Archaeologists discovered Greek statues of Aphrodite and Dionysus in Anatolia (Turkey)
Archaeologists from Kütahya Dumlupınar University have discovered statues representing Aphrodite and Dionysus in the ancient city of Aizanoi.
Aizanoi was an Ancient Greek city in western Anatolia, located in what is now Çavdarhisar, near Kütahya in present-day Turkey.
Aizanoi has been occupied since the Bronze Age, emerging in the Hellenistic period as an important political and economic centre. In 133 BC, the city was bequeathed to Rome, becoming part of the Roman province of Phrygia Pacatiana.
Archaeology studentdiscover the statue of Aphrodite
Surviving remains from the period include a well-preserved Temple of Zeus, a theatre-stadium complex, and macellum inscribed with the Price Edict of Diocletian.
Excavations were conducted as part of the Penkalas project, where archaeologists found two heads depicting Aphrodite, an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation, and Dionysus, the god of the grape-harvest, wine, of fertility, orchards and fruit, vegetation, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth.
Previous excavations have uncovered fragments of a statue depicting Hygieia, a goddess of health, cleanliness, and hygiene, which combined with the latest discovery sheds new light on polytheistic worship in Roman times, and suggests the presence of an ancient sculpture workshop in the region.
Archaeologists told GEO: “We know that Aphrodite and Dionysus existed under different names in Roman times. These findings are important to us because they show that the polytheistic culture of ancient Greece existed for a long time without losing its importance in the Roman era. The findings suggest that there may be a sculpture workshop in the region.”
28 October 1940, the date when Greeks said “OXI” (NO!)
Ohi Day or Oxi Day is celebrated throughout Greece, Cyprus and the Greek communities around the world on 28 October each year. OXI Day commemorates the rejection by Greek Dictator Ioannis Metaxas of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on 28 October 1940, the Hellenic counterattack against the invading Italian forces at the mountains of Pindus during the Greco-Italian War, and the Greek Resistance during the Axis occupation.
This ultimatum, which was presented to Metaxas by the Italian ambassador to Greece, Emanuele Grazzi, shortly after 03:00 am on 28 October 1940, who had just come from a party in the Italian embassy in Athens, demanded Greece allow Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy certain unspecified “strategic locations” or otherwise face war. It was allegedly answered with a single laconic word: όχι (No!). However, his actual reply was, “Alors, c’est la guerre!” (Then it is war!).
In response to Metaxas’s refusal, Italian troops stationed in Albania, then an Italian protectorate, attacked the Greek border at 05:30 am—the beginning of Greece’s participation in World War II (see Greco-Italian War and the Battle of Greece).
On the morning of 28 October, the Greek population took to the streets, irrespective of political affiliation, shouting ‘ohi’. From 1942, it was celebrated as Ohi Day, first mostly among the members of the resistance and after the war by all the Greeks.
Anniversary
During the war, 28 October was commemorated yearly in Greece and Cyprus and Greek communities around the world, and after World War II it became a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus. The events of 1940 are commemorated every year with military and student parades. On every anniversary, most public buildings and residences are decorated with national flags. Schools and all places of work are closed.
Saint Fanourios is undoubtedly a holy, important youthful figure, who stands out in his own way among the other Saints of Christianity, because he is not only honored on a single date, but the faith of Christians often makes the famous fanouropita.
Saint Fanourios, who lived in Roman times, then clashed peacefully with the world of idolatry, because the Christian spirit of the godman did not allow him to deny his unquestionably virtuous principles. Thus, the 12 martyrdoms that the Saint suffered, are for us a strong motivation for endurance and adherence to the moral values of Christianity, to emerge victorious from an unceasing struggle against the infidelity and injustice of our time. The Saint taught us with his real sacrifice, that of course we are not now fighting with Roman rulers and awful Agarines, but we have to face the most cleverly set traps of materialism and atheism, which are massively trying to sweep the ranks of Christians.
Saint Fanourios also taught us that the crown of virtuous life is not easily won, but only with constant trials, with courage, patience and endurance. Therefore, as true fighters of the faith, let us imitate the exemplary and impeccable life of the Saint, so that one day we too may be honored to honor the Christian name we bear, just as he deservedly honored it.
Agios Fanourios
Generally about his life
There is nothing specific about the origin and life of Agios Fanourios, because all the elements of his life were lost in times of anomaly.
The only information we have about the Saint is the finding of his icon, around 1500 AD, according to the synaxaries, or according to others around 1355-1369 AD. Others claim that the icon of the Saint was found in Rhodes and others in Cyprus.
