Markos Botsaris

Hero of the Greek War of Independence (1788 – 1823)

Markos Botsaris is one of the most glorious heroes of the Greek War of Independence. He descended from the Botsaris family, which originated from Souli of Epirus in the 15^th century and was one of the founding members of the community. It was a family of heroes with some of its important members being George Botsaris, Kitsos Botsaris, Notis Botsaris, Rosa Botsaris and Tusias Botsaris. All of them fought bravely in the Greek War of Independence and many other subsequent wars in Greek history. Markos was the leader of the Souliotes.

Markos served in the beginning the French army. Afterwards, with his uncle Notis, he returned to Souli and raised its citizens to fight against the Ottoman yoke. In 1820, when the Turks occupied the Souli fortresses, he provided provisions and fended off all the Turkish forces from Souli in numerous victorious battles. His actions were decisive for the start of the Greek War of Revolution. After 22 months of constant battles, the fighters of Souli ran out of provisions making the fight unable to continue, forcing its citizens to abandon their homeland. Markos and his uncle settled in Roumeli where they continued their struggle. They took part in several battles, most notably in Mesologgi, for which Markos was ranked a sergeant.

Numerous are the heroic deeds of Markos Botsaris: In Kumtzades he destroyed a large army of Ottoman Turks, in Pente Pigadia he clashed with a force of 5000 Turks along with his few Souliote brothers, he conquered the Reniasa fortress without any casualties, defeated 2000 Turks in Vargiades and in Dramesi, battled against Hasan Pasha in Arta and his army of 1000 Turks, participated in the siege of Arta and in many more battles including in Lelova, Olitsika and Bogortsa.

On August 9, 1823 Markos Botsaris led 350 Souliotes in Karpenisi to battle against Mustae Pasha and his army. During the battle, Markos Botsaris received a fatal shot which cost him his life. His body was transported to Mesologgi where it was buried with the highest honours. His death caused grief all over Europe but also amazement. Renowned painters such as Delacroix, Deveria, Dereuville and Marsiglio immortalized him in their paintings, sculptor David D’Angers built a sculpture in his memory while in France a central avenue in Paris was named after him. According to Victor Hugo, Botsaris was the “Leonidas of modern Greece”; Francois Pouqueville in his magnum opus makes a special note on Markos Botsaris focusing on his virtuous character and his tireless efforts in the war while Dionysios Solomos, Greece’s national poet dedicated a special ode to him.

Evidence suggests that Markos Botsaris and Lord Byron communicated with each other by mail. When Lord Byron first came to Greece, Mesologgi, he was welcomed enthusiastically by the Greek fighters. Wearing his traditional Souliote uniform, Byron approached Markos’ tomb and swore in his sacred memory that he would fight to the death for Greece’s freedom. He fulfilled his promise after he passed away in Mesologgi, encouraging all of the Philhellenes around Europe to do the same.

Bibliography

1. “Botsaris, Markos”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens: 1946. Print.
2. Kossyvakis, Gregoris Nicephorus.”ΜΑΡΚΟΣ ΜΠΟΤΣΑΡΗΣ-ΕΝΑΣ ΙΔΑΝΙΚΟΣ ΗΡΩΑΣ”. Kossivakis.org. 19 July, 2016.

Hypatia

Mathematician, Astronomer, Philosopher (c360 – 415)

Hypatia was the daughter of famous Greek mathematician Theon. She lived and worked in Alexandria, which, at the time was one of the leading centres of science and humanities in the world. After studying in Alexandria she travelled to Athens and enrolled in the Neoplatonic school of Proclus and Hierocles. She returned to Alexandria and became head of the Alexandrian School of philosophy and mathematics where she taught mathematics, astronomy and Neoplatonic philosophy as well as Aristotelean philosophy. Notable students of hers included Troilos, Hierocles and Synesius, later bishop of Ptolemais in Libya.

She was termed “Geometer” for her profound knowledge in geometry. She compiled works on conic sections, wrote books on astronomy, and devised the astrolabe, an instrument used to calculate the distance of the stars from the horizon. Her student Synesius would later perfect it. Like most philosophers, all of Hypatia’s works were destroyed and none survives today.

