JUNE 2010 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

Mt HortiatisJust a short drive from Thessaloniki, this

low-key mountain offers an excellent escapefrom the city.

PLANTING A SEEDPAGE 5/21

Christian Readingsin ClassicalLiterature

Just a short drive from Thessaloniki,this low-key mountain offers an excellentescape from the city.

PAGES 8/24 - 9/25

Growing up fast and furious:The impact of media

on our children

PAGE 10/26

PAGE 13/29

PAGE 8/24

It’s the talk of Australia and of scientistsaround the world and something Stan Skafidassays will finally cure age-related macular degen-eration (AMD) - the world’s first bionic eye.Skafidas, who is head of research at the Victori-an Research Laboratory of NICTA - Australia’s In-formation and Communications Technology Re-search Centre of Excellence at the University ofMelbourne - says the ambitious goal is to providebionic vision within the next five years. AMD is“the leading cause of blindness in first-worldcountries,” Skafidas says in a telephone inter-view from his research lab at the university. “Thiscollaboration between biology and electronics iscapable of developing new technologies that willbenefit everyone.”

PAGE 12/28

BIONIC EYEIN SIGHT

that God will grow

AMBITIOUS GOAL BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

THE FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP COMES TO LIFE AT SYDNEY’S INTERNATIONAL FIFA FAN FEST

The work of a team of scientists headed by Greek-Australian, Stan Skafidas

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/18 JUNE 2010

SAVE GREECE - GREECE NEEDS YOU!

Visit our Website at www.helpsavegreece.com/or contact us at helpsavegreece@gmail.com

You would have all heard about the financial difficultyGreece is facing at the moment. It is sad to see thatGreece, our motherland is suffering in this current eco-nomic crisis.

Previously, when Greece operated with its original cur-rency, Greece would devalue the Drachma to increase ex-ports. Currently itcan’t do this with theEuro. Reforms areneeded in Greece tomake it more effi-cient at managing thisfinancial predica-ment. While the cur-rent government ismaking every effortto make the necessary changes and Greece is making itsproducts more competitive to be more attractive abroad, itwill be a long time before Greece manages to overcomethe current economic state of affairs.

So what can we do to help? Should the 7 million Greeksabroad donate money? No. This is a short-term answerthat will only stem the flow of the common problem.Rather, we as Greeks abroad can do something that willhave a much more effective long term gain for Greece.We can make an effort to buy and use Greek importedgoods to help the Greek economy.

This will assist the Greek economy by increasing pro-duction, generating jobs, exports and as a result profits.

How much difference can this really make you mightask? The answer is plenty. Think about it; in the countriesUSA, Cyprus, UK, Australia, Germany and Canada alonethere are about 3.5 million Greeks. If all of these Greeksmade a consolidated effort to buy and use more productsmade in Greece, then this would have to make a hugedifference to the Greek economy!

Meanwhile, we draw you to Greek history concerningthe Greeks in the diaspora. The fight for Greek independ-ence wasn’t done alone but with the help of Greeksabroad. This gave Greece independence and us, its de-scendants, freedom! Like the Greeks of that era, we toocan help Greece today find independence - financial inde-pendence. We can help increase Greece’s exports.

We can help without going out of our way. How? Sim-ple... buy Greek! There are thousands of products avail-able to us and many just don’t know about it. A number ofGreek importers here in Australia have corresponded withus and have pledged to offer discounts to customers whoare purposefully buying Greek products for this cause. Tir-navos Imports supports our effort.

Mr Archie Tsoykras committed that those who visit hisWine-cellar at 36-40 Brady Road, Dandenong North, andbuy Greek drinks and reports that they’re supporting ourcampaign “HELP SAVE GREECE” for the support of theGreek economy, receive a 5% discount. Using the famousquote he said to us “Η Ελλάδα ποτέ δεν πεθαίνει, δεν τησκιάζει φοβέρα καμιά. Μόνο λίγο καιρό ξαποσταίνει καιξανά προς τη δόξα τραβά.” We thank Mr Tsoukras for hissupport.

It is important however to also remember to buy localproducts also. Don’t abandon them altogether. In fact,make an effort to also purchase products that are made inAustralia (or your local country Cyprus, USA, UK, Canadaetc). We must be good citizens in the country that does somuch for us and seek out Australian made.

Please, we ask that you also talk about our efforts. En-

courage friends and relatives to buy and use Greek alter-native products. Taste them, use them, and try them.We’re sure that you’ll find them to be of an extremely highstandard and in many cases some of Europe’s finest. Butdon’t just stop there! Make it an endeavor to email this toas many Greeks as you know and encourage them to dothe same.

We ask you to get on board and support this righteouseffort. This method doesn’t mean we’re donating, butstimulating. It’s not a hand out. It’s a purchase. Try theproducts, they may become your favorite.

Some of the products readily available are: • Mineral water (Ioli both carbonated

and flat spring water)• Cheese (Dodoni Feta, kefalogravyira)• Olive Oil (numerous brands)• Cognac (Metaxa - world renowned and fit for royalty)• Chocolate (ION-Famous European Chocolate)• Soft Drinks (Loux-drunk widely in Europe)• Pasta (Misko-exported throughout the world)• Beer (Mythos, Alpha, Craft)• Ouzo (Countless brands!)

WATCH SOME OF THE LINKS BELOW TO FIND OUTABOUT THE MANY GREEK PRODUCTS OUT THERE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH_n3Q-BdmMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjJK61dUIQ0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDugw6FOz7o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pGFwpfO7ik&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY92XbuI3hE&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oszws-5GDYo&NR=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1SFIxueJb0

September 2010 Wednesday

Evenings242 Cleveland Street, Redfern, in the Main Hall

For enquiries, please contact the Registrar at (02) 9549 3100 or registrar@sagotc.edu.au

On site parking is limited. Please, consider alternatives

St Andrew’s Patristic Symposium 2010

St Gregory the Theologian or The Poetry of Theology

Inaugural address by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, Dean of the College. The proceedings of the 2009 St Andrew’s Patristic Symposium will be launched. A series of scholarly papers, exploring the legacy of St Gregory the Theologian

Throughout the month of September, St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College invites you to a celebration for the heart and mind

St Andrew’s Patristic

Symposium 2010

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The Poetry of Theology

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TOP 7 POPULATIONS OF GREEKS Greece 10,166,929 (2001 census)

United States 1,350,600a (2008 est.)

Cyprus 792,604 (July 2008 Est.) United Kingdom 400,000 (estimate)

Australia 365,120(2006 census)

Germany 294,891 (2007 est.)

Canada 242,685b (2006 census)

By DIONYSIKRINAS*, Melbourne

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/19

EditorialJUNE 2010

It might seem fanciful, in the midst of a dreadful eco-nomic crisis, for the government to announce plans toextend the pedestrian route that unifies Athens’s majorarchaeological sites and to open three new beaches onthe capital’s Saronic coast.

Yet even though these projects began a long timeago, they are one of the government’s most importantundertakings precisely because this is such a difficulttime. Athenians’ incomes will be greatly affected by thespending cuts and structural reforms. They will need tomake their city far more livable. The most effective wayto do this is to expand public spaces - and, once theyhave been established, to protect them.

When the new pedestrian route is completed, resi-dents of and visitors to Athens will be able to walk 4kilometers from the Panathenaic Stadium, the ancientstadium which was refurbished to host the first modernOlympic Games in 1896, to Kerameikos, site of the city’sancient cemetery.

This long-delayed project is slated for completion in2012, with the addition of Vassilissis Olgas Avenue. For-tunately, one can already walk from the new AcropolisMuseum, past the Acropolis (and around it), up Philopap-pou Hill, through the Ancient Agora and the Roman Ago-ra, to Kerameikos. When Athens really gets seriousabout investing in its ancient past, the route will contin-ue westward, with the government expropriating thegenerally abysmal-looking factories and warehousesalong Iera Odos, the Sacred Way, which stretched as faras the Sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis.

The antiquities that once lined the route are buried un-der tons of sand, cement and semi-industrial debris,waiting for another generation of Greeks to uncoverthem.

The planned extension of the pedestrian route linkingAthens’s antiquities is to be commended, as is theopening of three beaches. But these are very limited ac-tions when we consider the city’s real needs. Since the

rapid urbanization that began in the 1960s, the Greekcapital has been several steps behind the wiles andneeds of its developers and citizens. It has fewer parksthan any other European city and, once again, was thelast European city in Mercer consultants’ world rankingof cities according to their quality of life. (Vienna was atthe top and Baghdad at the bottom.) But that is not all:Most of Athens’s sidewalks are either treacherous, nar-row or occupied by illegally parked cars and motorcy-cles.

With their noise, illegal constructions and vehicles, toomany Athenians have been encroaching on public spaceat the expense of others, with the result that Athens(and every other Greek city) has not focused on provid-ing residents with the public spaces and services that acity needs.

Now, with the economic crisis, Greeks will have tolive less with their cars and more with their cities. Theywill have to go to local parks rather than drive out oftown. They will rely on open bus lanes (so maybe it will

be a good idea for these to be policed, freeing themfrom taxis and private cars). They will need a lively artsscene, with music and theater in streets and squares. Itwill take a great, daily effort for this to be achieved, butmaking it easier to walk, to cycle, to use public trans-port, to visit museums and sites will improve the qualityof life in Athens for its citizens and its visitors. PrimeOlympic properties, especially the Faliro waterfront,must be developed to provide new opportunities forcommerce (perhaps along the lines of Camden Townand other such popular shopping areas) and give peo-ple somewhere to spend a pleasant afternoon.

If the Greeks are to get through the crisis with theiridentity more or less intact, this will be achieved througha return to greater communality as well as speedy anddecisive interventions that will improve the quality of lifenot only in Athens but also in our other cities and towns.It is heartening to see decisions in such a direction andalarming to note how slowly they are proceeding.

ATHENSPLUS

Reading Jesus’ response to the question about whowould be considered greatest in the kingdom of heaven(see Matt 18:1-4), most interpreters point to the littlechild as the model of discipleship on account of chil-dren’s virtues, the very virtues emphasised by Jesus forentry into His kingdom: humility, dependence, lowliness,simplicity, obedience, the willingness to love and beloved, and most importantly, unquestioning faith andtrust. While there can be no doubt that possession ofchildren’s state of purity is indispensible for our salva-tion and something that all Christians ought to seek, Je-sus’ words are very relevant to studies in children’s de-velopment.

The responsibilities of parents towards their childrenare many and multi-dimensional. This column has triedto encourage parents to continue providing love, care,opportunities, support and safety for their children with-out neglecting their spiritual needs which unfortunatelycharacterises many contemporary families.

