- You are Greek, you have the sea in your blood...

It is not for nothing that this line was chosen as an epigraph for my story; it typically reflects the character and mentality of a Greek man: a romantic man, a conquering man with a drop of blood from the Spartan kings and Odysseus.

About the good...

The mentality of the Greeks is very close to the Russian people. Sunny hospitality, cordiality, openness, responsiveness and goodwill are in their blood. For yourself and for the world local residents They watch simply and with pleasure, from ministers and financiers to traders at flea markets. It’s strange, but even in the current crisis period there is no atmosphere of despondency in the country.

If you need help, the Greek will do his best to solve your problem, you don’t even have to ask. And we're not just talking about tourist areas. I observe the situation: small car accident at the intersection - every witness is trying with all his might to help, those who know how - provide emergency medical care, others call the doctors, others call the police, others fence off the area. Crowds of onlookers, like in some places in Russia, are uncharacteristic for them.

The Greeks masterfully abstract themselves from pressing problems. Will a European who has been laid off from work today go out and have fun? Hardly. Lack of money or work is not a reason for a Greek to refuse a big holiday. He will relax to the fullest and have fun with everyone.

But the rest of the time, most Greeks are very hard-working, they work a lot, and the “working day” can start at 4 or 5 in the morning, they prefer to support their family on their own, refraining from employing their wives and helping relatives. And if we talk about those Greeks who occupy high position in society, then all the more so, “according to their status,” they are entitled to have a non-working wife, her lot being a house and children. Recent crises, of course, have slightly changed this line, and those who aggressively perceived their wives’ desire to work have reconsidered their priorities; now wives often make whatever contribution they can to the family budget.

So the widespread opinion about the pathological laziness of the Greeks, which exists in Russia and Europe, is nothing more than a myth. If we talk about Greek officials, they, of course, are not used to working hard at work, but it seems to me that this statement applies to the public sector in many countries around the world. Self-employed Greeks (hotel, restaurant business, service sector) often work “until they drop” - the working day for many lasts 10-12 hours, and hotel owners allocate only a few hours a day for rest during the season. But they have a goal - they need to live on what they earn during the season for the rest of the year.

It cannot be said about all Greeks that they are greedy and prudent, but the crises mentioned have significantly strengthened such a character trait as economy [For information on how to save while living in Europe, read our article here. Note. There is no specific stereotype here; personally, my husband is very generous and one might even say wasteful.

The Greeks are Orthodox Christians; in Greece, state and religious laws are strictly observed. National holidays: Christmas, Easter, Gynaikratia - Greek Women's Day, Independence Day and Okha Day, also birthdays of members of the beloved Greek football team🙂 Although it’s possible that this is just my husband’s “fad”, which he passes off as common Greek :)

And now about the disadvantages

I would also like to add to the overall positive picture some not-so-good facts that exist:

# Optional – for a Greek, not keeping a promise is “a piece of cake.”

# The Greeks are a carefree people who live for today and do not think about the problems of the future. The attitude towards life can be classified as serene and philosophical.

# A typical situation for a Greek is to spend a month's income in one evening. He can, at his own expense, feed all his friends with wine and snacks in the tavern, and even if tomorrow there will be money in his pocket, but the nice and generous Panagiotis, for example, will be remembered for a long time. It is precisely this carelessness that has caused the current economic crisis. The Greeks lived beyond their means for years, and, knowing about a possible default, did not take the necessary steps to stabilize the situation. But on the other hand, they really appreciate every moment they live and enjoy it 100%.

# Poor Greeks are extremely fond of purchasing some expensive thing to seduce stupid foreign women who are seduced by “glitter” and the illusion of a successful life. If a Greek starts talking very obsessively about meeting famous people and large quantities money in foreign accounts, wears a Rollex watch in a visible place with a short shirt, then most likely this is a bad candidate for a husband, but an excellent candidate for requests to borrow a “hundred” of bucks until tomorrow;

# Also in Russia, there are often cases when Greeks deceive Russian women, having families in their homeland. Greeks, excellent port workers and construction workers, often come for specialized contract work. When meeting a girl, they like to show sincerity and “persuade” the unhappy person into active mutual assistance and services of a “various” nature. Moreover, the best case is when such a representative of the Spartan nation simply goes home to his family, but it can be worse. about scammers and swindlers.