Hypatia is the first and only example of a woman philosopher in history. As much as she was admired and respected for her wisdom and courage to stand up against society’s belief that women were incapable of living a life of spiritual development, she was detested by the ignorant masses, which saw her as an insult to Christianity. It is unfortunate that Hypatia lived at the time when the Ancient Greek spirit was dwindling as Christianity began prevailing. The start of the Byzantine Empire was marked with religious upheavals, dogmatism, and religious fanaticism. In 415 a crowd of Christians incited by Cyrillus, bishop of Alexandria, seized her, tore her clothing, dragged her around the city, cut her into pieces with shells and burned her. Cyrillus was named a saint by the Christian Orthodox Church.

Bibliography

1. Georgakopoulos, Konstantinos. Ancient Greek Scientists. Athens: Georgiades, 1995. Print.
2. Pleures, Konstantinos. Greek Philosophers. Athens: Hilektron, 2014. Print.
3. “Hypatia”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens: 1946. Print.

4. ”Υπατία. Η Αλεξανδρινή φιλόσοφος που βασανίστηκε και δολοφονήθηκε από φανατικούς Xριστιανούς, που την έγδαραν και τη διαμέλισαν”. mixanitouxronou.gr. 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Jul. 2016.

Basil II the Bulgar Slayer

Byzantine Emperor (958 – 1025)

Emperor of the Byzantine Empire whose reign spanned 49 years; during this time, the Byzantine Empire achieved considerable expansion, economic growth and safety from the neighbouring tribes thanks to Basil’s administrative policies and constant battles.

He ascended to throne at the age of 2 and government was undertaken by two capable warlords Nicephorus Phocas and John Tzimiskes, who served as Byzantine Emperors until Basil reached the age of 20 and undertook government duties himself. His first actions were to wage war against the Bulgarians, which had become a problem to the Empire. His campaign against them was unsuccessful and Basil only managed to save himself in Philippopolis. He then focused on fending off the rest of the enemies of the Byzantine Empire and was not involved with the Bulgarians for 15 years. During this time, Basil fortified the interior of the Byzantine Empire, provided more army to certain regions, conquered Iberia, Armenia and Syria and fought victoriously against the Arabs.

Basil’s reign was characterized by constant wars. These wars were aimed at defending the empire from continuous external threats as well as expanding itself to contain rich lands and enforce its economy, which was a prerequisite to sustain Basil’s costly polemic politics. When the time had come, he turned against the Bulgarian Empire for the second time. With the help of his appointed chief Nicephorus Uranus, Basil spent nearly all of the rest of his life battling against the Bulgarians and their king, Tsar Samuel. He managed to stop their procession to Peloponnesus and reclaim the lost lands of Northern Greece while in the meantime Nicephorus Uranos battled against the Arabs, claimed Antioch and signed a treaty for peace.

The 50 year-old conflict between the Byzantines and the Bulgarians reached its climax in 1014 during the battle of Clidium. It ended with the victory of the Byzantine Empire and the defeat of the Bulgarians. From that point onward, the Bulgarians surrendered to the Byzantine Empire and did not proceed to any significant conflict for 900 years. During his final years as Emperor, Basil became more lenient toward the Bulgarians; he provided them with political and religious autonomy and accepted several Bulgarians in the Byzantine aristocracy. Furthermore, the Empire now had access to all lands below Danube.

Emperor Basil’s tactics involving gruesome bloodshed and tortures made him fearsome among his enemies, which earned him the nickname “Bulgar-Slayer”. Nevertheless, he was a skilled and diplomatic emperor. His decision to marry his sister Anne with the Russian Tsar Vladimir, as well as the baptism of the tsar and his conversion to Christianity led to the spread of Christianity in all of Russia and the establishment of peaceful affairs between the two states. At the time of his death, the Byzantine Empire stretched from eastern Sicily and Italy to Armenia and modern Azerbaijan. In contained all of Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, modern Albania, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Cyprus, Odessa and regions from Lebanon and Syria. The Byzantine Empire was closing on its decline.