This month’s column explores the connections be-tween Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, “Assuredly, Isay to you, unless you are converted and become as lit-tle children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of

heaven” (Matt 18:30), together with child psychology anddevelopment theories.

Research into children’s learning has found that chil-dren’s development is sequential, a hierarchical se-quence of development involving progression from onestage to a more advanced or sophisticated level offunctioning (much like climbing a stairway where onemoves gradually and sequentially from the bottom tothe top). Many theorists also agree that children are notas passive or restricted in their learning as previouslythought.

Again, it is generally agreed among educational theo-rists that children in the pre-operational (2 to 6/7 years)and concrete operational (6/7 to 11/12 years) stages in-teract with their environment and learn primarilythrough these experiences and interactions. Put simply,telling children in these developmental stages aboutgardens isn’t half as effective as giving them a smallspade and letting them dig up some worms! The sameresearch has shown that children who did not have theopportunity to ‘play’ with blocks, lumps of clay or rodsare not as competent in arithmetic as those childrenwho did.

Another characteristic of children during these stagesis that they think in concrete ways, that is, all thinking isperformed in the presence of objects and events beingthought about. So vague references to “being good” or“being polite” are ineffective without concrete exam-ples. Any teaching must therefore be carried out in con-texts that provide an array of concrete experiences.

Jesus’ instruction to His disciples now carries a deep-er meaning. Yes, we are called to become as childrenspiritually, to be transparently faithful and honest, and to

be pure and innocent, but we are called also to im-merse ourselves in Him. Jesus instructs us to becomechildren not only because of who they are but also howthey learn. He calls us to concrete experiences, to “tasteand see that the Lord is good” (Ps 33:9 LXX). Young andold are called to participate in the Church, to live the lifeof faith and follow Christ concretely, not in words andtheories but in actions, because in this way we cancome to know Him.

How disappointing it is that contemporary humanity,with all our achievements and knowledge, continues toneglect our children’s spiritual development, abrogatingour responsibilities as parents by suggesting that chil-dren ‘don’t understand about God and the Church’. Ifthey don’t understand, it is a result of our failing to pro-vide for them the concrete experiences. By taking themto Divine Liturgy and other services, by praying withthem, by reading the holy Bible or lives of saints withthem and involving them in the lighting of the oil lampand incense they will learn more than we can imagine.

Christian pedagogy, like Christian life is empirical. It isvery difficult to teach children about God and His Churchwithout providing tangible experiences. Such teaching isvague and confusing. If we sincerely want our childrento grow up into well-balanced and good adults we mustencourage them, and also strive ourselves, to activelyparticipate in the life of the Church.

To comment, agree or disagree, visit http://peter-mav.livejournal.com/

* Peter Mavrommatis is a teacher of Orthodox Studies and Per-sonal Development at St Spyridon College Senior School, Sydney.

By PETERMAVROMMATIS *

“UNLESS YOU BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN...” (Matt 18:3)

A Christian discussion on developmental psychology

Expanding public space Spaced out. Athens, a heavily concretized city of 5 million, has fewer

parks than any other European city

The Greek Australian VEMA JUNE 20104/20 TO BHMA

GREEK FINANCIAL CRISIS THROUGH THE EYES OF THE LETTERS SECTION OF ATHENS NEWS

THE RESPONSES (31-5-2010):

1. Working the working classIt is not true, as Mrs van Iper implies in her letter (We’re

paying for you, May 21), that the working people ofGreece are free to enjoy a glass of wine at one o’clock inthe afternoon, nor do they work a mere 32-36 hours aweek or retire at the age of 53 or 55.

I am 62, employed by a respected company in thiscountry and am required to work from 9 to 5, five days aweek. Admittedly, I am allowed half an hour for lunch eachday, but that is not a privilege automatically extended topeople working in other companies.

It is not a privilege enjoyed by the workers on a nearbybuilding site. Yes, they finish work at 3.30pm - but theystart at 7.30am and work Saturday mornings as well. Sim-ple arithmetic shows that this adds up to at least 40 hoursper working week.

Mrs van Iper, it is not the high-salaried people in thiscountry who have two jobs, mainly it is those who are onminimum wages and need to take a second job in orderto make ends meet. And yes, these people pay tax be-cause it is deducted from their pay packets.

I am not sure why you have to boast that your husbandworks 70 hours per week. I assume he is self-employed,as otherwise this would seem to be in violation of EU reg-ulations. I do not find such devotion to work so remark-able: I have a friend here (self-employed) who regularlyworks more than 75 hours a week in a futile effort to paythe taxes the authorities have deemed she owes. Sadly, Idoubt whether she will live long enough to draw any statepension.

It is probably true to say that there are many irrespon-sible people in this country who have, through their selfish

actions, helped exacerbate the current crisis, and it is true,in my opinion, that civil servants here enjoy too many ben-efits, including early retirement, but do not believe all yousee on television - and do not blame the ordinary Greekpeople for the country’s woes.

John Oakley, Athens

2. We’re honestDear Mrs Marry van Iper of the Netherlands (Letters to

the editor, May 21), are we all to be tarred with the samebrush as a dishonest nation? Never mind that many of ushave earned an honest living, paid our taxes and taughtour children to do the same. We can sleep like a baby inthe knowledge of this. We could never condemn an entirenation the way you have.

No corruption over there? I will think of you each time asmallest hint of corruption in Holland ever reaches ourears.

Janet Athanasopoulou, Pikermi

3. We work longer hoursAs a Dutch national living in Greece, I would like to re-

spond to Marry van Iper’s letter. She has strong opinionsabout Greek society. Her views are based on what shehas seen about Greece on Dutch television. Unfortunately,she doesn’t seem to realise that while Greece’s problemsare very real, a lot of what is written about Greece in theforeign press and shown on television is full of miscon-ception if not outright prejudice.

Take for example the “lazy Greeks” argument. Let’s notconfuse lifestyles with working habits. OECD statisticsshow that the average number of hours worked per per-son in Greece is among the very highest of all OECD coun-

tries and is 50 percent above that of the Netherlands.Many Greek people indeed have to hold on to more thanone job to make ends meet. This is not surprising, giventhat Greek minimum wages are only half of what they arein the Netherlands.

Another misconception has to do with the financial sup-port given to Greece. The support is a loan, not a gift. It isa loan on which Greece pays a higher interest rate thanthe rate at which the Netherlands borrows to give thisloan. So the Dutch taxpayer will not be losing money in theprocess.

Besides, even with the Dutch contribution included, moremoney travels from Greece to the Netherlands than theother way around. Greece imports six times more fromthe Netherlands than it exports to it.

Last year the trade balance was 2.2 billion euros infavour of the Netherlands.

I want to reassure Mrs van Iper that, just like the Dutch,Greek people do want to find solutions for their problems,and that they too want what’s best for their country. Theyare currently making enormous efforts and sacrifices inorder to get out of the crisis and create a better future fortheir children.

Because Mrs van Iper is worried that Greece will notovercome its crisis and that the Netherlands will lose themoney it lends to Greece, let me invite her and her fami-ly, and all Dutch people who share her views, to spendtheir next holidays here. It is not just that it will help theeconomy; it will also give them an opportunity to form amore balanced picture of Greece and to experience thebeauty of the country and the hospitality of its people first-hand.

Jacoline Vinke, Athens

Source: www.athensnews.gr

Drive to revive ailing tourism sector heraldedNew campaign to focus on Greece’s image abroad

Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos calledon representatives of the tourism sector recently to con-tribute to a campaign to revive Greece’s fortunes intourism, which has been badly tainted by street protestsand media coverage of the debt crisis.

Geroulanos heralded a new advertising campaign,dubbed “You in Greece,” launched earlier this monthalong with a media offensive, providing statistics to helpjournalists across the world report more responsibly onthe state of Greek tourism.

The minister said the campaign would appeal to theGreek diaspora to visit Greece and boost its tourismsector, which accounts for some 20 percent of gross do-mestic product.

The Greek National Tourism Organization is alreadypromoting vacationing in Greece.

One exhibition at Harrods department store in Londonis called “2010 reasons to visit Greece.”

Philhellenes and high-ranking officials in global tourismhave been making a parallel effort.

Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the UN World TourismOrganization, called for industry solidarity with Greece,which he called “one of the most important destinationsin the world and a point of reference for us all.”

“Letting down the tourism sector in Greece would only

contribute to accelerate the current difficulties,” he said.In Germany, where negative publicity about Greece hasbeen among the most fervent in Europe, a representativeof tour operator Thomas Cook told Die Welt daily thatthings are not all bad, with bookings up by 10 percent onthe island of Kos and prices down by 20 percent.

In an interview with Kathimerini last weekend, Ger-oulanos said Greece should not compete with regionalrivals in the tourism sector, such as Turkey and Egypt, butcapitalize on its competitive advantages.

“It’s a mistake to compare ourselves to Turkey andEgypt,” he said.

“These are cheap countries with massive hotels thathave created small ghettos for tourists who stay thereand do not spend much money.”

ATHENSPLUS

THE COMPLAINT (24-5-2010):

We’re paying for youI live in the Netherlands and am nearly 60 years old. My husband is 62. He’s been

working 70 hours a week for more than 45 years. I was working 20 hours a week. Myhusband will work until he’s 65. We pay 52 percent tax. In the Netherlands, everybodypays taxes - both the working class and the rich. Everybody works more than 36 hoursa week, except mothers. We have no corruption as we decidedly say no to it.

I’ve seen on TV the ‘working class’ in your country enjoying a glass of wine at oneo’clock in the afternoon. I also see that the workweek is only 32 or 36 hours and thatthe retirement age is 53 or 55.

I see doctors wanting to be paid 1,200 euros for the first child and 1,000 for a sec-ond without at the same time declaring real income. I see too many high-salaried peo-ple having two jobs, coming home early and earning money under the counter. I see

rich people not paying taxes. I see so many things that are not right. In our country wealso have problems, but we try to find solutions, and we are always willing to dowhat’s best for our country.

In the Netherlands we receive a so-called blue envelope every three months. Thismeans it’s time to pay taxes - income, car and all other taxes.

Now we’ll also be paying for the mismanagement of the Greek government and theattitude of the Greek people. The Dutch contribution to your country is 4.5 billion euros,or 170 euros per person. Our three kids also have to pay for your country. In total, myfamily will pay 880 euros to help your country! Thank you very much!

PS: What happens if you do not succeed in overcoming the crisis? Do we lose allour money?

Marry van IperNetherlands

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/21JUNE 2010

Scripture teachers were encouraged to plant a seed offaith in the hearts of children.

