NOVEMBER 2018 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

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The oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

Factbox: Greece’s territorialwaters and Turkey

Argithea

Unspoiled and sparsely populated, this lushcentral Greek district boasts rustic and breath-taking beauty.

PAGE 16/32

The faithful gather to re-openSt George Monastery

OUR ARCHBISHOP’S VIEW

THE NEURALGIC TRIANGLE OF THE CENTURY PART 2PAGE 5/21

Former Foreign minister, Nikos Kotzias saidthat Greece was ready to extend its territorialwaters in the Ionian Sea to 12 nautical miles.Some of the most important questions relatedto a possible extension of Greek territorial wa-ters, are answered. PAGE 10/26

On Sunday, November 4, 2018 the love peo-ple have for the Holy Monastery of St GeorgeYellow Rock was once again made quite evi-dent, as over 650 faithful and almost 100 vol-unteers converged on the Hall of St IoannisChurch Parramatta for a wonderful eveningfull of emotion and surprises.

PAGE 7/23

HANDOUTPROMISES

The government’s promises of fresh handouts aheadof next years’s general elections have reportedly an-noyed officials in Brussels and are rattling investors, withanalysts warning they will serve as another obstacle toGreece’s bid to tap international markets.

Moreover, in its post-bailout report on Greece – whichwill be published on November 21 and has been seen byKathimerini – the European Commission will stress thatnone of the 16 reforms Athens needs to implement bythe end of the year have been completed.

Given the Italian crisis, the EC has remained low-keywith regard to Greece’s post-bailout course as it doesnot want to open a new front. “Nobody wants to worryabout Greece now that Italy is turning into a real prob-lem,” one official said.

The government this week said that it will announce10,000 new state sector jobs in 2019, while a bill waspassed in Parliament on Thursday to return some 820million euros from slashed salaries and pensions to280,000 civil servants, including police officers, firefight-ers and judges. Furthermore, the Finance Ministry’s re-cent decision to grant raises to its employees has been asource of dismay in Brussels, as, officials say, it sends thewrong message. “That’s clear backtracking,” a sourcesaid, adding that these are practices which took place in

the country before the financial crisis – namely handingout money without consultation. What is more annoyingto European officials is that Finance Minister EuclidTsakalotos was the first to stray down this path.

As for the government’s promise of new hirings in thestate sector, officials said they will make no commentuntil it is put into law. “We have learned to listen to a lotof noise but react only to things that are implemented.”

Speaking to Kathimerini, Gianluca Ziglio, senior fixedincome analyst at Continuum Economics, said that thegovernment’s “overly generous fiscal policies” could bea source of uncertainty for investors.

“Greece is only at the beginning of a very long healingprocess which is certainly not in the country’s interest toderail with lousy fiscal policies at this stage as conditionsallow to conjugate debt reduction with some degree offiscal relief which should nevertheless be carefully bal-anced,” he said.

Mujtaba Rahman, an analyst at the risk consultancyEurasia Group, said warned that a policy of handouts“will be taken extremely negatively by Greece’s credi-tors.”

“It’s raising the question in Berlin and elsewhere as towhether the parameters of the post-bailout frameworkcan and will hold,” he said.

rattling European Commission

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/18 NOVEMBER 2018

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The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/19

Opinion

NOVEMBER 2018

By Alexis Papachelas - Kathimerini, Athens

Every time I meet distinguished Greeks of the diaspo-ra I feel a certain sadness. They love Greece and theykeep it in their thoughts much more than some cynicalpermanent residents of the country.

They do not understand the modern Greek decline,whether it manifests itself in the tragic state of thecountry’s educational institutions or in the absoluteprevalence of cronyism in many crucial sectors. Con-trary to the prevailing notion that things cannot change,they firmly believe that “everything is possible as longas there is willingness and professionalism.”

It is moving and inspiring to see people whose grand-parents or even great-grandparents were the ones whomade the decision to leave Greece have such a keen in-terest in the country’s well-being. To see them makesure that young Greek-American students visit so as notto lose their ties to the old country.

However, the virus contaminating modern Greek life,whereby we mess things up with corruption, personalantagonisms and a lack of planning, has unfortunatelyalso affected the diaspora. Excellent initiatives an-nounced with fanfare have degenerated into socialevents with no substance. Instead of promoting en-trepreneurship, as was the goal, they evolved intomeaningless public relations.

The Hellenism of America is going through an un-precedented and structural crisis. The leadership void inthe Church, along with scandals of mismanagement,have alienated dynamic Greek Americans. There aremany people who want to get involved and help the

Greek-American community to restore some of its pastglory. But to do this we need initiatives and, most im-portantly, everyone – in Athens, in the Phanar and else-where – needs to understand that time is running out.

In crucial times in its history, Greece grew thanks tothe political, economic and cultural power it derivedfrom its diaspora. From the birth of the Greek state un-til the times of Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos andonward, its role has been crucial.

Of course, the gulf between the diaspora and Greekleaders has always been wide, ever since Greek War ofIndependence hero Alexandros Ypsilantis struggled to

communicate with the Peloponnesian leaders. At theend of the day, however, the diaspora was the catalystthat drove Greece forward.

Today, we need it more than ever. We are a tired, ag-ing country that has no compass, energy or inspiration.The diaspora could make the difference, as long as itcan trust Greece to be a country of rules, ethos and vi-sion.

And, of course, we should never forget how impor-tant its role is when we have next to us an unpre-dictable, unstable neighbor. We should not rememberit only when we need its help.

The Greek diaspora

ENQUIRIES AND APPLICATIONS WELCOMESt Andrew’s was established in 1986 by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in order to provide tertiary level education andtraining of Christian Orthodox clergy, theologians, lay teachers and ministers in order to meet the catechetical and pastoral needs ofthe Orthodox Church in Australia. It is also intended to be a centre of ecumenical scholarship and learning. It is fully accredited throughthe Sydney College of Divinity, a federation of Christian theological education providers (www.scd.edu.au). All the degrees and awardsare approved by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), Australia's independent national regulator of the high-er education sector.

St Andrew’s offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate units, through lectures on campus and via online distance education,which explore Systematic Theology, Patristic Studies, Biblical Studies, Church History, Liturgics, Pastoral Theology, and New TestamentGreek language, towards the following courses: Bachelor of Theology (with Honours), Associate Degree in Christian Thought andPractice, Diploma of Christian Studies, Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies, Graduate Diploma of Theological Studies, Master ofTheological Studies, and Clinical Pastoral Education in Aged Care.

For more information please visit our website or contact the Registrar:

St Andrew’s Creek Orthodox Theological College242 Cleveland Street, Redfem NSW 2016

Tel: 02 9549 3100 / Fax: 02 9549 3151Website: www.sagotc.edu.au / Email: registrar@sagotc.edu.au

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA4/20 NOVEMBER 2018

A DOWRY FOR OUR YOUTH

It is time we gave our children their dowry.When my parents were born, they came into this

life with a dowry. Their dowry was their own parents,their ancestors, the natural world of their homelandGreece, its history and its religion.

Every child of that age found all this prepared, wait-ing for him or her, waiting for hands to lift them, toguide them and to set them on their way until the daythey closed their eyes.

As a third-generation Greek-Australian, I was notfortunate to receive the light of a Greek day. But I canvalue how much it is worth to wake from sleep and tofeel, to see what it might be like to be received by theglory of that light blue heaven.

