Certainly one of the most beautiful little chapels in all of Greece is the chapel of Lydia and Paul by the river at Philippi, celebrating the first convert in what would become Europe. The chapel in fact is still being added to as we will see in a moment. The exterior is typical of Greek Orthodox churches in Greece, But it is the inside which truly impresses. First here are the stained glass windows— The middle of these three pictures... Read more

Certainly, Philippi is one of the not to be missed sites in Greece if one is interested in Christian history. We will do two posts at least on this crucial ‘first Christian site in Europe’. There is a seldom visited acropolis at Philippi, and at its base is the seat gate, and the major theater. In the gate there are two important images…. One is the image of the triumphant warrior, perhaps Philip of Macedon himself, for whom the city... Read more

Ah beautiful Santorini, the island of blue church domes….and soaring heights. There are endless shops and sites to see…. There is even a proper Orthodox basilica in the village of Thera (today called Fira)… near the museum which is well worth a visit. Santorini is well worth a visit, but if you hear a rumble while you are there and don’t fancy making an ash of yourself, get ye to the boats!! Read more

Picture a bed frame incinerated by volcanic eruption– as follows…. A city that was once thriving was suddenly destroyed, just like Pompeii in A.D. 79. Suddenly, Akrotiri was no more. Here is an artist’s rendering of one of the notable houses here. It looks almost like a school. And the climate was such that slaves would wear little or nothing, this one bringing a bowl of water or wine…. All that hard work of storing water, all that hard working... Read more

Santorini is perhaps the most famous and popular of all the Greek Cyclades Islands. What most people do not know is: 1) its actually five islands if one includes the active volcano crater; 2) it is basically a desert island (almost no rainfall at all), 3) it’s very mountainous and not easy to get around in. It is also the locale of one of the most ancient cities in that part of the world— Akrotiri dating at least to 1700... Read more

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The Athens museum has a wonderful Egyptian section. There was considerable cross-fertilization between the Cycladic islands, Mycenae in the south of Greece, and Egypt, sometimes by way of Crete. This is evident from the syncretistic statues of the sphinx, but with the head of a Greek kore (boy). This does not support a theory that Greek culture came from Egyptian culture which in turn is said by some tendentious scholars to have come from sub-Saharan African cultures. No, Egyptian culture... Read more

Mykonos is a beautiful place to visit, but don’t count on a lot of sleep. It is indeed the party island. But there are still vestiges of Orthodoxy here, for instance in this little chapel at the harbor where people come and thank God for safe travel over the Aegean. The island is full of scenic streets and beautiful bougainvillea. The sailing and fishing boats are everywhere. Mostly the island has little coves with beaches and hotels, but here’s the... Read more

All along the roads there are lion figures… And behind them were the temples to Apollo, for example the one built by the people of Poros looked like this…. Alas, there is little left today…. The frescoes from some of the villas were remarkable…. But the mosaic floors reach to the level of high art—- Here’s a shot into one of the villas with the mosaic floor still in situ…. Here’s what the house looks like now, and what it... Read more

When one thinks of the Greek islands, often the inner Cyclades or outer Cyclades come to mind, and rightly so. Most everyone has heard of Santorini…. , or the party island Mykonos , but frankly neither of those islands are anywhere near as important for classicists as the island of Delos, which is a 20 minute or so ferry ride from Mykonos. Why is it so important? Because according to Greek myth, this is where Apollo and Artemis were both... Read more