Greece Hellas officially the Hellenic Republic [eliniki Dimokratia ), is a country in southeastern Europe, situated at the southern end of the Balkan peninsula. It is bordered by Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north and Turkey to the east.
The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. The various parts of the eastern Mediterranean, have a large number of islands. Greece is located at the junction of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is heir to the heritage of classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule .
Considered the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy , [Western philosophy, the Olympics, Western literature, political science, major scientific principles and drama including both tragedy and comedy, Greece has a particularly long and eventful history and a considerable cultural influence in Europe, North Africa and Middle East. Today, Greece is a developed country, member of the European Union since 1981 and member of the euro area since 2001. Athens, Thessaloniki, Piraeus and Patras are the country’s main cities.
Greek national anthem
The Greek Anthem is based on the “Hymn to Freedom”, a large – 158 strophes – poem written by Dionysios Solomos, a distinguished poet from Zakynthos Island. The poem was inspired by the 1821 Greek revolution against Ottoman rule. During 1828, the eminent musician of the island of Corfu Nicolaos Mantzaros composed the music for the anthem Solomos.
Although King Otto (Otto) decorated both for his work (1845 and 1849), he did not believe (or perhaps did not want) to replace the royal anthem of the time with the Solomos / Mantzaros Anthem. That hymn was a derivative of the German music, with a text glorifying Othon and his dynasty.
After the overthrow of the dynasty of Othon, the new King George I and the Greek establishment decided to abandon the fashion of the time – to use the Royal Anthems also as National – and looked for a clearly Greek work, both with regard to poetry and music. The “Hymn to Freedom” was readily there – extremely popular since the Revolution times, often recited or sung at patriotic meetings and celebrations.
“Eleftheria” – freedom – is a feminine word and also a popular female name in Greece. Eleftheria The Solomos’ is not as erotic and earthly as Delacroix’s Liberty. Rather reminiscent of an ancient goddess in exile, which Solomos identifies with Greece itself. A majestic and demanding Goddess, an object of respect and admiration rather than of belief and passion. She has to be essential, such as poet reviews the whole history the Greek revolution, comments on the negative attitude of large forces, describes the pains and the offerings from the rebels, criticizes their dissensions, calls for unanimity and consolidation – always pointing to Eleftheria – important human value.
The Greek anthem was written by a man of 25 years only. The Greeks deeply love and respect their emotionally-youthful anthem.
The unusual – for a song – 6 / 4 tempo of the music points clearly Mantzaros more manly traditional dance of the Greeks – Tsamikos.
Greece National Anthem Lyrics
Greece
Latin Transliteration
Se gnoriso apo tin kopsi.
Tou spathiou tin tromeri,
Se gnoriso apo tin opsi
Pou me via metra tin yi.
Ap’ ta kokala vialmeni
Ton Ellinon ta iera,
Ke san prota andriomeni,
Haire, o haire, Eleftheria!
(repeat previous two lines three times)
English :
We knew thee of old,
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes
And the light of thy Sword
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
(repeat previous two lines three times)