Cyprus-Forum.com

[wyoming cowboy]

A passage from Edith Hamilton's, Classical Greek Mythology

"....On earth too, the deities were exceedingly and humanly attractive. In the form of lovely youths and maidens they peopled the woodland, the forest, the rivers, the sea, in harmony with the fair earth and the bright "Greek" waters.
That is the miracle of Greek mythology--a humanized world, men freed from the paralyzing fear of an omnipotent Unknown. The terrifying incomprehensiblities which were worshipped elsewhere, and the fearsome spirits with which earth, air and sea swarmed, were banned from Greece. It may seem odd to say that the men wwho made the myths disliked the irrational and had a love for facts, but it is true, no matter how wildly fantastic some of the stories are. Anyone who reads them with attention discovers that even the most nonsensical take place in a world which is essentially rational and matter of fact. Hercules, whose life was one of long combat against preposterous monsters, is always said to have had his home in the city of Thebes. The winged Pegasus steed after skimming the air all day, went every night to a comfortable stable in Corinth. A familiar local habitation gave reality to all the mythical beings. If the mixture seems childish consider the how reassuring and how sensible the solid background is as compared with the Genie who comes from nowhere when Alladin rubs the lamp and his task accomplished returns to nowhere.

.....The terryfing irrational has no place in classical Greek mythology. ..........The demonic wizards and the hideous old witches who haunted Europe and America, too, up to quite recent years, play no part at all in the stories. Circe and Medea are the only witches and they are young and of surpassing beauty- delightful, not horrible. Astrology, which has flourished from the days of ancient Babylon down to today, is completely absent from classical Greece. There are many stories about the stars but not a trace of the idea that they influence men's lives. Astronomy is what the Greek mind finally made out of the stars. The priest is rarely seen and is never of importance. In the Odyssey when a priest and a poet fall on their knees before Odysseus, praying him to spare their lives. Oddyseus kills the priest and spares the poet. Homer says that he felt awe to slay a man who had been taught his devine art by the gods. "

[supporttheunderdog]

... when in fact the Phoneicians had probably been coming since aboout 1000B or earlier.

Where are these facts?

Herdotus (who predated Pytheus about 100 years) mentioned the Trade in Tin from some Islands north of what is now known as Spain:

Tin was certainly being traded from Britain in about 1000 BC.

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba91/feat2.shtml

People from the med were being buried in Britain as early as 1550 BC or so (the Amber boy)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11421593

[GreekIslandGirl]

... when in fact the Phoneicians had probably been coming since aboout 1000B or earlier.

Where are these facts?

Herdotus (who predated Pytheus about 100 years) mentioned the Trade in Tin from some Islands north of what is now known as Spain:

Tin was certainly being traded from Britain in about 1000 BC.

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba91/feat2.shtml

People from the med were being buried in Britain as early as 1550 BC or so (the Amber boy)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11421593

Having previously agreed on the records of a Greek (Pytheas) being the first to circumnavigate and chart Britain (opening the way for more Greeks and Romans) we also agree we have another Greek (Herodotus) recording historical events of the time. How can you now come along to defend your claim "when in fact" it was the Phoenicians all along, by supplying as evidence these two links? You have either not read them, or if read, you have not understood.

How is the first a "fact" about Tin trading by the Brits and the Phoenicians when your source implicates the most likely, the neighbours (the French?), by stating "common cross-channel metalworking connections"?

How is the second a "fact" that Phoenicians migrated to Britain when of the two skeletons one is stated as having a Baltic necklace and the other raised in a "colder climate"?

How in your mind were these historical archives regurgitated such that you dismissed all logic and jumped in to state your:- "when in fact" it must have been the Phoenicians?

[wyoming cowboy]

A passage from Edith Hamilton's, Classical Greek Mythology

"....On earth too, the deities were exceedingly and humanly attractive. In the form of lovely youths and maidens they peopled the woodland, the forest, the rivers, the sea, in harmony with the fair earth and the bright "Greek" waters.
That is the miracle of Greek mythology--a humanized world, men freed from the paralyzing fear of an omnipotent Unknown. The terrifying incomprehensiblities which were worshipped elsewhere, and the fearsome spirits with which earth, air and sea swarmed, were banned from Greece. It may seem odd to say that the men wwho made the myths disliked the irrational and had a love for facts, but it is true, no matter how wildly fantastic some of the stories are. Anyone who reads them with attention discovers that even the most nonsensical take place in a world which is essentially rational and matter of fact. Hercules, whose life was one of long combat against preposterous monsters, is always said to have had his home in the city of Thebes. The winged Pegasus steed after skimming the air all day, went every night to a comfortable stable in Corinth. A familiar local habitation gave reality to all the mythical beings. If the mixture seems childish consider the how reassuring and how sensible the solid background is as compared with the Genie who comes from nowhere when Alladin rubs the lamp and his task accomplished returns to nowhere.

.....The terryfing irrational has no place in classical Greek mythology. ..........The demonic wizards and the hideous old witches who haunted Europe and America, too, up to quite recent years, play no part at all in the stories. Circe and Medea are the only witches and they are young and of surpassing beauty- delightful, not horrible. Astrology, which has flourished from the days of ancient Babylon down to today, is completely absent from classical Greece. There are many stories about the stars but not a trace of the idea that they influence men's lives. Astronomy is what the Greek mind finally made out of the stars. The priest is rarely seen and is never of importance. In the Odyssey when a priest and a poet fall on their knees before Odysseus, praying him to spare their lives. Oddyseus kills the priest and spares the poet. Homer says that he felt awe to slay a man who had been taught his devine art by the gods. "

I actually had an epiphany reading this passage from Mrs. Hamilton's book......and was hoping others had it too.

