On This day..

[Ozzie Geoff]

...in 450BC after 3 days resistance, King Leonidas of Sparta
and 1000 Greek soldiers were defeated by the Persians at the Battle
of Thermopylae.

Just thought I'd throw that in...

[Adriana]

Which just goes to show that there's been trouble in this part of the world for a very long time...

[John H]

When I was in Symi in July, I read Louis de Bernieres book 'Birds Without Wings'. As someone whose knowledge of European History was pretty well based on a wallchart when I was at school (in the 60's) showing how Prussia seemed to get smaller over the years before it disappeared, and the generally accepted view that there was always 'Trouble in the Balkans', I found it fascinating. Apart from being a rollicking good read, it gave a wonderful overview of the history of Turkey/Greece from the late Ottoman Empire days. It's a novel not a history book, so I can't guarantee it's historically accurate although I get the impression it might be, but I felt I finished the book knowing and understanding a hell of a lot more about the region than I did before. I'd recommend it to anyone who knows the area - and it's better than Captain Corelli!

[Colette]

bloody brilliant OG

[Ozzie Geoff]

Thanks Colette. ops:
I've checked my local library and it has a copy of "Birds Without Wings". Thanks JohnH, I'll have a flick thru it.

[Adriana]

Panos Karnezis' The Maze is also worth looking out for if you are interested in the subject. As is 'Farewell Anatolia" by Dido Sotiriou. This last is fact rather than fiction and obviously provided quite a lot of source material for 'Birds without Wings'.

Then there's the film 'Politiki Kusina' which I believe was released in English as 'A Touch of spice'. ops:

[Ozzie Geoff]

Nothing to do with Victoria Beckham, I hope, Adriana.

[Ozzie Geoff]

...in 1040 King Duncan of Scotland was murdered by Macbeth,
who then became king and ruled for 17 years.

Just thought you'd like to know.

[Richard]

And Macbeth was a very good king of Scotland.

[MacDuff]

Great topic OG Adriana is correct about the long history of trouble and I liked Richard's views on Macbeth Although civilization reached Britain - and Scotland long after Southern Europe, there is an interesting link between Greece and Scotland - they share a Patron Saint

[Ozzie Geoff]

Coincidentally, on THIS day, August 15th in 1057, Macbeth, the king of Scotland
was killed in battle by Malcolm, son of the late king Duncan*.

*Duncan was murdered by Macbeth, on the 14th August 17 years previously

[Richard]

Isn't Wiki wonderful?

[Ozzie Geoff]

Who's Wiki? What does she look like, not often you call a chick "wonderful", Dicky.

On this day in 1960 Britain granted independence to Cyprus with Bishop Makarios as president.
and then exactly 14 years later a ceasefire was signed between Turkish and Greek Cypriot forces, leaving about one third of Cyprus in Turkish hands; the Greek left wing leader Andreas Papandreou returned home after 6 years of self imposed exil.

[Mille]

Wiki is:

[Allan]

And thirty years ago today Elvis went to the toilet and never returned.

[Richard]

If you Google "Geoff wiki" it says that people with this name are often called "The juice". The mind boggles.

[Allan]

It gets worse Richard:-
[quote="Kojak"]

Sis - you could stick a pot plant on your Symi balcony and have a royal garden party! - and if I sell you a pair of KK socks I can have "By Royal Appointment" under the logo!
[/quote]

[MacDuff]

Let us call for a prolonged pregnant pause to enable OG "God" to think

[benedetti]

The initials of Damned Ozzie Geoff backwards....spooky!!!!!!!

[Ozzie Geoff]

Bless you, Sorella.
Yeah, it is a bit spooky, isn't it?
But don't worry folks, I have no delusions of grandeur or celestial
powers. ops:
I'm just an ordinary Joe Blow, a little Aussie battler, trying to make an honest quid.