Finding the image
We go back to the past, when the Agarines ruled Rhodes and decided to rebuild the city walls, which they barbarically destroyed and demolished in the war a few years ago.
So they began to send workers out of the southern part of the fortress and to collect stones from the half-ruined houses of the inhabitants, in order to rebuild the new and strong walls of their city. Suddenly in the ruins they found a beautiful, but half-ruined church on one side and in there they found a pile of icons, which from time immemorial did not distinguish the figures of the Saints as well as the letters they had on them.
Only one amazing image stood out from all, which time did not touch and represented a young man dressed as a soldier. The Metropolitan of Rhodes Nilos immediately ran on the spot and clearly read the name of the Saint, whose name was Fanourios. His Eminence, moved by the revelation of the Saint, noticed that he was dressed like a Roman soldier, holding a cross in his left hand and a lighted candle in his right. The hagiographer still painted around the image in twelve representations the martyrdoms, which the Saint suffered and which, obviously narrate his whole life.
These performances are as follows:
1. The saint appears standing in front of his Roman interrogator and seems to be apologizing with courage and defending his Christian faith.
2. The soldiers here intervene and hit Fanourios with stones on the head and in the mouth, in order to force him to bow down and deny the Lord.
3. The soldiers are now enraged by Fanouri’s insistence, so they threw him down and now beat him savagely with sticks and bats, to lower his prosperous morale.
4. Fanourios is in prison and there he is tortured in an abominable way. He looks completely naked and the soldiers around him tear his flesh with sharp iron tools. The Saint endures untouched his terrible martyrdom.
5. Fanourios is back in prison and prays to God to help him endure the torture to the end.
6. The Saint appears again before the Roman investigator to apologize for his attitude. From the restless expression on his face it seems that neither the tortures he suffered, nor the future threats of the tyrant shook his faith and so he fearlessly awaits even worse martyrdoms.
7. The executioners of Fanouri with fury and cruelty burn with naked candles his naked body, which thus shows his insurmountable sacrifice for the Crucified. The Saint wins again with his indomitable will and courage in the Lord.
8. Here his savage torturers also use mechanical means to reach the peak of his martyrdom. They have tied the Saint to a mango and this, as it rotates, breaks his bones. He suffers untouched but on his beautiful face is painted expressionless joy, because he suffers for the sake of the Lord.
9. Fanourios is thrown into a pit, to be north of wild beasts and his executioners from above are watching to see his end. But the beasts have literally been domesticated by the grace of God, so they surround him quietly like lambs and enjoy his company wonderfully.
10. His executioners are not satisfied with the previous result and so they take him out of the pit and crush him with a big stone, sure now that they will finish him. But they are not succeeding this time either.
11. The scene shows the Saint in front of an altar, where his executioners urge him to sacrifice, putting burning coals in his palms. Fanourios comes out of this test victorious and this is distinguished by a devil, who has the form of a dragon, who flies in the air and cries for his failure.
12. The last scene is the end of his martyrdom, with Fanourios thrown on a large stove standing on a stool and surrounded by flames and smoke. The Saint seems to pray unceasingly to God, without expressing any grievance or groaning and so, rigid and unyielding, he flew to heaven, full of satisfaction for all the sufferings he suffered for the sake of the Lord.
Elements from finding the image
Seeing the icon of Agios Fanourios found in Rhodes, we extract many remarkable facts which are the following:
1. If we read the name of the Saint in the picture, we immediately conclude that it is of Greek origin.
2. We also conclude that his parents were very pious, to give him such a Christian name.
3. This young man would still be highly educated to become a military man.
4. We also estimate that the martyrdoms of Agios Fanourios took place in the second and third centuries, when the persecutions of the Christians were at their peak.
5. Fanourios clearly proves that he was a Great Martyr from the many and terrible martyrdoms he suffered.
6. We also make sure that he was honored by the faithful Christians from the years of his martyrdom in Christian temples, in order to find such a temple in Rhodes as well.
7. From the depiction of the Saint it seems that Fanourios martyred young people age.
Miracles of the Saint
Saint Fanourios performed several miracles to the faithful who invoke his name and one of them is the following:
At a time in its historical life, Crete was enslaved by the Latins (1204 – 1669 AD), who had their own Archbishop and therefore tried in every way to lure the inhabitants of the island to Catholicism (Papism).
Thus the Latins took as an oppressive measure against Orthodoxy not to allow ordination of priests in Crete, so the Cretans were forced to go to the island of Tsirigos (Kythira) to be ordained priests by an Orthodox High Priest, who resided there.
At some point, three deacons started from Crete for Tsirigos and after being ordained priests there, they returned unhappy to their long-suffering island from slavery. Unfortunately, Agarian pirates captured them at sea, transported them to Rhodes, where they sold them to three different Agarian masters.