This was the message given to over 40 volunteer teach-ers. They had attended the Basic Accreditation Course onMay 17 at the award-winning All Saints College at Bel-more in inner-western Sydney.

Father Christos Triantafyllou (Belmore) welcomed partic-ipants to the parish. Also in attendance were Father Con-stantine Varipatis (Sutherland), Father John Kapetas (Bur-wood), Father Loukas Kordonouris (Earlwood) and FatherNicolaos Bozikis (Hurlstone Park).

This course provided the basic introduction to scriptureteachers. There were four main sessions. Father Constan-tine represents the Archdiocese at the Inter-Church Com-mission on Religious Education in State Schools and is onthe Department of Education and Training’s Director-Gen-erals Committee. He outlined the importance of the com-pulsory Child Protection requirements for Scripture Teach-ers. He mentioned that all teachers need to complete aWorking with Children form and then obtain the green Au-thorisation Card to teach from their parish priest. Teach-ers should also maintain a yellow record of training that isretained by their parish.

Mr Peter Mavrommatis, who is a religious educationteacher at St Spyridon College, emphasised the Christiancharacter of the teacher. Mrs Helen Magdas, who is oneof our most experienced religious educators, outlined thehistorical development of the curriculum provided throughthe Pantanassa Monastery. She also emphasised the im-portance of having regular meetings of teachers with theirparish coordinator in order to share resources and ideas.Mrs Pela Kalogerakis supplied teachers with practicalideas on lessons. Her enthusiasm was contagious - espe-cially when she demonstrated a practical way of teachingabout Pentecost.

Teachers from six different parishes had a chance tomingle and to realise that they were part of a much larg-er missionary effort of our Church. The importance ofthese courses is not just the content but it is also aimed atrecognising the contribution of these many volunteers. It ispart of an effort to better organise the program of specialreligious education in State Schools.

Authorised teachers are permitted to teach the Ortho-dox faith in State Schools throughout New South Wales.This massive effort is organised at a parish level. It is un-dertaken mostly by busy mothers who give freely of theirtime to teach or assist in some way. One of our teachershas a record of over 40 year’s service.

For many children this half-hour Scripture lesson is real-ly their only contact with the Church. Scripture teachersare ambassadors of our faith. They recognise this re-sponsibility and are keen to become even better teachers.

In so doing many say that their own faith is increased. The Orthodox Church in Australia is very proud of these

volunteers. It has expressed admiration for their efforts.On many occasions His Eminence Archbishop Stylianoshas indicated that the secret to planting the seed of faithis enhanced by the love we show towards those weteach.

Attendance at these courses is free and open to allscripture teachers. The training is organised under the su-pervision of His Grace Bishop Seraphim and throughSt Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College. The lastbasic accreditation course for 2010 will be held at StSpyridon Church (Kingsford). This basic training will alsobe supported by refresher courses at local centres aswell as a general meeting of parish priests and coordina-tors.

Please contact your local parish if you are interested inparticipating in this training.

Dr Jim AthanasouSt Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College

PLANTING A SEEDthat God will Grow

Basic Accreditation Course at All Saints College (Photos: Steve Anthopoulos)

Pelagia Kalogerakis, Peter Mavrommatis and Helen Magdas

Course participants explore more effective teaching methods

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/22 JUNE 2010

Rev Dr Doru Costache

The intention of this series is to provefrom within the ecclesial tradition that Or-thodoxy has no share in what secular peo-ple today designate as the Christian aver-sion to the body; furthermore, that from theviewpoint of our tradition there is more tobe said about the body than any secularmind can conceive.

By contrast with the simplistic or reduc-tionist approach to the body (and the hu-man being as a whole) so characteristic ofthe secular mindset and experience, thereligious experience in general and partic-ularly that of Christianity is far richer. Nev-ertheless, the broad domain of Christen-dom encompasses an indefinite variety ofnuances, some of which are unfortunatelyhighly questionable from a traditional, bib-lical and liturgical viewpoint, and which cannever be assimilated to the legacy of theOrthodox Church.

Perhaps one of the most misinterpretedaspects pertaining to Christian anthropolo-gy is the distinction between soul andbody. For many Christians, indeed, the soul

and the body coexist as two different enti-ties that for some reason - and merely fora number of years - come to dwell next toeach other. Furthermore, beyond the per-spective of this strange proximity (whichstill retains some merit), the idea of an ‘on-tological’ difference between soul and bo-dy becomes the source of various andstrange developments, such as:

- The soul and the body are two mortalenemies, of which the soul is what trulyhas to be cherished whereas the bodyshould be despised;

- Asceticism, the virtuous path or thespiritual life, is a way to liberate the noblesoul from the despicable cage of the body;

- The body should be chastised giventhat its materiality constitutes an obstaclefor perfection;

- The immortal soul will inherit the ‘heav-ens’ whilst the mortal body will inexorablydecay etc.

I have indicated elsewhere that such ex-pressions of aversion to the body havenothing in common with the Orthodox tra-dition. Obviously, and perfectly under-standably, in the face of such excessive in-terpretations like the examples above, anysane person would step back and try hisbest to forget about the distinction be-tween soul and body. This is in fact whathappened in the last few centuries, withthe modern mind refusing to subscribe toexaggerations of this sort, exaggerationsmainly possible within the spiritualist, puri-tan and pietistic dualism characterisingwhat generically is known as WesternChristianity. What I want to convey here isthe fact that, along with its congenital natu-ralism (reductionist par excellence) whatprompted the modern mind to abandon thetraditional distinction between soul andbody indeed was a series of spiritualistexcesses that had as a common denomi-nator the hatred of the body.

It is true, similar spiritualist attitudeshave been by all appearances manifestedmuch earlier, both in East and West. Read-ing through the Greek fathers of the firstChristian centuries, we realise how someof the spiritualist concepts pertaining to thepagan philosophical traditions crept intoOrthodoxy. Phrases like ‘the soul is superi-or to the body’ or ‘we should prioritise thesoul against the body’ indeed emerge fromtime to time in their writings. However,when considered within the incarnationaland liturgical framework of early and By-zantine Christianity (which was addressedin the previous articles of the series), suchphraseology bears a different connotationthan the simplistic spiritualisms of theWest. Namely, formulated against a culturethat idolised the body, such phrases wereinvitations to contemplate the presence ofanother side of the human constitution, ir-reducible to the body. And in fact, in linewith this richer comprehension, the fa-mous distinction between soul and bodyas presented by the Orthodox tradition isstill relevant to the current Christian expe-rience in the world.

So, what do we do with this distinctiontoday? How can it inspire contemporaryexperience?

In order to answer such questions, firstof all it is natural to briefly explore the pa-

rameters of our context. We live in a secu-lar world, the splendid outcome of fourcenturies of naturalism and scientism. Formany of our contemporaries, life is re-duced to the body, chemistry and every-thing related to them; sometimes, indeed,gestures of nobility are performed, butoverall many people live on the fringe andmenacing horizon of mortality. Their wholecourse of life is therefore just a febrile at-tempt to forget how empty and pointlesslife can be, and how terrified they are be-fore the tremendous mystery of death...What follows is even more dramatic: intheir attempt to forget about death, somededicate their entire energy to ‘makingmoney’ or acquiring power or wastingtheir lives in orgies or just getting drunketc; some others are led to alienation, anx-ieties, desperation and like psychoses. Toput it simply, and in a Christian perspec-tive, these symptoms together representthe sour fruits of abandoning the soul. Nopossession, no narcotics, no adrenalinerush, no excesses of any kind, can changethat.

Within this dramatic context, like in theearly Christian centuries, the distinction be-tween soul and body - and not just the cel-ebrated ‘return of the soul’ - has the virtueof reminding us of the other side of ourexistence, of the spiritual horizon. Withoutthis other side, our present life cannot at-tain fulfilment.

Our holistic anthropology, which em-braces soul and body within the unity ofthe human person, can therefore play animportant role in bringing balance to a so-ciety of innumerable excesses, a societythat suffers because of constant oscillationbetween spiritualism and materialism.Contemporary materialistic society is nobetter than the old one, which was charac-terised by the spiritualist excesses. It istime for this world to adopt a more holisticview of human nature, able to embrace theinside and the outside, the soul and thebody. And this is where we, the Church,can assist the world.

Revd Dr Doru Costache lectures in Patristics at St Andrew’s Theological College, Sydney

Glimpses of a Symbolic Anthropology Part Eight: On the irreducibility of our dichotomous structure

Ponderingthe Words

of LifeThis corner provides you with foodfor thought and life, with the convic-tion that some words can do morethan inform the human mind.

Indeed, if meditatively assimilated,the sacred words of Scripture takeflesh within us and shape our lives inunimaginable ways. The spiritualfathers and mothers of old used tochoose such powerful sayings, re-peating them many times through-out the day, pondering on them, eat-ing them, so to speak. The resultsare tremendous: the mind sharpensby the practice of attentiveness, ouraptitude to memorise develops, theconsciousness is renewed by thedivine wisdom, and the subcon-scious is conquered by the light ofthe grace or the overwhelming ene-rgy conveyed by the sacred words.

Can we reiterate this practice? Thissection looks within our traditionfor meaningful verses and sacredwords that celebrate life, invitingyou both to ponder them and to lookfor more such powerful messages.

This month, the verse is:

“Lord, to whom shall wego? You have the words

of eternal life”(John 6:68).

Penny, why did you get involved in scriptureteaching?

Why is this important for you?

What have been some of the most memorableexperiences as a scripture teacher?

What is required to undertake this task as ascripture teacher?

What challenges are you facing?

How do you manage to fit in this teaching withall the other demands on your life?

Now could you tell us a little about PennyPapadopoulos when she is not a scriptureteacher?

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

Scripture Teachers 2010

If you have an interest in volunteering for the Church and teachingScripture in State Schools of New South Wales –

please contact your parish priest.

Our aim is to have a scripture teacher wherever there are three ormore Orthodox children in a school. If you cannot commit on aweekly basis then at least offer your services as a relief teacher.

We also need assistant teachers for large classes. See your priest andput your name down for our next ½ day training program.

Sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australiaand St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College

Penny, why did you get involved in scriptureteaching?

Why is this important for you?

What have been some of the most memorableexperiences as a scripture teacher?

What is required to undertake this task as ascripture teacher?

What challenges are you facing?

How do you manage to fit in this teaching withall the other demands on your life?

Now could you tell us a little about PennyPapadopoulos when she is not a scriptureteacher?

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/23JUNE 2010

Frequently Asked Questions about

the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Q. What is the EcumenicalPatriarchate?

A. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is thehonorary and spiritual centre of the Or-thodox Church throughout the world, trac-ing its history to the Day of Pentecost andthe earliest Christian communities found-ed by the Apostles of Jesus Christ.

Q. What is the origin of thetitle “Ecumenical Patriarch?”

A. The title “Ecumenical Patriarch” datesfrom the sixth century and belongs exclu-sively to the Archbishop of Constantino-ple. But his role was defined as early asthe 4th century. At the 4th EcumenicalCouncil of Chalcedon (451), the Archbish-op of Constantinople was given “equalprivileges” to the Bishop of Rome.

Q. Why is the EcumenicalPatriarchate in Istanbul?

A. In 330, the Roman Emperor Constan-tine transferred the imperial capital to thesmall city of Byzantium, renaming it Con-stantinople or “New Rome.” Due to its po-litical and historical importance, the cityquickly assumed political and ecclesiasti-cal prominence, with all of the (seven)Great Councils of the early Church heldeither in or near Constantinople.

Q. What is the role of theEcumenical Patriarch amongOrthodox Churches?

A. The Ecumenical Patriarch presides inhistorical honor among all Orthodox Pri-mates, as “first among equals.” He alsotraditionally serves as the focal point andspokesman for Orthodox Church unity,convening inter-Orthodox councils, aswell as inter-Church and inter-faith dia-logues.

Q. What is the order of theOrthodox Patriarchates?

A. The most ancient Patriarchates, in anorder of seniority already established bythe 5th century, comprise Constantinople,Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. In the16th century, the Ecumenical Patriarch

raised the Church of Moscow to the rankof Patriarchate, as occurred earlier withthe Church of Serbia in the 14th centuryas well as later with the Churches of Ro-mania in the 19th century and Bulgaria inthe 20th century.

Q. What is the relationship ofthe Hagia Sophia (or the HolyWisdom) to the EcumenicalPatriarchate?

A. Hagia Sophia is one of the architec-tural wonders of the early Church. Ithoused some of the most magnificentmosaics, some of which survive to thisday, and was the center of impressiveliturgical worship. It was here that PrinceVladimir in the 10th century sent his en-voys to witness the liturgy, as a result ofwhich all of Russia was Christianized.Converted to a mosque in 1453, today itis a museum.

Q. When was Bartholomew Ielected Ecumenical Patriarch?

A. In October, 1991. Patriarch Bartho-lomew (b. 1940) was elected the 270thArchbishop of the historic throne of Con-stantinople, the Byzantine name for pres-ent-day Istanbul.

Q. How many OrthodoxChristians are there world-wide?

A. 300 million. Geographically, its pri-mary area of distribution lies along thecoast of the (northeast) Mediterranean, inEastern and Northern Europe, as well asin the Middle East. But the jurisdiction ofthe Ecumenical Patriarchate is worldwide.

Source: www.patriarchate.org

Can special deals make the difference?Damage control is the name of the

tourism game as the industry in Greecestruggles to paint a positive image to theworld.

Bookings are down by as much as 15percent in some regions, with hotelierstrying to maintain a positive attitude, Yior-gos Drakopoulos, general manager of theAssociation of Greek Tourism Enterprises,said on May 18.

The inflow of German tourists, normallyone of the biggest groups of visitors toGreece, is down at least 10 percent al-ready over the last year, he said. Heblamed negative media reports for thedrop.

“We are trying to be positive and notspend time counting cancellations but in-stead to use valuable time to communi-cate a strong and positive message totourists from all over the world, to showthem that Greece is a peaceful place withmany wonderful attractions.”

Prices are also significantly down fromlast year. Offers from hoteliers andagents include “pay for 10 days and stay

for 14”; “kids go free”; meal vouchers andshopping vouchers, Dra-kopoulos said.

“I strongly believe that the key to suc-cess is how we as hoteliers treat guests,”he added. “We need to go overboard intreating them properly so that they are soimpressed they go back and tell all theirfriends. Sadly, the only images that the

world has are of the violence that led tothree deaths two weeks ago, not of thecalm and picturesque scenes on the is-lands.”

He noted that a group of Czech andDutch journalists he brought to Athenstwo days after that particular incidentwere impressed with attractions close to

Athens such as at the Faliro Marina. “Those of us who live and work here

know that the image of riots on TVscreens does not represent life inGreece,” he said.

“One positive thing we are doing isworking with the ministry to bring moregroups of foreign journalists over here tosee Greece for themselves,” he added.

The association is planning to bring 10journalists from Germany, 10 to 15 fromthe UK, as well a dozen from Russia, withplanned trips to Athens, Rhodes and Cor-fu, among others.

Meanwhile, Louis Hotels is doing what itcan to attract customers by offering sum-mer promotions and discounts of up to 20percent, even in August, said Popi Tanta,general manager at the hotel group.

“In addition, we are offering specialrates such as 160 euros a day at four-star hotels, a saving of 54 euros,” Tantasaid, adding it is a challenging time for theindustry, partly due to the internal trou-bles.

ATHENS NEWS

A new age for Greek tourism

Tourism in Greece has now entered anew phase in its established history withthe opening of the Costa Navarino resort,the country’s first integrated golf resort.Spread over a spectacular, 130-hectareseaside tract of Messinian countryside,the western-facing Navarino Dunes is lo-cated among rolling hills, bordered bymountains and a kilometre of beach.

With over 700 rooms and suites in total,the resort revolves around the luxury Ro-manos hotel, which is up and running, andthe family-oriented Westin, due to open inJuly. In addition, there is a major confer-ence centre, a signature golf course, spacentres, all providing a range of year-round activities for tourists and otherguests in the area.

At the centre of the resort, which is lo-cated half an hour from Kalamata interna-tional airport, is the Agora. Following thestyle of an authentic village centre, it fea-tures entertainment and shopping venues,including an open-air cinema, a traditionalGreek amphitheatre, along with a varietyof cafes, bars and restaurants.

“The mix and quality of facilities and thefact that they are all together in this resortpositions us uniquely, certainly in theMediterranean if not Europe, as one of themajor attractions in terms of an integratedresort,” said general manager Enda Mullin.

The Irishman is confident that onceCosta Navarino’s second golf courseopens in spring 2011, the resort will veryquickly become a golfing destination. “Youcould have never said that about Greecebefore,” he said.

Mullin said that the first two weeks ofbusiness at the resort have been “fantas-tic”.

ATHENSNEWS

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA8/24 JUNE 2010

By Mario Baghos

“We too, if we are wise, shall take fromthis literature whatever is suitable for usand is allied to the truth, and shall passover the rest.”1

- St Basil the Great

In my last article, we discussed the factthat Homer’s Iliad contained motifs whichcan benefit us if interpreted with discern-ment. Our interpretation was centred onthe main character of the tale, princeAchilles. In our present article, we will beanalysing the Aeneid, an epic poem com-posed by the Roman author Virgil (70BC-19BC) in the latter half of the first centuryBC during the reign of the emperor Augus-tus (63BC-14AD). The Aeneid follows theexploits of prince Aeneas of Troy, son ofVenus (the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite),who manages to escape the city after it isconquered by the Greeks. This article willcontrast the manner in which both Aeneasand Achilles are portrayed by Virgil andHomer respectively before putting forwardan alternative to pagan heroism that canbe found in the lives of saints of thechurch.

With the Aeneid, Virgil attempted to au-thenticate the growing worldview of theAugustan age to which he belonged; aworldview which deified the emperor andplaced him at the centre of an ever ex-panding Roman empire. He did this by giv-ing some grounding to the contemporarycircumstances under Augustus, embarkingon the composition of a myth set in thepast which predicted the ascent of the Au-gustan regime. The Aeneid attempts toachieve this by ‘predicting’ that Rome isdestined to rise from the descendants ofAeneas, whose perilous journey to found acity for his displaced people comprisesmuch of the narrative.

Indeed, the work contains many of thethemes we discussed in part one of thisarticle; the vicissitudes of the gods, the un-alterable rhythms of fate, and the in-evitability of Hades for the deceased.2 Allof these striking beliefs were just as mucha part of the Virgil’s immediate historicalcontext as they were Homer’s. The pas-sage of time between the composition ofthe former and the latter, however, wasmarked by the emergence of Greek philo-

sophical thought that is more or less ab-sent from Homer’s epic. Indeed, it is thephilosophical principles of Stoicism, found-ed by Zeno of Citium in Cyprus (334-262BC) but later appropriated by Romanthinkers such as Cicero (106-43BC), thatare employed by Virgil throughout the epic,especially in his description of Aeneas’temperament.

The Stoics believed that in order to livein accordance with nature human beingsneeded to practice asceticism, which, forthem, was associated with the practice oflogic, reflection and contemplation. Theseexercises were conducive towards themuch sought-after state of apatheia(aπάθεια), which, far from correspondingto the contemporary word ‘apathy,’ insteaddenotes a freedom from subversive emo-tions leading to a state of dispassion.

In book IV, Aeneas is portrayed as hav-ing reached some level of Stoic dispassionor apatheia when, through the workings offate and the behest of the gods, he is com-pelled to leave the illustrious queen Dido ofCarthage whom he had temporarily mar-ried as a result of a love spell hatched bythe god Cupid (Eros), son of Venus andMars (Ares, the god of war). With theprospect of Aeneas leaving Carthage andcontinuing his journey to found a new city

for his people, Dido’s profound love forhim turns into an even more emphatic sad-ness that leads to an uncontrollable rage.After dramatically appealing to Aeneas tostay, she sends her sister Anna to pleadwith him time and time again on her be-half, and the text goes on to read:

But no griefs moved Aeneas. He heard but did not heed her words.The Fates forbade it and God blocked his ears to all appeals. Just as the north winds off the Alps vie with one another to up-root the mighty oak whose timberhas hardened over long years of life, blowing upon it from this sideand from that and howling through it; the trunk feels the shock and the foliage from its head covers the ground, but it holds onto the rocks with roots plunged as deep into the world below as its crown soars towardsthe winds of heaven - just so thehero Aeneas was buffeted by all this pleading on this side and that,and felt the pain in his mighty heart but his mind remained unmoved and the tears rolled in vain.3

In this beautiful simile, Aeneas is depictedas unswayed as a tree which is batteredby the howling winds that attempt to up-root it; his resolve is steadfast, his disposi-tion unaffected. But this ‘disaffection’ is nottantamount to the modern concept of apa-thy. He feels compassion, “the pain in hismighty heart.”4 However, despite the pas-

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Christian Readings in Classical LiteratureIf We Could Be Heroes: Comparing Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid from a Christian Perspective, Part 2

Aeneas flees burning Troy, by Federico Barocci, 1598

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/25JUNE 2010

Cont. from previous page

sionate behaviour which Dido directstowards him, Aeneas remains unmoved.Aeneas can here be contrasted to Achilles,whose anger, as discussed in part 1 of thisarticle, precipitates the downfall both of hiscomrades and of the city of Troy. Indeed,from a Christian perspective, the fomentingof internal passions (coming from the Latinpassio, in Greek pathos) - which are thepernicious thoughts originating in either thecultivation of bad habits or demonic temp-tation - can lead to subversive behaviour.Dido, unable to control her feelings forAeneas, becomes enslaved by them; andas these emotions evolve from love toanger and thence to despair and suicide,they begin to threaten those around her. Asin the case of Achilles, whose rage is indis-criminately imputed to those around him,Dido’s internal sadness and rage is pro-jected externally onto Aeneas and evenonto her very own sister, who she unwit-tingly solicits for help in ending her ownlife. Aeneas, whilst empathising with her, isrational enough to continue what hebelieves is a divinely ordained mission toItaly.

