Free Republic

In the seventh century BCE, the Greek poet Homer wrote the Odyssey. This fascinating tale of adventure and loss would captivate readers for centuries, even millennia. It tells the story of Odysseus attempting to travel home after the Trojan War. One of the most intriguing things about this lengthy poem is that there is significant controversy surrounding the locations mentioned throughout. Based on the best available evidence, where did Odysseus really travel to in the Odyssey? Does the Odyssey take place all over the Mediterranean? The most common belief is that the Odyssey takes place over a very large area....

For as long as there has been war, there has been a need to reveal what the enemy is planning. This was no less true in ancient Greece where generals and statesmen relied on espionage to reveal the intentions and capabilities of their adversaries. The philosopher Plato believed that the ancient Greek states were in a constant state of war, whether declared or undeclared. It was within this grey zone that the subtleties of espionage took place, a dimension of foreign affairs that remains true to this day. Like the practice of spying itself, the sources regarding espionage in ancient...

Discovered in the sandy countryside near Oxyrhynchus, the document offers a rare glimpse into the structured world of professional athletes during Roman rule. This Greek text, preserved by Egypt's arid climate, reveals the administrative side of ancient athletic organizations and highlights the enduring influence of Greek cultural practices in Roman Egypt.This small archaeological discovery from many years ago is a living piece of history that shows us the love for sports that people in Ancient Greece and Rome had. This is why they were so meticulous and organized, in a way very similar to today's gym memberships...The letter mentions someone...

If there is a single moment in time in which the fate of Western civilization was decided, it is the battle of Marathon, 490 BC. The Persians under their king Darius landed in Greece, only 26 miles from Athens itself. A vastly outnumbered Greek force marched out to meet them. The Persians had already conquered huge swathes of the Middle East and South Asia. A relative handful of quarrelsome Greeks seemed unlikely to pose much of a challenge to them. But they were. When the day was done, the Persians were vanquished. The idea of Persian invincibility was destroyed forever....

Poland has agreed to return to Greece 76 Greek Jewish artifacts to be displayed in the Jewish Museum of Greece in Athens, the Greek Culture Ministry has announced. The ministry had filed a formal request for the repatriation of the historical artifacts before Lina Mendoni, the Greek Minister of Culture who, while attending the Informal Council of EU Culture Ministers, met with her Polish counterpart Hanna Wroblewska in Warsaw to finalize the deal. The artifacts, currently housed at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, Poland were discovered in Lower Silesia and hold deep historical and emotional significance for Greece’s Jewish...

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION On March 25, 1821, fueled by the rallying cry, “Freedom or Death,” Greek revolutionaries began a war for independence against the Ottoman Empire. The hard-fought victory established a sovereign Greek state and a national homeland for Greece. On the 204th anniversary of Greek Independence Day, we honor this heroic fight for freedom, and the enduring democratic ideals that continue to inspire the world. America is inextricably tied to both ancient and modern Greece. We are tethered by history and tradition, the struggle for self-governance, emancipation, and rebirth. Our Founding...

On March 25, 1821, fueled by the rallying cry, “Freedom or Death,” Greek revolutionaries began a war for independence against the Ottoman Empire. The hard-fought victory established a sovereign Greek state and a national homeland for Greece. On the 204th anniversary of Greek Independence Day, we honor this heroic fight for freedom, and the enduring democratic ideals that continue to inspire the world. America is inextricably tied to both ancient and modern Greece. We are tethered by history and tradition, the struggle for self-governance, emancipation, and rebirth. Our Founding Fathers drew inspiration from Greek philosophers and statesmen to form the...

The European Parliament has, once again, found itself at the heart of a corruption scandal, this time involving the Chinese tech giant Huawei. Police raids have been carried out across Belgium and Portugal amid suspicions of bribery, forgery, money laundering, and organized criminal activity. The European Parliament’s latest corruption scandal unfolds even as the previous one—the so-called ‘Qatargate’ affair—remains under investigation and litigation, further deepening preexisting concerns about foreign influence in EU institutions. The Qatargate scandal, which surfaced more than two years ago, involves allegations that Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), lobbyists, and their families accepted substantial sums of...

Buddhism, a religion, or according to some, a path towards experiencing ultimate reality, was founded by Siddhārtha Gautama, a man from India also referred to as “The Buddha”. Buddhism is practiced in various parts of the world and the Ancient Greeks played a significant role in the mission of spreading it. Buddha, after reaching the state of what is called “enlightenment”, remained under the Bodhi tree, a sacred fig tree under which Buddha is said to have gained such awareness, for another seven weeks. He then traveled to Sarnath and delivered his first sermon at Deer Park. This event is...

Various groups over the past two centuries have suggested that the people of Atlantis migrated to Europe after their civilization was destroyed and sank into the sea. This includes the Nazis, who used this belief as a basis for their ideas about racial superiority. What do the facts reveal about the argument that the inhabitants of ancient Atlantis migrated to Europe? Who were the Atlanteans? Atlantis was a mythical island described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. Its inhabitants, the Atlanteans, were an advanced and powerful people, known for their wealth, technology, and military might. However, their growing arrogance and...