Maybe this is why the Greek poet Elytis made hisown valuation: Ἄξιον ἐστί τὸ φῶς καὶ ἡ πρώτηχαραγμένη στὴν πέτρα εὐχὴ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου

Why, asks Constaninos Ganotis, was the poet notcontent with the word valuable or valued but select-ed that famous phrase “Ἄξιον ἐστι” from the churchservices?

Only someone who is in touch with our religioustradition can understand how it is completely sensi-ble. Axion esti are the words that remind us of thePanagia that signify her presence here on earth:«Ἄξιον ἐστί μακαρίζειν σε τὴν Θεοτόκον...»

This is the light of Genesis «καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸςγεννηθήτω φῶς καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς...» This is the eter-nal light of the Resurrection «Δεῦτε λάβετε φῶς...»This is also the light that was revealed later in the«φῶς ἱλαρόν...», that bathes us with eternal bless-ings. Maybe you cannot read Greek or understandthese phrases – if so ask someone to help!

The young Greek child is born into a kingdom ofnatural and eternal light. If they comprehend it asthey grow up then they are blessed.

We should say to each newborn Greek-Australian:“My child, now that you have entered this world,come and I will give you your dowry. Come, so thatyou can prosper with joy and with happiness”.

“Open the embrace of your soul and receive a«Χριστὸς ἀνέστῃ»; take a «αἱ γενεαὶ αἱ πᾶσαι», take«τὴν ὠραιότητα τῆς Παρθενίας σου», receive a «Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν», grab «Σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴνκόψη».

But what is it that I see? You brought only such asmall bag?

Do you know how much Greek Orthodoxy has to gi-ve you?

We can give you a St Kosma of Aitolos, a St Nectar-ios, a St Paisios, a St Porphyrios… My goodness, whe-re you will put all these things we have to give you?

My dear friends of Greek Orthodox heritage - ourhearts cannot contain all these things. Learn, learn,learn - so that our hearts can expand. Learn «γράμ-ματα σπουδάσματα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ πράgματα» Receiveyour dowry!

Adapted from a talk by Constantinos Ganotis in Ka‐lymnos

letterfrommaroubra@gmail.com

Letterfrom

Maroubra

On Saturday 13th of October 2018 the Parish of St Stylianos, Gymea had its AnnualDance at the Palais Leichhardt. It was a very pleasant dance with a lot of kefi. TheParish has these dances to help people mix socially and to provide a forum for thedrawing of the annual raffle and auction items.

This year the focus was on fundraising for our proposed childcare centre. This willbe the next stage for the Parish and we hope to start soon with the prayers and thefinancial support of our Faithful.

The Parish would like to thank our organising committee: Kathy Assarapin and

Voula Koustoubardis, our other committees, Maria Karabelas our dance teacher anddance kids, our sponsors and all those who attended the dance. Also a big thank youto all those who participated in the raffle and auction which is where we actuallymade $34,000 for the Parish. This will go towards our savings for the childcare cen-tre. With the feast day fo St Stylianos fast approaching we pray that St Stylianos con-tinues to guide us in the Parish and that we always have the blessing of His EminenceArchbishop Stylianos, our Primate. God bless.

Fr Constantine

St Stylianos Parish Annual Dance

TO BHMA 5/21NOVEMBER 2018 The Greek Australian VEMA

Our Primate’s View

THE NEURALGIC TRIANGLE OF THE CENTURY

PART 2

By ARCHBISHOPSTYLIANOSOF AUSTRALIA

Instead of respecting and abiding by the pre-eternal divine order of creation, the most rational of allGod’s creatures - human beings - destroyed it from itsfoundation. When we say from its foundation, we meantotally. For, the human being did not do damage a fewtimes simply through carelessness or clumsiness. Orderwas overturned calculatedly and programmatically. Thequestion however is: How was it possible for a mere per-son to overturn the entire plan of God, with one actiononly? That action could not have been an ordinary one. Itcould not possibly have fitted into the normal cycle ofdaily human activities.

Indeed it did not fit, since it was not an ordinaryact, but a decision as well as a gesture of the absolute,without precedent. It was unforeseen and blind, exactlylike the act of suicide. With this act, it was as if the wholehuman race had suicided, through the first man andwoman. This is why the Scriptures and the Church turnedall their attention to this action alone, so as to heal anderase the so-called fall of Adam or “original sin”.

Of course, most people today - even Christians -have a completely mythical perception unfortunately oforiginal sin, and consider it as being a pedagogical myth(the apple of Adam!), appropriate rather for children. Thishowever is one of the greatest and most radical of allheresies which the Church has fought, and it bears thename of its founder, Pelagius. For, Pelagianism, which inessence does not accept sin, makes the human personinsensitive to the philanthropy and the greatness of God.

It would help modern man to understand theessence and seriousness of the original sin if we made anattempt to untie ourselves form the mythological pictureinvolving the apple, by explaining briefly the very wordsof Holy Scripture. Then we shall better understand how itwas possible for the original sin to completely overturnthe order established by God and world harmony.

The relevant passage of Scripture is as follows:“and the Lord God ordered Adam:You may eat of every tree in thegarden, but of the tree of knowl‐edge of good and evil you shall noteat; for on the day that you eatfrom it, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:16‐17).

We can see that these divinely inspired words clearlystate that if the first man and woman dared to believethat they found the means to possess the knowledge andthe discernment of “good and evil” by themselves, byeating the fruits of creation, then God is removed fromtheir lives, and death enters. They become independentand autonomous because they no longer have the needto be in direct communion with the Creator Himself inorder to learn His will. They become “as gods, knowinggood and evil” (Gen. 3:5), just as the devil said to them so

as to allure them and lead them astray. Thus humankindreached the greatest absurdity and the worst injustice,namely to worship ‘the creation rather than the creator”(Rom. 1:25).

However, when the criterion and the measure ofwhat is ‘’good’’ and “evil” becomes detached from thewisdom, long-suffering and warmth of divine love andchanges into the narrow-mindedness and smallness ofthe created world - which, after the fall, becomes evennarrower and more asphyxiating - then it is human “loveof self”, as it is called in theology, which governs every-thing. Then, instead of seeing the other person as abrother or sister (Family), or a fellow citizen (Economy)or at least as a fellow human being in God’s creationwhich is common for all (Ecology), everyone sees theother right from the outset as an opponent, rival, a dead-ly enemy or, as Sartre said, the embodiment of hell.

With the development and culmination of scien-tific and technological means - especially in our century -it follows that the person who has gone off track bybetraying not only the law and the word of God, but alsothe solidarity and mutuality with all fellow human beings,is in a position to blow sky high, with demonic wrath, allGod-given balance and tenderness in human relation-ships, and the relationship with the rest of Creation. Weshould not be surprised, therefore, that the hand ofdestruction became more cruel and more fatally effectiveas technical know-how became more advanced. It was ahand which was mechanical and made of steel, so it wasonly natural that it had nothing to do with the warmthand affection of the human handshake.

