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PANAGIA SOUMELA - AUGUST 15

An icon’ssacred journey

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A CommandingPosition

John Stavridis, 41, reached a big milestonefor himself and Sydney’s Greek community. Hetook command of HMAS Arunta, a warship inthe frontline of Australia’s naval defence.

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When Pontian Greeks left Turkey in 1922-23, they tooknothing with them but the scars from the deaths of tens ofthousands of their number during their forceful eviction andforced labour, carried out over the previous seven years bythe Young Turks and Kemalist forces. The deaths wererecognised by the Greek parliament as a genocide in 1994.

On August 15, the feast of the Dormition of the VirginMary, thousands of their descendants from several coun-tries made the pilgrimage to the Panagia Soumelamonastery in the Turkish region of Trebizond for the firstliturgy in 88 years, conducted by Ecumenical PatriarchVartholomeos in a highly moving atmosphere.

Thousands of people from Greece and all parts of theworld arrived at the monastery early in the morning to at-tend the mass officiated by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholo-meos, Metropolitan of Drama Pavlos and Bishop of Tyhonas.However, only 600 people could finally attend the mass thatwas held outdoors. All others watched the service on giantscreens.

The monastery, which was once home to the famed iconof the Virgin Mary that bears its name, by tradition one of

the few painted by the Evangelist Luke, is the cradle of Pon-tic Greek religious belief and national identity, and a point ofreference for all Pontians. Its construction began in AD 385.

Under a 1930 agreement between Greek Prime MinisterEleftherios Venizelos and Turkish leader Ismet Inonu, Turkeyallowed the legendary icon, the monastery’s chalice fromEmperor Manuel Komnenos, and its Holy Bible to be trans-ported to Greece, after two aged monks revealed the cryptin which they hid the objects in 1922. They are now at thenew Panagia Soumela Monastery on Mt Vermio, southwestof the town of Veria in Macedonia, where thousands of pil-grims flock each year.

The historic liturgy was proposed by Vartholomeos and fi-nally approved in June by a joint decision of the Turkish min-istries of culture and tourism, the interior and foreign affairs;it will be an annual event. Ankara’s move is widely consid-ered a significant good-will gesture towards both the patri-archate and the estimated 1.5 to 2 million Pontian refugeesin Greece. But it is also intended to burnish Turkey’s Euro-pean image, and the economic windfall from the religioustourism is considered significant.

HISTORICPILGRIMAGETO PONTUS

Discussing child and adolescent motivation strategies

www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

Travels

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Mountains

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Mosaic of St Nicholas, Church of St Nicholas of the Cats, Akrotiri, Cyprus.

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/18 AUGUST 2010

A Commanding PositionLast month, Sydney’s John Stavridis, 41, reached a big

milestone for himself and Sydney’s Greek community. Hetook command of HMAS Arunta, a warship in the frontlineof Australia’s naval defence.

With the rank of Commander in the Royal AustralianNavy, John has had his eye on the Captain’s chair forsome time.

“I always wanted to join the Navy and, with a family his-tory of naval service, it only seemed natural.

“Twenty three years ago my parents were very sup-portive of my career choice and I have never lookedback.”

CMDR Stavridis was born in Sydney, the son of Iordanisand Kaliopi who emigrated to Australia from the islands ofLemnos and Samos in the 1960s.

He joined the Navy in 1988 straight out of Sydney’s Trin-ity Grammar School. He attended the Australian DefenceForce Academy in Canberra for a university degree, andgraduated with honours in 1991.

After navigation training he specialised as a maritimewarfare officer and began to travel the world.

“I have been to a lot of places with the Navy; Asia, theAmericas, the Pacific and the Middle East, although I amstill waiting for the opportunity to take my ship to Europe -and one day hopefully Greece.”

Commander Stavridis considers the Royal AustralianNavy an employer of choice.

“I could not think a better employer in Australia today,”he said. “It is the range of job opportunities, adventure andtravel, job security and world-class training that make thiscareer so rewarding.”

“To give an example the Navy has sponsored methrough two masters’ degrees.”

Commander Stavridis could be the first Australian ofGreek heritage to command an Australian warship, but heis not sure.

“What I do know is that all us Greek-Australians in theNavy today are serving with pride.”

“The Navy is very supportive and accepting of my cul-tural heritage and I personally hold close the Greek cus-toms, language and traditions. My faith is also important tome and the Navy is also very supportive of that.”

CMDR Stavridis has now moved to Perth, WA, whereHMAS Arunta is based but his travels are continuing. Heand his crew will be deploying to Darwin and South-EastAsia in August to take part in multi-national naval exercis-es.

secondly Kastellorizian history. He has had bitohs) ry, the Law and rebetika.

September 2010 Wednesday

Evenings242 Cleveland Street, Redfern, in the Main Hall

For enquiries, please contact the Registrar at (02) 9549 3100 or registrar@sagotc.edu.au

On site parking is limited. Please, consider alternatives

St Andrew’s Patristic Symposium 2010

St Gregory the Theologian or The Poetry of Theology

Inaugural address by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, Dean of the College. The proceedings of the 2009 St Andrew’s Patristic Symposium will be launched. A series of scholarly papers, exploring the legacy of St Gregory the Theologian

Throughout the month of September, St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College invites you to a celebration for the heart and mind

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Commander JohnStavridis, RoyalAustralian Navy, taking Command of HMAS Arunta

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/19

EditorialAUGUST 2010

Reviving the 2004 spirit

“Why don’t we revive the volunteermovement that made us proud during the2004 Olympic Games?”

The conversation began with a discus-sion about volunteer forest rangers butsoon wandered into other fields such asthe operation of the country’s archaeo-logical sites outside of normal openinghours. The discussion among friendswas sparked by recent news reportsthat the Culture Ministry would be unableto cover overtime pay for the securitystaff employed at the temples of theAcropolis and Sounio, two of the archae-ological sites that were scheduled to stayopen late on the night of the August fullmoon. It was not the first time that ordi-nary people were feeling nostalgic forthe dynamism and discipline shown by

Greek society six years ago.Different people have come up with

various ideas, but all aspire to draw onthe patriotism of that sector of Greek so-ciety that is outside the loop, as it were.

It’s not just those within the 18-24 agegroup but also a large number of peopleover 50 - mostly women with grown chil-dren and fewer commitments who wouldbe willing to work part-time for the com-mon good.

Following a brief training session, vol-unteers could be used to help out duringmuseums’ and archaeological sites’ ex-tended opening hours, to work at re-freshment stands and souvenir shops, toprovide information or clean up gardensand paths.

A badge saying “I am a volunteer andam helping my country” would be enoughfor these people. They could be given adiscount for all public archaeologicalsites and museums, and they would beemployed for a specific period of time.

This would allow museums to operateoutside the standard time schedule. Itwould also be a breath of fresh air forthe aging state apparatus. These volun-teers would become the ambassadors ofa new ethos that would elevate the na-tion above private interests.

Then, perhaps, we could hold a freshdebate about the many key issues con-cerning culture and cultural promotion inthe tourism-oriented country that isGreece.

When we work together

The significant increase in internationalarrivals to the islands of Rhodes and Kos,in the southeastern Aegean, provides aglimmer of optimism for a sector that iswithout doubt the driving force of theGreek economy.

The increase in visitor numbers, how-ever, is not just the result of chance norcan it simply be attributed to the fact thatAugust is the peak tourist season. On theone hand, local businesses on both ofthese islands had responded to the omi-nous signs of the economic crisis by low-ering their prices and offering specialcut-price deals.

In addition, the tourism organizationson these two islands launched low-costbut clever advertising campaigns to pro-mote local attractions.

The example of Rhodes and Kos indi-cates that there is much to be gainedfrom cooperation between local authori-ties and businesses when they work to-gether according to a plan for the bene-fit of all.

Despite the crisis, there are still manythings we can do to help lift the countryout of the doldrums - as long as we alljoin forces and make use of them.

KATHIMERINI

The ancient Greek word for education (paideia -παιδεία) and the verb for discipline (paideuo - παιδεύω)share the same root as the word for child (pais - παίς).The classical education model therefore recognised theinterrelationship of education and discipline and theircentral role in pedagogy (παιδαγωγία - the leading ofchildren to the ideal). The aim of this month’s article is todiscuss effective engagement and motivation strategiesthat incorporate classic and Christian ideas into con-temporary models.

Homes, societies and classrooms cannot function aseffective communities unless harmonious relationshipsexist. The key to effective pedagogy lies in positive re-lationships. One’s first aim is therefore the developmentand maintenance of such relationships in order to es-tablish a positive environment where “through educa-tion and learning, one is led to a world where the trueand the beautiful and the holy... are found to be the re-al values of this life, beyond any pragmatic expedien-cies in daily experiences”1. Such effective relationshipscan only be built on love for God, the other and self(Matt 22:37-39, Luke 10:27).

Closely tied to discipline (the theme of last month’scolumn) is motivation, a key aspect of any environment.Helping children or students appreciate their learningactivities, formal or informal, and enabling them toachieve success through the application of the requiredeffort have been identified by many educational theo-rists as the basic guidelines for motivating children tolearn.

The challenge for parents, teachers and coaches whowish to promote mastery of tasks through intrinsic mo-tivation is the provision of stimulating “tasks of optimalnovelty and difficulty, relevant to personal interests, andproviding for personal choice and control”2. Parents,teachers and coaches themselves must be enthusiasticabout learning and treat their children or pupils as ifthey too, are eager to learn. Negotiating content or ac-tivities allows children to take ownership of their learn-ing and development. This is as simple as allowing chil-

dren to choose which book to read before bed-time or,if discussing the lives of the saints with older children,allowing them to choose the saint, category of saint etc.Finally, children must be encouraged to strive for excel-lence, using their God-given abilities to succeed.

Inherently meaningful learning and instruction are themost effective forms of motivation. One Christian edu-cational theorist writes that “intrinsic motivation comesabout largely when teachers (and parents) deal withwhat children believe to be important and relate it totheir sense of purpose and values... They want theirlearning to relate to the meaning they have experiencedand to deepen and broaden their perspective”3.

Intrinsic motivation is more effective than extrinsicmotivation in the long run because children and adoles-cents are more likely to persevere when they encounterdifficulties as they recognise the value of the task athand. Extrinsic motivators ought not be ignored alto-gether but must not be the sole motivator for applica-tion or discipline.

Positive learning occurs in environments where stu-dents value learning as opposed to competition or com-parison. Mastery goals, those focussed on the intrinsicvalue of learning are oriented towards learning and ap-plying new skills and knowledge, improving understand-ing, level of competence and achieving a sense of mas-tery. Students with such goals experience successwhen they feel they have improved or learnt somethingnew.

Performance goals, on the other hand are focussedon ability and self-worth and referenced according toextrinsic motivators. Success here is measured accord-ing to performance against others.

Ultimately, the aim for parents, teachers and coachesis to promote autonomous discipline and motivation.Students must be disciplined and motivated because ofthe virtue in these as opposed to being conditioned byrewards or punishments. Structures ought to be in placeonly as long as they empower children and adolescentsto become self-disciplined and autonomous. Token eco-nomies, points systems and/or conditioning thus not on-ly become harmful to the development of autonomousthinking and behaviour, but result in students losing inte-rest in whatever it was they were rewarded for. Inter-estingly, while the overwhelming majority of researchhighlights this, many parents, teachers and schools per-sist with token economies or similar awards/points sys-tems. Research has also identified that approaches em-phasising reinforcement as a primary means of motiva-tion deny students opportunities to be self-directed.