At a glance, the temperaments of Aeneasand Achilles seem to be diametricallyopposed to one another. The former isable to resist the adversity directed to himfrom ‘without,’ from Dido’s madness. Thelatter, to give just one example, becomesconsigned to the rage that erupted withinhim upon hearing of the death of Patroclus.Despite this, at the end of both the Iliad andthe Aeneid a different portrait of each maincharacter emerges. Achilles, for all of hiswrath and in the midst of the turmoilcaused by his exaction of revenge againstprince Hector of Troy, the slayer ofPatroclus, behaves quite uncharacteristical-ly. Upon discovering that king Priam hadsurreptitiously entered the Greek camp inorder to retrieve the exposed and mutilat-ed corpse of his son Hector, instead ofkilling Priam and thereby ending the wholedebacle, Achilles actually takes pity on him,giving the body of Hector back to Priamand, in a show of magnanimity, suspendingthe war for the eleven days needed by theTrojans to prepare and complete the peri-od of mourning and subsequent funeraryrites for their slain prince.5

So, irrespective of his violent temper,Achilles emerges as a character capable ofat least some measure of compassion.This is not the case, however, with Aeneas.Towards the end of the narrative, theTrojan seems to morph into the enragedAchilles that marauds through most of theIliad. Exacting revenge for the death of hiscomrade Pallas who was killed at thehands of his nemesis Turnus, Aeneas’actions point to a radical ‘devolution’ in hisdisposition. The final verses of the narra-tive reflect this. In them, the defeatedTurnus makes a plea to Aeneas to sparehis life as the Trojan lurches over him.Initially, Aeneas is in fact moved by Turnus’pleas, that is, until he spots Pallas’ baldricor belt hanging over his enemy’s shoulder.With the resurgence of the memory of hisfriend’s murder at the hands of his enemy,the work reads that Aeneas, “burning withmad passion and terrible in his wrath,”6

declares that he now stands in the place ofPallas as he kills the defenceless Turnus,whose life flees “in anger down into theshades.”7

It is clear therefore that Aeneas regress-es from the Stoic descriptions employed

earlier in the narrative into a man ensnaredby his own wrath; something whichAchilles was able to overcome, at leastmomentarily, when he granted Priam thebody of his son and the eleven dayamnesty from battle. But, despite theircapacity for some goodness, both heroesare nevertheless motivated and somehowconsumed by a single overwhelming fac-tor, and this is the passionate hatred whichafflicts them at various times. Hence,although both Achilles and Aeneas are suc-cessful in their various campaigns in anexternal sense, internally they are torment-ed by rage.

In the Church, we find a corrective tothese passions as manifested in the livesof Christian ascetics who forsake all exter-nal forms of earthly glory, whether broughtabout by conquest or otherwise. Thepagan heroes, on account of the gloomyand unpredictable nature of the afterlife,sought glory in the here-and-now, oftenthrough violent conquest. Christians, how-ever, consider earthly glory to be superfi-cial, especially when considered in light of(or, if acquired at the expense of others, asan impediment) to heavenly glory to whichwe can attain both here and in the here-after.

In order to achieve glory therefore, theChristian must turn inwardly to wage waragainst the passions so that he or she maybecome recipients of the divine grace towhich all human beings are providentiallycalled. In Christian spirituality, the asceticgradually abandons himself to the will andmercy of Jesus Christ, a process whichinvolves an internal warfare with the errat-ic passions that, for whatever reason, haveanchored themselves in him or her. Thisspiritual warfare is remarkably illustratedin the lives of the desert fathers, thosechampions of the faith who exiled them-selves into the chaotic Egyptian desert soas to master the chaos within themselvesand thereby participate in the divine life.But the struggles of these great fathers andmothers denote the fact that this endeav-our is impossible according to one’s owndevices because of, on the one hand,humanity’s own creaturely weakness, and,on the other, the snares of the devil. It isonly by responding to God’s initiative and

power that a Christian may begin the jour-ney towards the conquest of the basethoughts and emotions that assail allhuman beings, gradually realising withinthemselves the absolute freedom frompassion - the state of apatheia - which canonly be achieved in Christ.

Reaching the end of the present article,we are made aware of the fact that,despite their entertaining exploits, thesaints of the Church have acquired agreater victory than the pagan heroes.Instead of seeking external conquest andglory, these men and women, the saints ofthe Church, sought to be conquered by theGod-man Jesus Christ. In this way, the vic-tories achieved by the saints are perma-nent because they consist in a participationin Christ’s perennial victory over sin, death,

and the devil. This participation in Christ’svictory, which is transformative and deify-ing, renders all ‘victories’ of a militaristicsense invalid; they become nothing otherthan senselessly violent hallmarks in thecontinuous cycle of human suffering, a suf-fering that consumes both the aggressorand the aggressed, the victor and hisdefeated foe - as pertinently manifested bythe tumultuous rage that carries bothAchilles and Aeneas from one battle to thenext. The Christian, therefore, is called toemulate the saints who have permittedChrist to conquer them. Indeed, each andevery human person is called to thisauthentic form of heroism; to struggle, notagainst his or her neighbour, but againstthe internal passions with the assistance ofJesus Christ. And the spoils of this journeytowards a ‘saintly heroism’ are nothingother than participation in Christ’s ultimatevictory over death wrought by his resur-rection from the dead. But this journey,unlike the paradoxically autonomous yetfatalistic paths carved out by the heroes ofold, requires a different set of criteria; itmust be framed by prayer, love, humilityand guidance.

*Associate Teacher in Early Byzantine HistorySt Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College.

1 Taken from the forthcoming publication by StAndrew’s Orthodox Press, St Basil the Great’sAddress to Youth: On How they might benefitfrom Classical Greek Literature.2 With the notable exception of the ElysianFields, that precinct of the underworld which isreserved exclusively for heroes.3 David West, trans. Virgil: The Aeneid, Revised Edition(England: Penguin Books, 2003), 81-82. Although theAeneid is an epic poem written in Latin, this version,based on precedents established by many other schol-ars, has taken the liberty of translating it into Englishprose.4 Ibid.5 Cf. Robert Fitzgerald, trans. Homer: The Iliad (Oxford:Oxford University Press, 1998), 421, 424-425, 439-443.6 West, trans. Virgil: The Aeneid, 290.7 Ibid.

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This 100-page book contains the inspired words of 40 major hymns with accompanying CD in Greek by Basilios Psilacos, lecturer in Byzantine Music at St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College and Chanter at St Andrew's Parish, Gladesville.

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Patron Saints of Day Schools in Australia and segments of various Services, are all included in the book's three categories:

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To order, go to: www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

1. Greek lyrics

2. English translation

3. Transliteration

Bust of Virgil located outsidehis tomb in Naples, Italy

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/26 JUNE 2010

‘We have found the Messiah’

- Apostle Andrew (John 1:41)

www.standrewsorthodoxpress.com.au

An initiative of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

By Deacon George Liangas, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow

The extent of the problem

Children and adolescents spend more time with mediathan they do in any other activity except for sleeping; anaverage of more than 7 hours per day. Below is a break-down of average time spent with each type of media:

TV content 4 hours, 39 minutesMusic/audio 2 hours, 31 minutesComputers 1 hour, 29 minutesVideo games 1 hour, 13 minutesPrint 38 minutesMovies 25 minutes

The problem is greater when children and adolescentshave the media technology in their bedrooms. By 2005,two thirds of 8-18 year-olds had a television set, one halfhad a VCR or DVD player or video-game console, andnearly one third had internet access or a computer in theirbedroom. Having a television set in the bedroom in-creased the total media time to an incredible average ofover 11 hours per day! In these children, risk of becomingoverweight increases by 31% and the likelihood of smok-ing doubles. When a television is in the bedroom, parentsare less able to monitor viewing habits, children partici-pate in fewer activities such as reading and hobbies, andsleep is shortened.

Today’s youth have unprecedented access to new me-dia and use them in both expected and unexpected ways.

Ninety three percent of youth aged 12 to 17 are on-line.Internet users report watching videos (57%), creating andvisiting social networking sites such as Facebook (65%)and making on-line purchases (38%). 97% of adolescentsreport that they pay video games. Use of the media inadolescents is frightening: teens download violent videos,send sexual text messages or explicit self-photographs totheir friends, buy cigarettes and beer on the internet andpost enticing profiles on Facebook. They can be affectedby sources of advertising and misinformation, and be vic-tims of on-line bullying. Some neuroscientists worry aboutthe long-term effects of media on the developing brain.

Solutions

The effects of the media on children and adolescentswill be covered in greater detail in future articles. It suf-fices to say that the American Academy of Pediatrics hasconsidered it a priority to address this problem. It has awebsite that deals specifically with internet safety issues(http://safetynet.aap.org). It also has published the follow-ing recommendations that parents:

1) Limit total screen time for children older than 2 yearsto no more than 1 to 2 hours per day,

2) Avoid screen time for children younger than 2 years,3) Keep children’s bedrooms free of screen media; and 4) Co-view media with their children and discuss the

content.

In a recent survey of over 1000 parents, 65% reportedthat they “closely monitor” their children’s habits.

However, parents typically report that their children useless media than children themselves report. As an impor-tant first step, therefore, parents are encouraged to bemore cognizant about children’s media time. In addition,parents can be mindful of their own media practices, asstudies have shown that the strongest predictor of chil-dren’s heavy media use is parents’ heavy media use.

Next month: How do media affect children and adoles-cents?

References: Strasburger VC; Jordan AB & Donnerstein E. Health effects of me-dia on children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2010; 125; 756-767.

