Dawn of a New Day and a New Year

The games were over now. The gathered armies scattered,
each man to his fast ship, and fighters turned their minds
to thoughts of food and the sweet warm grip of sleep.

But Achilles kept on grieving for his friend,
the memory burning on . . .
and all-subduing sleep could not take him,
not now, he turned and twisted, side to side,
he longed for Patroclus' manhood, his gallant heart.

What rough campaigns they'd fought to an end together,
what hardships they had suffered, cleaving their way
through wars of men and pounding waves at sea.

The memories flooded over him, live tears flowing,
and now he'd lie on his side, now flat on his back,
now facedown again. At last he'd leap to his feet,
wander in anguish, aimless along the surf, 

until dawn appeared with her rosy finger flaming over the sea and shore 

would find him pacing.

 from Homer’s Iliad Book XXIV 

Parker Solar Probe acquired the first ever photo taken from inside the sun’s corona. The bright streak is a coronal streamer. Up to now, all photos of the sun have been taken from a great distance, either from ground or from telescopes in space given the sun’s extreme heat. The sun is a magnificent, hot, glowing ball of gas with its enormous hot plasma and bright coronal streamers streaking out into the surrounding blackness that matches Homer’s magnificent descriptions of sun’s rays at Dawn in both the Iliad and Odyssey. 

Today, at the dawn of the New Year, my favorite description of Dawn by Homer is… Dawn appeared with her rosy fingers.  I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Last Sail in 2018

My brother Nikos, steering Okyrhoe, to her winter berth.  They are near Patroclus islet and not far from cape Sounion.

Closing towards cape Sounion with a storm looming in the east. 

The sun lights a rock of the precipice at Sounion at sunset. Cape Sounion is surrounded on three sides by the sea and is where king Aegeas waited for his son Theseus return from Crete. 

Cape Sounion which the Venetians called Capo Colonne is noted for its temple of Poseidon, one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Greece. 

Cape Sounion is close to the city of Lavrio, which in antiquity was called Thorikon.  It was known for its silver mines the proceeds from which supported the rise of Athens to the most important city in Classical Greece.

Christmas Star

The star of Bethlehem or Christmas star is a major seasonal symbol for most of the world, and it is referred in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament (Matt 2:2, 7-10, King James Version). 

As we don’t know the exact day Jesus was born and the Bible does not say, leaving us though few clues such as the shepherds were out in the field “keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8), something it was likely done in the spring when lambs were born. 

As few astronomical records exist, it is likely that the star of Bethlehem was a nova or supernova, a previously unseen star that suddenly brightened the night sky. Indeed, one such star was recorded by the Chinese in the spring of 5 B.C, and was seen for more than two months.

Another hypothesis is that the Christmas star was likely the planet Jupiter or a conjunction of Jupiter with two other planets, Saturn and Mars. According to astronomers a series of such conjunctions took place in 6 and 5 B.C.  Planets bore great astrological or mystical significance to the ancients.

   

As planets and stars move from east to west during the night it make sense that the kings followed the phenomenon as according to the Scriptures they came from the east most likely Persia.  Thus it appears that Jesus birth was likely in the spring, probably between the years 7 and 4 B.C. 

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!

The leaves fall and the generations pass

Like the generations of leaves, 

So are the lives of mortal men.

Now the wind scatters the old leaves 

Across the earth,

And when the spring comes round again

The living timber bursts with new buds.

And so with men, 

One generation comes to life 

While another dies away.

From Homer’s Iliad

In memory of Norbert (Nobby) Enslen a good man, father and husband who passed peacefully at the age of 68.

Heavens

Suddenly I saw

The heavens

Unfastened

And open,

Planets,

Palpitating plantations

The darkness perforated

Riddled

With arrows, fire and flowers

The overpowering night, the universe

And I, tiny being

Drunk with great starry

Void

Likeness image of 

Mystery

Felt myself a pure part of

The abyss.

I wheeled with the starts.