These views are in direct contrast to the classicalconditioning views of Pavlov and the operant condition-ing views of Skinner. While elements of classical andoperant conditioning are applied in every learning envi-ronment (making a sound such as a clap/bang/whistleto draw attention or using positive and negative conse-quences to strengthen or weaken voluntary behaviour),these must only be used until students are ready to re-spond autonomously.

It is clearly evident that the cognitive approach to mo-tivation and discipline is more effective than the behav-iourist approach. The Christian parent/teacher would al-so be cautious of overemphasising behaviourist ap-proaches which are strongly embedded in many envi-ronments. While helping students develop autonomousdiscipline and motivation is challenging, coercive re-wards and punishments are ineffective because onecan never know why a student behaves in a particularway. Is it because it is truly virtuous to do so or is therewards/fear too great?

Christianity is about the freedom to choose, to carryone’s cross and to follow Christ (Mark 8:34). One doesnot follow Christ as a result of fear of punishment or forany reward, but out of love for Him. The prayer of Eld-er Porphyrios, where he prayed that he would happilygo even to hell if that was God’s will, immediatelycomes to mind.

There is no doubt that setting limits is important. Itmust be remembered however, that these rules aresimply guidelines to help children grow in such a waythat will eventually lead to the ideal. To achieve this, wemust be well prepared and explicit in modelling behav-iours expected of those God has entrusted to our care.In this way they will recognise that which is proper andright for what it is, and not seek reward for expectedacceptable behaviours.

To comment, agree or disagree, visit http://peter-mav.livejournal.com/

* Peter Mavrommatis is a teacher of Orthodox Studies andPersonal Development at St Spyridon College Senior School,Sydney.

By PETERMAVROMMATIS *

MOTIVATIONDiscussing child and adolescent motivation strategies

1 Harkianakis, S., ‘Fear of God as an integrating Factor of Education’, inPhronema, XVI (2001):302 McInerney, D.M. & McInerney, V., Educational Psychology: ConstructingLearning, (2nd ed.), (1998):1723 Van Brummelen, H., Walking with God in the classroom: Christian ap-proaches to learning and teaching, (2nd ed.), (1998):105

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA4/20 AUGUST 2010

PANAGIA SOUMELA – AUGUST 15

An icon’s sacred journeyBy Kon Bouzikos, Melbourne

At Trapezunta in Pontus, built on a high rock, is theHoly Monastery of Panagia Soumela.

Etymologically, the name of the monastery is derivedfrom the name of the mountain it is built on, which iscalled Mela. In Greek, ‘stou mela ‘ means ‘at Mela ‘, andin the Pontic dialect it is pronounced ‘sou Mela ‘. Hence,Panagia at Mt Mela. The original icon of PanagiaSoumela is believed to have been iconographed by theEvangelist Luke who was both a physician and aniconographer. According to tradition, whenever Lukedrew icons of Panagia, the Holy Mother was verypleased and blessed his works.

Furthermore, she encouraged him to draw moreicons. After St Luke’s repose, his disciple Ananias tookthe icon and transferred it to Athens. The icon was ven-erated as Panagia Athiniotissa.

Two Athenian monks were called by the Virgin to fol-low Panagia Athiniotissa from the Church in Athens toMount Mela in Pontus of Asia Minor, a region in currentday Turkey. Their names were Barnabas and his acolyteSophronios. At Mt Mela, the icon was found at the endof the fourth century A.D. in a cave, and the monasterywas built at this place to the glory of God. The icon wasrenamed ‘Panagia Soumela‘.

The monastery was inaugurated by the Bishop ofTrapezunta in 386 A.D. During the decline of the Byzan-tine Empire, the monastery was a centre of education. Itwas pillaged many times but was always rebuilt, withthe latest construction occurring around 644 A.D.Trapezunta was occupied by the Turks in 1461 and sowas the monastery.

Despite these difficult times, the monks remained inthe monastery unshaken in their faith and tradition. Theywere finally forced to flee in 1923 following the barbar-ic period of the genocide of all Greeks in Asia Minor in-cluding Pontus. Before fleeing the monastery, certainitems were buried in the front yard of the Church of StBarbara which was built at a short distance from themonastery by St Sophronios. These items were the iconof Panagia Soumela, the handwritten Gospel copied onparchment by St Christopher, and the honourable wooddonated by Emperor Manuel Comnenos. This event tookplace in August of 1923.

In 1931, on the great feast day of the Dormition of theTheotokos at Mega Spelion (the Great Cave) of Kalavry-ta, Peloponnesos in Greece, many people gathered.They prayed before another icon of the Evangelist Luke,Panagia Speliotissa. Amidst the crowds were many Pon-

tic Greeks and the Greek Prime Minister, EleftheriosVenizelos (1864- 1936). Metropolitan Polycarp of Xanthementioned the hidden icon of Panagia Soumela to theGreek Prime Minister. Upon hearing this account,Venizelos was touched and made a promise that hewould do whatever was possible to retrieve the icon.During the same year, Venizelos met the Turkish PrimeMinister Ismet Inonu, and asked for his permission tosend monks to the Mt Mela monastery to retrieve theicon and the other sacred treasures.

Father Ambrosios, who was one of the monks ofPanagia Soumela, was chosen by MetropolitanChrysanthos of Trapezunta to undertake this specialjourney. Father Ambrosios set out to go to Turkey on Oc-tober 22, 1931. Upon arriving at the sacred site, he wasmoved to tears. The laborious task of excavating began.

Turkish soldiers and Greeks helped, including FatherAmbrosios. Soon the hidden icon was unearthed alongwith the other sacred objects. They were all returned toAthens and deposited at the Benaki Museum in Athensfor 20 years.

In 1950, Dr Philon Ktenides encouraged fellow PonticGreeks in Greece to build a new church for PanagiaSoumela. The church was built on a site amid the Mace-donian mountains in Greece. This sight was Kastania ofVermio. It was chosen because it reminded Dr Ktenidesof the wild and natural beauty of the heights of Mt Melain Turkey.

In 1951 the icon was transferred from the Benaki Mu-seum to Kastania in Macedonia. The miraculous iconwas enthroned at Kastania on 15th August 1952. Eventhough the new home of the icon is called theMonastery of Soumela, there are no monks or nuns liv-ing in this remote mountain site. The Church of the Dor-mition may be visited by pilgrims and tourists. Everyyear on 15th August (the feast day of the Dormition ofthe Theotokos), thousands of pilgrims from around theworld travel to this Monastery at Mt Vermion to vener-ate the holy icon.

The original Soumela monastery in Turkey is also ac-cessible to the pilgrim and tourist. The monastery’s fourstorey façade remains in good condition, although therear portion is destroyed. Located at an altitude of 1,200metres, it is a magnificent structure. It clings to sheerbasalt wall, high above green forests and a mountainstream. Many of the sacred icons have suffered as tar-gets from desecrators and graffiti scribblers. Themonastery once housed 72 cells, guest quarters, anaqueduct, small chapels, icon room, library and dormito-ries.

Many Pontians in Greece have migrated to Australia.In Victoria alone there are 35,000 Greeks of Pontic de-scent. In 1972, the President of the association PanagiaSoumela in Melbourne, George Papadopoulos travelledto Kastania in Macedonia. He met the Executive Com-mittee of the Panhellenic Holy Foundation of KastaniaVeroias. He expressed to them the long heartfelt desireof Australian Pontic Greeks to have a copy of the holyicon of Panagia Soumela to venerate. This noble requestwas met by the Greek authorities and a copy of theicon was presented to George Papadopoulos on Octo-ber 1972 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

On 8th June 1982, the copy of this historic icon waspresented to His Grace Bishop Panteleimon of Theoupo-lis (the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Melbourne at thattime). Every year on 15th August, the icon of PanagiaSoumela was brought for veneration by all Greeks inMelbourne to the Greek Orthodox parish of St Nicholasin Yarraville. The late Father Antonios Amanatidis, thefounding parish priest of St Nicholas, was a PonticGreek by descent.

In 1992, a new Greek Orthodox parish was being builtin East Keilor, Melbourne. His Eminence ArchbishopStylianos (Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Aus-tralia), wanted this church to be named the ‘Dormition ofthe Theotokos Panagia Soumela’ due to the fact thatmany Pontic Greeks lived in the area. The icon of Pana-gia Soumela was enthroned (placed) in the newly builtChurch of Panagia Soumela, East Keilor, on Sunday 4thMay 1997. The Church was also officially opened onthat day. The Church also has two chapels, one dedicat-ed to St John the Theologian, and the other to our holyGod-bearing Father David of Euboea).

References1.Rev Fr. Anthony G. Krinas, Panagia, Theotokos 110 icons, 40feasts and Paraklisis, Melbourne, Australia, 19982. The Lives of the Monastery Builders of Soumela , A translationfrom the Greek of THE GREAT SYNAXARISTES OF THE ORTHODOXCHURCH, Holy Apostles Convent , Colorado, 1991.

Panagia Soumeliotissa

The Holy Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Pontus

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/21

Our Primate’s ViewAUGUST 2010

By ARCHBISHOPSTYLIANOSOF AUSTRALIA

The traditional fast of the Fifteen Days of Au-gust would be merely another ‘religious discipline’ ora kind of secular ‘diet’, if it did not have as its un-shakeable foundation the daily services of the Sup-plication to the Panagia (All-holy Mother of God), to-gether of course with certain thoughts - even if frag-mentary - concerning Orthodox prayerfulness andrepentance.

Within the context of such fragmentarythoughts we sketch these simple lines, as if lighting ahumble candle for Panagia, who is “more pure thanthe rays of sun” (as we chant in the Supplicationservice).

One need not be pessimistic or gloomy orlacking in faith to admit - based on personal and col-lective experience - that there is not a phenomenonin this world that is more constant or more concretethan pain. Physical pain and spiritual pain; chronicpain and intermittent pain; small pain and great pain;silent pain and piercing pain.

The reality of pain is so common and wide-spread in our lives here, that we might say someonewas perhaps justified in reversing the well-knowndictum of Descartes from ‘I think, therefore I am’ to ‘Ihurt, therefore I am’! And yet, our wise people do notcease to confess enduringly that: ‘in spite of all itstroubles, life is still sweet’!

However, one may ask: What is the powerwhich enables us to maintain our courage and lovefor life? To this we reply: It is certainly not derivedfrom our egoism or love of self. For, to live - espe-cially beyond a certain age - is not always pleasant.At times it is a humbling experience on a daily basis,a trial. At other times it is indeed a true humiliation.This humbling, hardship and humiliation is preciselywhat cannot be tolerated by those who are weak infaith or courage, and for this reason they sometimestake their own lives. On the other hand, the majorityof people have what might be considered the innateoptimism that after any bitter hour, another happierhour will follow. This unspoken optimism is deepdown a form of faith and confidence in the goodnessand omnipotence of God. Regardless of whether it isalways expressed in prayer or not, the depth of thissentiment is purely religious. That is why it has thepower to withstand so many storms!