# The Greeks can be very cunning, but malice is very rare.

Relationships outside

The Greeks simply love their Greece! Every third person believes that the Greek language gave birth to all the words on earth (“logos” - word, knowledge, hence philology, etymology, biology, etc.), “gyneka” - woman, hence GYNECOLOGY, “bacteria” - stick, “ morph" - image, hence - MORPHOLOGY, etc.).

Every second person considers himself the direct great-great-grandson of Zeus (I’m exaggerating a little, but still...), and every first one is sure that the Greeks are the most best nation in the world. On account ancient nation- there is no doubt about it, but “the best” is a moot point. For more than 400 years, the Greeks lived under Ottoman rule, there were very few pure Greeks (incest was strong), but the Greeks hate the Turks to this day.

Families here are patriarchal, and respect for parents is undeniable. Parents, wife, children are in the main place in the life of any Greek.

In matters of marriage, many Greeks show an enviable amount of nationalism; they strive to marry a Greek woman. An important argument for such a decision is most often that the family here is the material support of life. If a Greek takes a local girl as his wife, then, accordingly, his family grows, together with new “brothers” a business is opened, projects are implemented, etc. And a foreign wife is just a wife. Therefore, for the most part, Greeks prefer their compatriots.

But, as they say, every rule has an exception, as happened with us. In any case, almost all Greeks hold on to their marriage; there is even a funny saying among the Greeks that any Greek would rather kill his wife, but never get a divorce (in a humorous context, of course).

The Greeks love children very much, as I wrote, family comes first for them. If a Greek man for some reason divorces the mother of his children, he in any case continues to take care of the children - both financially and spiritually, taking part in their upbringing. Such a concept as “father left the family,” for example, compare Russia, is unknown to the Greeks.

In conclusion, I want to say that there are no stereotypes of character, there are people - evil and good. I wish all girls to meet their piece of happiness in the face of another person.

June 19, 2014

ABOUT national character We can talk about the Greeks for an infinitely long time and still we will not be able to isolate and separately consider all of its tones and features. After all, the vast majority of the inhabitants of Hellas are by nature bright individualists who have their own view of life and are not afraid to oppose it public opinion. They are accustomed to defending only their own interests and in most cases are neutral towards any political, economic or cultural events that do not affect their personal little world.

Greek love of freedom

The only thing that no Greek will tolerate is an attack on his freedoms and the freedoms of his country. And this is not surprising, because modern Hellenes inherited the worship of democracy from their great ancestors, who actually invented it more than 25 centuries ago. At the slightest hint of infringement of its rights, this small people turns into a single formidable force, ready to rush at the enemy. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s the Turkish yoke (1821), fascist Italy (1941) or their own government (2010).

The emotionality of the Greeks

Another typically Greek feature, in addition to their love of freedom, can be considered their pronounced emotionality. The Greeks do not accept half measures in the manifestation of feelings. If they rejoice, then from the heart, if they cry, then sobbing, and even the famous thoughtfulness and steadfastness of the Greek fishermen is only confirmation of this feature of their character. After all, only a very emotional person can surrender to immersion in his inner world with the same passion with which he would indulge in the joy and fun of his own daughter's wedding.

Greek hospitality

We simply must mention the famous Greek hospitality, which the cheerful Hellenes, in fact, elevated to the rank of reverently revered national tradition. When you arrive in Greece, you will encounter him at almost every turn. The hotel staff will surround you with truly homely care and attention, in the store the owner will take your order with a kind, polite smile, and in the restaurant the manager will, with great joy and pleasure, tell you which dishes from the menu were especially successful for the chef today. If you have friends or business partners in Hellas, and you have to pay them a visit, get ready for a meeting in comparison with which even the vaunted Russian hospitality pales. This will not be just an ordinary dinner, but a real feast, where the tables are laden with delicious dishes, the wine flows like a river, and there is no end to the dancing and singing.