Could it be that after the Hellenes were infused with Christianity and an overbearing God, we lost our way. How can a people who lived under the hot mediterranean sun, during the day,and rested at night next to the serene Aegean and Mediterranean Seas not have an intense imagination. And then you couple that with the beauty of their myths, where you were rewarded not punished for reaching for the gods, and you have the Hellenic culture. The Hellenes were then subjected to Christianity and held against their will and injected with fears doubts and donts. Through christianity we also connected ourselves to the Northern European and his fearful myths, what beauty does a Nordic/german see every morning when he wakes up. The foggy chilly mornings, or the endless forboding snowy landscape. The culture of the Germans and their likes had to be structured and controlled, which goes against the individuality of the Greek. They want Greece to have a manufacturing sector, the northerners say, what Greek would want to sit at the same spot for 12 hours doing the same thing over and over again, when the Aegean and mediterranean are just outside the factory's window....what a dreary and disgusting life!!!

just a thought.....

[Get Real!]

Could it be that after the Hellenes were infused with Christianity and an overbearing God, we lost our way. How can a people who lived under the hot mediterranean sun, during the day,and rested at night next to the serene Aegean and Mediterranean Seas not have an intense imagination. And then you couple that with the beauty of their myths, where you were rewarded not punished for reaching for the gods, and you have the Hellenic culture. The Hellenes were then subjected to Christianity and held against their will and injected with fears doubts and donts. Through christianity we also connected ourselves to the Northern European and his fearful myths, what beauty does a Nordic/german see every morning when he wakes up. The foggy chilly mornings, or the endless forboding snowy landscape. The culture of the Germans and their likes had to be structured and controlled, which goes against the individuality of the Greek. They want Greece to have a manufacturing sector, the northerners say, what Greek would want to sit at the same spot for 12 hours doing the same thing over and over again, when the Aegean and mediterranean are just outside the factory's window....what a dreary and disgusting life!!!

Furniture moving idiot of the forum,

Barnabas the Cypriot is the founder of the Cypriot Church because he brought Christianity FIRST to Cyprus (40-50AD) and later to other (now European) locations including Greece, via Antioch (present day Turkey).

Prior to Barnabas’ teachings paganism reigned supreme all over Europe including your beloved Greece! (which didn’t even exist)

From the Old Testament…

Acts 11:20: “Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.”

Acts 21:16: “Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.”

Isaiah 23:1: “Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them.”

Ezekiel 27:6: “Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.”

Acts 4:36: “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),”

Therefore, your little paragraph about... “Hellenes in Cyprus moonlighting with God” is the STUPIDEST thing I’ve ever heard in my life!

[wyoming cowboy]

GR ....you IT specialist stay out of any discussions with any depth or imagination you lack both...now go set up a router somewhere

[Get Real!]

GR ....you IT specialist stay out of any discussions with any depth or imagination you lack both...now go set up a router somewhere

There was no such thing as “Hellenes of Cyprus” but CYPRIOTS as the Holy Scripture clearly verifies!

Why do you go and stand at an Orthodox Christian church with a candle in your hand, if you don’t even believe what the their scripture is screaming out to you?

[wyoming cowboy]

GR ....you IT specialist stay out of any discussions with any depth or imagination you lack both...now go set up a router somewhere

There was no such thing as “Hellenes of Cyprus” but CYPRIOTS as the Holy Scripture clearly verifies!

Why do you go and stand at an Orthodox Christian church with a candle in your hand, if you don’t even believe what the their scripture is screaming out to you?

I used to go to Orthodox churches, and hold a candle trying to find Jesus's so called paradise which has peace and tranquility, but after all those years of trying I realized the only place i found any peace and tranquility was when my face was between a woman's legs, maybe next time I'll shine a candle downthere and Ill find Jesus lurking down there also!

[GreekIslandGirl]

GR ....you IT specialist stay out of any discussions with any depth or imagination you lack both...now go set up a router somewhere

There was no such thing as “Hellenes of Cyprus” but CYPRIOTS as the Holy Scripture clearly verifies!

Why do you go and stand at an Orthodox Christian church with a candle in your hand, if you don’t even believe what the their scripture is screaming out to you?

Where does the Holy scripture verify "CYPRIOTS" as you (wrongfully) claim?

You really have run out of ideas, GR! We've covered all this before; and even your above quotes clearly state "men of Cyprus" who at that time were Greeks who spoke Greek (now that is in your scripture!). Consequently, any man of Cyprus who was NOT Greek had to be identified by his difference/minority status e.g. "a Levite from Cyprus" (again not verified as "CYPRIOT").

[yialousa1971]

GR ....you IT specialist stay out of any discussions with any depth or imagination you lack both...now go set up a router somewhere

There was no such thing as “Hellenes of Cyprus” but CYPRIOTS as the Holy Scripture clearly verifies!

Why do you go and stand at an Orthodox Christian church with a candle in your hand, if you don’t even believe what the their scripture is screaming out to you?

Where does the Holy scripture verify "CYPRIOTS" as you (wrongfully) claim?

You really have run out of ideas, GR! We've covered all this before; and even your above quotes clearly state "men of Cyprus" who at that time were Greeks who spoke Greek (now that is in your scripture!). Consequently, any man of Cyprus who was NOT Greek had to be identified by his difference/minority status e.g. "a Levite from Cyprus" (again not verified as "CYPRIOT").

Acts 11:19-24

20. Luke doth at length declare that certain of them brought this treasure even unto the Gentiles. And Luke calleth these Grecians not Ellenes, but Ellenistai. Therefore, some say that those came of the Jews, yet did they inhabit Greece; which I do not allow. For seeing the Jews, whom he mentioned a little before, were partly of Cyprus, they must needs be reckoned in that number, because the Jews count Cyprus a part of Greece.