Clashes between riot police and protesters in Athens... Three federal inmates suing...medical care for transgender... A firing squad executing convicted double murderer... A British newspaper "The Telegraph" alleges that US President... Yemen's Houthi leader giving Israel a four-day deadline... Israel airstrikes in southern Lebanon... Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy died of natural causes... A mission to rescue army troops in South Sudan failed when a UN helicopter was attacked... Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari resigning his post following controversy... President Donald Trump saying 250 percent tariffs could be imposed on Canadian... Federal grants to Columbia University...rescinded....

Two beaches in Greece are on the list of the places that have the whitest sand in the world, a recent study found. The research that was conducted recently by CV Villas has revealed some fascinating information about the world’s most pristine and white sand beaches. It is common knowledge that Greece is home to some of the most spectacular beaches in Europe if not the entire world, so it comes as no surprise that two Greek beaches made notable appearances on the list. This study was based on scientific color theory and therefore analyzed the RGB color codes of...

In many parts of Europe and beyond, the end of the First World War did not mean an end to the fighting. >Russian Civil War 1917-1923 ... >Finnish Civil War 1918 Finland was a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire when the First World War broke out. The Russian Revolution in 1917 left a power vacuum in Finland and a struggle ensued between the conservative Whites who wanted independence from Soviet Russia and the socialist Reds who opposed the separation. >German Revolution 1918-1919 ... >Estonian-Soviet 1918-1920 Estonia was part of the Russian Empire when the First World War began. It...

The Balkan Peninsula... by the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire was in steep decline. This decline fueled nationalist movements in the Balkans, where various ethnic groups sought independence or territorial expansion. Countries like Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Montenegro, which had gained independence or autonomy in the previous century, aspired to expand their territories further, often at the expense of their neighbors and the Ottoman Empire. These aspirations were driven by both nationalistic fervor and the desire to control strategic territories like Macedonia, a region with a highly diverse population. In response to these growing tensions, the Balkan League—a coalition...

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the closure of the U.S. military base in Alexandroupoli, Greece, according to the Greek newspaper Dimokratia. However, the reports remain unconfirmed by Greek defense officials. The reported decision from Trump may indicate a shift in U.S. military strategy in the region against Russia and has reportedly raised concerns among Greek officials. US military base in Alexandroupoli and Türkiye’s concerns. The U.S. base in the region was a major source of tension between the U.S. and Türkiye. However, U.S. officials repeatedly reassured Türkiye that the U.S. forces’ deployment in the area was not against the...

Latinopoulou began, “Seriously, ladies and gentlemen?” “Did the right destroy industry? Did the right idolize Greta Thunberg? Did the right impose green energy at the expense of industry, destroying the EU’s competitiveness?” “Or was it the socialist governments that have been ruling the European Union for 50 years?” “France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and my homeland Greece have been devastated by groundless socialist policies.” “And today you, the destroyers of Europe, have the audacity to point fingers at us, saying that we conservatives are a threat to Europe?” “I laugh. I truly laugh.”

Santorini has been hit by a powerful, shallow 5.3 magnitude earthquake, which is the strongest to strike the Greek island during recent seismic activity in the area. The tremors were felt in Athens on Monday evening and measured a focal depth of 17km (10.6 miles). ... The tourist hotspot has been rocked by seismic activity since January and more than 12,800 quakes have been detected by the University of Athens' Seismological Laboratory. ... Landslides have occurred in many parts of Santorini due to the frequency and intensity of the tremors and experts have not ruled out a major earthquake. Seismologists...

At a gathering in Madrid, members of Europe’s far-right parties set aside any trepidation they might have about President Trump’s threats, and instead focused on a common enemy — the European Union. ...There was Marine Le Pen of France’s far-right National Rally; the Netherland’s populist, Geert Wilders; the leader of Italy’s League party, Matteo Salvini. All made clear that they shared Mr. Trump’s charge against what they see as “wokeism,” “gender theory,” and overweening environmentalism. For them, the American president had blown through the last barriers that had confined their parties to the political margins. The taboos had been toppled....

Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, said “days, or perhaps, weeks” would be needed to evaluate the unusual tremors but said that the series of quakes typically occur in the build-up to a larger tremor. A state of emergency has been declared in the idyllic Greek island of Santorini amid a series of near-constant tremors in recent days, which have almost emptied the famous Greek tourist haven of visitors and residents. The largest tremor so far was recorded on Wednesday evening, when a quake with a magnitude of 5.2 coursed through the island. It was the first to...

A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Santorini after days of consecutive earthquakes. It comes after a magnitude 5.2 tremor was recorded at 21:09 local time (19:09 GMT) on Wednesday between the Greek islands of Amorgos and Santorini, making it the strongest in recent days. It is estimated to have occurred at a depth of 5km (3.1 miles). The decree will be in effect until 3 March to "address the emergency needs and manage the consequences", officials said. More than 11,000 people have already left Santorini, with around 7,000 departing by ferry and 4,000 by...