Yet while other people have a faint religiousfeeling of optimism, Christians have the radiant fig-ure of a Mother in whom to entrust their fears, likehelpless children: the Panagia. She herself felt pain tothe greatest degree, without however yielding to it,which is why every Christian can call upon her com-passion and intercessions. In the case of Christ Him-self, Christians in the West emphasise His humanside and give greater attention to Christmas than toEaster. So it is for Panagia - the West places greateremphasis on what Panagia suffered rather than onwhat she can do. And so they called her Mater Do-lorosa (Mother of Suffering) and Mater Lacrimosa(Mother of Tears). The Orthodox however, by com-mencing precisely from what Panagia suffered andhow she suffered, deduce and appreciate what shemay do at every moment through her intercessions.This is why they call her ‘Eleousa’ (the one whoshows mercy), ‘Glykofilousa’ (sweet-kissing), ‘Odigi-tria’ (showing the way), ‘Parigoritria’ (who consoles),‘Gorgoepikoos’ (swift to hear), ‘Eleftherotria’(provider of freedom), ‘Pantanassa’ (Queen of all) etc.

There is nonetheless one country and onePanagia, where the devotion of Orthodox and Roman

Catholics resemble one another to such an extent,you would be entitled to think for a moment that theyare no different in this regard, even though there aredifferences in many other areas. We refer to Polandand its famous ‘Black Madonna’ in Tsestochova. Weonce visited that Polish national site of pilgrimage,when all Orthodox present (both clergy and lay peo-ple) had the distinct impression that we were in ourown Tinos, or in Smolensk of Russia!

Let us first of all take a look at the icon itself.It is a genuinely byzantine icon, which according totradition dates from the 6th or even the 5th century. Itdepicts the Virgin Mary as an elegant and sorrowfulfigure, her lips tight with such fortitude and decisive-ness on account of her pain, just as her stole iswrapped around her dignified head. This particularicon has had an adventurous history. On various oc-casions it was stolen from the Poles, and at othertimes the Poles took it back. All of these troubleshave left a noticeably dark layer on the entire sur-face of the sacred icon, and that is apparently why itis called the ‘Black Madonna’. That which astonishes

us even more is the great number of faithful whocontinually flock there to venerate and receive sanc-tification. We witnessed thousands of people in end-less queues, and as soon as they arrived in thecourtyard of the Church they would crawl on theirknees towards the holy canopy, upon which the‘Queen of the Polish people’, as they call her icon,stood in resplendent light. Men and women of everyage and profession, either in work clothes or moreformally attired, boys and girls with modern appear-ance, blue jeans and woven shoulder bags, arrivedaily on their knees seeking protection and respiteamidst the uncertainties and misfortunes of life.

We can therefore state that, above and be-yond the differences between Christians of East andWest, the Panagia is for the faithful a rainbow which‘unites the divergent’. As a most compassionateMother, she accepts the supplications even ofMoslem Turkish women when they have no morebreast milk to give, and she returns it to themthrough her fervent prayer to God. And all of thesesimple or wondrous occurrences take place with thesame spontaneity and genuineness, regardless ofwhether it is in Tinos or Kythera, Tsestochova or Fa-tima, Lourdes or Smolensk. Because Panagia was theearth’s noblest blossom, which is why God, whowas pleased even before her lifetime with her ab-solute obedience and humility - which were knownto Him in advance according to His eternal fore-knowledge - abundantly blessed humankind throughher. This astounding truth and teaching was succinct-ly given to us by the great Theologian and Father ofthe Church, St Gregory Palamas, in stating that the in-tercessions of the All-holy Mother of God cover allperiods of time, from the beginning of Creation, asshe is “the cause of those who went before her, andthe protector of those who came after.”

Translation by DK

PANAGIA AND

HUMAN PAIN

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/22 AUGUST 2010

By Guy Freeland*

Episkopi

First, some apology must be made toRobert Louis Stevenson, the author ofTravels with a Donkey in the Cévennes,for “massaging” the title of his celebratedtravelogue (1879). Our Nissan Note,which we picked up at Larnaka airport,was certainly a more comfortable way toexplore the mountainous region of centralsouthern Cyprus, the Troödos, than Ste-venson’s temperamental donkey, Modes-tine, which accompanied him across themountains of the Cévennes in centralsouthern France.Before we head off to the mountains, we

are going to spend three nights at Episko-pi, near Limassol/Lemesos. We need torecover a bit from the murderous flightfrom Sydney and we have a couple of vis-its to make. My first cousin and his wifeare staying with her nephew who lives atnearby Kolossi and we have arranged tospend a day with them. And then I haveundertaken to visit the grandfather of oneof our seminarian students at St Andrew’swho is a monk in the monastery of Christof Symvoulas at Episkopi. (I have a pho-tograph of the monastery’s miraculousicon of St George propped up beside meas I write.) But first we must drive toEpiskopi.

All along the route from Larnaka to Li-massol there are massive tourist develop-ments; hundreds upon hundreds of bijouvillas, most owned by absentee foreigners(many apparently Russian) who spend atmost two to three months a year inCyprus. It is soul destroying. Every so of-ten, however, one passes an enormousOrthodox church, usually brand new orstill under construction. Some of thesechurches are architecturally quite attrac-tive. But why do Greek parishes insist onsuch enormous buildings? For my book,small is beautiful; and you might evenhave space for an atrium (= colonnadedcourtyard) with a fountain and garden.

As we drive on our depression deepens.What are we doing here? Perhaps itwould be best to turn round and see if wecan get a flight on to Crete or Rhodes.But we pass the outskirts of Limassol andthings look up.

Episkopi turns out to be a pleasant hig-gledy-piggledy village climbing up thehills behind the Akrotiri Peninsula andcentred on the minaret of what used to bethe mosque in happier days before thetragic division of Cyprus. Turkish also isthe mansion converted into an agro-tourism hotel where we will be staying.

We drive up, heave out the luggage, andpush open the solid front door. Very steepsteps ascend to the bar/reception deskthrough a high pointed arch. I know whatall this is about as some years ago westayed in a converted caravanserai in Ku-sadasi/Ephesus. The steps are designedfor camels to walk up, not suitcase-ladentourists.

The guestrooms form one side of acharming garden courtyard (like the atriaOrthodox churches should have but

don’t). Next morning, we enjoy breakfastin the courtyard; that is, until I manage tosnap off one of my front teeth just abovethe gum on the homemade marmalade.Oh, the joys of travel!

Nothing daunting, we set off to explorethe area and visit the monastery, whichproves to lie up a valley. We are most gra-ciously received by Grandfather. Thesmall monastery has a deeply spiritual at-mosphere - I even begin to feel betterabout my phantom tooth. The communityhas just built a large new monastic build-ing up the hill, but if I were a monk Iwould much prefer to remain in the oldmonastery. We leave spiritually refreshedamidst promises that we will make surethat Grandfather gets a photograph of hisgrandson.

Most of the rest of the day we spend ex-ploring the outstanding archaeologicalsites of the Ancient city of Kourion. Thescenery, unlike that along the route fromLarnaka to Limassol, is beautiful and theviews along the coast impressive. “MineHost” at the hotel recommends a restau-rant for dinner and we have what is prob-ably the best meal that we were to have inCyprus, together with a bottle of the real-ly excellent wine of the region.

Our second day at Episkopi we spendvery pleasantly with my relations at near-by Kolossi. Before we head off to theTroödos on our final day, we drive up thecoast as far as Palaipaphos where we in-spect the poorly preserved ruins of therenowned temple of Aphrodite. En route,we stop at Petra tou Romiou, a legendarysite where Aphrodite/Venus is said tohave been born from the sea in the foamcreated from the genitals of Ouranos, se-vered by his son, Kronos. Thoroughly un-pleasant myth but a lovely spot, even ifoverrun by tourists like ourselves.

The Troödos and its Churches

Episkopi is a good place to stay, butwhat has really brought us to Cyprus ismy recent discovery that the TroödosMassif is home to no less than ten WorldHeritage listed painted churches. Strictlyspeaking, the Troödos is just the area sur-

rounding Cyprus’ highest mountain, MtOlympos (1952m). However, the name isalso commonly applied to the whole cen-tral mountainous region across which theWorld Heritage churches are scattered.

We arrive at the pleasant resort villageof Platres in the Troödos where we willbe staying for the next five nights. Nextmorning we discover that almost every-thing is closed as it is Pentecost Monday,a public holiday in Cyprus. This couldcause some complications (and did) as weset off for our first World Heritagechurch, Archangelos Michael at Pedoulasin the Marathasa Valley.

Most churches in these days of sacrile-gious thefts and vandalism are keptlocked, not only in Cyprus but rightacross Europe. Contacting a key holder isoften difficult and time consuming. Thischurch, however, should be easy as theinstructions are to pick the key up fromthe museum. The road down to the muse-um is very steep and narrow so we leavethe car at the top and I walk down to in-vestigate. The museum, of course, isclosed for the public holiday. I lookaround but cannot see the church, justsome small houses and what looks like acowshed. I climb back up the hill.

We decide to come back next day asthere are other churches in the area wewish to visit. My wife then suggests thatwe drive down to the bottom of the vil-lage to see if we can reach the museumand the church from the lower end of the

street. This manoeuvre proves successfuland we park next to the museum. Look-ing across the road I suddenly realise thatthe cowshed is actually the church and,what is more, the door is now open. Iaught to have had more faith. Archangelsdon’t let you down.

We were to see many, many churches inthe Troödos like this one. They have mas-sive steep-pitched wooden tiled roofscovering the entire building. The earlierbuildings were constructed as vaulted sin-gle-aisled or cross-and-square Byzantinechurches. However, obviously problemswere encountered with the severe moun-tain weather and someone somewhere de-cided to wrap the entire temple in a sec-ond, outer roof. This is the case, for ex-ample, with the very odd looking domedcross-and-square church (some of whosefrescoes date from the late eleventh cen-tury) that came to be known as AgiosNikolaos tis Stegis (St Nicholas of theRoof).

It is also the case with Panagia Phorvio-tissa, Asinou (1099-1105). Here, whilstthe earliest frescoes date from 1105/6,perhaps the most intriguing iconographyis that of the Second Coming in thenarthex of the fourteenth century (the ear-ly churches were originally built withouta narthex). An extraordinary set of panelsdetail the specific punishments whichwill be meted out to those who commitsuch sins as diverting water from theirneighbour’s land or refusing the breast toinfants. It was at Asinou that we encountered the

traffic jam to end all traffic jams. A cou-ple of dozen buses had all converged onthe one spot and created such a tangle ofvehicles blocking and spilling over thesides of the road that the drivers couldn’twork out how to unravel the knot.

Later churches in the Troödos have onlya single roof but these are of the same de-sign as those covering the entire vaultingof earlier churches. The church of theArchangelos at Pedoulas belongs to thislater group. It has a massive roof whichon the south side comes almost down tothe ground, thus creating a L-shapednarthex. The church has an eastern apse,which like the nave is covered by thewooden roof.

I enter the well-lit church. It is an ab-solute gem. The church and recently re-stored frescoes date from 1474, earlyenough by a whisker to have avoided(save for a very few minor details) theRenaissance influence which followedthe Venetian conquest of Cyprus in 1489.The iconographer, Menas, had a charm-ing primitive style of composition basedon geometrical lines. Faces almost reduceto triangles topped by semicircles. He al-so had a great love for red, which givesthe temple a warm feeling.

The church being small, the worshipperis very close to the iconography. This cre-ates a powerful sense of intimacy with theprototypes of the images. The walls aretotally covered with iconography, largelyof the festivals of the Church year. How-ever, two enormous powerful frescoes,

Travels with a Nissan Note

in the Troödos Mountains of Cyprus

Church of the Archangel Michael, Pedoulas, Cyprus.