It is no coincidence that, in this age of technolo-gy, the so-called studies in humanities, namely educationin the classics, which from ancient times were greatestglory of the human person, have noticeably been treatedas less important. A classical education teaches and dic-tates a balance and harmony which can no longer coin-cide with the monstrosity on the heads of “consumeristperson” who was in position to disturb every form of cer-tainty and balance in the present world. This is why allthree systems of stability are today exposed and in com-plete chaos: in the immediate family environment(Family), in the broader socioeconomic environment onthe world community (Economy), as well as in the vastexpanse of the entire created world, (Ecology).

If the 20th century which is now passed madeonly this macabre revelation and “diagnosis” about ourpathology, it would deserve to be remembered andappreciated by Humankind forever.

Translated from the Greek Text: ΤΟ ΝΕΥΡΑΛΓΙΚΟ ΤΡΙΠΤΥΧΟ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΩΝΑ

Source: Voice of Orthodoxy (Vol. 15, No. 8)

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/22 NOVEMBER 2018

Greek tourism revenues could rise by up to 2 billion euros in 2018 due to a surge invisitor numbers, the country’s tourism minister said, projecting a fourth consecutiveyear of growth for the industry.

Tourism is a big contributor to the Greek economy, accounting for about a quarterof economic output in the country, which is emerging from a long-running debt crisis.

The government is expecting strong economic growth following Greece’s exit froman international bailout in August. Tourism receipts came in at 14.6 billion euros($16.74 billion) last year, according to central bank data.

Arrivals, including cruise shipping, are expected to rise to 33 million tourists thisyear from 30.2 million visitors in 2017.

“The Greek tourism sector’s performance has exceeded every expectation, hittinga new record for a fourth year,” Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said at an inter-national travel trade show in London.

“Our aim is to maintain and boost this potential,” she added, according to a sta-tement issued by the tourism ministry.

Greece sees its economy growing by 2.1 percent this year. [Reuters]

“To sin and not repent is blasphemy

against the Lord”, Anonymous

Issue 21

Portion 21.1 Life on earth is a life of afflictions. According to Father Eusebius: “Every person without exception encounters and faces in their life many and varied afflictions. Afflictions and sorrows began from the time when Adam and Eve sinned, and continue until today, and will continue to exist in this world. Afflictions come from the death of loved ones, from illnesses, from poverty, from property damage, from false accusations, from persecutions, and many other things. According to Saint Paul: “We must through many afflictions enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22).”” Portion 21.2 Why does God allow afflictions? According to Father Eusebius: “Firstly, God allows afflictions to test our freewill. With the difficulty of the affliction our obedience to God is tested. Secondly, God allows afflictions for repentance, so we can sense our sins and show sincere and perfect repentance for them. Thirdly, afflictions induce humility and teach us to have always a true and humble idea of ourselves. Fourthly, afflictions induce our sympathy for those suffering in various ways. Fifthly, God allows afflictions to the virtuous to honor and glorify them further. Sixthly, afflictions are allowed to show clearly the complete power of God. Seventhly, afflictions induce us to not be attached to this world, and to understand that our happiness and joy is not here but elsewhere.”

Portion 21.3 We must bear afflictions with endurance, joy, and faith.

According to Father Eusebius: “A Christian must bear afflictions with endurance, joy, faith, and without complaint, knowing that God allows them from love and paternal concern, in order to cultivate him spiritually, in order to perfect him, and make him able and worthy to live with Him in eternal happiness. God does not allow temptations and afflictions greater than our strength because we would not be able to bear them and would be defeated. The Justice of God governs all things and the measure of afflictions. “God is faithful, and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength.(1 Cor.10:13).”” Written by Metaphrastis In the next Issue we will speak about Obedience.

Surge in visitors to boost Greece's 2018 tourism revenues

US hails agreement between

Washington,Nicosia

The US State Department has hailedthe Statement of Intent to strengthenand develop the bilateral security rela-tionship between Washington and Nico-sia, signed by US Secretary of State MikePompeo and Cyprus Foreign Minister Ni-cos Christodoulides.

Spokesperson Heather Nauert said theStatement of Intent “will advance sharedinterests in combatting terrorism, enhan-cing maritime and border security andpromoting regional stability.”

“The secretary reaffirmed longstandingUS policy on resources in the Republic ofCyprus’s exclusive economic zone and al-so said the United States continues tosupport Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated ef-forts to reunify the island as a bi-zonal,bi-communal federation, which wouldbenefit all Cypriots,” she said in a state-ment.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/23NOVEMBER 2018

THE FAITHFUL GATHER TO RE-OPEN ST GEORGE MONASTERY

On Sunday, November 4, 2018 the love people havefor the Holy Monastery of St George Yellow Rock wasonce again made quite evident, as over 650 faithful andalmost 100 volunteers converged on the Hall of St Ioan-nis Church Parramatta for a wonderful evening full ofemotion and surprises.

As the faithful will recall, the 50th anniversary of theMonastery was celebrated in 2012. However, the dev-astating fires that followed in 2013 led to its closure asit was deemed unsafe for the public to enter. Sincethen, works have continued but as can be appreciatedthe insurance payout was inadequate to cover both thedamage to existing buildings and infrastructure withinthe Monastery grounds, and also address the require-ments of any new buildings. New buildings requiresprinkler systems on the roof, fire hydrants with dieselwater pumps, and three 100,000L water tanks. Existingbuildings within the Monastery grounds also requirework to ensure they are protected from any futurefires. Additional restoration works include a new elec-trical substation, and the placement of all gas, electrici-ty and water conduits in the sub surface.

The fundraising efforts this year were commencedwith the blessing of his Eminence Archbishop Stylianos.

On 26 August 2018, the Parish of St Catherine’s Mas-cot began the fundraising drive with a Sunday After-noon function that raised over $25,000. This was fol-lowed shortly thereafter by the Parish of St Euphemia,Bankstown which raised over $32,000. The day beforethe fundraising dinner, St George Parish Rose Bay held amen’s only BBQ on the feast day of the Translation ofthe Relics of St George which raised $30,000 for theworks needed to re-open St George Monastery. TheLadies Philoptochos of St Spyridon Parish contributedtogether with the Parish and College the sum of$15,000. During the St Ioannis Fundraising Dinner, afurther $10,000 was contributed by the Ladies Auxiliaryof All Saints Church, Belmore, as well as $5,000 fromthe Ladies Auxiliary of Kogarah Parish.

The Fundraising Dinner was held in the presence ofhis Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonias, representingHis Eminence Archbishop Stylianos. His Grace ad-dressed the faithful acknowledging the overwhelmingresponse of support and generosity of the many donorsand in particular all those who provided food and bev-erages for the Dinner at no cost. The official guests in-cluded: Miss Angela Vithoulkas (Councillor of the City ofSydney) and Mrs Liz Scully (Labor candidate for theState Seat of Parramatta) who also addressed the gath-ering. The evening commenced at 5pm and closed at9pm. It should be emphasized that the mostly youthfulvolunteers were instrumental in ensuring that the nightflowed smoothly and efficiently. There were live and

silent auctions, raffle sales, balloonsales, sale of olive tree saplings and traditional home -made jams and biscuits, as well as a specific raffle for abeautiful icon of St George painted by Constantine Mit-sis which raised $10,000. It should also be mentionedthat the Holy Monastery of Pantanassa donated an Iconof Panagia and Christ towards the fund raising efforts ofthe night.

The preliminary estimate of funds raised as a result ofall efforts so far (subject to GST expenses, and Dona-tions still coming through), is close to $300,000.