The position of the three priests was deplorable and yet a sweet anticipation came to sweeten their bitter complaint. He learned that in Rhodes Agios Fanourios performed miracles and in him they based their hopes and they always prayed and invoked each one of them individually, to save them from the cruel captivity of the meager Agarines.
So he asked each priest, without consulting each other, from his master, to give him permission to go to church to worship the icon of St. Fanourios. All three of them easily took leave, reverently worshiped the image of the Saint, wetting the earth with their tears, kneeling as if praying and with all the power of their souls begging Saint Fanourios to intercede to save them from the hands of the Agarines.
After the priests left, relieved of their pain, Saint Fanourios appeared at night to all three of their masters and ordered them to free their slave priests, otherwise he would punish them severely. However, the Agarin rulers considered the intervention of the Saint as a kind of magic, so they chained their slaves and began to torture them in a worse way.
The next night, however, Agios Fanourios intervened more effectively, freed the three priests from their shackles and promised them that he would free them from the Agarines the next day. He appeared again to the Agarines and threatened them this time, that if they did not release the priests in the morning, he would treat them harshly.
The next morning the Agarines felt the punishment, because they all lost their light and their bodies became paralyzed. So they were then forced to consult their relatives to discuss the evil that befell them. All the lords decided to call the three priests, maybe they could help them. The only answer the priests gave was that they would pray to their God and He would decide.
On the third night, Saint Fanourios appeared again to the Agarines and announced to them that if the three lords did not send in writing to his temple their consent for the release of the priests, they would not regain their health. The Agarins then, willingly or unwillingly, wrote the letter requested by Agios Fanourios and unequivocally declared that they were granting their freedom to the three priests. These statements were submitted to the holy temple of the Saint.
Even before the delegation of the Agarines returned from the temple, the blind and paralyzed unbelievers were completely healed by the will of the Saint. The rich Agarnes gave to the three priests all the expenses of their trip and before they left they took refuge in the church, and after thanking the Saint for their release, they faithfully copied the icon of Agios Fanourios and took it to Crete, where they honored it every year with eulogies and liturgies.
The pie of Agios Fanourios
The great honor that Christians have in Agios Fanourios, became the reason for the creation of the traditional custom of the Saint’s pie or better of the fanouropita.
The pie is usually small and round and is made from pure flour, sugar, cinnamon, oil and after all these ingredients are mixed, kneaded, put in a round form and the pie is baked at a moderate temperature in the oven.
The pie is made to reveal to a Saint a lost object, a job if one is inactive, a lost cause, the health of a sick person and the like.
Kefalonia (Greece): The snakes of the Holy Mary came out (miracle)
As every year, so this year, on the day of the feast of the Savior, the snakes of the Holy Mary appear in Kefalonia.
Specifically, in the church of the Assumption in Markopoulo few days ago the first two snakes appeared (last year only one had appeared).
Immediately the village bells rang joyfully.
The story with the snakes and the miraculous image…
According to tradition in southern Kefalonia, in the village of Markopoulo many years ago the inhabitants saw a tree burning and the flames reaching very high. They ran to put out the fire so that the forest and the village would not burn. When they arrived, the villagers saw the tree completely burned and on its burned root was a very beautiful image of the Holy Mary, which was untouched by the fire.
The inhabitants took the image in their hands, worshiped it and took it down to the village and placed it in the church of their village, which was in the square. The next morning the others went to the church to worship the icon of the Holy Mary. But the image was missing and was nowhere to be found.
Someone went to the mountain and found the picture on the burned tree, took it down to the village and asked who took it there.
So the residents decided to lock the church. But three times the image was missing and they found it again in the burned tree.
Then the villagers believed that the Holy Mary’s wish is to be there and that is why they built a church and placed the Holy Mary there.
After a while, a nunnery was built. One day, however, they saw pirate ships approaching and pirates approaching the monastery in order to plunder it.
Then the nuns got scared and asked for the protection of the Holy Mary.
They asked the Holy Mary to bring them birds or snakes, to leave, to fly, to remain immaculate from the pirates who had bad moods and oh miraculously their prayer was heard and the Holy Mary turned them into snakes.
And since then and every August 15th something strange and wonderful happens.
From the feast of the Transfiguration, snakes appear inside and outside the temple. They are the so-called “snakes of the Holy Mary”.
Experts who have examined them can not include them in any genre and consider them unique.
They are white-gray with sparkling eyes and a small cross is formed on their head.
These are the snakes of the Holy Mary, a unique and unrepeatable miracle that only with the heart one can understand and not with the mind.
