The rationale for using Thucydides and Apollo as the connectors for the 36 Greek entities I found for the book, From Pyrrhus to Cyprus Forgotten and Remembered Hellenic Kingdoms, Territories, Entities & a Fiefdom. This was my second book which came out in 2017, it followed “The Many Faces of Hellenic Culture, 2016.” I came…
Brasilian democracy saved by Lula “the Greek” using the Greek gift of Democracy
Billy Cotsis and Ana Marica are attending the inauguration of Lula in the capital Brasilia on 1 January. Here Billy and Ana along with Nayara Santos-Costa discuss Brasilian democracy and the connection to Greek and Australian. President-elect Lula also has a unique connection to Hellenes The Washington Post has a slogan, “Democracy Dies In Darkness.”…
The Acropolis of Calabria: The Greko
With a new documentary set to be released on the Greko of Calabria, Billy Cotsis takes a look at the Greko towns and people he has met Imagine a place where time stands still. Then think about an eerie feeling, a sensation. Stop and admire the tranquillity, feel the peace. Think about a true living connection…
Greko Calabria Film Showing In Little Italy
AHEPA NSW Chapter Antigone and the Australian Hellenic Educators’ Association, in cooperation with filmmaker and author Billy Cotsis, and Basil Genimahaliotis, present a special screening of the film Magna Graecia: the Greko of Calabria, the first in his three-part Magna Graecia series at the Palace Cinemas Norton Street Leichhardt on Sunday 13 November from 6pm. Magna…
Hellenic Belmore: From Footy to Church & everything in between
Billy Cotsis takes in Sydney suburb Belmore’s Greek side, meeting sports greats such as Peter Katholos and George Peponis while enjoying local Greek cuisine in a rugby league heartland. For sheer athleticism, Rugby League is a sport which can entertain and embrace people. In Belmore, the blue and whites of the Canterbury Bulldogs are beloved…
Smyrna and a hero who saved a million Greeks
Billy Cotsis tells us about how an American named Asa Kent Jennings saved hundreds of thousands of Greeks in Asia Minor. My Pappou is from the beautiful coastal city of Aivali…. Coastal as in Asia Minor, as in Turkey. Every time I visit via the short boat ride from Lesvos, I am greeted by many…
Asia under the Seleucids, a Hellenic Empire
As a historian who travels around, I am always grateful that most Hellenic territories are of a manageable size. There is one that at its peak was just plain big, making it a headache to even think about going from one end to another, which I managed to achieve, slowly. We call it Asia. The…
Odrysian Kingdom: a rough diamond in the ancient world
I occasionally come across a rough diamond. That unique story that is hidden or shaded by other more prominent histories of the Balkans. The ancient kingdom of Odrysia is an interesting one and certainly a rough diamond, from the area of ancient Thrace and one which lasted for approximately two hundred years, from the Fifth…
Two history writers Collide for the Greek Festival event: Billy Cotsis and Dr John Martino
For one night only to discuss two powerful novels and themes, Dr John Martino from Melbourne and author/filmmaker Billy Cotsis come together at Mytilene House. On Wednesday, May 11 at 6.45 pm, Billy Cotsis will launch his new book, The Aegean Seven Take Back the Marbles, an historical fiction set around the theft of the…
The Greeks of LA
Billy Cotsis, donning a touristy Hawaiian shirt takes a look at the local Hellenic history of Los Angeles on a recent trip from Hawaii As Santa was flying out of LA at Christmas, I tag teamed him at LA X after a quick stop in Hawaii looking for our Hawaii-loving PM. I was told he…
An interview with Dr Manuela Pellegrino, a Griko from Apulia and author of Greek Language, Italian Landscape: Griko and the Re-storying of a Linguistic Minority.
Dr Manuela Pellegrino, I was very excited to meet you when I came out to Grecìa Salentina in Apulia to shoot a documentary on the Griko towns of the region. The fact that you are a younger person was indicative of many Griko I met and the Greko I met in Calabria, demonstrating to me…
The Parthenon Marbles Return to Greece…
A new ‘revisionist’ historical fiction from Billy Cotsis tells a tale of how Athens lost the Marbles and how a newly formed posse featuring Lord Byron, Aegean Seven, take back the stolen Marbles. Billy Cotsis has certainly had a colourful literary career, covering Greeks living in dozens of countries. he has written about Hellenes in…
Lefter Küçükandonyadis of Turkey, the Greek giant who roared
In Turkey, there was one player last century who truly stood head and shoulders above all others, and he was just 169 cm tall. He wasn’t just a great player; he was able to absorb significant pressures off the pitch. He was the scorer of 506 goals in 752 matches; then there was 21 goals…
Founders of the Modern Olympics
The Real Story of the Modern Olympics By Ange Kenos Olympic Certified Weightlifting Coach PrefaceFor well over a hundred years, the world has been consistently told thatBaron Pierre de Coubertain invented/ founded the Modern Olympics.Indeed, unless you are a scholar/ researcher of Olympism, you could notbelieve anything else (1).But the true story is far more…
Opportunity & Adventure: The Greek Presence in Africa
From the first colonies in Egypt, Libya and one in Tunisia, Greeks, the language and even Greek Orthodoxy has been evident in parts of Africa for thousands of years. There can be no denying it, Greeks are everywhere and have had a significant engagement with Africa. Libya Timing can be everything. I was just about…
From Mykonos to Delos and the quirky stuff in between
What can one say about Mykonos that has not already been written? This is an island that can be polarising; you either love it or hate. From famous writers, directors and artists, CEOs, stars to a range of Greek Aussies who make their way to Mykonos, the island is the place to be. A place…
Mount Athos: Autonomous Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain
On the surface it may appear as though a mini-Byzantium exists on 336 km2 of the Chalcidice in Greece. Byzantium of course was ruled by an emperor who was meant to be God’s ruler on earth! Unlike Byzantium, this is a peaceful region that is totally inhabited by monks or those with a commitment to…
Top Ten ‘best islands’ in Greece by a seasoned traveller
They say that Greece has 227 inhabited and 6,000 uninhabited islands, each of which has a story to tell. I can truly vouch for this, as I’ve been lucky enough to have spent almost two years of my life travelling these islands and collecting their stories. A favourite was being on the small island of…
From Pyrrhic Victory and success of Epiros to the ‘defeat’ against the Spartan women
Epiros, which is also known as Epirus, is a place of geographical contrasts. The high mountains and windy roads that take you across terrain that only shepherds and trekkers seem to traverse with ease. Then you have a coastline that acts as a buffer to the Romans; a coastline that has many hidden gems for…
It’s time to recognise the 1906 Athens Games as an Olympic Games
Billy Cotsis explains that Athens hosted a successful Olympic Games in 1906 and several more in the 1800s which are not currently recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Tokyo 2020 was meant to be the fourth time I attended an Olympic Games. Japan and the Games would have been a chance to see my godson,…
Hellenic Travels to the Past 