Epictetus: The First Self-Help Philosopher?

A Greek philosopher of 1st and early 2nd centuries C.E., and an exponent of Stoic ethics notable for the consistency and power of his ethical thought and for effective methods of teaching. Epictetus' chief concerns are with integrity, self-management, and personal freedom, which he advocates by demanding of his students a thorough examination of two central ideas, the capacity he terms ‘volition’ (prohairesis) and the correct use of impressions (chrēsis tōn phantasiōn). Heartfelt and satirical by turns, Epictetus has had significant influence on the popular moralistic tradition, but he is more than a moraliser; his lucid resystematization and challenging application of Stoic ethics qualify him as an important philosopher in his own right.

The Transit of Venus

A transit of Venus occurs when Venus is observed to move across the face of the Sun. The first transit since 1882 occurred on 8 June 2004. The next transit will occur on 6 June 2012, and be visible in Sydney from beginning to end, starting at 8.16am (1st contact) and ending at 2.44pm (last contact). The following transit of Venus won’t occur until 2117.

The Shock Doctrine and Disaster Capitalism

It’s All a Grand Capitalist Conspiracy

When Milton Friedman died in 2006, the acclaim for his work was nearly universal. Even his ideological opponents, like Paul Krugman and Lawrence Summers, treated this Nobel Prize-winning economist — who taught for decades at the University of Chicago — with respect.

Naomi Klein will have none of it. In her new book, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,” she essentially accuses Friedman of being the godfather of a Mafia-like gang, the Chicago Boys, who have exploited the public disorientation associated with catastrophes and political crises to impose an unwanted free-market ideology on much of the world.

A Tale of Two Easters

Why one faith and two celebrations?

Easter is not only a movable holiday but a multiple one: in most years Western Christian churches and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on different dates. In 2012, for example, Easter will be celebrated on April 8 by Western churches and April 15 by Orthodox churches. But in 2011, the two celebrations occured on the same date, April 24.

Google Art Project Offers Digital Tour of Greek Museums

 

Google is extending its artwork collection by including, among others, the Museum of Acropolis, the Museum of Cycladic Art and the Benaki Museum, in its Google Art project. This project offers a virtual and online presentation of hundreds of museum exhibits from around the world.

Controversial new book claims Greeks to be amongst first settlers of New Zealand

Investigations into this unusual rock carving have uncovered that an ancient Greek celestial calendar had been carved into it. The rock carving dubbed Jesus Watch by those who found it was discovered on a Northland farm recently. stuff.co.nz

A new 378-page book released recently, is causing a series of debates on the issue of the first settlers of New Zealand.

According to the authors of the book, Maxwell C. Hill, Gary Cook and Noel Hilliam, “To the End of the Earth” reveals evidence that the Greeks, Egyptians and Spanish were the first to set foot on New Zealand, and not Captain James Cook and Abel Tasman.

Two lesser known Philhellenes, George Finlay and Samuel Gridley Howe

George Finlay

George Finlay was born in 1799 and spent most of his youth in Scotland. From a family of Protestant merchants and bureaucrats, he went on to study law at Glasgow and Göttingen. As a young man he became actively involved in various liberal societies in Glasgow, such as the Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the Literary and Commercial Society and the Speculative Society. Papers contained in his archive include some of the essays he read to these Societies, which demonstrate an early interest in many of themes on which he would elaborate in his History of Greece, prominently civil liberty and political economy.

Art and the War of Independence of 1821

All great events in history inspire and move the artist to create and share with the world, the joys, sorrows and the machinations of the human soul.


In the words of the great French writer Andre Gide: 

Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor.


Here we share with you two great paintings of a momentous time in the history of Hellas.

 The Bishop of Old Patras Germanos Blesses the Flag of Revolution by Theodoros Vryzakis (1814-1878) - O Παλαιών Πατρών Γερμανός ευλογεί τη σημαία της Επανάστασης

Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi by Eugène Delacroix - La Grèce sur les ruines de Missolonghi 

The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829)

Read a brief history of the Greek War of Independence.

Erich Von Däniken - Odyssey of the Gods: The Alien History of Ancient Greece

Well, we certainly received some interesting feedback about our show on von Däniken's book the Odyssey of the Gods. He of course, is well know for writing the Chariots of the Gods (1969).

This time, Erich Von Däniken turns his attention to ancient Greece! Von Däniken's exhausting research suggests that the Greek 'gods' were in fact extraterrestrias who arrived on Earth thousands of years ago. Archaeological evidence and the writings of the ancients, including Aristotle, prove these gods interbred with humans, performed genetic experiments, and bred 'mythical' creatures, such as centaurs and Cyclops. For anyone interested in Greece, extraterrestrial encounters, or the untold story of civilization, Odyssey of the Gods is a fascinating and revolutionary interpretation of ancient Greek sites and legends...