My heart broke loose with the wind

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)

Medicanes

Mediterranean cyclones are called Medicanes from the words Mediterranean and Hurricanes.  They usually form in the sea between Spain, Sardinia and Corsica or in the Ionian Sea. Medicanes usually happen in the fall and winter and move from west to east.  

Medicanes are rare phenomena and are similar with the tropical cyclones but are weaker because the Mediterranean Sea is smaller comparing to the oceans and her waters are not as warm. 

Although not as ferocious as their tropical cousins Medicanes have a center, have very strong winds in their periphery, causing huge waves and torrential rainfalls. 

Medicanes frequency is 1-2 per year.  Greece’s last Medicane was in 1995. This time the cyclone skirted the south coast of Peloponnese and reached Athens on Saturday September 29, 2018.

The strong winds uproot trees and down power lines and cause all kind of property destruction. 

Swollen rivers take cars parked near their banks in their turbulent waters downstream.  

The strong winds and waves result in sinking of boats even in harbors.

Although the advice to people in regions involved by hurricanes to move inland and away from the coasts some elect to ignore such warnings and go to the shore to see the large waves and feel the strong winds.

Tourists in the vicinity of the Acropolis of Athens look happy even if the gusty winds will destroy their umbrellas.

Fires

On July 23, 2018 three fires erupted near Athens with the one at the coastal resort town of Mati being catastrophic.  In the picture the flames are advancing fanned by strong winds.

Dense smoke is advancing in the main road that connects the fields of Marathon with Athens.

Unfortunately instead of turning cars back on the main road, Marathon Avenue, police created diversions and sent drivers heading towards the area about to be devastated by the fire. This created a traffic jam and panic with hundred of cars being burned and creating further destruction.

A house totally engulfed by flames.

Hundreds of people were forced into the sea to escape the flames.   Those in the sea had to wait for hours until help arrived primarily from local fishermen.

Sadly 99 persons lost their lives and 24 are still in hospitals 4 of who are in critical condition.  They either burned to death, suffocated by smoke or drowned.  In one area, the bodies of 26 adults and children who appeared to have died hugging each other were found.  The government said the fires were started by arsonists and blamed illegal construction for blocking escape routes.   No arsonist was found as of the day of this writing. 

In my opinion the extent of the death and destruction was caused by the reasons below:

1.  Incompetent officials did not alert the people of the affected area and did not enforced evacuation. 

2. Dry undergrowth in vacant lots is present in every suburban neighborhood. Municipalities and owners alike ignore it although common sense dictates that it is the perfect kindle to start and propagate a fire.

3. The common practice of throwing cigarettes from cars instead of extinguishing them in the car’s ashtray.  It is noteworthy that 34 per cent of Greeks are smokers.

4. The present and previous governments tolerated the illegal home construction without due consideration of city planning.  

5.   Hot and dry summers in Greece.

6.   Strong seasonal winds in the summer.

7. The pan-European emergency number 112 that was supposed to be operational in 2016 is not functional as of this day in Greece.

8.  Finally, another danger lurks and will claim victims in the future.   As the many first responders (firefighters, police officers and volunteers) did not wear masks during the clean up operation.  It is not only lung injury from exposure to smoke, but exposure to asbestos a prevalent material in the homes that were ruined that will cause diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer many years down the road when the fire at Mati will be a distant memory.

The mishandling of the fires by the authorities has already been widely criticized by residents caught up in the disaster and the media alike.  It is time the glaring mistakes to be corrected and the incompetent authorities to be brought to justice and pay for their mistakes which if not corrected will result in similar tragedies. Unfortunately, the failings from Greek politicians and public sector authorities alike will have to be examined: The toxic mixture of corruption, carelessness, deferral of responsibility are the reasons that disasters like at Mati are all too common.  It is my hope and wish that the pain and anger from this disaster become a springboard for fundamental reforms that will address the deep-seated flaws of Greek bureaucracy, flaws that do not allow for a functioning state to be developed.