East end, Church of the Archangel Michael.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/23AUGUST 2010

Cont. from previous page

one each side of the east end of the nave,seemingly fill the whole church with theirpresence: one of the patron of the Church,Michael the Archangel, the other of StGeorge. We were to see finer iconogra-phy, from a technical point of view, in theTroödos, but this rustic little church is theone I would most like to pack up in mysuitcase and take back to Oz.

Beyond reasonable doubt, the finest ofall the World Heritage churches is that ofPanagia tou Araka, near the village ofLagoudera in what, to my mind, is themost beautiful region of the Troödos,Pitsilia. A vaulted single-aisled domedchurch with a cross-shaped roof, Panagiatou Araka was later covered by a woodensecond roof which was extended on theeast, north and south sides to create a con-tinuous narthex or ambulatory. In thiscase, however, a separate wooden roofwas constructed to cover the dome.

Painted in 1192 in the Comnenian styleand attributed to Theodoros Apsevdis, theiconography is of a very high standardand deeply spiritual. There is consider-able theological subtlety in the placementof, and relations between, images. Thus,on the piers to the left and right of thesanctuary are striking icons of theTheotokos Eleousa (the merciful) andChrist Antiphonetes (the responder). Ascroll held by the Theotokos records aninterchange between Mother and Son inwhich the Theotokos pleads for the salva-tion of sinners. Eventually Christ ismoved by her tender entreaties:

An interesting detail, noted by theMetropolitan of Morphou in the churchguide, is that the infant Christ is, in twoinstances, depicted as wearing an earring.The Metropolitan recalls his grandmothertelling him that it was an old Cypriot cus-tom to place a gold ring in the ear of anonly son, signifying that he required spe-cial care and attention. On his marriage,with a wife to care for him, the earringwas removed. So obviously, then, the

infant Christ wears an earring in thisCypriot church to signify that He is theonly begotten Son of the Father.

At breakfast on the morning after ourvisit to the church I noticed that ouryoung waiter was wearing an earring, so Iasked him if he was an only son. Since helooked extremely puzzled I told him ofthe custom. He went back to the kitchenand in a few minutes returned wreathed insmiles, obviously having consulted one ofthe elderly ladies, to tell us that there wasindeed such a tradition. Presumably, hehad received a good deal of flack con-cerning his earring and I had just madehis day.

Apart from the sheer loveliness of theiconography, another good reason to visitthe World Heritage churches of theTroödos is that one can trace the wholedevelopment of Cypriot iconographyfrom the end of the eleventh century tothe sixteenth.

The later iconography, such as that ofPanagia Podithou at Galata, although ofgreat beauty, has been deeply influencedby the Renaissance. The traditional icono-graphic images are indeed preserved, butthrough the extensive use of linear, asopposed to reverse, perspective, thedepiction of emotional reactions, ratherthan dispassion, and the more realisticportrayal of facial features, these imagesdeviate significantly from the Byzantinetradition and lack the profound spirituali-ty of the earlier iconography.Well, we managed to see the exteriors of

all ten World Heritage listed churches andseven and a quarter interiors. In twoinstances we failed in our attempts totrack down the key holder and in one, StJohn Lampadistis, only a portion of theiconography could be viewed as thechurch was undergoing conservation andwas choked with scaffolding.

The Tale of the Cats

At the end of each day, our Nissan Notereturned us to Platres for dinner. As we setabout the kleftiko and stifado in therestaurants along the main street ourentertainment was provided by the gangof cats which takes over the street in theevening awaiting the scraps thrown tothem by the restaurateurs. Clusters ofsemi-wild cats are seen all over the placein Cyprus. Although the cats have a vari-ety of coats, they are all remarkably small

and uniform in body build. Could allthese sleek pussies have a common ances-try? Could, indeed, the story of St Helenaand the cats be based on fact?

When we were at Episkopi, we made anexcursion to a monastery (founded in325) on the Akrotiri Peninsula, AgiosNikolaos ton Gaton (St Nicholas of theCats). The story is that returning from theHoly Land St Helena, the mother ofConstantine the Great (and for longbelieved to have been a Pom) stopped offin Cyprus where she was horrified by the

plague of snakes terrorising the island. Asa consequence, she sent a shipload of catsto deal with the problem. The monks fedthe cats and in return the cats reported forduty to do battle with the reptiles whenthe monks rang a bell.

But it is time to say farewell to theTroödos and the cats of Platres and let ourModestine lead us to pastures new.

* Guy Freeland is an Honorary Lecturer at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox

Theological College, Sydney.

Church of St Nicholas of the Roof, Kakopetria, Cyprus. Mosaic of St Nicholas, Church of St Nicholas of the Cats, Akrotiri, Cyprus.

Theotokos. “Show leniency, my son, be sympathetic to them.”Christ. “But they do not return.”Theotokos. “Save them as a favour tome and them.” Christ. “They will be given deliver-ance from their sins.”

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA8/24 AUGUST 2010

St John’s College is a school with a great tradition and has made an enormous impact on the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne over the past 30 years. It has a wonderful reputation and its Alumni have attained a tertiary education at some of the most prestigious universities. Our VCE results have been outstanding due to the commitment of our caring staff and hardworking students.

The College offers a broad curriculum which includes:

- Greek language and cultural programmes

- Religious Education

- Inter-School sports

- Co-curricular and extra curricular activities

· Active After School Programme

· A structured welfare programme within a House system that encourages a safe and caring environment

Just to name a few….

Contact DetailsMs Athanasiou

Phone: (03) 9480 530021 Railway Place West, Preston VictoriaEmail: Info@stjohnspreston.vic.edu.auWebsite: www.stjohnpreston.vic.edu.au

Premier’s AwardsFirst Place In Modern Greek VCE 2009

Our School Captain, Raphael Papaspyropoulos was awarded 1st place in theVictorian Certificate of Education, in Modern Greek. This is a magnificentachievement and a well deserved award for a young man who is diligent in hisstudies and is an outstanding student. At this special presentation Raphael wasawarded with his certificate by His Excellency the Governor of Victoria, ProfessorDavid de Kretser and his wife Janice.Congratulations to Raphael and his family.

A Uruguayan in Athens

I came to Greeceon a scholarship toconduct research atthe University ofAthens. I had cho-sen Greece for myresearch - on an-cient mythology -because I reallywanted to experi-ence personally thearchaeological siteswhere the myths were born and whosespirit they still emanate. I also wanted tosee what of antiquity has survived inGreeks today.

From the very first moment in Athens, Ifelt something I had never felt before: a re-markable cosmic harmony. And since thatday I say Greece is a big gift the godsgave to the Greeks.

I fell in love with Greece. I also ended upfalling in love with a Greek. I got married toboth!

Today, I am a professor of Spanish Ame-rican literature. I continue to conduct re-search, give lectures and write articles.

I believe that the “eternal Greece” knowshow to use its 4,000 years of experienceto find a way out of today’s problems.

ATHENS NEWS

Feast Day of St PanteleimonAdelaide S.A.

With the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we were once againblessed to celebrate the Feast Day of St Panteleimon on theTuesday 27th July at the very small but very welcoming parishat Glenelg in Adelaide. Despite it being a weekday, the eventwas well attended, with Bishop Nikandros of Dorileon officiatingthe Divine Liturgy and being assisted by Fr Peter Photakis, FrSpiridon Vounassis and Fr Constatine Skoumbourdis. Amongst

the distinguished guests was also Mr John Kiosoglous. For those who may not be aware, we are equally blessed to

have with us a small relic of the saint to venerate and reinforceour living faith with the wonderful fragrance which is ever-pre-sent. This overwhelming expression of God’s mercy takes usback to the 3rd century, connecting us to the past and remind-ing us that God is truly “wondrous in His Saints”.

International Year of Youth

Young people in Africa are proving to bea powerful force for change, ChildFundAustralia CEO Nigel Spence said ahead ofthe launch of the United Nations Interna-tional Year of Youth on 12 August.

The latest UNAIDS report shows youngAfricans are turning the tide against HIVand AIDS, with HIV prevalence fallingamong young people in 16 of the 21 coun-tries most affected by the disease. Youngpeople are also tackling other major is-sues affecting youth in their communities,from domestic violence to drug and alcoholabuse, through initiatives such as peer ed-ucation, youth advocacy and youth repre-sentation in decision-making.

Leading the charge are young womenlike 16-year-old Cynthia, who has beenparticipating in ChildFund Australia’s HIVand AIDS program in Kenya. Cynthia wasdevastated after losing both her parents toAIDS-related illnesses but now educatesand supports other young people in hercommunity.

“Even if my parents died of HIV and AIDS,I can still teach my family members andthe community at large so that they cannotdie of that disease again, they be careful,”she says. “Right now I can stand firm infront of people, even the elders, talk tothem about the dangers in life, the dangersof HIV and AIDS, talk to my fellow teen-agers and girls about issues that are af-fecting them and how to control them.”

Empowering young people like Cynthiato speak out about issues affecting theirlives has been transformational in thecommunities where ChildFund Australiaworks. It is also the theme of the Interna-tional Year of Youth: Dialogue and MutualUnderstanding.

Professor David de Kretser and his wife Janice.

Info@stjohnspreston.vic.edu.au

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/25AUGUST 2010

As a Year 12 student, etching ever closer to the end ofmy scholastic journey, I cannot help but reflect on my 12years worth of memories. The good and the not so goodintertwine to form my individual and amazing experienceat St Spyridon College.

An aspect of our school which constantly permeates myreminiscing is the resilience and core strength of our col-lege, not only as a whole community but the strength I seein each individual honoured to call themselves a St Spyri-don student. This vigour not only comes from the school’sfoundation of faith, culture and compassion but its un-breakable spirit in moments of hardship.

There come times when we are propelled into situa-tions head first and forced to endure circumstances thatdare to shatter our fortitude. We may think that the onlypossible consequences are failure, disappointment andgrief but whether these hurdles are as a school or indi-vidually, St Spyridon College lifts us up and we as a fami-ly break through the walls of adversity, emerging from theother side triumphant and more unshakeable than before.

We cannot let these moments conquer our courage; wecannot let ourselves become overwhelmed with the cir-cumstances we find ourselves in. They say “many handsmake light work” for this reason we must grab the reignsof misfortune with a combined strength and guide eachother onto a steady path. As a collective unit we canachieve things that may seem impossible at this point intime, but our school has been characterised as an institu-tion that punches well above its own weight and our ex-pectations of ourselves and each other should nevercease to become greater and greater. Whenever we feelthe burden is too heavy, or the bar set too high we mustturn to the core of our existence; our religion, our tradi-tions but especially our principles.

School Principle Number 9 states, “We respond to thedifficulties of life with patience, dignity and faith, neverfearing to start again”.

This principle, one of many on which this college isfounded upon, should resonate in each and every heart. It

is easier said than done, but remember that the difficultiesin life are intended to make us better. Fear will always bethere, a danger to our progress but how can we progressif we do not tackle objectives we think we cannotachieve?

Patience is essential, be prepared to fall, but be pre-pared to say that your attempts are not futile. When youmiss a goal in soccer you do not give up and stop playing,you try harder, you run faster; you endure the whole 90minutes for the satisfaction of one goal.

Never have an “if only”, seize the opportunities you havebeen given and each obstacle should be thought of as aplayer to dribble around. Use this determination; endurethe falls for the satisfaction of the accomplishment be-cause the blood, sweat and tears will be worth it.

No regrets, only lessons learned.