Growing up fast and furious:The impact of media on our children

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/27

HealthJUNE 2010

GOUTGout is a type of arthritis which is caused by the dep-

osition of uric acid crystals into the space within thejoints of the feet, hands and some larger joints.

Commonly, the big toe is involved. Gout usually af-fects men more commonly than women, and usuallycomes on at the age of forty. Gout is thought to run infamilies.

Uric acid is a waste product of the body. It is passedout of the body in the urine produced in the kidney. Uricacid is a by-product of proteins called purines whichare in high concentration in certain food groups such as:organ meats like liver, brain, kidneys and sweetbreads,and shellfish and alcohol.

When the kidneys cannot cope with an excessive loadof uric acid, it builds up in the body and it is depositedin the joints.

Unusually over the past few weeks I have seen threecase of acute gout and none of them have been classi-cal cases. Classically gout occurs in men in their forties.They usually report that they have developed an acutepain more commonly involving the big toe, in the earlyhours of the morning. They often have a history of hav-ing eaten a large meal of shellfish or red meat, or hav-ing consumed alcohol.

But it is not always men in their forties who developacute gout.

Recently I consulted an eighty seven year old ladywho hobbled in to my surgery. She reported an acutepain in her foot. Her foot was hot, red, swollen and ten-der. She had acute gout. She had not eaten shellfish, butthis lady was taking a fluid tablet for blood pressure.Certain fluid tablets may trigger gout.

Last week I saw a twenty six year old man who hadhis first episode of acute gout, and in the same week asixty three year old man with a history of kidney stoneswith acute gout.

So while gout classically occurs in men in their forties,it can much less commonly occur in women and in oth-er age groups.

The symptoms of gout

Patients with gout complain of severe pain in thejoints of the hand of feet or larger joints such as the el-bow or knee, but commonly it affects the big toe.

The pain often comes on suddenly in the early hoursof the morning. The joint may become hot, red, swollenor tender. Classically the pain of gout is described asbeing so severe that the afflicted person cannot toler-ate the weight of the bed sheets on the toe and will de-scribe having to lie with his leg hanging outside the bed.

Generally, a person’s first attack may last a fewhours to a few days. The earlier treatment is com-menced, generally the shorter the duration of the ill-ness. Some people only ever experience a single attackof gout. For others, many recurrent episodes are notuncommon.

Risk factors for gout

Gout is associated with obesity and high blood pres-sure. More commonly, overindulgence on foods such as

red meat and organ meats, shellfish and alcohol cantrigger an attack of gout. Certain drugs such as fluidtablets can cause gout. It is not uncommon to get anacute attack of gout after having surgery.

Diagnosing gout

Gout is a clinical diagnosis. The history and examina-tion often clinch the diagnosis. The uric acid level in theblood should be measured, but a raised uric acid leveldoes not necessarily indicate gout and sometimes itmay be normal. Sometimes it may be necessary to re-move fluid from the joint by aspiration to see if thereare uric acid crystals present in the joint, to confirm thediagnosis.

Complications of gout

Untreated gout can cause kidney stones. Hence it isimportant to be certain of a diagnosis to manage thecondition appropriately.

Management of gout

Acute attacks should be managed with non-steroidalanti-inflammatory drugs if the patient can tolerate them.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will control painand swelling. Colchicine is another medication whichcan be used to treat gout.

Other measure such as rest, hot or cold compressesto the joint will help. The patient’s diet needs to be ad-dressed to avoid foods which are high in purines suchas organ meats, shellfish and alcohol. Eating a well-bal-anced diet and drinking plenty of water is important.Control of weight is important.

For the person who develops recurrent attacks ofgout, a medicine called allopurinol can be prescribed.Allopurinol stops the production of uric acid preventingit from accumulating in the body and therefore minimis-ing the attacks of gout.

Gout can be treated. This is important to avoid com-plications such as kidney stones. Gout is associatedwith other vascular disorders such as high blood pres-sure and ischaemic heart disease. If gout is present, therisk for these other diseases needs to be assessed.

* The information given in this article is of a general nature andreaders should seek advice from their own medical practitionerbefore embarking on any treatment.

HEALTHNEWSNEWS

WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS *

The federal government plans tomerge the commonwealth's two leadingcancer agencies - Cancer Australia andthe National Breast and Ovarian CancerCentre.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon says thesingle national agency will have a clear"leadership mandate" across all can-cers.

"At a time when Australia faces an in-crease in cancer incidence and un-precedented commonwealth investmentin tackling cancer, a strengthened Can-cer Australia will help further focus ourwork in this important area," Ms Roxonsaid in a statement.

The health minister said merging thetwo agencies would reduce reportingand administration costs and make iteasier for cancer stakeholders to workwith government.

Breast and ovarian cancer patients

wouldn't be marginalised by the shake-up, Ms Roxon said.

"They and their families can be as-sured that these cancers will remain apriority of the Australian government asthe new Cancer Australia will continue afocus on breast and ovarian cancer."

Helen Zorbas, chief executive of theNational Breast and Ovarian CancerCentre, will head up the expanded Can-cer Australia.

The current acting CEO of CancerAustralia, Joanne Ramadge, will be herdeputy.

Australia's chief medical officer, JimBishop, will chair a working groupwhich will oversee the transition, ex-pected to be finalised by mid-2011.

"The amalgamation will not involveany involuntary redundancies," Ms Rox-on said.

AAP

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on breast, ovarian diseases

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/28 JUNE 2010

Greek President Karolos Papoulias, accompanied byCulture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos, paid aceremonial visit to the Athenian Acropolis on May 25, toofficially mark the conclusion of the decade-long, majorrestoration works on two of the site’s Classical 5th-centu-ry BC monuments, the Parthenon and the Propylaia.

Restoration of the Athena Nike temple is also nearingcompletion and the newly reassembled building may soonbe ready to present to the public in about two months.

Since 2000, with funding supplied largely by the Euro-pean Union’s 3rd Community Support Framework Pro-gram, the Acropolis Restoration Service (YSMA), under theleadership of its president Charalambos Bouras and di-rector Maria Ioannidou, has successfully accomplished theenormous task of rerestoring those sections of the Acrop-olis monuments previously conserved by civil engineerNicholas Balanos between 1894 and 1939.

The works on the Acropolis during them past 10 years

have focused mainly on the Parthenon’s opisthonaos(west porch), pronaos (east porch) and north colonnade.

The Propylaia’s roof beams, portions of its coffered ceil-ing and two Ionic column capitals have also been beauti-fully restored or replicated, while the Temple of AthenaNike was entirely disassembled, conserved, restored andis now almost fully reassembled.

In each case, hundreds of stone blocks had to be re-moved, cleaned, repaired, augmented with new materialswhere necessary and reset in their original, correct posi-tions.

Of the two buildings officially celebrated, 274 architec-tural members have been taken down from the Parthenon,with 415 original or new members put back; 252 mem-bers have been taken down from the Propylaia, with 333original or new ones put back.

One might think it a miracle that the 2,500-year-oldAcropolis monuments have even survived. Despite earth-

quakes, fires, explosions, defacement, looting and thegood intentions of past preservationists, the Parthenon,Propylaia, Temple of Athena Nike and Erectheion continueto stand. With the completion of this latest round ofrestoration works, the Acropolis’ dark record of damageand destruction seems to have been pushed back a littlefurther into the historical twilight.

Moving this gargantuan block into its present positionexceeded the load-bearing capabilities of a single moderncrane and a second machine had to be requisitioned tosafely complete the job. How ancient engineers transport-ed such large blocks onto the Acropolis remains a mysteryonly enlightened by specialists’ educated guesswork.

Despite space-age materials and laser-guided cuttingmachines, modern technology still seems to pale in com-parison with the impressive achievements of ClassicalGreek builders.

ATHENSPLUS

Acropolis ceremony marks end of major worksRestoration of the Athena Nike temple is also reaching its end

Bionic eye in sightIt’s the talk of Australia and of scientists around the

world and something Stan Skafidas says will finally cureage-related macular degeneration (AMD) - the world’sfirst bionic eye. Skafidas, who is head of research at theVictorian Research Laboratory of NICTA - Australia’s In-formation and Communications Technology ResearchCentre of Excellence at the University of Melbourne -says the ambitious goal is to provide bionic vision with-in the next five years. AMD is “the leading cause of blind-ness in first-world countries,” Skafidas tells the AthensNews in a telephone interview from his research lab atthe university. “This collaboration between biology andelectronics is capable of developing new technologiesthat will benefit everyone.”

The disease gradually destroys the nerve cells that de-tect light. It affects a person’s central vision, which isneeded for seeing objects clearly and for common dailytasks such as reading and driving. AMD is uncommonamong persons under the age of 50. According to WorldHealth Organisation data, AMD is responsible for 8.7percent of all blindness due to eye diseases, affectingabout 3 million people. If all goes as planned, the world’sfirst bionic eye will be the next big invention in terms ofimpaired vision since Louis Braille invented his specialalphabet more than 200 years ago.

Skafidas’ chances of success grew tremendously twoyears ago when the Australian government awarded theproject 42 million Australian dollars in funding.

The bionic eye is currently undergoing animal testing.Human trials are slated to begin in the coming years,paving the way for the first implant at the back of theeye, when wireless transmission could make vision a re-ality. The project made newspaper headlines when Aus-tralia’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced the re-search two years ago.

A Brief Bio

Stan Skafidas is currently the head of research at NIC-TA, Australia’s national research centre of excellence inInformation and Communication Technology.

His research interests include wireless communica-tions systems, systems on a chip, high-speed mixed sig-nal and radio frequency microelectronics, wireless pow-er transfer and neural interface circuits. He is currentlyleading NICTA research in the development of the next-generation retinal stimulation prosthesis.

Prior to joining NICTA in 2004, Prof Skafidas was a co-founder and chief technology officer of Bandspeed, aUS-based developer of wireless semiconductor prod-ucts. He led multinational teams developing chip sets forADSL/VDSL/Bluetooth. Skafidas is also the co-inventor ofAFH, a critical component of Bluetooth coexistence tech-nology. To date, AFH technology has been incorporated

in excess of a billion Bluetooth devices and increasing.Skafidas has over 20 patents granted and 25 patent

applications pending in the areas of microelectronics,wireless and other communication systems. He graduat-ed with a BE (Hons), BSc, MEngSc and PhD in Electrical En-gineering from the University of Melbourne.

