SlideShare a Scribd company logo
Cultural Identity of Greece
GREECE or HELLAS

Hellas from prefix - el- that means sun
and -las - which means rock or stone.
So Hellas is the land of the sun and the rock.
And in fact, these are the features of the country.
And these features contributed to shaping the
character and culture of the Greek.
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Olympic flame ceremony in ancient Olympia.
The torch is lit using the sun’s rays and a mirror.
….but
 what is
culture?
Culture is …

…our language
Phaistos Disc
                                              (17th century BC)

It is believed to be a document in an archaic form of Greek.
Ostracon - piece of pottery- bearing the name of Cimon. 486 BC
Άξιον Εςτί
Τη γλώςςα μου ζδωςαν ελληνική·
Μονάχη ζγνοια η γλώςςα μου ςτισ αμμουδιζσ του Όμηρου.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Μονάχη ζγνοια η γλώςςα μου, με τα πρώτα Δόξα Σοι!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Μονάχη ζγνοια η γλώςςα μου, με τα πρώτα λόγια του Ύμνου!


                             Worthy it is
I was given the Greek language;
My only care my language on Homer’s beaches.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My only care my language with the first Glory to Thee!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
My only care my language with the first words of the Hymn!
(Odysseas Elytis Nobel Price 1979
Translated by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris)
Graffiti on a wall somewhere in Athens
Some facts about language
• The official language of Greece is Greek, spoken by 99% of the
  population.
   In addition, a number of minority languages and some Greek
   dialects are spoken as well.
• The main minority languages in Greece are :
   Albanian, Aromanian, Turkish and Slavic.

• Immigrant languages are mostly : Armenian , Assyrian
  Neo-Aramaic , English , Kurdish, Russian, Serbian, Arabic.

• The most common foreign languages learned by Greeks are
  English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Culture is …

…our history
The rape of Europa. Ancient Greek myth.
Battle of Marathon 490 BC
Alexander the Great. 356-323. King of the Macedon.
Medieval castles in
Greece
Byzantine coins
Grateful Hellas. (1858)
Greece among warriors
 and heroes.
The heroines of 1940
marble panel         Part of the marble panel
                      “Memories of Pindos”




                                                Knitting for the soldiers at war.
                                                     (Coloured lithograph poster)
   Coloured poster
Children’s drawings inspired by the Athens Polytechnic School
uprising against the military junta.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1981. Greece becomes member of the EU.
Culture is …

…our music
Harpist. The harp player. 2700 to 2300 BC.
The musical theory of Pythagoras.
Pythagoras (570 – 495 BC) discovered that musical notes
could be translated into mathematical equations.
Traditional Greek musical instruments
Domna Samiou.
Great Folk singer
Greek Folk musicians
Macedonian street bands playing brass instruments.
Great Greek musicians

Dimitris Mitropoulos          Iannis Xenakis
Mikis Theodorakis   Manos Hatzidakis
The Athens Concert Hall
Culture is...

…our literature
Homer
The author of the Iliad and
Odyssey. (about 850 BC)

                              Iliad, Book VIII, lines 245–53,
                              Greek manuscript, late 5th, early
                              6th centuries AD.
Erotokritos. A romance composed by Vincenzo Kornaros .
                                 (early 17th century)
Dionysios Solomos (1798 -1857)
    The national poet of Greece.



• The national poet of Greece




                                     From Hymn to Liberty, a poem
                                     written by Dionysios Solomos ,and
                                     National Anthem of Greece
Greek Nobel laureates in
                   literature

George Seferis. Nobel Prize 1963   Odyseas Elytis. Nobel Price 1979
National Library of Greece
Culture is …

…our dances
Marble relief from the archaic period (800 BC- 480 BC)
showing dancing men.
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Culture is…

… theatre
Ancient theatre masks (1st century BC).
Drama performance at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus.
Cultural Identity of Greece
Odeon of Herodes Atticus




                                   Odeon Herodus Atticus.
Stone theatre located on the slope of the Acropolis of Athens.
National Theatre of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
….and cinema
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Theodoros Aggelopoulos
Culture is…

  ...art
Spring. Wall painting from Thira. 17th Century BC
Red figure and black figure vases. 600- 500 BC.
The famous statue of Heniochus (the charioteer) 478 BC.
El Greco




           Dormition of the Virgin 1565
Olive harvesting. 1933
Painting by Theofilos (major folk painter).
Contemporary artists




Kostas Tsoklis                    Alekos Fasianos
Street art in
Thessaloniki
Umbrellas. Contemporary work of art.
(artist: G. Zoggolopoulos)
Culture is …
…the architectural
   monuments
Mycenae. The Lion Gate
              1700 BC
The palace of Knossos in
Crete. 1500 BC
The Acropolis of Athens
The Parthenon




      The Erechtheum


 Propylaia
 (the gateway)
Stoa of Attalos
138 BC
Tower houses in Mani
Santorini.
The world’s best Island according to BBC in 2011.
The new Acropolis Museum.
Opened to public in 2009.
Cultural Identity of Greece
Culture is …