Year 12 of 2009 encompassed this principle in everyfacet of their St Spyridon lives especially during their HSC

year. During a time when obstacles are inevitable and inmoments when the pressure causes you to doubt yourown abilities, they were each other’s safety nets and pil-lars of support. Merging into a single driving force theyachieved outstanding HSC results but more importantly,they were an inspiration to the whole school community tofulfil our potential and to never back down from anythingwe undertake. Engraving their legacy in our memories we,their successors, have been left great expectations.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us andwhat lies before us are tiny matters compared to whatlies within us.” Therefore, we should ask of ourselves tohave faith, to trust in ourselves and in each other, to uniteas brothers in arms and rise to every occasion becauseonly through this act of individual and collective leadershipcan we weather any storm. As one, we will respond to thedifficulties of life with patience, dignity and faith, and asone we will never fear to start again.

Come and see! Thursday 23rd September 2010 – 80 Gardeners Road, Kingsford NSW 2035 11.00 am – 2.30 pm

For bookings or enrolment information please contact Mrs Sophie Balayannis on (02) 9311 3340 or sbalayannis@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au or visit www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.au

SSCW

CRS T S P Y R I D O N C O L L E G E

Discover what makes our children shine.

St. Spyridon College Junior School Open Day.

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Breaking through the Wall of AdversitySpeech by St Spyridon College Vice Captain – Aleksandra Djordjevic

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/26 AUGUST 2010

Growing up fast and furious:Media’s impact on our children: Violence and aggression

By Deacon George Liangas, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow

- Psychologists Brad Bushman and L. Rowell Huesmann1

Children and adolescents are exposed to alarming lev-els of violence through electronic media. By the age of 18,the average adolescent will have seen an estimated200,000 acts of violence on television alone. Much of thisviolence is presented in an acceptable and glamorisedfashion, and in children’s programming it is often present-ed as humorous2. A US study has shown that more than10% of 10- to 14-year-olds saw 40 of the most violentmovies in a given year (2003), with the most popularmovie, ‘Scary Movie’ being seen by 48.1% of children inthis age group3. The exposure to violence was greater foradolescents who had a television in their bedroom and forthose who reported that their parents allowed them towatch adult-only movies.

Music videos, a popular form of entertainment for chil-dren and adolescents, also contain a high level of vio-lence. In one study in 1997, 41% of a selection of videoclips showed some level of violence4. In one analysis ofrap music videos, there was frequent talking about guns(59%), drug use (49%), profanity (73%), grabbing (69%), al-cohol use (42%), and explicit violence (36%). When violencewas depicted, it was usually the attractive lead singer/rolemodel who was involved.

The problem appears to be even greater for videogames. More than half of all games contain violence,>90% of these being rated as appropriate for children.The most worrisome are the first-person shooter games,i.e. the player playing the game through the eyes of theshooter. These games often show the effects of theshooting in a very graphic and gruesome way. After a par-ticular school shooting in the US, it was discovered that theshooter had never fired a real gun in his life before thatday, yet his marksmanship was both accurate and lethal.

A most important question is: what sort of effect doesthis degree of exposure to violence have? Studies haveshown that the impact of media violence on real-life ag-gressive behaviour is stronger than many commonly ac-cepted public health risks (eg. the link between asbestosexposure and cancer), and is nearly as strong as the linkbetween smoking and lung cancer. In other words, thereis a good chance that repeated exposure to violence in-creases the viewers’ chances of being violent themselves.Researchers believe that repeated exposure to violencecan lead to anxiety and fear, acceptance of violence as anappropriate means of solving conflict, desensitisation anddecrease in doing good. In particular, many movies send a

powerful message to children that it is OK to use violencewhen the other person ‘deserves’ it - the ‘good guys ver-sus bad guys’ scenario. The effect of media violence ap-pears to be strongest when the perpetrators are attrac-tive and go unpunished, when they see no harm done tothe victims, or when the violence is carried out in a realis-tic or a humorous way.

A more recent problem is that the media allow youth tobehave aggressively through internet bullying and harass-ment. Estimates of the incidence of cyber-bullying varyand range from 23 - 72%5. More common forms of cyber-bullying include name-calling and gossiping. Other behav-iours include spreading rumours, making threats or send-ing other malicious messages. This phenomenon can bevery distressing to the victims and has been linked to in-creased social anxiety; and can lead perpetrators to moresevere aggression and violence. The negative effects forthe victims appear to be diminished when they feel sup-ported by their parents6.

1 Bushman BJ, Huesmann LR. Effects of televised violence on aggression.In: Singer DG, Singer JL, eds. Handbook of Children and the Media. ThousandOaks, CA: Sage; 2001:2231254

2 Strasburger VC, Jordan AB, Donnerstein E. Health effects of media onchildren and adolescents. Pediatrics 2010; 125; 756-767.

3 Worth KA, Gibson Chambers J, Nassau DH, Rakhra BK, Sargent JD. Ex-posure of US adolescents to extremely violent movies. Pediatrics 2008; 122;306-312.

4 Jones K. Are rap videos more violent? Style differences and the preva-lence of sex and violence in the age of MTV. Howard Journal of Communi-cations 1997; 8; 343-356.

5 Guan SS, Subrahmanyam K. Youth internet use: risks and opportunities.Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2009; 22; 351-356.

6 Wang J, Iannotti RJ, Nansel TR. School bullying among adolescents in theUnited States: physical, verbal, relational and cyber. Journal of AdolescentHealth 2009; 45; 368-375.

True, media violence is not likely to turn an otherwisefine child into a violent criminal. But, just as every cig-arette one smokes increases a little bit the likelihood ofa lung tumour someday, every violent show one watch-es increases just a little bit the likelihood of behavingmore aggressively in some situation.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/27

HealthAUGUST 2010

Glaucoma…. Becomeaware of the warningsigns during National

Glaucoma WeekThis year National Glaucoma Week is from

15th to 21st August. This week seeks to raiseawareness of the “silent” eye condition - glau-coma.

Glaucoma is a condition in which there is an increasein the pressure of the fluid which circulates in our eyes.

This increase in fluid causes damage to the opticnerve. The role of the optic nerve is to carry the ‘pic-ture’ we see to the brain. If this nerve is damaged byglaucoma, the image is blurred.

Glaucoma is one of the most common causes ofblindness. Over three hundred thousand people in Aus-tralia have glaucoma. Glaucoma can occur at any age,but it is more common with increasing age and there-fore as Australia’s population ages, so too does the in-cidence of glaucoma.

About three percent of Australians over forty haveglaucoma, but because there are generally no warningsigns only about half of them have

been diagnosed. During National Glaucoma Week allAustralians are encouraged to undertake a comprehen-sive eye check and to do so every two years once theyreach the age of forty and not to take their sight forgranted.

The eye has two chambers, separated by the lens.Fluid is made in the posterior (rear) chamber. It circu-lates around the lens and passes through the pupil intothe anterior (front) chamber from where it drains away.A blockage in the flow of this fluid results in glaucoma.

There are several types of glaucoma, each having adifferent cause and requiring different treatment.

How is glaucoma detected?

Regular eye examinations are the best way to detectglaucoma. People in the high risk groups should havean eye test no later than 35 years of age, and for mostpeople it is recommended that an eye check be per-formed by 40 years of age. This check should include avisual acuity assessment, an optic nerve check with anophthalmoscope, an eye pressure check, and a visualfield assessment. The visual field test checks the sensi-tivity of the side or peripheral vision where the glauco-ma strikes first.

The warning signs for glaucoma:

Warning signs for glaucoma include a suddenlypainful red eye with disturbed vision. Gradual worsen-ing or foggy vision or difficult with side or peripheral vi-sion or the appearance of coloured rings around a lightwhen the light is looked at may be a warning sign forglaucoma.

Although there is no cure for glaucoma, it can usuallybe controlled and further loss of sight either preventedor at least slowed down.

How is glaucoma treated?

Treatments generally include medication in the formof eye drops. This is the most common form of treat-ment and the drops must be used regularly. Sometimestablets may be prescribed.

Laser treatment in a procedure called Laser Trabecu-loplasty is performed when the eye drops do not stopdeterioration in the field of vision. In many cases thedrops will need to be continued after laser treatment.

Surgery in a procedure called trabeculoplasty is aprocess where a new channel for fluid to leave the eyeis created. Surgery is performed when treatment withboth eye drops and laser have failed to slow the pro-gression of the loss of vision.

Different types of glaucoma and theirsymptoms:

The most common type of glaucoma is chronic glau-coma (also called primary open angle glaucoma). It usu-ally has no symptoms until eye sight is lost at a latestage. The loss of sight is gradual, and begins with theperipheral vision. In this disease, the good eye will cov-

er for the damage in the other eye and the person mayremain unaware that a large part of their vision is be-ing damaged. This damage is irreversible and the dam-age is usually very progressive.

Treatment of chronic glaucoma cannot reverse theproblem, but can slow down the rate of damage.Hence, it is very important to detect the problem earlyand start treatment early when there is as little damageas possible to the vision. Chronic glaucoma is usuallyinitially treated with eye drops. Sometimes tablets mayhelp. At a later stage, laser trabeculoplasty may assist.

When eye drops and laser surgery have failed to con-trol the eye pressure, surgery may be required to savevision, but not improve sight once sight is lost.

Acute glaucoma (also called angle closure glauco-ma) is when the pressure inside the eye rapidly in-creases due to the iris blocking the drain. This attack ofacute glaucoma is often severe. The symptoms includea painful red eye, nausea and blurred vision. Early treat-ment is essential to avoid permanent visual damage.Usually laser surgery performed quickly can protectagainst visual impairment.

Low-tension or normal tension glaucoma occurswhen people with normal eye pressure suffer opticnerve damage. The treatment in this case is the sameas for chronic glaucoma.

Secondary glaucoma occurs when optic nervedamage occurs because there is increased optic pres-sure due to other eye disorders such as cataracts, eyeinjuries or eye inflammation. Some medications such ascortisone can raise eye pressure and cause a second-ary glaucoma.

Congenital glaucoma is a rare form of glaucomacaused by an abnormal drainage system. It can exist atbirth or develop later. The child usually has enlargedcloudy eyes which often water. The child may be sensi-tive to light and surgery is usually required.

Risk factors for developing glaucomaAnyone can get glaucoma, and glaucoma is more

common with increasing age. But certain factors are as-sociated with an increased risk for getting glaucoma.These include having a family history of glaucoma, dia-betes, high blood pressure, a history of migraine, a his-tory of using cortisone. Having myopia (short-sighted-ness) or a previous eye injury can lead to the develop-ment of glaucoma.

Talk to your doctor today about having a formal eyecheck for glaucoma.

* The information given in this article is of a general nature and read-ers should seek advice from their own medical practitioner before em-barking on any treatment.

HEALTHNEWSNEWS

WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS *

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Katerina + Kyriacos MavrolefterosFor the bibliophiles…

The Rise and Fall of Australian Socialism

Written and published by Joshua Smith

(Printed by Hippo Books a division of Centatime pub-lishing, Rosebery NSW, revised edition, 2006.

ISBN 0-9775586-0-6)

This is a timely publication, written bySydney resident, Joshua Smith (or, as he isknown in Orthodox circles by his baptismalname, ‘Timothy’ Smith). The paperback,aimed at the general reader, is an explo-ration of socialism in Australia. It is notabout the political party system, althoughthis does come into his discussion, butabout the uniqueness of socialism in theAustralian setting (and how and why it col-lapsed) and the impact the philosophiesand ideas have on our lives, whether or notwe are aware of it, and regardless ofwhere our political sentiments may reside.An important book, not only for students of

political science and economics, but for allAustralians.