The major individual sponsors included: An Anony-mous Donation of $10,000 and a Donation from MrGeorge Thomas of Thomas Hotels. Significant fundswere also contributed by sponsors and advertisers thatappeared in the special commemorative program bookwhich was made available for purchase on the night.The generous caterer for the evening was PelopidasCatering.

The Raffle prizes and winners were as follows:• 1st Prize: 2 Return Tickets to Greece (Athens) Do-

nated by Mega Travel P/L (Won by Costas [Ticket #00356])

• 2nd Prize: Faberge Vase valued at $2000 Donatedby Peters of Kensington (Won by Fay Isakidis [Ticket #07809])

• 3rd Prize: Samsung S9 64G mobile phone valued at$1199 Donated by Sydney Mobile Phone Repairs. Wonby X Xein [Ticket # 00162])

• 4th Prize: One on One Tuition (K-Yr12): One Term’s

Tuition, $800 Donated by “First Education”. Won byMary Apostolou [Ticket # 04912])

• 5th Prize: Apple Store Voucher to the value of $600,Anonymous Donor. Won by Sfidonios [Ticket # 05567])

• 6th Prize: Restaurant Voucher valued at $500 Do-nated by Restaurant 1821, 122 Pitt Street. Won byDemetrios [Ticket # 01695])

In addition to the Raffle prizes there were 16 luckydoor prizes.

Abbot the Rev. Kyriakos Stavronikitianos and the Or-ganizing committee wish to thank everyone that con-tributed to the overall result of all the various functionsand look forward to the re-opening of the Monastery assoon as is possible.

DONATIONS are still urgently needed for the ongoingbuilding works to secure the grounds and open theMonastery as soon as possible!

For any parishes, organizations or individuals wishingto support, donations may be made to the following ac-count:

BSB : 082 057, Account : 395 988 454Account Name: GOA of Australia Consolidated Trust

St George Monastery 2Please email stgeorgeyellowrock@outlook.com a copy

of the remittance, along with your details and a receiptwill be forwarded to you.

For further particulars please contact: Fr KyriakosStavronikitianos on 02-4754-1382

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA8/24 NOVEMBER 2018

TO BHMA 9/25NOVEMBER 2018 The Greek Australian VEMA

Scholarships for new and existing students for 2020:

Academic Scholarships offered for entry to Year 7 and Year 11 in 2020 on the basis of ACER exam results.

Year 12 students who achieve an ATAR of 97.0 or above, will receive a scholarship to assist with

payment of fees for their first year of University study.

Entries close on Monday 4th February 2019.

Exams will be held at the College on Saturday 23rd February 2019.

Applications and information are available via our website under the “Scholarships and Awards” icon.

For further information please call Angela Kringas on (02) 9311 3340

or online at www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.au

For enrolment information please contact the Enrolment Officer: Angela Kringas by email at enrolments@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au

S T S P Y R I D O N C O L L E G E

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/26 NOVEMBER 2018

By ANGELOS SYRIGOS *

Following his resignation from the post of foreignminister, Nikos Kotzias said that Greece was ready toextend its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 nau-tical miles. This came as surprise to Greece’s politicalparties and drew a strong reaction from Turkey, whichclaimed that any extension of Greece’s territorial wa-ters in the Aegean would be considered a casus belli.Here I would like to examine some of the most impor-tant questions related to a possible extension of Greekterritorial waters.

What are territorial waters?

Territorial waters (also known as territorial sea) are abelt of sea adjacent to the shores of a state. This zoneincludes the water column, seabed below and airspaceabove it. States have full sovereignty in this area. Theonly restriction to this sovereignty is the right of inno-cent passage enjoyed by all ships without prior notifica-tion of the coastal state. Since the 1970s, all coastalstates in the world (except Greece) have expanded theirterritorial waters to 12 nautical miles. This customaryrule is stipulated by the 1982 United Nations Conven-tion on the Law of the Sea.

What are the boundaries of Greek and Turkish terri-torial waters?

In 1936, Greece established a 6-nautical mile territori-al sea measured from its normal baseline. However, a10-nautical mile limit of national airspace was main-tained, following previous legislation from 1931. Turkeyextended its territorial sea from 3 to 6 nautical miles in1964. Meanwhile, it declared that against states claim-ing wider territorial waters, the width of Turkish territo-rial waters is determined on the basis of reciprocity. Ev-er since, Turkey has applied the 6-mile rule in theAegean and the 12-mile rule in the Black Sea and East-ern Mediterranean.

What is casus belli?

Realizing the consequences of a Greek territorial seaextension, Turkey in 1974 declared that a Greek deci-sion to expand its territorial waters to 12 nautical mileswould constitute a casus belli (a situation that justifies awar). The threat also came in the form of a resolutionby the Turkish National Assembly in 1995. The threat isin blatant violation of a fundamental rule of interna-tional law, namely Article 2.4 of the UN Charter, whichstipulates that all member-states shall refrain from thethreat or use of force against the territorial integrity orpolitical independence of other states.

What are Turkey’s arguments against a Greek mari-time border extension?

Turkey claims that 12 miles is the maximum limit towhich a state’s territorial sea can be extended. It as-serts that a state cannot always extend its territorialwaters to the full. According to Turkey, the unique ge-ography of the Aegean Sea constitutes “special circum-stances” which do not allow Greece to extend its mar-itime borders to 12 miles, or, it says, the Aegean will es-sentially turn into a Greek lake. That would go againstTurkey’s “vital interests” in the area. Furthermore,Turkey argues that in cases of states bordering enclosedor semi-enclosed seas, such as the Aegean, the exten-sion of maritime borders can only take place with theconsent of the coastal neighbor.

Do Turkey’s arguments hold water?

Turkey’s legal arguments are extremely weak. Thewidespread practice of states since the 1970s has led tothe creation of a mutually acceptable rule of customary

international law attributing an unconditional right to12 miles territorial sea for all coastal states. Since 1964Turkey has expanded its maritime borders in the BlackSea and the Mediterranean. The Aegean is indeed anenclosed or semi-enclosed sea. In such cases, coastalstates have an obligation to cooperate only on issuesrelated to the environment and maritime scientific re-search. There are many equivalent geographical circum-stances all over the world. Ships from seven Balticstates have to cross Danish, Swedish or German territo-rial waters to reach the North Sea. About 50 percent ofthe oil that is shipped annually by tankers passesthrough the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulfand the Gulf of Oman. No country has dared questionthe right of Iran and Oman to extend their maritimeborders to 12 miles just because ships navigatingthrough this strategically important passage wouldhave to pass through the respective territorial waters ofthese two countries.

Why is Turkey taking issue with Greece’s maritime border expansion?

A decision to extend Greek territorial waters to 12miles would have a catalytic effect on most of Turkey’sAegean claims:

- The area of the Aegean continental shelf that wouldremain to be claimed by Greece and Turkey would belimited to 5 percent of the Aegean. That would makethe dispute irrelevant.

- It would end the inconsistency between Greece’s 6-mile belt of territorial sea and a 10-mile column ofairspace. The percentage of Aegean waters underGreek jurisdiction lying within the boundaries of theAthens Flight Information Region (FIR) and of the searchand rescue (SAR) area in the Aegean would rise from 43percent today to 72 percent. Turkish efforts to shift theboundaries would be deprived of any legitimacy.