…our religion
The oracle of Delphi.
The Tholos and the treasuries at the Athena Pronaia sanctuary.
Panagia Ekatontapyliani (the Church of 100 Doors)

 A historic Byzantine church on the island of Paros.
 The church dates to 326AD.
Osios Loukas
Historic Monastery.
(early 10th century)
Mount Athos. “ The Holy Mountain”.
It is home to 20 Orthodox monasteries.
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Some facts about religion
• The Greek population is composed of a 97% of Christian
  Orthodox. The rest of the population is Muslim, Roman
  Catholic and Jewish.
• For historical reasons the Muslim minority resides in Thrace.
• Greek Catholics number about 0.5% of the population.
   A large number of Catholics live in the Cyclades, where Syros
   and Tinos have entirely Catholic villages and parishes.
• The Jewish community currently amounts to roughly 5,000
  people, concentrated mainly in Athens, Thessaloniki and
  Ioannina.
Culture is …

…our traditions
Flower wreath to celebrate the first   Kathara Deftera. Clean Monday.
day of May.                                The first day of the lent.




                                               Carnival
Christmas
Carol singing


                     Christmas
                           tree




                      and Christmas …boat.
Traditional Christmas sweets
Easter
Midnight Service of the Resurrection




 Breaking each other’s egg             Tsoureki. Easter bread.
Culture is …

…our love and care for

   the environment
Wind farm




Solar power plant
Cultural Identity of Greece
Culture is …

…what we eat
Olive oil
Olive oil is a versatile ingredient that
has been used in cooking for
thousands of years.


Goddess Athena
donated the Olive
tree, according to the
Greek Mythology.
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece
Cultural Identity of Greece

More Related Content

PPT
Greek identity
PPT
Greek and romans chapter 6
PPT
Greek and romans chapter 5
PPTX
Legacies of ancient greece
PPT
The Byzantine Empire
PPSX
Mycenae and Troy
PPS
Olympus - the place where the 12 ancient Greek Gods lived.
PPT
Delian And Peloponnesian League
Greek identity
Greek and romans chapter 6
Greek and romans chapter 5
Legacies of ancient greece
The Byzantine Empire
Mycenae and Troy
Olympus - the place where the 12 ancient Greek Gods lived.
Delian And Peloponnesian League

Viewers also liked (14)

PDF
Intro To Ancient Greece Part 5
PPT
The history of greek music1
PPTX
Early greek music
PPT
Greek music (2)
PPT
Greek musical instruments
PPTX
History and facts about greece
PPT
The Peloponnesian War and Philosophy
PPT
Ancient greece and medieval music
PPT
Peloponnesian War
ODP
Greek music
PPT
Causes and course of the peloponnesian war
PPT
Peloponnesian war 12.7.15
PDF
U11 Ancient Greece
Intro To Ancient Greece Part 5
The history of greek music1
Early greek music
Greek music (2)
Greek musical instruments
History and facts about greece
The Peloponnesian War and Philosophy
Ancient greece and medieval music
Peloponnesian War
Greek music
Causes and course of the peloponnesian war
Peloponnesian war 12.7.15
U11 Ancient Greece
Ad

Similar to Cultural Identity of Greece (20)

PPTX
About Greece
PPTX
This is greece f
PPTX
PPTX
IE Business School
PPTX
Greece
PPS
Greece, Parte I, bits of tradition, beauty and music
PPTX
Etwinning my country greece
PPT
Greecepresentacion ingles
PPT
A Cultural Overview of Greece
PPT
Greece slideshow
PPT
Greece Slideshow
PPT
Greece Slideshow
PPT
Ourschool
PPTX
Our country, school and community
PDF
Arr greece brochure
PPT
Mycountry Greece
PPTX
Partial project Ancient Greece
PPTX
GREECE.pptx
PPTX
Hellenic Republic.pptx
PDF
Section 2
 
About Greece
This is greece f
IE Business School
Greece
Greece, Parte I, bits of tradition, beauty and music
Etwinning my country greece
Greecepresentacion ingles
A Cultural Overview of Greece
Greece slideshow
Greece Slideshow
Greece Slideshow
Ourschool
Our country, school and community
Arr greece brochure
Mycountry Greece
Partial project Ancient Greece
GREECE.pptx
Hellenic Republic.pptx
Section 2
 
Ad

More from heramich (8)

PPTX
Human rights questionnaire
PPT
Europe Day postcards
PPSX
Spring customs and traditions in Greece
PPSX
Spring customs and traditions in Greece
PPSX
Greece 4-8 November 2013
PPTX
Human rights in our community
PPTX
Human rights
PPTX
The twelve days of christmas in greece
Human rights questionnaire
Europe Day postcards
Spring customs and traditions in Greece
Spring customs and traditions in Greece
Greece 4-8 November 2013
Human rights in our community
Human rights
The twelve days of christmas in greece

Cultural Identity of Greece