Bibliography

1. “Basileios B’”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens: 1946. Print.
2. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. ”Basil II| Byzantine Emperor” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Web. 17 July. 2016.

Zenon of Citium

Philosopher (334 BC – 262 BC)

Zenon of Citium, (to discern him from Zenon of Elea), is the founder of the Stoic Philosophic School. He descended from the Greek colony Citium in Southern Italy and was accidentally introduced to philosophy when while working as a merchant he was shipwrecked in Athens. There, he studied under the supervision of Crates of the Cynic School of Philosophy. For 20 years he studied in various Philosophic Schools as well as the teachings of Academic Xenocrates. However, Zenon was still unsatisfied and his first for knowledge led him to found his own Philosophic School, which he termed Stoic after the Stoa, the place where the lessons were held.

Stoic philosophy was focused on three philosophical sciences: logic, physics and ethics. In the field of ethics Zeno wrote at least 7 books, none of which survives today and introduced the meaning of the word “duty”. Zenon taught that life is created by God and God is what gives beings shape and motion. In Logic, he stated that due to man’s own logic nature, he is in position to determine what is moral for him.

Virtue is not bestowed to man by God but is acquired upon free will. Like Pythagoras and Plato, Zenon distinguished four types of virtues: justice, good sense (σωφροσύνη), common sense (φρόνησις) and bravery. It is necessary for these virtues to co-exist in order one to be virtuous. Man was to live according to his own nature and be guided by virtue. To live according to nature meant understanding nature and for one to understand nature required him to have a placid soul. Virtue is the only thing that brings true happiness. In stoic philosophy, wisdom was understood as man’s subjugation to God and the acceptance and understanding of causality.

Zenon’s School had tremendous impact on philosophy. Throughout the years, it attracted numerous important philosophers like Chrysippus, Epictetus, Poseidonius and Marcus Aurelius. All of his students proved to be influential philosophers who expanded the Stoic philosophy and compiled works of their own.

Bibliography

1. Myrsioti, Sophia. «Η Στωϊκή Φιλοσοφία». Philologos.eu. 14 July, 2016.
2. Pleures, Konstantinos. Greek Philosophers. Athens: Hilektron, 2014. Print.
3. “Zenon o Kitieus”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens, 1946. Print.

Demophilus of Thespiae

Warrior (? – 480 BC)

In 480 BC, the Persian army, consisting of 1.700.000 warriors crossed Thrace and Macedonia, passed from Thessaly and marched towards Athens. Their passage was halted in Thermopylae when they were met with resistance by the Greeks. Their army consisted of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, Demophilus and his 300 Thespians, 1000 Tegeans and Mantineans, 1000 from Arcadia, 120 from Orchomenos, 400 from Corinthos, 1000 from Phocaia, 400 from Phleius, 400 from Thebes, 80 Mycenaeans and a significant number of Locrians.

For two days, Xerxes watched helplessly as his army was being decimated by the Greek spears, until the secret passageway that bypassed the Thermopylae was breached by the Persians as a result of Ephialtes’ betrayal. On the third day, in the leaders’ meeting it was decided that all Greeks would leave the battle except Leonidas and his 300 Spartans because their laws forbade them to abandon the battlefield. Demophilus, however, rejected Leonidas’ order and preferred to stay with his 700 Thespians and die on the Spartans’ side. Leonidas tried to persuade Demophilus and the Thespians to leave, but his efforts were in vain. Demophilus had already chosen an honourable and glorious death for him and his people than to live a life of shame knowing that they had fled right in front of the enemy. Leonidas tried one more time to persuade him otherwise. Demophilus replied: “No, Leonidas, I’m not leaving, I will not let you take all the glory of the Thermopylae alone”.

In the morning of the third day, The Greeks, now comprised of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, the 700 Thespians led by Demophilus and 400 warriors from Thebes, who were held as hostages by Leonidas, marched to their death. In what was the last stand, the Greeks fought with tremendous faith and bravery and caused severe casualties in the Persians. Eventually, King Leonidas falls. Spartans and Thespians surround and defend their king. Xerxes offers them one last time to surrender but the only answer he gets is “We will die with our king”. Xerxes orders his archers to cover the sun with their arrows and spare none. All of them died.