- Ankara’s claims of so-called “gray zones” in theAegean were raised in a bid to add a legal definition ofthe continental shelf to its existing dispute of Greeksovereignty over certain Aegean islands. If Greek mar-itime borders were to be expanded, Turkey’s claimswould only have a symbolic character.

- The only issues that would persist are those relatedto the demilitarization of eastern Aegean islands andthe continental shelf of Kastellorizo in the EasternMediterranean.

Does an extension of Greece’s territorial sea requirean agreement between the two states?

Article 3 of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea(Turkey is not a signatory of the Convention, neverthe-less it is obliged to follow the elements of the treatythat represent codification of rules of customary inter-national law) says that “every state has the right to es-

tablish the breadth of its territorial sea.” In effect, ex-tending maritime borders is Greece’s exclusive right.Regrettably, during the so-called exploratory talks inthe past, Greece has agreed to discuss with Turkey waysin which this unilateral right can be exercised. The twosides discussed, without reaching an agreement,whether Athens could refrain either from extending itsterritorial waters to the maximum 12-mile limit, or fromextending them at all, in certain islands close to Tur-key’s western coasts.

Why has there been no Greek decision on extendingthe maritime borders?

There has always been some reason (usually a goodone). In 1973, when the issue was first discussed, theThird United Nations Conference on the Law of the Seahad only just started to convene. The idea in Athenswas that the conference would strengthen Greece’s po-sitions. The conference was concluded in 1982, result-ing in the Law of the Sea Convention, but the treaty on-ly came into force in 1994. Greece ratified it in May1995. A fresh opportunity arose with Turkey’s casus bel-li resolution in June 1995. Instead of defending its legit-imate right, Greek foreign policymakers sought to liftthe resolution of the Turkish Assembly which was, inany case, completely illegal. Greece has for decadesbeen monotonously regurgitating that the extension ofits territorial sea is a unilateral right that will be exer-cised when and if it is deemed appropriate. A decision isput off ad kalendas graecas.

What have the results of this policy been?

Turkey’s casus belli violates basic principles of inter-national law. However, since Turkey has illegally sta-tioned military personnel in three neighboring coun-tries – Cyprus, Syria and Iraq – the casus belli threat hasto be taken under serious consideration. That said, wehave gone to the other extreme. In our efforts not to“upset” Turkey, we have abstained from exercising ourrights in all our seas. In practice, time for us froze in1974. We currently lay claim to the following sad privi-leges: Greece is the only one of the world’s 149 coastalstates not to have extended its territorial seas to 12miles. Greece, along with Albania, Kuwait and Mon-tenegro, are the only countries that have not declaredany other zones of national jurisdiction beyond theirterritorial sea. Although (on a rhetorical level) we claimto have the international Law of the Sea as our guidingprinciple, we are essentially the state that has thesmallest maritime area of jurisdiction in the world.Something is fundamentally wrong, and we need tochange it.

* Angelos M. Syrigos is an associate professor of internationallaw and foreign policy at Athens’s Panteion University.

Factbox: Greece’s territorial waters and TurkeyA Turkish coast guard ship patrols in the Aegean

Sea off the Turkish coast, in a file photo.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/27NOVEMBER 2018

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/28 NOVEMBER 2018

The Internet has empowered people with access tomore information than any other generation in histo-ry, but there is a growing trend, especially amongstMillennials (born 1981 to 1996) and post-Millennials,who prefer not to follow a traditional, communal-based faith, such as Christianity, but create their ownpersonalised spirituality or follow atheism and be la-belled as a ‘none’ on the Census. According to resultsreleased in 2016 from an extensive survey conductedby Baylor University, it found youth who use socialmedia were more likely to develop a ‘cherry-picking’approach towards religion and spirituality accordingto their personal needs and societal trends, even ifcontradictory, than those who do not use social me-dia.

It cannot be said that the rise in ‘buffet-style’ spiri-tuality or atheism is solely caused by social mediasince the last several decades have been especiallycritical of traditional Christian beliefs and religion ingeneral. Legislative reforms, social changes, mass sec-ularisation, materialism, the rise of individualism andthe idea that ‘enlightenment’ is solely achievedthrough science are all causes. Even though thesecatalyses are responsible for the massive culturalshift away from faith in society, it is now in the DigitalAge where people are seeking meaning at their fin-gertips.

Most people spend a significant portion of their dayon social apps; however, it is young people whospend even more. If a young individual’s spiritual con-viction has not already been attacked in the realworld, they will definitely experience it online. Socialpages, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and S-napchat flood its users with messages. Some arehelpful and entertaining, but there are several majorflaws with the ‘social’ experience.

First, the marketplace of ideas. Many options andopinions are on offer, but like any marketplace, itdoes not mean they are beneficial or true. Ideas, likephysical items, have capital value enabling individualsto freely pick and choose from these ‘religious com-modities’ based on their appeal. Having alternativespiritual beliefs, or disbeliefs, on offer enables youthto justify – or excuse – their behaviour and choices bysubscribing to something convenient and flexible. Forexample, Astrology apps such as Co-Star have suc-cessfully penetrated the US$2 billion psychic industryin America.1 With over 1 million users it was madepopular thanks to savvy social media marketing andcelebrity endorsements.

Second, democratisation of opinions and informa-tion. Most of the time when issues of faith and moral-ity are being discussed online it is anything but diplo-matic and respectful. In an environment where any-one can comment or post on spiritual truths, even asa meme, its validity is decided on the consensus ofmajority rule. This is not proper theological discussionwhen based on aspects of pop-culture and peer-pres-sure.

Third, the widespread societal philosophy of moralrelativism and individualism. To understand whythere is significant risk to youths’ spiritual wellbeing,one needs to understand the current thought processor mentality of general society. This directly affects

how discussions, especially moral ones, will be treat-ed by the majority and the expected backlash if an in-dividual does not accept them because of their faith.Secularism and radical liberalism has fuelled and le-gitimised the idea an individual can create their ownsense of moralism based on their lifestyle and envi-ronment. Though it may initially create a non-judge-mental and ‘tolerant’ society, the toxic side-effect is ahighly defensive counteraction if your voice, which isfounded upon Christ’s teachings, is contrary to themob. It has created the environment of the ‘SocialWarrior’ who believes what they pursue is right andjust and is seen by others as a ‘good’ person. Inclu-siveness is fine and well, but when its ideas are test-ed people fear being ostracised and bullied are forcedto conform.

Fourth, simplification of theology. It is no coinci-dence each generation’s attention span reduces withthe achievement of digital entertainment. As a result,it produces individuals who want a spirituality that isnot time-consuming. How is it possible to coherentlyexplain the depth and complexity of God in a tweet of160 characters? This is a sign of spiritual laziness.Memes, videos and photos can be persuasive, butthis does not mean it is divinely true. If people, espe-cially youth, are serious about accepting or dismissingfaith, they need to go back to the original source ma-terial, like the Bible and Church Fathers, before mak-ing conclusions. The saints constantly studied andmeditated over scripture and teachings, as well aslived a personal experience to gain a closer relation-ship with God. The more social media users reducethe complexity of faith and morality the more ‘fake’and artificial it feels.