(Tim is well-known amongst OrthodoxChristians, being responsible for a numberof initiatives, including the recording of theLiturgy in English, a project undertaken withProtopresbyter, the Very Reverend FatherMiltiades Chryssavgis.)

Tim’s book is available from a number ofbookstores, including Beecroft, Sydney,phone (02) 9481 8811.

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/28 AUGUST 2010

By Mario Baghos

“We too, if we are wise, shall take from this literature whatever is suitable

for us and is allied to the truth, and shall pass over the rest.”1

- St Basil the Great

Having briefly explored some themes inboth Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneidwhich can be interpreted from a Christianperspective, I thought it would be prudentif we now turned to the foundational mythsof antiquity as expounded by the poet He-siod. Hesiod was a native farmer of Boetiadwelling beneath mount Helicon (near themodern day gulf of Corinth) in the 8th cen-tury BC. It is his Theogony, which literallymeans “the birth of the gods” (Θεογονία),and his Works and Days (Έργα και Ημέραι),with which we will be principally con-cerned. Both of these texts - but especial-ly the former - delineate a surprisinglycomprehensive genealogy of the pagangods and the ancient Greek conception ofthe cosmos in poetic verse. In so doing,they give us a profound insight into someof the major beliefs that conditioned theHellenic mindset before the rise of classi-cal philosophy and the advent of Christian-ity.

Whereas Homer’s epics presuppose afixed worldview within which all the actiontakes place, Hesiod endeavours to give anaccount of that worldview from its very in-ception. Entreating the Muses for inspira-tion - a literary device which we saw inau-gurated both Homer’s and later Virgil’sepics - Hesiod relates that the goddesseswill use him as a sort of vessel throughwhich the gods will be praised. Switchingfrom first to third person he affirms thatthe Muses “taught Hesiod fine singing, ashe tended his lambs below holy Helicon.”2

A little later, he continues, “and theybreathed into me wondrous voice, so that Ishould celebrate the things of the futureand the things that were aforetime.”3 TheMuses, therefore, are to be consideredcatalysts of divine inspiration, able to dis-close the events of the past, present andfuture in direct contiguity (presumably thepoet is also given this ability by the inspi-ration of the Muses). In fact, in a verseclosely following the one just quoted, Hes-iod states that the Muses will give a threestage account of the generation of thegods beginning with Chaos (Χάος - pre-sumably a primordial inchoate matter)from which emerged Gaia (Γαία), and fromGaia Ouranos (Ουρανός).4 Here we comeacross two types of deity; the first is apersonified abstraction or concept, and thesecond a personified element of nature.For this reason, the Theogony should beunderstood as putting forward a detailedcosmogony on account of the fact that themany facets of the universe are personi-fied as deities therein. The birth of thegods and the birth of the universe cantherefore be considered as one and thesame, especially in this first stage of cre-ation. The second stage consists of thebirth of the first ‘gods’ in a personifiedsense. These are the ‘older gods,’ the Ti-tans, who include in their number such fa-

miliar names as Kronos (Κρόνος in LatinCronus, meaning Time) and Prometheus(Προμηθεύς, meaning ‘forethought’), thegreat rebel concerning whom we havemore to say a little later. The third genera-tion consists of the ‘younger gods’ withwhom we are already familiar, theOlympians headed by the so-called “fatherof gods and men”5 (not necessarily byprogeny), Zeus.

Just how Zeus came to be a called ‘fa-ther’ without in fact being the originator ofall of the gods has to do with the amplifieddegree of sovereignty and hence priorityhe accrued to himself after defeating Kro-nos, an event that we’ll return to in parttwo of this article. Suffice it to say that hismonarchical position is reinforced by thefact that the hymns of the Muses (who arehis daughters) - and hence almost all ofHesiod’s poetry - is undertaken predomi-nantly for Zeus’ pleasure. Hesiod’s role asa divine conduit, however, remains rather

ambiguous. At times the poet portrays him-self as a passive instrument in the articula-tion of the message of the goddesses,though his occasional use of the first per-son (i.e. “grant me delightful singing”)6 im-plies that he is in fact conscious of re-sponding actively to their ordinancesthrough the medium of poetry and song(which is inevitably recorded, whether hebelieves goddesses are inspiring him ornot).

Here we can draw parallels with Christi-anity. Without embarking upon a refutationof polytheistic paganism from the perspec-tive of Christian monotheism (we coveredthis in my first article), we can safely saythat the Church has always acknowledgedthat God as Father, Son, and Holy Spiritmediates his revelation through the com-plex web of circumstances and eventswhich nevertheless are contingent uponthe persons involved in them and respon-sible for them. This must be clarified; God

is not dependent upon the human beingsthat he has freely and lovingly created inany sense. However, it is precisely on ac-count of his love for his creatures, espe-cially those blessed with his image andcalled to attain his likeness, that God en-ters into conversation with human personsin various ways and in various contexts.

God communicates (and hence, enters in-to communion) with humanity, and one ofthe most significant ways in which human-ity responds is through the medium ofwriting. This is especially the case with thedivinely inspired Scriptures and the writ-ings of the saints and fathers of theChurch. I am reluctant to demarcate toosharply between the two. The Scriptures,because of their direct testimony to theChrist experience, are indeed central toChristian worship, but there is a tendency,especially amongst evangelicals, to abso-lutise their function at the expense of themultifarious experience of the Churchthrough its tradition, sacraments, etc. Thereality is that the Church experienced theGod-man Jesus Christ well before the tes-timonies concerning him were written andcollated into the New Testament, and itcontinues to mystically participate in himthrough its liturgical cycles and sacramentsor mysteries.7 This experiential participa-tion in God is intimately connected with di-vine inspiration. The saints and fathers arethose persons whose experience of Christin the Church has transfigured them bygrace. Hence, their writings are to be con-sidered eye-witness accounts of the sameLord and Saviour who disclosed the mys-teries of God’s kingdom to the Apostles asrecorded in the New Testament and whoparadoxically revealed himself even be-fore his incarnation to the prophets of theOld Testament; it is the very same Christexperience which is inaugurated in theirpersons as they respond to his call. Inshort, God reveals himself to (and is re-vealed within) his saints and the saints re-spond in action, deed and word - bothspoken and written. The writings of the fa-thers therefore take on a divinely-inspiredcharacter, and, just as in the case of theScriptures, the process of divine participa-tion (or experience) is related to divine in-spiration - but both are the result of God’sgrace.

In the Theogony, Hesiod claims that thepurpose of the singing of the Muses thathe has transcribed is to “delight the greatmind of Zeus the father in Olympus” whowill “rejoice at the goddesses’ clear voicespread abroad.”8 Drawing another parallelwith the ecclesial experience, it should benoted that the written texts of the Churchalso take on a doxological character. Godreveals himself, and humanity, finding itsgreatest advocates in the saints, respondsaccordingly, whether in written form orotherwise. But this response has a twofoldobjective - the salvation of the world andthe glory of God. Glory to God is not anend in itself, because the very process ofgiving glory to him is a work acceptable toGod and, as such, can potentially result inthe salvation of those who give him glory.

Christian Readings in Classical LiteratureReflections on Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, Part 1

A Muse reading a scroll from a 5th century BC lekythos (clay pot)

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/29AUGUST 2010

CONT. FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Returning to the Theogony, it is madeabundantly clear that the pagan gods arenot as concerned with humanity’s salvationas they are with their own preservation inthe face of threats from their kin. This isreflected by the fact that Hesiod’s geneal-ogy progresses from one great revolt toanother. Kronos, for example, attacks hisfather Ouranos, and Zeus rebels againstKronos and eventually does away with theTitans altogether. The most pertinentexample of the gods’ antagonism not onlyfor one another, but also for humanity, canbe found in the tale of Prometheus whichappears for the first time in Hesiod’sworks. As the gods and humanity werecoming to a settlement (no other informa-tion is given) in the region of Mekone in thenorthern Peloponnese, Prometheus,described as a “subtle, shifting-scheming”9

figure, plays a trick on Zeus. Hesiodexplains:

For him [Zeus] he laid out meat and entrails rich with fat in the hide, covering it in the ox’s stom-ach, while for men he laid out theox’s white bones, which he arranged carefully for a cunning trick by covering them in glisten-ing fat.10

Zeus, displeased with the unfair divisionof the portions, admonishes Prometheus,upon which the Titan responds:

Zeus greatest and most glorious of the eternal fathers, choose then whichever of them the spiritin your breast bids you.11

Zeus takes up the meagre portion con-sisting of the fat and bones. Infuriated,instead of punishing the Titan, he revokesfrom “the ash-trees the power of untiringfire for mortal men who live on earth12 (inancient myths, fire was considered asbeing stored within trees).”13 Prometheus,however, steals “the far-beaconing flare ofuntiring fire in the tube of a fennel14 (thestalk of a fennel plant contains a dry pithmaking it a convenient vessel for carryingfire).”15 As punishment, Zeus creates thefirst woman, and Hesiod describes thefemale gender as “a bane for mortalmen.”16

Leaving the obvious misogynist sentimentaside (it was, after all, a patriarchal socie-ty), interesting parallels can be drawnbetween this myth and the creation story inthe book of Genesis, especially in light ofHesiod’s cosmogony. In Hesiod, the uni-verse is born out of a primeval chaos, achaos which conditions the relations of thegods with both each other and withhumans. This is not restricted to Greekmythology, but is a recurrent theme in theworldviews of many ancient societies(Egyptians, Mesopotamians, etc.). From thiswe can infer that the ancients had a tangi-ble insight into the chaos effectuated bysuch phenomena as the rapid migration oftribal peoples, the general ambivalence ofmaritime and agrarian undertakings, andthe primitive protection from the elementsso characteristic of their immediate con-texts. It comes as no surprise thereforethat this experience of the chaotic rhythmsof life was projected onto their mythologi-cal beliefs.

In Genesis, however, the consecutivestages of creation by God are an orderedpleasure to behold: “God saw everythingthat he had made, and indeed, it was verygood [Gen 1:31].” Moreover, humanity isn’tpunished whimsically for the crimes ofexternal agents; God does not punishhumans for the serpent’s trickery in theway that Zeus punishes humanity for therebelliousness of Prometheus. I do notwant to stretch the analogy between theTitan and the devil any further here.Instead, what I would like to draw yourattention to is the traditional interpretationof Adam and Eve’s expulsion from para-dise as a result of their personal trans-gression of the ordinance of God. The devilcould in fact tempt them, but it was ulti-mately their wilful assent which con-demned them to toil and hard labour. On afinal note, the views of Christianity andpaganism concerning females could not beany more incommensurable. Whereas inHesiod, woman is created as a punishmentfor man (later to be revealed as Pandora,whose box or jar unleashes many forms ofmisery onto her fellow gender),17 in Ge-nesis, the creation of Eve, taken symboli-cally from the rib of Adam, is depicted inthe utmost positive and egalitarian terms:‘Then the Lord God said, “It is not good thatthe man should be alone; I will make him ahelper as his partner [Gen 2:18].” To becontinued.