Tell me more about what you are working on.Essentially, what happens with age-related macular

degeneration (AMD) is that the rods and cones in the reti-na deteriorate. Usually, you’ve got a relatively intact reti-na, meaning that the renal dangling cells and bipolarcells and the rest are actually still alive and still function-ing. The problem is that the rods and cones in the eyeare no longer functioning. With this disease, a large partof your vision is no longer - it just disappears. I guessyou might have a little bit of peripheral vision but, gen-erally, the central vision is no longer present.

How will the bionic eye help?The bionic eye is a neural prosthesis which resides

on the macula of the eye [the centre of the retina]. Whatit does is that it electrically stimulates the retinal danglingcells in order to give the perception of vision. So, essen-tially, you’ve got an external camera which sends a sig-nal to a processing unit, which then determines a stimu-lation strategy, which essentially sends a signal to theprosthesis sitting on your eye and actually stimulates orsends electrical pulses to the neurons. These neuronssend an action potential to the brain which crosses tothe visual cortex and essentially gives you the percep-tion of a dot. If you put lots of those [dots] together, theywill give you an image.

When will the bionic eye be ready for thepublic?We have a low-resolution device, which has been in

animal trials. We are now looking at the high-resolutiondevice that will be in animal trials in about two years.

Usually, after animal trials it takes about a year to as-sess bio-compatibility. So we are looking at probably thefirst human implants of the high-resolution device inabout four or five years’ time. Initially the device will betried on humans who are having their eye enucleated[surgically removed]. They will keep the device for a cou-ple of hours and we will run some experiments, be-cause they are getting their eye removed, primarily be-cause of cancer. Later we will leave it in for longer timesand with more appropriate individuals.

The idea of a bionic eye sounds very futuris-tic.

Yes, it is. It is powered wirelessly and it involves somevery novel materials, including polycrystalline diamonds.The design is also very novel. That’s what allows us tobuild something that has the requisite rigidity and is suf-ficiently small so that electrodes can penetrate the retinaand actually stimulate it. The retina is like tissue paperand [the device] has to be inserted with a sufficient ve-locity so that it doesn’t tear. That’s why we decided touse a diamond-like material - primarily because of thehardness.

What has been the reaction from friends andrelatives in Australia and in Greece when youtell them about your work? They’re all excited - the problem is trying to explain it!

They understand the concept, how it’s useful, what itdoes, what benefit it will produce for people. Many,however, overestimate its capability. I guess they don’tknow what AMD is, so they think it’s treating all blindpeople instead of a proportion of people who are suf-fering from some kind of vision impairment. I guess theyare a bit more hopeful.

How often do you visit Greece?I have visited a few times. My relatives are there. I try

to visit every four or five years. Both my parents arefrom Greece. My mum is from the Iliea prefecture andmy dad is from Messinia, Kalamata.

What was it like growing up in Australia’sGreek community, one of the biggest immi-grant communities in the world? Fine. Uneventul, I guess. There are lots of Greeks in

Melbourne. There’s nothing strange about it. A lot of myfriends are people of Greek backgrounds. My best manat my wedding was Greek. There’s like a little Greecehere. I went to a Greek school here. It’s a bilingualschool run by a Greek monk. It was called St John’sGreek Orthodox College. I did my primary school andhigh school before I went to university.

ATHENS NEWS 14/06/2010

The world’s first bionic eye

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/29JUNE 2010

Travel

Largely unknown and virtuallyuntouched by mass tourism,Mount Hortiatis, just 30-50 kilo-meters southeast of Thessaloni-ki, hosts scenic villages, rich tra-ditions and customs, bountifulnatural attractions and a wealthof opportunities for outdoor ac-tivities.

Just 27 kilometers from thecity center on the road to Poly-gyros, after leaving Nea Re-destos and the Thermi springsbehind, turn left and follow thesign to Peristera. Approachingthe massif, the winding uphillroad leaves the AnthemountasPlain behind and enters a some-what unexpected wild rocky ter-rain covered in holm oak anddotted with animal pens. Six k-ilometers on is Peristera, at 600meters above sea level, with theThermaikos Gulf on the far hori-zon.

Peristera is more than 12 cen-turies old and a stroll around itreveals interesting samples ofMacedonian architecture.

The small central square, Ma-na, with a plane tree, a 50s-stylecafe and water fountain offers astep back in time. Right abovethe square lies the Church ofAghios Andreas, part of an oldmonastery founded in 870.

The alleyways around thechurch, with their whitewashedand stone houses, comprise oneof the most interesting sectionsof Peristera. The square abovethe church is an ideal startingpoint for walks. One easy forestpath leads to the Chapel ofAghios Haralambos about 300meters on. Continuing east,you’ll shortly come to a hill witha small pavilion, providing pano-ramic views of the plain, themountain summit (1,201 m) andthe Thermaikos Gulf. If you can,stay to see the sunset.

Seven pleasant kilometerseast of Peristera is the town ofLivadi, perched on a ridge at 750meters above sea level.

Some samples of Macedonianarchitecture have been restored,some not. An old plane treedominates the central square.

Two kilometers along a dirtroad in the direction of lakes Ko-ronia and Volvi, flanked by oak,beech and chestnut trees, you’llcome to Aravani, an agritourismunit, at Krania. Aravani (tel6971.578.577, www.aravani.eu)belongs to the family of Yiannis

Michailidis and owes its exis-tence to his lifelong love ofhorses. The unit has a center forfree horseback riding with an in-troduction field for beginners,facilities for mountain biking, aplayground for children, pettingzoo and cafe/restaurant. Thestables accommodate 15 horsesand a couple of ponies. Theforested mountainside, with aview extending dozens of kilo-meters to the lakes and moun-tains of Holomontas and Omvri-anos, is excellent for horsebackriding, hiking or mountain biking.

The shortest horseback rideoption is to the Chapel of theVirgin (Panagia), 30 minutesaway. A full tour of Aravanithrough the forest lasts over anhour, while the option of head-ing to the Chapel of Aghios Har-alambos takes about two hours.The Panagia Chapel (2 km thereand back) is also a good route

for walking or biking, as is the4-kilometer round-trip journey toLivadi.

The 11-kilometer journey fromLivadi to Petrokerasa is one ofthe most idyllic routes in thearea. Pine, beech, chestnut andoak forests alternate with smallgreen valleys and rocky hills.Five kilometers on, an uphill dirtroad on the right leads to Profi-tis Ilias, on the summit of Omvri-anos (1,009 m). At the 6.5 kmmark, the downhill road meets aright turn that leads to theMakropana spring - a shady,green recreation area. Petro-kerasa, at 600 m, is a model vil-lage.

Thanks to an energetic formercommunity leader, its inhabitantssystematically tend to theirflower gardens and whitewashtheir houses, while also parkingtheir tractors outside the village.Cars are not allowed into the

square, which forms a mostpleasant picture, with benches,small cafes and tavernas. In thequaint alleyways of Petrokerasa,you will see the traditionally

wide covered balconies, stoneovens and picturesque chim-neys.

ATHENSPLUS

Mt HortiatisJust a short drive from Thessaloniki, this low-key mountain offers

an excellent escape from the city

Traditional by nature

Where to stay

Afanos (Peristera, tel 23960.51248),stone-built guesthouse, with taverna,playground and archery, table tennisand mountain biking facilities; Anogi(the only guesthouse in Petrokerasa,tel 6976.570.658). Tavernas in thearea are excellent for grilled meats. InPeristera: Koukounikos, Kottis, Pla-tanos and Edo tha Vreis ton Filo Sou;in Livadi: Platania (the only one opendaily), Allotino, Steki tou Themi, OraiaThea, Livadi (open on weekends andpublic holidays). In Petrokerasa: Kos-mos, Michalis, Anogi (daily) and Vla-chos (on weekends).

What to see & do

In Petrokerasa: the rich Folk HistoryMuseum, the tsipouro distillery, thebeeswax press and the flour mill; atrail through the forest with 900 stepsfrom Mavrokopana leads to the top ofMt Omvrianos; a 4x4 route fromPaliomana to Omvrianos summit; pic-nics at the chapels of Ai Giorgis, Ai Gi-annis, Aghia Triada, Panagia andAghios Athanasios. In Livadi: at Pefka,there is a recreation area with viewsand a spring; at 3.5 kilometers on theroad to Petrokerasa, take a rightwhich leads to Kalogeriko - a parag-liding spot (2310.476000).

1 2

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/30 JUNE 2010

Arts, Food & WineFilms: a history

Part 1

Editor: Imogen Coward

By Leon Coward and Dr Ann Coward

This is the first in an occasional series of articleswhich set out to serve as an introduction to the history offilms, primarily of Western filmmaking. We hope youenjoy it! This introductory article looks at some of thevery earliest moving films lasting only a few secondsand which are available for viewing on YouTube; anadded bonus to film buffs. Over time words may change in meaning or usage, and

film is no exception; a term that may have been appliedto film-making, if it caused confusion in discussionsabout art (for example), is either dropped or remains ina literary cul-de-sac. One such term, which applies tothe earliest films made by the Lumière brothers, is ‘real-ism’. Today, we ask the question, “How realistic, orlacking in interpretation, can anything be which under-goes a process of communication via one person to an-other?” Well, the following introduction attempts to ex-plain the key features associated with realism in movies,most notably a lack of obvious editing by the filmmak-ers, as well as the use of non-actors, and shooting on-location. The Lumière brothers, Louis (1864-1948) and Auguste

(1862-1954), while renowned as being the first to proj-ect films to a paying public in the year 1895, maintaineda fascination with reproducing reality as opposed to fic-tion. Between 1894, when they developed the Cine-matographe (a combination camera and projector), and1898, the Lumières had made over one thousand films,of which only several were concerned with fictionalisedplots. 1900 saw the end of their film-making careers, al-though they did continue to invent and manufacturephotographic equipment and processes.

While they employed what would now be consideredrather primitive fixed camera methods to record ‘actual-ities’ such as people disembarking off a train in one oftheir first films, Arrival of a train at the station (shownat their first exhibition in 1895), the brothers were re-sponsible for projecting to Parisian audiences examplesof exotic footage of faraway places and of spreading theknowledge and experience of moving films to foreignplaces through their network of Lumière Agents.

Arrival of a train at the station,1 and another of thefirst films the brothers projected at their premiere, Work-ers leaving a factory,2 demonstrate the key features as-sociated with realism in films. As already noted above,the intention was to reproduce reality. Neither film em-ploys actors, nor any attempt at constructing the mise-en-scene;3 the people are real, filmed in real settings, go-ing about their own real business. The complete lack ofcamera movement, and fixed focal length, prevents anyone person from being focussed upon, or followed asone might follow with one’s own eyes. However, thecamera is intended to reproduce the effect a person mayobtain from being a witness to the scene. In order to

achieve this, the editing has been minimal, and remainsinvisible.