Demophilus and the Thespians’ holocaust was equal, if not superior in value to that of Leonidas’ and the Spartans’. The Spartans’ sacrifice was bound by law. The Thespians, on the other side, were not bound by anything aside from their loyalty and love for freedom and their country, Greece. They willingly chose to stay and fight to the death, which they knew it was certain, chose not to abandon Leonidas and his 300 warriors and to pass to immortality in the pantheon of heroes, to the Elysian Fields, where all fallen heroes go.

Bibliography

1. Eleysis-ellinwn. Άγνωστες μορφές του Ελληνισμού: Δημόφιλος ο Διαδρόμου – ο στρατηγός των 700 Θεσπιέων στην μάχη των Θερμοπυλών!. eleysis-ellinwn.gr. 13 July, 2016.
2. Kossioris, Christos. The Seven Hundred Thespians in Thermopylae. Athens: Hilektron, 2015. Print.

Georgios Papanikolaou

Physician (1883 – 1962)

He was born in 1883 in Cyme as the son of a politician and member of the Hellenic Parliament. At the age of 15 he began studying medicine at the University of Athens and by the age of 21 he had received his degree. In 1907 he went to Germany and took lessons in Biology. He continued his studies in the University of Munich where he conducted research and was made an assistant professor of natural sciences. He continued his career in Monaco where he worked as an oceanographer.

With the start of the Balkan Wars in 1913, Papanikolaou returned to Greece and served in the army for the liberation of the Greek subjugated lands. In the same year he departed to the United States to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a researcher. Having only 250 dollars, the couple faced financial issues, which forced Papanikolaou to abandon his dream in order to survive. He played the violin in small taverns and sold carpets to make a living.

Eventually Papanikolaou’s papers were cited and he was hired as an assistant preparer in the University Hospital of Cornell. He worked as an assistant professor of Anatomy and slowly began rising in the hierarchy, becoming an associate professor and ultimately a full time professor in Anatomy, Histology and Pathology but without having been assigned teaching duties, for he was dedicated to research. His research on alcohol was decisive on the alcohol prohibition in 1920. The same year, news about his achievements reached Greece. Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos offered him to become a Professor of Medicine in the University, which he declined. He continued his researches in the same university on genetics and sex hormones.

The year 1928 was a landmark for modern medicine. Georgios Papanikolaou’s thesis “Diagnosis of Cancer of the uterus by cervical smears” was published. It was the groundbreaking discovery which led to the so-called Pap smear, the main diagnostic method for cervical cancer used successfully to this day. With this discovery, Papanikolaou was opening the gates to a new science called Exfoliative Cytology, a sub-specialty of Pathology. Unfortunately, Papanikolaou’s method was met with utter disregard by the medical establishment as they failed to acknowledge its practical value. In spite of his hostile reception, Papanikolaou was more determined than ever to convince them otherwise.

In 1943, Papanikolaou’s discovery gained worldwide acceptance and was acknowledged by three leading universities Boston, New York and Harvard. Some years more were needed to pass in order for the method to be used routinely for the accurate diagnosis of cervical cancer. Before its application, women who were diagnosed for cervical cancer had already advanced carcinoma and prognosis was poor. Today, with the discovery of the Pap test, the diagnosis can be done before the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer appear.

Georgios Papanikolaou published over 100 research papers. He received the medal of honour from the American Cancer Society, was member of the Academy of Sciences of New York, served as Vice-President of the Council of the Cytologic Society of New York and was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He died in 1962 at the age of 78.

Bibliography

1. “Papanikolaou, Georgios”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens, 1946. Print.
2. Spiroslouis1. Η μηχανή του χρόνου S04E35 Γεώργιος Παπανικολάου. Youtube. 16 Oct. 2012. 10 July. 2016.

