15 Nov /16

Greece – the Land of Myths, Science and Firsts

Greece
Greece – the Land of Myths, Science and Firsts – EVS Translations

Though it may sound banal, Greece seems to be all about rocks and water. Consisting of over 2,000 islands, 80% of Greece is mountainous and, due to the terrain, there are no navigable rivers in Greece. However, with 9,000 miles of coastline and no point being more than 85 miles from water, it is among the top European vacation destinations.

With a population of just over 11 million, it is interesting to note that 40% of it lives in Athens and less than 10% of the Greek island are actually inhabited. Speaking of people, though only 11 million people live there, more than 16 million tourists visit Greece each year.

Though Greece seems rather laid-back and Mediterranean, it does have some particularly strict laws. For example, while many Western nations have done away with compulsory national service, Greek men must serve 12-18 months in the armed forces. Aside from this, abstaining from voting is not an option in the birthplace of democracy: anyone over the age of 18 is, by law, required to vote.

Greece is practically synonymous with the olive tree. According to mythology, Athena and Poseidon were arguing over who would become the patron of a city. Poseidon offered the gift of water, while Athena offered the gift of an olive tree and was proclaimed the winner by the other gods. Considering that some trees from the 13th century are still producing olives and annual olive oil production is around 300,000 tonnes, Athena was, obviously, right.

On the other hand, maybe Poseidon was right. Whether it is warfare, colonisation, or trade and shipping, Greece has always been a maritime power. The Greek-owned shipping fleet is one of the world’s largest, with 3,850 vessels and a total capacity of over 98 million gross tonnes, representing 15% of global capacity.

For Western culture, Greece is a mind-boggling land of firsts: the first Olympics; the first democracy; the Socratic method; the first historian (Herodotus); the inventors of mathematics, such as Pythagoras, Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius; the first natural (non-mythological origin) philosopher, Thales of Miletus; the first actor, Thespis; the first cartographer and recorder of a scientific experiment, Anaximander. The list literally goes on and on….

And though Greece is rather religious and has a reputation as the birthplace of so many aspects of science, there is still room for superstition, and many superstitions involve warding off the evil eye. For example, after complimenting someone, Greeks may puff a breath through pursed lips to protect the person receiving the compliment from the evil eye, or in a more physical manifestation, the roof of a dwelling may be painted blue, which is the colour associated with protection from the evil eye.

Whether you plan a trip to Greece or are interested to find out other facts about the country itself or the Greek language, our in-house Greek translators and Greek interpreters are here to help.
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