* Associate Teacher Early Byzantine HistorySt Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College

1 Taken from the forthcoming publication by St An-drew’s Orthodox Press, St Basil the Great’s Address toYouth: On How they might benefit from Classical GreekLiterature.2 Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days, trans. M.L.West (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 4.3 Ibid, 5.4 Many other deities are named including Night, Day andOceanus. Cf. Ibid, 6-7.5 Ibid, 4.6 Ibid, 6.7 After all, was he not made known to the disciples onthe way to Emmaus “in the breaking of the bread”? (Lk24:35), which is the Eucharist.8 Hesiod, Theogony, 4.9 Ibid, 18.10 Ibid, 19.11 Ibid, 19.12 Ibid, 20. 13 Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days, notes bytrans. M.L. West (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008),70.14 Hesiod, Theogony, 20.15 Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days, notes bytrans. M.L. West, 70.16 Hesiod, Theogony, 21.17 Cf. Hesiod, Works and Days, 39.

Imaginative bust of the Greek poet, Hesiod.

NEW FROM ST ANDREW'S

ORTHODOX PRESS CD-BOOK: LEARNING GREEK ORTHODOX HYMNS A great new tool to learn the exact words and meaning of the most popular hymns of the Orthodox Church. Why use it? Because Orthodox hymns express the depth of Christian faith in musical form. They are worth knowing by heart!

This 100-page book contains the inspired words of 40 major hymns with accompanying CD in Greek by Basilios Psilacos, lecturer in Byzantine Music at St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College and Chanter at St Andrew's Parish, Gladesville. Hymns of the Resurrection, the 12 Major Feast Days, the

Patron Saints of Day Schools in Australia and segments of various Services, are all included in the book's three categories:

1. Greek lyrics 2. English translation 3. Transliteration 'I am certain that, among the faithful, there will be many interested listeners who will benefit from this devoted effort of our beloved co-worker' - Archbishop Stylianos of Australia To order, go to: www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

1. Greek lyrics 2. English translation 3. Transliteration

To order, go to: www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

GGREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA Parish and Community of Saints Constantine and Helene

Northbridge (W.A.)

SHORT COURSE IN ORTHODOX STUDIES

AA Short Course in Orthodox Studies will be held every Sunday evening from 22 August until 26 September at the Church of Sts. Constantine & Helene from

6.00 – 8.00pm. All are welcome to attend.

Sunday 22 August The Influence and Rejection of Evil in our lives

Fr. Emmanuel Stamatiou

Sunday 29 August Parenting & Raising Children in a Christian family

Fr. Dimitrios Tsakas Vicar-General of the Fourth Archdiocesan District of Queensland & New Guinea

Sunday 5 September Your Body; Your Choice; Your Gift from God; Disease Prevention

Dr. Paul Boyatzis

Sunday 12 September Akriveia and Ecclesiastical Economy

Fr. Elpidios Karalis

Sunday 19 September Standing up for the real Christ: Orthodoxy versus Heresy

Dr. Philip Kariatlis Academic Secretary &Lecturer in Theology at St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College(NSW)

Sunday 26 September Power Point Presentation on The Holy Land followed by an Open Panel inviting audience to ask

questions

All talks delivered in English During the mid-session break coffee & tea will be provided and books will be available for purchasing

For more information contact Fr Elpidios at p.karalis@bigpond.com or

On 0407 260 071

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/30 AUGUST 2010

Arts, Food & WineFilms: a history

Part 3

Editor: Imogen Coward

By Leon Coward and Dr Ann Coward

Welcome to the third article in our occasional series onthe history of film. The study of film is fascinating andmay be approached from many angles. For example, wecould look at film as a study in genres, or from the pointof view of the star-system. Instead, we have chosen toloosely base our series on a part of the introductoryframework devised for students of screen studies at theCharles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, devised byDr Stephen Vagg in 2005 and revised by FredGoldsworthy in 2009,1 looking at film via the films andfilm-makers of various countries and times, each ofwhich helped set in motion (all puns intended) the tech-nological advances and ‘language’ used by later film-makers to convey visually, or to enhance by visualmeans, certain themes or narratives. Sadly, too oftenfilm courses concentrate only on the text, and pay no at-tention to the visual aspect, which is rather strange espe-cially if we compare it to a study of music. While aprinted musical score may be analysed as a text, it is notuntil it is given voice that it can be truly classified as be-ing music.

In the last article we had a brief look at George Meliès(1861 - 1938). Before we leave Meliès, it’s interesting tonote that his fascination was not so much driven by filmfor its own sake, but by his pre-occupation with illusionand its power to entertain and intrigue. Another French-man, Robert-Houdin (1805 – 1879) was the founder ofmodern magic or illusion. Houdini (‘little Houdin’) tookhis name from this man, whom the French governmentused at one time to prevent an uprising in Algiers byconvincing the rebels of France’s superior magical pow-ers.2 The magic tricks performed in the 2005 film, TheIllusionist,3 , although enhanced via CGI (ComputerGenerated Imagery), are replicas of Robert-Houdin’swell-known illusions, including the ‘Orange Tree’which appears to grow leaves and produce real oranges.It comes as no surprise to learn that Houdin’s originaltrade was as a clock-maker. When Robert- Houdin died,it was Georges Meliès who bought his theatre with theintention of showing films (‘actualities’) made by theLumière brothers, Louis (1864-1948) and Auguste(1862-1954), before he went on to make his own films.

By editing film, Georges Meliès was able to make theimpossible appear possible. His intention was to enter-tain, but it was not long before it became obvious thatfilm could be used to not only trick but to indoctrinatepeople. By cutting up existing film stock, re-editingwith intercuts in the process, Russian film-makers wereable to construct entirely new but unified film narra-tives. In this Formalist approach, montage was used to“support narrative rather than to alter it”.4

Formalism was initially a term of derision and was re-jected by its proponents, who were concerned with liter-ature and more specifically with devices that ‘distin-guished literary language from language’ per se.5 How-ever, for Russian film-maker, Sergei Eisenstein (1898 –1948), montage became a way of creating a new reality,a system quite separate to reality, just as literary lan-guage was different to language; meaning beingachieved in the viewer him/herself, with the viewer’sactive participation.

Eisenstein formulated complex theories on how andwhy montage worked in films, that is, whether a film se-quence should be cut and spliced so as to create con-trasts between the pace, emotions, events and so on. Byplacing images next to each other, he was able to quick-ly and boldly create links throughout an entire film, un-like the more classical Hollywood continuity style withonly perhaps occasional short montage sequences beingincorporated into the films. A theorist first and a film-maker second, Eisenstein went on to put his ideas intopractice in such a way that his black and white silentfilms, such as Battleship Potemkin made in 1925, stillhave the power to grip audiences today. We are fortunatetoday to be able to obtain remastered editions of hisfilms.

Battleship Potemkin6 was based on the 1905 RussianRevolution uprising of the crew of the battleship of theImperial Russian Navy’s Black Sea fleet, a precursor tothe Russian Revolution of 1917. The film was a run-away success throughout the USSR but heavily cen-sored outside Soviet Russia. It is impossible to mistakethe symbolism of the sailors asleep in their hammocks,like dead men awakened by the call to rebel by one ofthe sailors. Nor could the anger behind the smashing ofthe plate by a sailor, with the words from the Lord’sPrayer, “give us this day our daily bread,” be misunder-stood. The intercutting of items associated with power(the bugle, sword), of religious condemnation (themonk, played by Eisenstein, tapping the Cross repeated-ly), and symbolism of death (crew members being cov-ered with a tarpaulin as though wrapped in a shroud),and the kneeling of those condemned, whose faces areunseen - all thus becoming ‘types’- in combination isvery powerful and builds not only suspense, but carrieswith it many layers of meaning due to the mixture ofreferences.

While on the surface the style, outlawed as heresy inRussia in the 1930s,6 may be described as ‘realistic butmelodramatic,’ it is the ability to build meaning, throughmanipulation of images understood by the viewer, thatgives the film its presence, one, however, that - whileimportant - is not meant to entertain. An extra point ofinterest for film historians, is the fact that it was womenemployed in the studio of Georges Meliès who suppliedthe one bit of colour to Eisenstein’s film; using a stencil,they painted the red flag flying from the battleship whenit docked at the port of Odessa onto each frame of thescene.7 Film-making was clearly a very small world inthe early days of its history.

Notes.

1.Charles Sturt University, English and Communication studies.2. Milbourne and Maurine Christopher, The Illustrated Historyof Magic. (2006) New York: Carroll and Graf, pp. 131-154.3. The Illusionist ( 2005), directed by Neil Burger. Starring Ed-ward Norton, Rufus Sewell, Jessica Biel and Paul Giamatti.4. James Monaco, How to read a film: movies, media, multime-dia. (2000) 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 4025. ‘Russian Formalism’6. ‘Russian Battleship Potemkin’7. ‘Tracing Battleship Potemkin’ a 42-minute documentary onthe making and restoration of the film. Battleship Potemkin withthe original Meisel orchestral score. (1925) Director, SergeiEisenstien. (a 2007 Kino International restoration.)

Écoutez!Arts Review

Stanton and Killeen: Classic Rutherglen MuscatProduced by the family owned and operated Stanton and Killeen winery in Rutherglen, Vic-toria, this dessert wine is a blend of vintages to achieve an average age of 12 years. Full bod-ied with luscious flavours of raisins, plenty of honey-like sweetness, a hint of oak and a s-mooth mouth-feel, it is well matched with high-quality, fresh, handmade dark chocolate truf-fles coated in cocoa powder.Cost: around $30 for 500ml bottle

FFoooodd && WWiinnee

Kassia: Byzantine HymnsVocaMe / Michael Popp

Christophorus Records CHR 77308

Subtitled ‘Byzantine hymns from the first femalecomposer of the Occident,’ this CD presents an in-teresting and engaging selection of hymns by the 9th

Century composer, Kassia, performed by the Ger-man-based ensemble VocaMe: Sigrid Hausen (mez-zo-soprano), Natalia Lincoln (alto), Sabine Lutzen-berger (soprano), Sarah M. Newman (soprano),Elisabeth Pawelke (mezzo-soprano), Gerlinde Sä-mann (soprano), Michael Popp (musical directionand various instruments), and Johann Bengen (san-tur). Kassia, perhaps better known as Kassiani, ismost widely known as a composer of the famous“Hymn of Kassiani” (track 10 on this CD) sung onHoly Tuesday (Matins of Holy Wednesday sung onHoly Tuesday evening by anticipation). This CD al-so presents 17 other hymns, out of approximatelyfifty preserved liturgical musical compositions at-tributed to Kassia. From a music performance per-spective, VocaMe’s performance utilises a drone ac-companiment, and also draws on modern Westernideas on historically informed performance for ‘ear-ly’ music, particularly in the use of vibrato-lessvoice production, with convincing results.

By Taliesin Coward

JULY 2010 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

SWIMMING

Martha amongAustralia’s very best

DISCIPLINE IN THE HOMEPAGE 3/19

St Andrew’s GreekOrthodox TheologicalCollege Courses

PAGE 12/28

Meet the Greekthrillionaire

Nick Halik is not your average millionaire.The 29-year old businessman and formerHollywood rock band musician is the son ofGreek immigrant workers living his dreams.

PAGE 15/31

PAGE 15/31

PAGES 6/22-7/23

Julia Gillard, Australia‘s Prime Minister of three weeks,called a snap election for 21 August - with the economylikely to be a major issue.

The country’s first female Prime Minister, Welsh-bornGillard was appointed by the ruling Labor party as thegovernment faced what seemed like certain electoral de-feat, and a party coup saw Kevin Rudd ousted. Since then,however, Gillard has been credited with rebuilding sup-port for her party.

The election will pit the 48-year-old against the conser-vative Liberal party leader Tony Abbott, who needs to winonly nine seats to form a government.