Diagoras of Rhodes

Athlete (5^th century BC)

Diagoras was a famous Greek Golden Olympian boxer from Rhodes known for his super-human athletic achievements and his virtuous character. He had won first place in four Panhellenic competitions: twice at Nemea, four times at Isthmia, including the Olympic Games as well as in multiple regional ones such as in Athens, Megara, Aegina and Rhodes.

At an old age he had the honour of seeing all of his 3 sons become Olympians. Damagetos won twice at the Olympic Games for the pankrateion while Akousileos won for boxing. Dorieus, his third son won three successive times the pankrateion at the Olympic Games, eight times the Isthmian Games and seven times at Nemea. After their victory they removed their olive wreaths and placed them on their fathers’ head. Then, they lifted him up their shoulders and carried him around the stadium. Diagoras and his sons were apotheosized by the overwhelmed crowd. It has been reported that during Diagoras’ standing ovation, one of the spectators in the crowd shouted:”Die, Diagoras, you cannot ascend to Olympus besides”.

Diagoras became a legend during his own lifetime not only for his accomplishments in boxing but for fathering a generation of Olympian athletes. Shortly after his death, Pindar wrote an ode commemorating Diagoras and his sons. It was written on the wall of the temple of Athena in Rhodes in gold letters. Moreover, the stands of where the sculptures of Diagoras and his sons once stood in Olympia have been found. Diagoras’ daughter was the brave Callipateira, the first woman to have been allowed to watch the Olympic Games because of her generation.

Bibliography

1. “Diagoras of Rhodes”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens, 1946. Print.
2. The Ancient Olympics a Special Exhibit of the Perseus Digital Library Project. “Athletes’ Stories Diagoras of Rhodes”. Web. July 9, 2016.
3. ”Αρχαίοι Έλληνες πυγμάχοι”. mixanitouxronou.gr. 30 May 2014. Web. 10 Jul. 2016.

Panourgias

Hero of the Greek War of Independence (1759 – 1834)

The family Panourgias had many noteworthy members who fought in the Greek War of Independence. The most notable one was Demetrius Xeros or simply Panourgias. At a young age he was involved in a conflict with the Turks due to an accident and was sentenced to death. Luckily he was rescued by a Turkish authority who hired him in his service. After his master’s death, Panourgias became a klepht and worked together with Odysseus Androutsos and Lambros Katsonis.

In 1821 just before the start of the Greek War of Independence, Panourgias was among the first members initiated into the Philiki Hetaereia (Society of Friends). His first actions were the liberation of Amfissa, together with Isaiah of Salona. His next move was to stop Omer Vrioni’s procession to Southern Greece in Thermopylae. There, he fought together with Athanasios Diakos and Dyovuniotis in a battle reminiscent to that of Leonidas and his allies. Panourgias later participated in more battles, namely the battle of Alamana, the battle of Gorgopotamos, the battle of Gravia and the battle of Chalcomata.

Having reached an old age, Panourgias retired and was replaced by his son. However, when he found out that Dramalis’ army of 30.000 men was marching toward Peloponnesus, he picked up his weapons and got out of retirement. Together with his team he destroyed all the food supplies so that Dramalis’ forces were weakened. This ultimately led to their destructive defeat in the Battle of Dervenakia.

Panourgias was distinguished among his fellow freedom fighters for his intuition and bravery. After the war, Panourgias retired and got involved in politics next to Ioannis Kapodistrias. He enjoyed his free nation for which he had struggled years and lived enough to see his wish come true.

Bibliography

1. “Panourgias”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens, 1946. Print.

Georgios Plethon – Gemistus

Philosopher, Scholar, Judge (1355 – 1452 or 1454)

The greatest political and spiritual figure of the Greek Middle Ages and one of the greatest philosophical minds in world history, Georgios Gemistus was the leading Pythagorean – Neoplatonic philosopher in Europe as well as a diplomat to the Byzantine Emperors, a jurist, historian (polyhistor), translator and an important social reformer and economist. Gemistus was responsible for the restoration of the Ancient Greek spirit in all of Europe and subsequently for the Renaissance.