In both films, there is no intention to present anythingother than what is on the screen, that is, there appears tobe no hidden or deeper meaning implied in the scenes.They are records of actual events, although the filmstock of the day being black and white (the Lumièresdid go on, after 1900, to experiment with colourprocesses), there is an air of unreality or formalism as aresult, especially as neither has an accompanying sound-track. (Synchronised sound was not possible before the1920s.) The lighting is available light, and as alreadynoted, the camera position is fixed.

Arrival of a train at the station, or to give the film itsoriginal French title, L’Arrivée d’un Train à La Ciotat,was made in 1895, and goes for fifty-five seconds.(Allfilm lengths taken off the YouTube may only be approx-imately equal to the original.) The camera is positionedat an adult’s eye height, looking at the train arriving atthe platform off to the side. The waiting people boardthe train, and other passengers alight. Some walk pastthe camera, others in different directions, all at a paceslightly faster than would be expected, a technical faultthat would later be corrected in film-making. They aredressed in a mixture of clothing for cool weather; someformal, some casual. The effect of the film is dominatedby the activity of the people.

In Workers leaving a factory, entitled in French, LaSortie de l’Usine Lumiére à Lyon, made in 1895, thecamera is once again fixed at an adult’s eye height. Thefilm lasts for forty-seven seconds, and opens with a shotof gates and a door of a factory. They open and theworkers leave, heading off in different directions. Allwear hats (mainly straw) and summer working clothes.Several leave on bicycles, and a dog enters the scene. Inneither film do those being filmed appear aware of thecamera; no-one looks directly into the camera lens. Theactions, although a little too fast in speed to be natural,are fluid and there is no evidence of editing.

In the next article, we’ll take a look at the earliestmovies (once again, available for viewing on YouTube)which deliberately set out to create fantastic illusions.

Notes

1. Louis and Auguste Lumière L’Arrivée d’un Train à La Ciotat (1895)http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dgLEDdFddk

2. Louis and Auguste LumièreLa Sortie de l’Usine Lumiére à Lyon (1895)http://youtube.com/watch?v=HI63PUXnVMw&feature=fvw

3. Mise-en-scene “All of the elements placed in front of the cam-era to be photographed: the setting and props, lighting, costumesand make-up, and figure behaviour.” A quote from the Glossaryof Film Art: an Introduction, by David Bordwell and KristinThompson. New York: McGraw-Hill, 6th edn 2001.

Écoutez!Arts Review

Stanton & Killeen Classic Rutherglen TokayMade from 100% muscadelle grapes and aged on average for around 12 years, this tokay has distinct muscat

aromas with flavours of honey, butterscotch and a hint of malt. The smooth, creamy mouthfeel leads to a cleanfinish. Subtle and complex, this tokay goes well with high quality dark chocolate and is a perfect after dinner drink.

Cost: around $30 for 500ml bottle

FFoooodd && WWiinnee

A Little Book of Language

by David Crystal(UNSW Press, 2010)

Have you ever wondered whether txt messagingand email shorthand spell the imminent demise ofgrammar and spelling, 4 u n me? Contemplatedwhere the seemingly endless spelling changes (pro-gramme vs program anyone?) will lead us? Or, per-haps been, just like... you know...um, concerned by thesentence structures of younger generations? Onething is certain, says David Crystal, our languages,whether English, Greek or any other living language,are constantly changing. Not only that, but many of themodifications we observe today (‘gr8’ instead of‘great’, ‘u’ instead of ‘you’) have a very long historyindeed. Crystal explores many facets of language de-velopment and usage from a baby’s inarticulate bab-ble, accent acquisition, dialects and comparisons be-tween different languages to political correctness,dictionaries and word games like rebuses (try decod-ing this example from Crystal’s book: YY U R YY U B IC U R YY 4 ME*). Although Crystal focusses on theEnglish language, his observations incorporate andextend to many other languages. Of particular interestare his observations on bi-lingualism and multi-lin-gualism, which he considers a ‘natural’ condition forhumans. In support of his view, Crystal points out thedistinction between active (speaking) and passive(comprehension e.g. listening or reading) languageskills, observing that even those of us who are onlytruly fluent speakers of one language, often havesome active ability in another language and frequent-ly have considerable passive multi-lingual abilities.Whether our passive multi-lingual skills are rangefrom an ability to recognise and identify another lan-guage, to comprehending street-signs or ingredientslists from another country, or perhaps reading classictexts in the original Latin or Ancient Greek, the essen-tial truth in Crystal’s statement is easily discerned.Presented in an accessible, fascinating and engagingstyle with Crystal’s customary wit, this book is a mustfor everyone fascinated by language.

I.C.

* Too wise you are, to wise you be, I see you aretoo wise for me.

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

Visit our website: www.greekorthodox.org.au

All SaintsGrammarCapital

FundraisingLunch

On Sunday 23 May, 135 guests attendedAll Saints Grammar Capital FundraisingLunch at the scenic St George Motor BoatClub at Sans Souci (NSW). With the objec-tive to raise funds that will assist ourSchool’s Capital Works programmes, theLunch raised $15,000 towards that goal.These funds will assist towards the fol-lowing programmes:

Junior School: The additional funds re-quired to finance the construction of theMultipurpose Gymnasium/Hall, coveredawnings above the assembly area, Per-spex sheeting on each floor for additionalprotection against the elements.

Senior School: The construction of threeunderground classrooms adjacent to theLibrary, covered areas for assembly ar-eas, construction of three additional class-rooms above the current Library.

These exciting programmes will not on-ly assist our School in offering additionalspace, resources and further protectionfrom the elements for our students, but al-so enhance the overall curriculum we areable to offer our students.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/31JUNE 2010

HS594A ISSUES IN CHURCH HISTORY: THE SEVEN

ECUMENICAL COUNCILS (5-9 JULY 2010)

Coordinator: Dr Ken Parry

This unit aims to introduce students to the

history, theology and politics associated with

the Seven Ecumenical Councils, beginning in the

4th century through to the 8th century. It covers

relations between Church and State, doctrinal

and theological issues, as well as the procedural

aspects of the councils.

Themes include:

The nature of Ecumenical Councils.

The issue of heresy and orthodoxy.

Constantine and the First Ecumenical Council.

The Council of Chalcedon as a turning point in

church history.

Justinian and the Fifth Ecumenical Council.

Byzantine Caesaropapism.

Iconoclasm and Nicaea II.

Dogma, charisma and consensus.

Prominent personalities.

TH594A ISSUES IN THEOLOGY: ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVES ON

THE ENVIRONMENT (12-16 JULY 2010)

Coordinator: Rev. Dr Doru Costache

This unit aims to introduce the students into

the main characteristics of, and causes leading

to, the environmental crisis, in light of the spe-

cifically Orthodox approaches to this issue. The

main sources of the ecclesial tradition

(liturgical, scriptural, ascetic and patristic texts)

will be explored, together with the Orthodox

witness and attitudes of today.

Themes include:

The ecclesial worldview and the environmental

crisis.

Orthodox attitudes and witness today.

Deity, humanity and the environment.

Misuse, right use and the transfiguration of the

world.

The liturgical framework and environmental

attitudes.

The scriptural narratives of creation, paradise

and fall: An environmental approach.

Asceticism and the environment.

Classes are conducted each day between 9:00am-4:30pm. Tuition fee per unit: Graduate

Students ($920); Auditors ($430). Fees include all materials (excl. textbook) and full catering

each day, but not accommodation or travel expenses. The FEE-HELP government loan

scheme is available, subject to eligibility criteria. Graduate students should enquire with the

Registrar about the scholarship by St Andrew’s which pays for up to 40% of the tuition fee.

Units are conducted on campus at Redfern NSW and are open to qualified men and women

irrespective of religious affiliation. They may also be undertaken by university students as

electives towards their own degrees, subject to approval by their Faculty. Applications for

July 2010 should be lodged by Friday 25 June 2010.

For more information about theological education, and to enrol in these units, please con-

tact the Registrar by telephone on (02) 9549 3101 or via email at registrar@sagotc.edu.au.

100501

Announcement of Intensive Units

St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox

Theological College A M E M B E R I N S T I T U T I O N O F T H E S Y D N E Y C O L L E G E O F D I V I N I T Y

St Andrew’s Theological College is pleased to announce the continuation of its successful

and highly informative intensive units during January and July. These five-day intensive units

are credited towards graduate level programs of the Sydney College of Divinity: the Gradu-

ate Certificate in Arts, the Graduate Diploma of Arts and the Master of Arts (admissions

criteria apply)

The schedule for July 2010 will be:

Campus:

242 Cleveland St Redfern NSW 2016

Website:

www.sagotc.edu.au

Fr Christos Triantafyllou and family

Mr Pol Kouroushis, Chairman Board of Directors with Mr & Mrs Tsangaridis

and family

Mr & Mrs Steve Kostopoulos from LH BrownReal Estate and family

Mrs Haskas’ Dancing Group – BelmoreContingent

London unveilspre-Olympic torch relay

Organisers of the 2012 LondonOlympics unveiled plans for a 70-daytorch relay leading up to the Games,now barely two years away.

The Olympic flame will arrive inBritain on May 18, 2012 and tour thecountry before reaching London on theweekend before the Games begin inthe British capital, said 2012 organisingcommittee chief Seb Coe.

Some 8,000 mostly young peopleare expected to be chosen to carry thetorch around Britain. The aim will bethat 95 percent of Britons will be with-in an hour of the flame's route.

Detailed plans for the route are ex-pected to be announced next year.

AFP

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA16/32 JUNE 2010

Football fever contunes till 12 July, at Sydney’s DarlingHarbour.

Three giant screens floating in Cockle Bay, and anotherscreen in Tumbalong Park, broadcast the 2010 FIFA WorldCup over the four week Sydney International FIFA Fan Fest.

This is the place to be to experience all 64 games fromthe 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa along with entertain-ment and daily interactive activities.

There is something for everyone to enjoy each day andnight, including:

• Four giant screens broadcasting all 64 games of the FIFA 2010 World Cup live,

• Match replays on screens,• Interactive family activities,• Football workshops with Football Federation Australia,• Freestyle football displays,

• Headline entertainment acts,• Competitions,• Multicultural cuisine The Sydney International FIFA Fan Fest website has now

gone live, so check it out regularly for all the latest infor-mation and program updates at www.sydneyfifafanfest.com.au. Register your details to receive email updateson the event.

THE FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP COMES TO LIFE AT SYDNEY’S INTERNATIONAL FIFA FAN FEST