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,…
Restoration: Tunisia with a touch of Hellenism
Restoration. A word that truly stood out for me on a trip to Tunisia, a word which succinctly captures what the Greek community are aspiring to and what I in turn have been seeking for years. Tunisia is a picturesque Mediterranean country: pristine beaches to the north, the Sahara in the south, the Arab culture…
1821 THE LIBERATION OF HELLAS (GREECE)
Published by AHEPA Victoria Researched & Written by A T Kenos. Preface This small booklet is not intended to be a significant scholarly effort nor a major advance in the already existing knowledge of the Hellenic battles for liberty which began a very long time before 1821, and which many would argue have yet to…
Greeks of Malta and their continued resilience since ancient times
Billy Cotsis went to Malta searching for signs of Greek history in Malta and the surrounding islands. Flying into Malta I was excited. I had always wanted to be met at an airport by someone holding a placard with my name on it. The Maltese Tourism Authority (MTA) had kindly arranged for a driver to…
1821, was just the beginning: Greek lands in a time of Revolution and beyond
Billy Cotsis explains that it was never just 400 years of occupation. Some areas were never liberated while other Greek lands were never occupied by the Ottomans. This article provides a snapshot of Greeks in Albania, Romania, Asia Minor, Constantinople and elsewhere. The author has visited the museum of Philiki Eteria in Ukraine and most…
L’ultima eroica resistenza di un Paleologo contro gli ottomani: Peloponneso/Morea alla fine del medioevo
Translated by Mr Martino DeMarco, a patrioti who runs FB page Greece,Italy & Magna Grecia Billy Cotsis ci porta per un viaggio storico e culturale nella fiorente Morea, luogo dell’eroica resistenza del generale Graitza,s del Salmenikò e del Mani. Nel periodo 1430 – 1444, l’intero Peloponneso era virtualmente sotto il controllo del despota. I nuovi…
26 January what it means to me as a Greek Aussie and to Aboriginal people
When the oppressed become the oppressors. I will come back to this statement later. For the moment, I want you to read on, without prejudice. For those who are adamant that we cannot move 26 January as Australia Day, that is fine; I see the comments on social media and the rage in some people…
Greek Santa: Who really is Santa Claus?
HO HO HO, HO HO HO. Sounds like something you would hear in a Snoop Dogg song. Actually this is the calling card of that rather paunch grey haired guy who magically appears every Christmas. I’m of course referring to Santa Claus, one of the great cultural icons of modern times. In fact, that popular is…
How many countries or republics in the world have Greek as their official language?
English has generally been my passport to access weird and wonderful places on our planet. In Argentina or Thailand for example, it helped me get by as I filled my belly, enjoyed local hospitality and got ripped off in the latter. Never really thought how I would fair if I didn’t speak English, until of…
Suggested book to purchase 1453: Constantinople & the Immortal Rulers
Battles, intrigue, good vs evil, romance, history and betrayal…. Welcome to the year, 1453 1453 is told as a story by the emperor’s secretary, George Sphrantzes, which includes a number of ‘first person’ accounts and flashbacks to other eras that impacted the Byzantine Empire. While this is based mostly on facts and stories that took…
Hellenic Crimea and the ‘discovery’ of a Greek Principality, Theodoro
Having had the pleasure of visiting Greek communities in the Ukraine twice, learning and visiting their towns, I am always fascinated by what a Hellene can discover in that part of the world…. The sound of waves crashing on the shore and lush nature that traverses the interior, this could be yet another location in…
Peloponnesus at the end of the Middle Ages
The Morea, the Mani, the General Graitzas Paleologos and the Salmeniko Few people have heard of the name, the Morea, which was used in the middle ages instead of the Peloponnese. It was a name supplied by the Franks/Latins in the eleventh century, lasting until the start of the War of Independence. It was likely…
MY HERITAGE Asia Minor
For tens of millions of people, the thought of Asia Minor, also known as Anatolia, when you take in the entire length of Turkey, is a sad topic. Sad or rather tragic for the various diverse, historical inhabitants of the region are no more. Today you will find Turkish and Kurdish people only, rather than the once…
Hellenic Travels to the Past 