He was born during the final years of the Byzantine Empire. He studied in Constantinople under the influence of noteworthy scholars such as Elissaeus and Demetrios Cydones. After witnessing the heinous crimes against philosophy and after his political and economical reforms were dismissed by the governing class, he eventually settled in Mystras, founding, at the time, the greatest philosophical and spiritual centre of the Byzantine Empire. There, Pletho, a name that he would later earn from the Italians thanks to his wisdom, dedicated himself to studying the Ancient Greek scriptures and reviving the Ancient Greek spirit and philosophy. He lived in a den, which he had decorated with all the Ancient Greek symbols and emblems necessary for him to tune in to the Ancient Greek frequency. There he meditated (Διαλογισμὸς) and communicated with the Divine Beings the same way as his forefathers did.

Pletho took upon himself alone a massive undertaking which similarly Emperor Julian had begun during the 4^th century – only to result to his assassination – of restoring the Ancient Greek spirit. He himself believed to have been a direct descendant of the Ancient Greeks. Basileios Bessarion had stated that Pletho was the wisest man Greece had given birth to since Plato and Aristotle and that he was the last of the Ancient Greeks. His philosophical school in Mystras attracted hundreds of enthusiastic students from Europe, seeking to help revive the Hellenism. Notable students included Bessarion, who would later become Cardinal and almost Pope, philosophers Marcus Eugenikos and Manuel Chrysoloras, Georgios Scholarios, who would later become his sharpest opponent, Italian humanists Marsilio Ficino and Cosimo de’Medici and many other philosophic minds of the Renaissance.

It wasn’t long until Pletho’s fame spread across the collapsing empire, eventually reaching Emperor John Palaiologos’ ears, who decided to include Pletho in his team of diplomats in the Council of Ferrara – Florence for the unification of the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches because of his great wisdom, even though Pletho was against Orthodoxy. In that manner, the emperor sought help in defending Constantinople from the Ottomans. Unfortunately, and despite Pletho’s excellent diplomatic skills, the treaty did not pass and Pletho, along with Bessarion and Patriarch Joseph chose to remain to Italy and spread the Platonic message. With the help of Cosimo de Medici, Pletho founded the Platonic School of Philosophy where he taught Plato and Aristotle and roused the crowds against the religious establishment which had destroyed and kept on destroying human progress. It was then that the fire of knowledge broke out and burned down the stagnated religious establishment and from all the knowledge that Pletho and the rest of the Greek philosophers had disseminated to the west started sprouting the new seeds of life and spirit, which would eventually become the Renaissance.

In his older years, Pletho resettled back to Mystras and wrote his magnum opus Περὶ Νόμων (On Laws), which was a result of meticulous studies conducted on Plato’s works and of a life-long meditation. The book included Platonic philosophy, guidelines for the search of truth, subjects on law making, on Gods, demons and divine beings from parallel worlds and from the sky, on life and death, on the origin and types of souls, journey and fate of the soul, immortality of the soul and soul of the stars, on the creation of mortal beings, on logic, on Eimarmeni and Pronoia. Moreover, he wrote books on astronomy, on the types of stars, capabilities of the planets, motion of the planets and the stars and of aether. His work included ethics, politics, sociology, education and mathematics.

Georgios Plethon Gemistus, died in Sparta almost at the age of 100 just 1 year before (or after) the Fall of Constantinople and subsequently of the Byzantine Empire, after nearly 1100 years of existence. His student Bessarion wrote on a letter to his two sons that “…(Pletho) abandoned the earthly element and went to the skies to dance the mystic dance of Iacchus together with the Olympian Gods… Since the time of those honourable men of the first years, Greece had not given birth to men such identical to Plato, in knowledge and in virtue”. He did not live enough to see the result of his work but just before the dwindling candle of Hellenism was put out, Pletho planted the seeds of the Renaissance in order for it to shine once again and pull Europe out of the darkness of the Middle Ages that it was plunged by religion. Alexander Papadiamantis wrote about Pletho: “He was so much ahead of the times he lived, as much as the ancient times were superior to these awful times…”. His remains were taken by Sigismundo Pandolfo Malatesta in 1465 from Mystras and transported to the Temple of Malatesta, Rimini, from his infinite love for the great hegemon of the philosophers of his times, where they are kept to this day. Together with his student Bessarion they share the title of “Father of Renaissance”.

