reinforcing that the tradition itself preserves memory of women whose voices carried the good news into new lands.

Intersectional analysis illuminates her position. Fotini endures a threefold marginalisation: as woman, as Samaritan, and as one burdened with social suspicion. Yet the Gospel transforms these disadvantages into signs of divine preference. In speaking with her, Christ demonstrates that salvation is not mediated through pedigree or prestige. He chooses as interlocutor and witness one whom society had set aside.

This is the heart of the story: that divine revelation privileges those denied privilege, and that the very structures intended to oppress become the stage upon which salvation is declared.

The encounter at the well is therefore more than a private moment of consolation. It is a manifesto of inclusion, a proclamation that the outcast may be the apostle, and that the one dismissed by patriarchy may be the bearer of living water. The Orthodox Church, through its hymnody and iconography, has long acknowledged this truth.

Feminist theology renders explicit what the tradition has always maintained: that the Gospel lifts women from the margins and places them in the centre, not as ornaments of devotion or submission, but instead, as dominant pillars of proclamation.

In Fotini we behold a figure who resisted the strictures of patriarchal judgment and transformed the stigma imposed upon her into the very source of liberation. She emerges as a fountain for generations, transfiguring her marginalisation into authority. Through her, Christ declared that living water flows first to those whom the world has silenced, that the despised may become teachers, and that women’s experiences, so often dismissed as peripheral, are in truth central to salvation.

Consequently, our own renewal comes whenever women’s voices break through the walls of exclusion, whenever their dignity is affirmed in the face of systemic negation, and whenever their witness is proclaimed with the authority that the Gospel itself confers. The well of Jacob, once bound in stone, becomes through her an inexhaustible spring of feminist memory, testifying that wherever women rise against erasure, the promise of life surges forth, and those who drink shall never thirst again.

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