Fifth, erosion of community and human relations.As youth spend more time online they believe theirvirtual community is real and they can satisfy theirspirituality without the need to physically participatein Church services. They begin to convince them-selves that liking a meme or following a page is theequivalent of reading spiritual books or participatingin Sacraments. As a consequence, they lose out ondeveloping real-world connections with other parish-ioners and learning from their experiences. Humansare social beings. Community exists to help the indi-vidual when in need. The advancement of communi-cation technologies in recent decades should not be asubstitute for community. Unfortunately, social me-dia is changing the sense of community as we spend

more and more time there. So, what options are there to help young people

who take up this online DIY approach?* Get them to work for their spiritual growth. Ex-

plain that is where true spiritual fulfilment comesfrom.

* As parents, show the benefits of physically partic-ipating in worship and community. Be a family unit,not a group of phone-swipers.

* Help them understand that they do not lose theirindividuality when part of the Church. The spirituallife instead makes them more whole and complete in-dividuals who share a living relationship with God.

* They need to walk their spiritual journey with oth-ers; it cannot be done alone.

* If a youth says all religion is man-made, ask themhow their approach of customising spirituality is anydifferent.

* Try prayer and stillness rather than ranting onlineor chasing after likes.

* The Orthodox Church is not formulaic or restric-tive. It is not a courthouse, but a spiritual hospital,which only aims to heal.

* When they say religion is out of touch with thetimes or irrelevant to their life, tell them that moralrelativism is an unstable and unreliable philosophybecause it provides little direction of where it drawsthe lines for right and wrong. As it constantly shifts,depending on the socio-political climate, how doesthat provide consolation or certainty? Church teach-ing remains unchanged.

* Young people want guidance, which is why theysearch online. Someone needs to be there for them.

In conclusion, social media has developed into aplatform where truths and traditions can be subject-ed to self-serving justification and commercial profit.Social sites make it easier than before to influence y-oung minds and alter their perception of self. It is notto say youth cannot go online or use social media, butit is about helping them understand the true essenceof why we have a spiritual life and that belief in Godis not mere tradition but a real-world application.

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W: transfiguremedia.comP: 0423 273 803

By Chris VlahonasiosTRANSFIGURE Media

Where the Ancient Faith + 21st century media merge

Social Media, ‘self‑spirituality’ and ‘nones’ amongst the youth

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/29NOVEMBER 2018

By Alexis Papachelas - Kathimerini, Athens

The outcome of the referendum in the For-mer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FY-ROM) on the country’s name demonstratesthat the broader region of which Greece ispart is also caught up in an unusual and cer-tainly anti-systemic mood.

The result was, first of all, a defeat for theWest. The United States and the EuropeanUnion repeated the fatal mistake made in the“yes” campaign during Greece’s bailout refer-endum in 2015. Foreign systemic officialsfrom German Chancellor Angela Merkel to USDefense Secretary Jim Mattis visited Skopje.Faced with this big albeit conventional cam-paign, opponents of the deal quietly mobi-lized on social media. As has often been seenin recent years, the resistance movementmanaged to beat the regular army.

FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is not aparticularly charismatic politician and sup-port for him is rather hollow. He will now tryto convince his compatriots that “no” means“yes” – pretty much what his Greek counter-part Alexis Tsipras did in 2015. It will be verydifficult for this to pass through FYROM’s Par-liament without a fresh election. The require-ment for constitutional revision, which wasimposed by the country’s President GjorgeIvanov (an enemy of the agreement whourged voters to boycott the referendum) aspart of the deal, proved to be the most cru-cial security valve. Tsipras and his foreignminister, Nikos Kotzias, had invested toomuch in the Prespes deal, which was likely al-so a bargaining chip in negotiations withGreece’s international lenders.

On the surface, the possible collapse of theagreement would be in the interest of theSYRIZA-led government as the scenario of arift between Tsipras and his nationalist juniorcoalition partner Panos Kammenos wouldthen be averted. However, many observersbelieve that a rupture would be in the inter-est of both men.

Sure, there is an issue about how a politi-cian who is slated as a possible nominee forthe Nobel Peace Prize due to the Prespesdeal can share power with a politician whobelieves it to be a criminal deal. But as we allknow, this is the Balkans, it’s no laughingmatter.

This is the Balkans

Protesters shout out slogans about boycotting thereferendum on changing the country's name thatwould open the way for it to join NATO and the

European Union in Skopje.

On Sunday 4 the November athletes from around Australiacame to Sydney to compete for the Gold medals and for aplace in the national team to represent Australia in the WorldSambo Championships in Romania later this month. Sambo is aRussian sport practiced in over 200 countries in the world. TheHellenic diaspora was well represented with athletes from twoclubs. Results are: * Anastasios Christo-poulos Gold 90 kg Vet-erans * Panagiotis Zakis Gold 100 kg Veterans * Giannis Vava-sis Gold 74 kg Men’s * Kostas Papaioannou 82 kg Veterans *Eleni Daskalakis 71 kg Women. The Fight Lab came first with 4gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze. Sydney University second with 2 gold.Zeus and Cozzac came equal third with 1 gold each.

Hellenic diaspora well represented for the gold medals and a place in the World Sambo Championships

TO BHMA14/30 NOVEMBER 2018The Greek Australian VEMA

Arts, Food & WineEditor: Imogen Coward

Music and ComedyBy Dr Taliesin Coward *

The power of music to uplift the spirit will have beenobvious to anybody watching the closing ceremony ofthe Invictus Games in Sydney just a few weeks ago. Theaudience was clearly having a great time, and musiciansand their music helped build and maintain a party at-mosphere that all present will continue to rememberwith joy. This, to my mind is indicative of the power ofmusic. Yes, music can be cathartic, or it may speakdeeply to a part of us, but it can also elicit surprise,wonder, excitement and joy. As generations of cele-brated and beloved virtuoso musicians have known, itcan be both a marvellous form of entertainment andleave people feeling happier and ‘better off’ than be-fore. Its capacity to entertain and engage our attentionis of course also essential lest we switch off and musicbecomes, effectively, just another form of noise used tofill a space.

The concept of music as both improving and enjoy-able has a very long history indeed, having been recog-nised by Aristotle in his Politics. In our own timesthough, particularly in so-called ‘classical’ music, the el-ement of fun seems to have been largely forgotten. It’sall too common to see performers present a piece ofmusic with all the life of a recently interred mummy –albeit one imbued with powers to educate and some-how ‘improve’ a person. But that’s a topic for anotherday.

Some of the greatest classical musicians and perform-ers, though, knew the importance of entertaining theiraudiences. Indeed, their livelihoods depended uponthem doing so.

In the scholarly study of music, Metzner’s classic texton the rise of the virtuoso in the 19th century, andHamilton’s exploration of 19th century pianism, containnumerous anecdotes concerning the lengths perform-ers would go to in order to ensure their audience waskept entertained, ranging from shortening pieces if theaudience became restless, to introducing on-stage an-tics worthy of the circus ring.

