Odysseas (4 days old) is burped by his
yiayia (grandmother) this very funny way....
Written on June 30th, 2014
Odysseas was a king of Ithaca, an island, people think is mythical, but most of the Greeks know it is not ...
Odysseas is a very important person in Greek and Western history and literature, but also in every Greek individual development. Every Greek knows well how life-wise was Odysseas, how well he had planned his life, and how much he had tried to achieve the goals he had set for himself. He is an ultimate alter ego of every Greek. Odysseas was one of the heroes of the Homer's Iliad, it was him who had an idea to build a wooden horse, which Trojans brought to their city and then.... lost the war. Of course Odysseas is a hero of the Odyssey, another literary marvel by Homer, a story of a human perseverance in living the life, doing the right things, and preserving the eternal love. Odysseas was the man who had chosen the right woman... Penelope.... she had waited for him for over twenty years, sure that he would be back....and he was back.
When we, Greeks, think about Odysseas, very often we have in mind Ithaca, a small poem written by Konstantinos Kavafys, where he tells that reaching the mythical Ithaca, the synonym of our goals, is not that important, what counts is the journey to Ithaca .....our life itself and our experiences...
From the beginning he says:
"Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη,
να εύχεσαι νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος,
γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις."
Odysseas is a very important person in Greek and Western history and literature, but also in every Greek individual development. Every Greek knows well how life-wise was Odysseas, how well he had planned his life, and how much he had tried to achieve the goals he had set for himself. He is an ultimate alter ego of every Greek. Odysseas was one of the heroes of the Homer's Iliad, it was him who had an idea to build a wooden horse, which Trojans brought to their city and then.... lost the war. Of course Odysseas is a hero of the Odyssey, another literary marvel by Homer, a story of a human perseverance in living the life, doing the right things, and preserving the eternal love. Odysseas was the man who had chosen the right woman... Penelope.... she had waited for him for over twenty years, sure that he would be back....and he was back.
When we, Greeks, think about Odysseas, very often we have in mind Ithaca, a small poem written by Konstantinos Kavafys, where he tells that reaching the mythical Ithaca, the synonym of our goals, is not that important, what counts is the journey to Ithaca .....our life itself and our experiences...
From the beginning he says:
"Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη,
να εύχεσαι νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος,
γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις."
"As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery."
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery."
Three weeks ago Odysseas joined our little family. He was born early morning on 8th of June. We were ready to name him Leonidas to celebrate a great Spartan king, but.... after he was born, the man I love looked at me and said " He does not look like Leonidas, he looks like Odysseas"
I stared at my son: he was curious, alert, and a bit surprised...he was Odysseas......
A little Spartan Odysseas was born thin and tall, but very strong; doesn't cry much, eats well, sleeps well, and most probably already plans his life..."a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery".....
I stared at my son: he was curious, alert, and a bit surprised...he was Odysseas......
A little Spartan Odysseas was born thin and tall, but very strong; doesn't cry much, eats well, sleeps well, and most probably already plans his life..."a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery".....
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