Bibliography:

1. Ayfantis, Georgios. Anthropos & Epistimi – Enimerosis: Prehistory and History of Man, Science & Civilization. Athens: Hellinikon Selas, 2009. Print.
2. Baloglu, Christos. Georgios Plethon – Gemistus on the Peloponnesean Things. Athens: Elephthera Skepsis, 2002. Print.
3. “Gemistus, Georgios – Plethon”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens: 1946. Print.
4. Gravigger, Petros. Pythagoras and the Mystic Teachings of Pythagoreanism. Athens: Ideotheatron * Dimeli, 1998. Print.
5. Theodorakakos, Kyriakos. Plethon, Bessarion, the Dawn of New Hellenism. ΙΧΩΡ, February 2002, Issue 18, pages 72-87. Print.

Pythagoras

Philosopher, Mathematician, Physicist, Astronomer, Physician, Scientist, Musician, Avatar (c570 BC – c495 BC)

Pythagoras is one of the greatest philosophical minds of humanity, an immortal spiritual guide who, together with Socrates and Plato, is recognized worldwide as the eternal Teacher of mankind. His influence on human thought is unique because of his remarkable wisdom in the purest sense, his profound knowledge, which he had compiled from all knowledge that existed in the world at the time during his travels and the introduction of a new philosophical system called Pythagoreanism which achieved the spiritual perfection of the human soul through the method of memorization, discipline, examination, catharsis, salvation, lytrosis and theosis for more than 2500 years and of which today’s youth is in need more than ever before.

Pythagoras was born in Samos and from a young age he dedicated himself to knowledge by studying next to famous philosophers such as Thales of Miletus, Bias and Anaximander. He travelled to Phoenicia, where he learned Phoenician, to Egypt, where he was initiated into the religious societies, to Arabia, where he learned how to communicate with animals, to Babylon, where he studied astrology. In Tibet Pythagoras met and spoke with the Dalai Lama, in China he studied the philosophical teachings of the Buddha and met with his contemporary, Confucius while in India he studied the ancient teachings of the Brahmans. Pythagoras would eventually return and travel throughout Greece continuing his spiritual journey and founding his philosophical school.

Pythagoras’ teachings were strictly held under secrecy by oath and were taught only to those initiated into his school. His philosophy was influenced by Orphism. The Pythagorean School had many divisions, including 4 in Southern Italy. It became flooded with Greek philosophers and became known as Great Greece. It was the first university in the world. It consisted of 4 schools: Theological, Medical, Mathematics and Science school and school of Political sciences. In Science school geometry, theory of numbers, astronomy, engineering and music were taught. Pythagoras allowed women to study in his school, something that the modern world considered inconceivable until recently.

Pythagoras’ monumental work reveals well-documented studies which cover nearly every scientific field to date: philosophy, geometry, stereometry, mathematics, astronomy, cosmogony, physics, politics, ethics, physiology, astrophysics, geography, theology and pyramidology. Among many of Pythagoras’ abilities were telepathy, levitation, the ability to interpret dreams, the ability to read closed letters, the ability to communicate with animals and with the dead and the ability to predict the future. For years scientists of all specialties have struggled to decipher Pythagoras’ works. Few have managed to do so.

He was one of the most important innovators of Greek meditation (Dialogismos), with which Pythagoreanism is strongly affiliated. His works, particularly the “Golden Epics” are a guide to the Greek meditation. According to Pythagoreanism, two principles are prerequisites. The first is memory (Mnemosene) where the initiates practised their memory using a series of simple steps. They memorised verses and excerpts from works, which acted beneficially to their subconscious mind. The Pythagoreans used epodes as well as excerpts from Homer and Hesiod to cure diseases and as therapy for the soul. After completing this task, the initiate proceeded το the second principle, always according to Pythagoras, which is the self-examination (exetasis) based on the memorization of one’s actions. Its purpose was the cleansing of the soul. According to Plato, self examination is the greatest way for cleansing of the soul (catharsis). However, catharsis will not bestow its seeds to the initiate without justice. This is Pythagoras’ meaning of “Know thyself” (γνῶθι σ’αὐτόν). For Pythagoras, catharsis is a prerequisite for Greek meditation (dialogismos) which can only be achieved by meticulous inner examination of one’s self by means of the Pythagorean method. The ultimate purpose of his is widening the human intellect and bringing the mortal man directly in contact with the Divine.