One prime example is the highly respected 19th cen-tury virtuoso violinist Franz Clement. He both commis-sioned and premiered Beethoven’s violin concerto – re-garded as one of the more serious pieces out there.What is less well known, is that at the premiere he alsoincluded a set of one-string variations which he per-formed whilst holding his violin upside down; pure silli-ness, albeit displaying great skill with a sense of fun.Clement was by no means the only performer in thepast to mix humour and fun together with very ‘serious’music-making. For the pianist Vladimir de Pachmann,largely regarded as one of the greatest Chopin pianistswho ever lived, audiences would fight for front-rowtickets at his concerts. It was not to better hear the mu-sic, but because they wanted to be close enough tohear the often highly amusing running commentarythat Pachmann would mutter to himself as he played;something he later confessed that he did because theaudience seemed to like it. Indeed, such antics weren’tlimited to mutterings: one audience member recalled aperformance in which Pachmann, try as he might, sim-ply could not get comfortable on the piano stool. Afterleaving the stage, he then returned with a single pieceof paper which, with great care, he placed under one ofthe legs of the stool in order to balance it. Anothertime, he walked onstage wielding an oilcan in order tofix a squeak.

Not all the performers, though, viewed the worldquite in this way. Then, as now, there was a ‘seriousbrigade’ exemplified, as far as the great pianist Liszt wasconcerned, by the overly serious and sombre attitudeof Felix Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann and theGewandhaus. Neither side saw eye-to-eye about musicmaking and entertainment, and had a mutually antago-nistic relationship. In our own time it’s fairly safe to saythat pairing of apparently serious music with overt en-tertainment ploys often jars with musicians used to thedisciplined training of the examination process andmodern audiences expecting the respectful, hushed,dimly-lit, educational or ‘morally improving’ and some-what quasi-religious theatricality of the concert hall(and yes, the last part does have a lot to do with Wagn-er).

Interestingly, the emphasis on the educational quali-ties of music – something which only really came toprominence in mid-19th Century music performancepractices – can be traced at least as far back as Plato’sRepublic, where he regarded music as a tool used forshaping the moral and ethical character of a person. Inour times, perhaps one of the greatest myths surround-ing classical music is that it will, automatically, makeone a better person. Surveying the top of the classicalpops, Beethoven was a notorious grump, Handel

threatened to throw his leading soprano out of the win-dow if she didn’t sing the song he had written, andBrahms was notorious for insulting everyone he knew.Apparently, when Grieg dropped by to show Brahms hislatest composition, Brahms got up, walked to the win-dow and vigorously waved to passersby. When Griegasked what on earth Brahms was doing, Brahms repliedthat, as he often played the piano at that time, he want-ed to ‘make absolutely sure people didn’t think it washim...’.

Although there’s no denying that music does have animportant educational value, it can be argued that,even if the performance is largely educational in pur-pose, entertainment is still essential. People rarelylearn well if they don’t find it interesting (that is, it en-tertains them on some level). Fortunately, there hasbeen a steady, albeit small, stream of classically trainedmusicians who have bucked the serious trend, combin-ing both exceptional musicality and skill with a sense offun. Unquestionably one of the greatest, in recent days,was the exceptionally talented concert pianist VictorBorge. Known affectionately as ‘The Great Dane’ and‘The Clown Prince of Denmark’, Borge’s performancesmixed beautiful renditions of piano classics, with jokes,and poking fun at some of the more ludicrous aspectsof music making. Thanks to recordings and videofootage, his genius lives on, and it remains as much ajoy to hear his moving renditions of Clair de Lune, as itis to hear him take the theme from Happy Birthday andrework it in the style of various composers includingBach, Beethoven and Wagner.

Another combining virtuosic musicality with comedywas famed British comedian Dudley Moore who startedoff as an organ scholar. Organ scholars have somethingof a reputation within the music world for being musicalgenii. Not only do they, by necessity, acquire an under-standing of music theory and composition beyond thatof most musicians, but they have to come to grips withan instrument which has multiple keyboards, about fiftydifferent stops (buttons or pull-rods) which change thesound, another keyboard which you play with your feet,and then have to combine it all at the same time. Whenyou take this kind of mental power and turn it to come-dy, Dudley Moore is the result. The internet means thathis wit and music can still be enjoyed today, and famoussketches include Die Flabbergast (a parody of Schu-bert’s Erlkönig), and Colonel Bogey performed in thestyle of Beethoven – that is, with sudden bouts of musi-cal bad temper, and an inability to write just one (notthree or four) endings to the piece.

While giants like Borge and Moore are no longer withus (though their melodies linger on – pun fully intend-ed), it is heartening to see new generations combiningexceptional skill and classical music with light-heartedcomedy and wit. At the forefront is the duo Igudesman& Joo, whose comic recitals such as the hilarious A LittleNightmare Music (a pun on Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht‐musik) have been delighting audiences across the globefor years. Whether they’re taking off a Korean pianoteacher, struggling with a pay-per-use piano, or turningMozart’s Rondo Alla Turca modal so it sounds more ori-ental, there’s something bound to amuse everyone –especially if you’ve ever learnt a musical instrument. Soremember, next time you feel that classical music is toostuffy, serious or heavy, that there is a lot of fun and joyto be had if you simply know where to look.

References

Metzner, P., Crescendo of The Virtuoso (Berkeley, University ofCalifornia Press, 1998)

Hamilton, K., After the Golden Age (Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress, 2008)

* Dr Taliesin Coward is a performer and researcher,specialising in the performance practices of virtuosomusicians.

Écoutez!Arts Review

Vivaldi Le Quattro StagioniRachel Podger & Brecon Baroque

Channel Classics CCS SA 40318

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons enjoys the peculiar posi-tion of being both one of the most popular piecesof music today, as well as one of the most over-recorded. There is however, always room for onemore recording as audiences seemingly find end-less fascination with the different takes on thiscelebrated music. Recorded this year by leadingcontemporary Baroque violinist Rachel Podgerand the ensemble she founded, this CD is a curi-ous blend of familiar interpretation with some id-iosyncratic touches, especially in Podger’s orna-mentation. The influence of the poetry that ac-companies Vivaldi’s music is clear to hear, al-though the clashes between ornamentation andunderlying harmonies, and the dynamic balancebetween the different instruments can throw thesense of unity in the music. Alongside the FourSeasons, the CD also presents Il Riposo (RV270),L’Amoroso (RV271), and Il Grosso Mogul (RV208).The CD necessarily doesn’t permit us to see theperformers which, in this sort of music, reallyadds to comprehending the interaction betweenthe musical voices. However, the concerti havebeen recorded sensitively so keen listeners canstill hear the differences between the solo instru-ments and understand their musical dialogue.Overall, an interesting addition to the body ofrecordings.

IC

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/31NOVEMBER 2018

ÊÁ ÈÇ ÌÅ ÑÉ ÍÇ (9/8/2015)

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What does the history of gambling inVictoria have to do with Greece? In aname, 89-year-old Nick Cecil.

Cecil, a Greek-Australian, was Victo-ria’s first undercover police officer.

In his heyday, he tackled the illegal off-course gambling industry when it was atits pinnacle in the 1950’s.

In 1955, the small squad known as the“Special Duties Gaming Branch” deter-mined that more drastic measures hadto be taken in order to address the betsmade on horses by off-course punters.They realized that despite hundreds ofarrests, they needed to infiltrate theethnic clubs where the corrupt gambling

activities were taking place.The team that was formed as a result

soon became known as “The Incorrupt-ibles.”

There was just one problem, however.Most of the Victorian Police was com-prised of taller-than-average men of Aus-tralian or British descent. In came Cecil,who was of Greek decent and consider-ably shorter.