Another key battleground in a country already sufferingthe effects of global warming will be climate change.Gillard will argue that a carbon tax is inevitable, while Ab-bott rejects it. It is an issue on which Labor has been par-ticularly vulnerable, losing key Green support in the past

year over its failure to introduce a carbon tradingscheme.

A final key issue will be immigration. Gillard has re-versed her party’s opposition to a third country process-ing refugee claims, and approached East Timor about es-tablishing a regional refugee processing centre. East Tim-or’s parliament quickly voted to reject her plan.

The election will be a competition between two verydifferent personalities - Abbott is a pugnacious and so-cially conservative Catholic who once trained for thepriesthood, and is opposed to same-sex marriages andabortions, while agnostic Gillard is unmarried but has along-time partner, and is childless.

They go into the election after an unprecedented peri-od of leadership instability.

Neither leader has faced an election campaign asleader of their party before.

GILLARDCALLS SNAPELECTION

A discussion of behaviour management strategies

www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

‘Brighterthan

a Thousand

Suns’

Australia’s first female Prime Minister says 21 August election will be dominated by the economy

The Greek Australian

VEMAThe oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside Greece

Tel: (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033Email: vema@bigpond.net.au

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/31AUGUST 2010

Greece is planning to pressits claims to Karagiozis, ashadowpuppet theater char-acter that the United Nationscultural watchdog UNESCOhas deemed to be part ofTurkey’s cultural heritage, aForeign Ministry spokesmansaid on Wednesday.

“Karagiozis is an inextrica-ble part of our culture,” Grig-oris Delavekouras told a me-dia briefing. “UNESCO’s con-vention on intangible culturalheritage allows neighboringcountries to access the samecommodity,” Delavekouras re-marked. He added that a dis-cussion on the issue was totake place in the Kenyan cap-ital of Nairobi in October.

Karagiozis - Greek for theTurkish “Karagoz,” whichmeans “black-eyed” - is themain character of a popularshadow-puppet theater showfeaturing a cast of socialstereotypes.

In the show, which was setduring the Ottoman occupa-tion of Greece and was verypopular here until a fewdecades ago, Karagiozis is adeformed con man whomakes a living swindlingTurkish officials. Karagiozis isalso a common byword for“clown” in Greek slang.

The Greek Theater of Shad-ows, one of the few forumsfor enthusiasts who still stageKaragiozis performances, onWednesday condemned thegovernment for its delayedreaction to the “Turkification”

of Karagiozis, noting that UN-ESCO had placed Karagoz onits list of intangible cultural el-ements, associating it withTurkey, last September.

“We wrote to the CultureMinistry last year, describingthe matter as one of nationalimportance and seeking theministry’s support,” the asso-ciation said in a press re-lease.

“Instead of sensitivity andinterest, we were faced withtotal indifference,” the state-ment added.

The association has askedthe government to make upfor its lack of previous actionby subsidizing performancesof Karagiozis theater andpromoting Greek shows, andtheir history, to foreign tou-rists.

“The arts belong to the peo-ple. They are neither feta norbaklava, that they should bestamped with a country oforigin. The Turks have Kara-goz and the Greeks haveKaragiozis,” the association’sstatement added.

Greece to stake its claimto Karagiozis show

Gov’t to challenge UNESCO linking shadowpuppet tradition exclusively to Turkey

The late Evgenios Spatharis,seen here in the 1980s,

was Greece’s most famousshadow-puppet master

Greek Student Organisations – More than just a pretty face

By Harry Mavrolefteros

“Whoso neglects learning in his youth, loses the past and is dead for the future” - Euripides.

It is likely that Euripides was speaking here about learn-ing the arts, mathematics and gymnastics, and how thiswould affect the development of a person. Euripides wasno son or grandson of a Greek immigrant living in Aus-tralia in the 21st century, but the same is true today of theGreek youth of Australia.

One aspect of this learning is an understanding of one’sheritage and culture that he or she may be lucky enoughto be a part of. For Greek Australians, it is hard to arguethat our history and culture isn’t one of the richest in theworld, and that learning about it and having it be a part ofour lives would give anyone vast insight into his past andopen possibilities in the future.

In this increasingly postmodern hedonistic society, it israre to find young Greek Australians who go on their own

accord and read a Greek language or history book, or be-come involved in their local Greek organisation.

There are some 20 universities around Australia whohave Greek societies, and for over 50 years these organ-isations have been a hub of young Greek energy. Theseorganisations hold regular social events (usually with aGreek twist) but their main accolade has been simply tobuild relationships between young Greek Australians.

I have been fortunate enough to have been involved insuch organisations for some time now, and it is clear thatthey are more than simply a group of people getting to-gether and having a good time. Individuals are invited tolook at what they have in common with all these otheryoung Greeks, to see the value in the language and culturethat has had such an important role not only in their up-bringing, but also in their day to day lives today.

While socialising does little by way of actual ‘learning’as Euripides would have it, socialising with people of sim-ilar cultural background becomes a very appropriate foun-dation for discovering more about our Greek heritage.

Through these university organisations there have beendancing groups, language programs, poetry evenings, the-atre productions completely in Greek, radio programsspecifically seeking audience with the Greek youth, cook-ing classes, and the list goes on.

I would encourage any and all young Greek universitystudents to get involved in their university Greek organisa-tion; we have ample means (facebook, google, etc) to findand contact the right people involved.

Also, I would encourage any of the businesses and or-ganisations out there who are interested in maintainingthe Greek identity among the youth of Australia to supportthese very organisations. Often young Australians ofGreek descent have the passion and the desire to dogreat things but are lacking in the resources and experi-ence that is abundant in the wider Greek community. If wecould bring these two elements together, I believe youngGreek Australians in one or two generations will have theeducation and means to both know their past and enlight-en their future.

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA16/32 AUGUST 2010

Travel

BY H. ARGYROPOULOS

Even though it is the secondlargest of the Dodecanese is-lands after Rhodes, at 301square kilometers, Karpathoshas long been something of anisolated secret, unaffected bymass tourism. It is among themost extraordinary of Greek is-lands, special not only for its va-riety of sharply contrasting land-scapes but also its richculturaltradition.

Nature has endowed Karpa-thos with an otherworldly andrugged beauty in the north, alush center and tranquil majestyin the mostly flat and barrensouth.

The mountains rise to nearly1,200 meters, while their slopesare pineclad right down to thesea, where they meet some ofthe best sandy beaches in theMediterranean.

This is no sedated island ste-reotype: There are no small whi-tewashed houses nestled in thevalleys among trees bent by therelentless wind. The occasionalkitsch villa adds color. Describedas “wind-swept” by Homer, Kar-pathos still enjoys a reputationas “Europe’s windiest place” andis especially valued by surfers. Itis also highly recommended fortrekkers and those seeking thequiet life.

Isolation has helped Karpa-thos retain one of the richestcultural traditions in the Greekislands, evident in the customsand festivals organized to marksocial occasions, saints’ feastdays and the now-rare home-coming of its many emigrants.

It has also helped it escapethe unsightly excesses of touristdevelopment elsewhere. Tou-rism seems to have stemmed adecline in the population (5,700),which is widely dispersedamong settlements across theisland. From Pigadia, the built-upport capital on the eastern coastwhere many traditional stonehouses survive, head west forMenetes - a village with astrong musical tradition that isalso known for its stately resi-dences.

Next stop, on the westerncoast, is Arkasa, which has theappearance of an open-air ar-chaeological site. The ancientacropolis with its widely scat-tered ruins is impressive, partic-

ularly the mosaics in the re-mains of the 4th-6th centurychurch. Aperi, north of Pigadia, is

the island’s cultural center andone of its wealthiest villages.Ascending the mountain, you will

come to Othos, famed for itstavernas.

If the local architecture has at-

tracted your interest, visit thefolk museum to get an idea ofthe internal decor of houses.

Back on the main road north,toward Mesohori, you will enjoyone of the most scenic coastalroutes. Mesohori is the best vil-lage to stroll around and ob-serve the local architecture, es-pecially the wooden décor andpebbled mosaics.

But Karpathos’s highlight isOlympos, or Elympos. The villagelies 65 km from Pigadia, in thenorth, and is the epitome of tra-dition - a true time capsule. It isevident that the local peoplehave for centuries been in toughnegotiations with the rugged ter-rain.

From a distance, Olympos ap-pears to be literally perchedatop Mount Profitis Ilias. It wasthe only organized settlement inthe north of the island until the19th century, out of sight fromthe sea for the fear of pirates.

In this isolated spot, with thecontinuous sound of windmills inthe background, women stillwear traditional dress andcraftsmen work the leather inthe centuries-old way.

Their art has attracted interestfrom around the world, as farafield as the United States andJapan. Most houses have theirown livestock, wheat and wind-mill. But the people here don’tjust know how to be self-suffi-cient - they also know how tocelebrate.

A visit on August 29, feast dayof Aghios Ioannis, is a must. It isone of Greece’s most genuinelytraditional festivals, character-ized by the hearty hospitality forwhich Karpathos has becomewell known.

If tradition is Karpathos’sstrongest point, its beaches cer-tainly come a close second,many with an unmistakable ele-ment of the exotic.

Near Pigadia are Ammos, Afotiand Vrontis - three organizedbeaches.

Next, Pouliou Potami, more au-thentic, offers shade under itsoddly shaped rocks. Damatria -in the south before the airport -and a number of successivecoves on the left are much moreisolated. Kato Lakkos and Haiare the most exotic beaches,best reached by boat from Piga-dia.

ATHENSPLUS

KarpathosThis isolated Dodecanese island surprises the visitor with itsvariety of breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural tradition

Wind-swept beauty

Getting there

There are flights from Athens andRhodes - but flights via Rhodes aremuch more expensive. There areboat connections from Piraeus andRhodes as well as Siteia and AghiosNikolaos on Crete. Overall, roads arenot satisfactory and so getting aboutis best achieved with hardy vehiclesor motorcycles. However, there is anadequate network of bus routes thatconnect Pigadia with many villagesand beaches. A bus and a ferry willtake you to Olympos. There are carand motorcycle rentals as well assmall boats to take you to beachesand villages. Taxis are also available.

More information is available atwww.karpathos.gr.

What to see & do

August and September on Karpa-thos is a time of religious festivalsand traditional celebrations to whichvisitors are most welcome. Major re-ligious festival on August 15 atMenetes; the biggest event is on Au-gust 29, at Aghios Ioannis Vrykountasnear Olympos - a church belowground resembling a catacomb. Cel-ebrations start on the eve of thefeast day and continue into the after-noon. September 7 at Panaghia Larni-otisa in Pigadia; September 14 atPyles and September 17 at AghiaSophia in Arkasa. The beaches ofValias and Makrys Gialos are bestfor surfing. Another popular pastimeis fishing.

Where to stay

Nisia Apartments (tel 22450.29128,www.hotelnisia.com), 2 kilometersfrom the port, very near the beach;Electra Beach Hotel (tel 22450.23256,www.electrabeachhotel.gr), on thebeach near the port; Kyra Panagia(tel 22450.23026, www.kyrapanagia-hotel.gr), 15 km from the port, com-fortable apartments. Eating out: PineTree (tel 22450.29065) at Adeia, 25km from the port, simple tavernaserving dishes made with home-grown ingredients - some roomsavailable for rent; Mylos, in Olympos,traditional taverna with superbviews; Anoixis, at Diafani (70 kmfrom port), picturesque taverna withexcellent local dishes.

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