Greece 5000 years of History

In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme. Aristotle

The word Greek, according to Aristotle, comes from the word Graikoi which was the pre-historic name of the Hellenes. The people who we call the Greeks, and live in a country we call Greece, actually call themselves Hellenes and live in a country called Hellas.

Greece in the Archaic Period was made up from independent states, called Polis, or city state. The polis of Athens included about 2,500 sq kilometres of territory, but other Polis with smaller areas of 250 sq kilometres.

Greek Society was mainly broken up between Free people and Slaves, who were owned by the free people. Slaves were used as servants and labourers, without any legal rights. Sometimes the slaves were prisoners of war or bought from foreign slave traders. Although many slaves lived closely with their owners, few were skilled craftsmen and even fewer were paid.

As Athenian society evolved, free men were divided between Citizens and Metics. A citizen was born with Athenian parents and were the most powerful group, that could take part in the government of the Polis. After compulsory service in the army they were expected to be government officials and take part in Jury Service. A metic was of foreign birth that had migrated to Athens, to either trade or practice a craft. A metic had to pay taxes and sometimes required to serve in the army. However, they could never achieve full rights of a Citizen, neither could they own houses or land and were not allowed to speak in law courts.

The social classes applied to men only, as women all took their social and legal status from their husband or their male partner. Women in ancient Greece were not permitted to take part in public life.

Government

c.800BC
The majority of Greek states were governed by groups of rich landowners, called aristocrats; this word is derived from ‘aristoi’, meaning best people. This was a system known as ‘oligarchy’ the rule by the few.

c.750BC
Athenian power in the Archaic Period was controlled by Aeropagus, or council. Their policies were delivered through three magistrates called Archons.

c.500BC
Democracy was introduced by an aristocrat, Cleisthenes. Who was from family of the Alcmaeonids in 508 BC, after 2 years of civil war, they used the help of Spartans to secure power.

The current economic situation in Greece –  by Alex Petsas

The only thing that we have left as Greeks is our Freedom and our Unity and that is something that nobody can take away from us.

So what do we have?

-Unity and Freedom-

Two of the most powerful things in the world.

So what we have to do is be patient and let them think that they can take the most precious thing that we have left.  Let’s wait and see what they really want.

Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.   Let them try and bring prosperity if prosperity is what they want.

Let them try so they don’t turn round and say we tried to help them but they didn’t want the help.

And yes we do want help not only to teach us how to keep our finances tidy, yes finances nothing else.

Let’s wait and see if we do what they think is right for us.  Do they care for us? Do they care for our passion our friendship, our hospitality our generosity and our ancestors? That’s what we are.  That’s who we are.

Yes we messed up but who hasn’t in this world.

In our days, nobody has time for timewasters, and yes I feel that we have been branded as this.  But what have they got time for? MONEY? Because money is King.

Well let’s look at it in a different way. Let’s say we had money; lets say one Greek dived in the sea somewhere in Greece, and I’d like to tell you where!!! And discovered the Lost City of Atlantis where he found an enormous amount of gold, enough gold to save the world.  Would we then be better people? Would the rest of the world stop blaming us and think then that we are the best and the most powerful nation in the world? Would they start believing in us again?

So is it all about power and money.

In any case we Greeks are a very resilient people.  I wouldn’t say patience is one of our strengths but we have no choice in the matter for now, so let’s stick together and try and ride the storm and hope, because hope is what we have left, that one day, sooner rather than later, we will get through this and get back to normality.

I am a Greek and I truly know how the Greeks work.  We are a big Greek family that depends on nobody but ourselves and our families.

Please help us but don’t try and change us.

Alex Petstas – 2010

Your own weakness makes you vulnerable, your greatest weakness comes from inside you.  Homer

Bring your desires down to your present means. Increase them only when your increased means permit. Aristotle

Courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence.  Aristotle

Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal.
Aristotle

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. Aristotle

Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness. Aristotle

The beginning of reform is not so much to equalize property as to train the noble sort of natures not to desire more, and to prevent the lower from getting more. Aristotle

The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes. Aristotle

The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal. Aristotle

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle

We praise a man who feels angry on the right grounds and against the right persons and also in the right manner at the right moment and for the right length of time. Aristotle

What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions. Aristotle

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour. Aristotle

Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods. Aristotle