As recounted by theage.com.au, ChiefPolice Commissioner Mick Miller spokeof the need to have someone on the in-side of the gambling world. In response,Cecil stepped up and boldly stated “I canget in.”

Thus history was written. Cecil joinedthe “Incorruptibles” and was sent under-cover to baccarat games, posing as apunter and socializing with notoriousgangsters such as Normie Bradshaw. Ce-cil blended in so well that apparentlythey did not realize that they were gam-bling with a cop.

There were other Mission Impossible-like scenarios that Cecil also was a part ofwhile on the Special Duties squad. Onetime they were tasked with tracing a net-work of bookies. In order to locate thecrooks who received their daily odds bytelephone from a Flinders Lane pricingagency, Cecil hot-wired the counting de-vice from a seized pinball machine andconnected it to the telephone. The planwas successful, as the numbers beingused by the bookies were recorded.

The crowd of thugs and illegal bookiesthat Cecil associated with remainedoblivious as to the true nature of hiswork. They enjoyed his company in thepubs, singing and drinking together. Atone point he even dropped a hint as tohis real identity as a police officer. As hesang in the pubs, Nick would belt out thelyrics to Platters’ classic song “The GreatPretender,” with a twist:

The lyrics go:“Yes I’m the great pretender,Just laughing and gay like a clown,I seem to be what I’m not, you see,I’m wearing my heart like a crown.”However, in Cecil’s version, he

changed the last line to “I’m wearing thathat with a crown,” theage.com.au re-ported. However, no one ever caught on.

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TO BHMA16/32 NOVEMBER 2018The Greek Australian VEMA

Travel

BY HARIS ARGYROPOULOS

The Karditsa district in the heart of cen-tral Greece is the smallest of Thes-saly’s four prefectures, with a popu-lation of about 124,000 people, most-ly engaged in farming. Visitors werea rare sight in the area until recent-ly, except at the therapeutic Smoko-vo Baths, which have been a well-known attraction in the area formore than three centuries.

Karditsa town, 300 kilometersfrom Athens and 275 km from Thes-saloniki, on the banks of a tributaryof the Pinios River, has a welcomingambience and is worth a stroll or sit-ting down for coffee or a tsipouro spir-it in one of its many pedestrianizedareas.

The rest of the district has placesof exceptional beauty waiting to bediscovered. They include the moun-tain villages of Argithea on the forest-ed slopes of the Agrafa range, the ar-tificial Lake Plastira, Lake Stefaniada,the Smokovo Baths and artificiallake, many beautiful, old stone-builtchurches, water mills, arched bridges,ornate stone fountains and, of course,the natural surroundings.

The villages of Argithea are acces-sible either by road via Mouzaki or bya dirt track beginning from the villageof Belokomitis near Lake Plastira.Eastern Argithea includes the villagesof Vlasi, Fountoto, Drosato, Petrilo,Leontito, Petrohori, Koumpourianaand Stefaniada. The village named Ar-githea is in Western Argithea, as areEllinika, Kali Komi, Anthiro, Petroto,Mesovouni, Karya and Therino. Allthe villages are nestled in the endlessgreen slopes of Agrafa.

In ancient times the area wasknown as Athamania. West of today’spicturesque Argithea village, ar-chaeologists have discovered a ceme-tery dating to the 4th century BC withmore than 180 box-shaped tombs aswell as pottery and jewelry. The vil-lage today is inhabited by only onefamily in the winter months but is notto be missed once spring sets in: Fairy-tale pretty houses and traditional cafesand tavernas beckon visitors amongthe walnut and plane trees.

Anthiro, the seat of Argithea mu-nicipality, is the liveliest village in thearea with about 300 people. The res-idents are very hospitable and thereis a very attractive guesthouse, twotavernas and a great cafe-bar in theupper reaches with fine views.

At Karya, near Anthiro, is the Tri-zolou Bridge, the biggest single-arched bridge in Thessaly, built in the13th century. The two grocery stores-cafes in Agorasia supply everythingfrom food and tsipouro to gasoline.

The paved road continues towardSykia and Arta, save for an 8-kilo-meter stretch of dirt track. At Sykia,work on an 150-meter-high dam – de-signed to divert considerable quan-tities of the Acheloos River waters tothe Thessaly Plain – was recently halt-ed by the government for a review ofthe entire project.

From Sykia you can get to Katafyl-li, Vragkiana and Lake Stefaniada butonly with an SUV. In Katafylli, you willfind the five-arched stone bridgeover the Acheloos.

You can also follow the road toKoumpouriana, Roma and Leontito.Near Leontito is the Monastery of Spil-ia, built at the end of the 16th centuryon the edge of a cliff, 800 metersabove sea level.

Lake Stefaniada is a joy to behold.It was created by a rockfall – still vis-ible today – in 1963 and has a depthof about 120 meters. To see theseplaces, make sure you have an SUVand that the weather is good.

The Smokovo Baths are 35 kmsoutheast of Karditsa, at an elevationof 450 m. The artificial lake was on-ly created in 2002, while the historyof the baths goes back to 1662. Oneof its patrons was Ali Pasha of Ioan-nina, in the early 19th century, andone of the two springs is named af-ter him. The mineral composition ofthe springs makes them ideal for al-leviating a wide range of ailments.There are several renovated hotelsand guesthouses nearby.

Where to eatDiaselo (tel 24450.32213), betweenVlasi and the Monastery of Spilia,virtually the only place open in thenorthern Agrafa area in winter –excellent grill, also has very goodhoney; Palios Mylos, bar/restaurantat Anthiro – an old mill in a verdantgorge, offers meat and trout, openonly on weekends in the winter;Synantisi, in Anthiro, an old cafe, alsoserves homemade dishes, grilledmeats and excellent tsipouro;Agnanti and Manitari in Neohori;Palio (tel 24410.75987), inKarditsomagoula, 2 km fromKarditsa, has excellent fare.

Where to stayChristina, at Anthiro (tel 24450.31802), rooms andapartments; Katouris, at Metamorfosi,6 km from Anthiro (tel 24450.31691,6974.808.590), newly built, in greensurroundings, with a small pool forkids; Delemidi, in Leontito (tel24450.32094), panoramic views at900 m; Kierion, in Karditsa (tel24410.71923), Karoplesi, in DasikoHorio (tel 24410.81654). At this timeof year, it’s best to call and checkwhether guesthouses are open beforeyou set off. Alternatively, the SpiliaMonastery always has rooms anddormitories for guests.

ArgitheaThe cool road to discovery

Bazaar & other shoppingSome 28 km northwest of Karditsa, on the bank of the Pamisos River, isMouzaki, a large, lively village offarmers and stockbreeders. Every Saturday, the village transformsinto a large, colorful, noisy bazaar; fruit and vegetables in the coveredmarket and just about anything youcan imagine on the riverbank outside:clothes, shoes, tools, even animals.Vendors tout their merchandise,quarrel and crack jokes, while peopleladen with bags wait for the buses toreturn home; elsewhere, Agrafa hasfamous feta and excellent wine can befound in the village of Mesenikolas.

Unspoiled and sparsely populated, this lush central Greekdistrict boasts rustic and breathtaking beauty

TRAVELATHENSPLUS • SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010

Argithea

IrresistibleFairy-tale pretty houses andtraditional cafes and tavernasbeckon visitors among thewalnut and plane trees