Pythagoras’ discovery of the Universal Law broadened the horizons of Greek Meditation. He discovered that numbers bridge the aesthetic field with the noetic (nous = mind) field. Numbers are not God but an expression of the Divine. This means that Pythagoras managed through deep meditation to find the link between the two levels of this world, which function in reversely proportional manner. Pythagoras resonated with the noetic field and was given the information which he handed down to the aesthetic field, our mortal world. Pythagoras’ monochord allowed the meditator to participate in both fields; through the number of the pulses, the meditator participated in the aesthetic field by observing the pulses with his vision. The pulses produced sound which the meditator could subconsciously listen to and participate in the noetic field. In this way the body in the aesthetic field and the soul in the noetic field co-operate and resonate with each other. The purpose of this is Virtue.

As a scientist, Pythagoras was an innovative mathematician way ahead of his time. Pythagorean Arithmosophy, the philosophy based on the fact that numbers are the essence of the world, is Pythagoras’ creation. This is what Pythagoras meant by “Ὁ Θεὸς ἀεὶ γεωμετρεῖ” (God always geometrisizes). He wrote treaties on the methods of construction of geometrical shapes, provided solution for the Fermat Theorem, proved the Pythagorean Theorem and made significant contributions in pyramidology by deciphering the hidden messages of the Egyptian pyramids, the ziggurats and the Sphinx of Egypt. He proved the correlation between music and the letters of the Greek alphabet and founded the Pythagorean Symbolic Logic.

Pythagorean physics and metaphysics were also equally important and were marked with many significant contributions. His teachings included parallel worlds with higher beings, black holes, theory of relativity, lost energy, uranous mechanics and quantum mechanics. He taught reincarnation, metempsychosis, karma, life and death, centers of consciousness (chakras) and the immortality of the soul. Moreover he wrote about the spiritual world: What is soul, how are they created, where do they come from and where do they go after they leave this world. Pythagorean cosmology was involved with: the creation of the world, synthesis and aposynthesis of the universe, cosmic levels, cosmic laws and cosmic memory. He taught politics, ethics, virtues, about man and his relationship with God and lexarithmic theory.

Pythagoras’ most invaluable thing from his teachings was the Universal Harmony of the spheres, the Tetractys and the Laws of Creation of the Universe. The Universal Harmony of the Spheres is based on the observation that every moving object produces sound. This phenomenon is observed during the movement of stars and planets. Astric Pythagorean Theology studied the musical relations of the planets based on this metaphysical side of music while Pythagorean Astronomy introduced the Laws of the distance of the orbit of planets. The Pythagoreans used the Tetractys as their most sacred symbol and was believed to be the key to the universe and an instrument for the measurement of its size and its diastole. It is a cosmic model for the creation of planets; the cosmic D.N.A. Scientists today believe that if they found the complete Corpus Pythagorium and deciphered the Universal Harmony of the Spheres and the Tetractys, then all the laws of the universe and the theories for all the astrophysical and theosophical problems will be unraveled before us.

Pythagoras’ contribution in mankind renders him an immortal teacher and healer of humanity. He perfected the Greek Meditation and surpassed its limits, reaching a state known as “Myesis” (Μύησις) in which he came into contact with the divine and discovered the Universal Law. This achievement has been accomplished only by a minimal number of men in history. According to tradition Pythagoras pre existed in the sky before coming down to Earth as a human. Shortly after his death, Pythagoras was deified and numerous statues of him were erected in Greece and Rome in his honour. The greatest philosophers who ever walked the Earth such as Socrates and Plato were Pythagoreans and continued Pythagoras’ work to make man healthy both in mortal and immortal level and to harmonize his soul with the laws of Nature.

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