Well, in conclusion, we will consider two more traits that, being absolutely opposite to each other, coexist surprisingly harmoniously in the character of the Greeks. This is famous Greek piety and no less famous Greek business acumen.

Greeks and religion

Greeks take religion very seriously - they pray regularly and attend church at least once a week for confession and communion. In almost every Greek house you can see a beautiful carved or forged crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary, which Greek women consider their intercessor and patroness. When communicating with Greeks, it is better not to joke or philosophize on religious topics, since the interlocutor will either simply not understand you or will be very seriously offended.

Greek business spirit

As for the Greek business spirit, it is clearly visible in the vast majority of representatives of this people. The Greeks love to haggle and, without any hesitation, will try to reduce the price of both a cheap product from the market and an elite item from a fashion boutique. In business, the word “unethical” does not exist for them. They would rather condemn a simpleton who did not use his opportunities than a clever swindler who took everything from life without a trace. But with all this, the Hellenes know how to keep their word and always remain faithful to the concluded contracts, so that, having entered into a business partnership with one of them, you can be absolutely sure that he will go to the end and will not leave you in the middle of the road.

Holidays in Greece ‹ More about Greece ‹ Value system

The value system, behavior, manners and obsession of the Greeks

System of values

We live once!

Greeks know how to enjoy life to the fullest. They want to have a good time and live for their own pleasure here and now, and let tomorrow go to the devil! A Greek can waste a month's salary on one single feast and spend the remaining time before payday penniless, but with a satisfied grin on his face.
The Greeks manage to have fun even in situations that plunge other peoples into deep despondency. Their unbridled optimism is expressed in the common phrase “God willing!” and in the well-known “maybe” concept.
They tell a story about how, during the time of Turkish rule, a Greek made a deal with a qadi (su-
dyey) bet that in a year he will teach his donkey to read and write; in this case, he was supposed to receive a thousand gold coins, and if after a year the donkey remained illiterate, he would lose his head. The Greek borrowed money against future winnings, married a nice girl and lived happily ever after. A friend asked him, “Aren’t you going to do something to train the donkey?” “Bah!” answered the Greek. “In a year, either the donkey or the judge will probably die. They are both so old!”

If I were rich...

The cherished dream of every modern Greek is to get rich as quickly as possible, preferably without lifting a finger. But it would never occur to him to hide his wealth in a box. “After all,” they say, “there are no pockets in a shroud.”
On the contrary, they need money to spend it, and to show it off so that everyone will notice - on sports cars, dazzling jewelry (real, of course), clothes from famous couturiers, fur coats, country houses and baskets of flowers for performers in the nightclubs where they are regular customers. All the rest - successful career, successful marriage, family - comes in second place.
The old Cretan, proclaiming a toast, summed up this dream as follows: “To our future joys, friends! May we be kidnapped by lovely girls - and may we live a short but full life!”

Self-esteem

Philotimo - self-esteem is a value that the Greeks carefully protect and
put above everything else. It implies self-respect, honor, conscience, respect for others, fair play and debt. Usually, appealing to self-esteem can make a Greek rise above his circumstances. Showing disrespect or disregard for Kphilotimo is tantamount to losing face eastern peoples. This is a serious insult that requires revenge.

Behavior

Never throw grandma off the train!

Greek family bonds so strong that you can often find three or even four generations living in the same house, or at least close enough to literally shout to each other.
Despite the Greek "machismo", in eight cases out of ten the wife and mother are the non-nominal head of the family, especially in cities.
Looking at the picturesque photographs of Greek peasant women, loaded with bundles of firewood and obediently wandering behind their husbands, proudly sitting on donkeys, one can assume that the lives of these women are nothing better than life their sisters in Muslim countries. However, like many things in Greece, this appearance is deceiving.
The carefully hidden truth is that most Greek men live under the thumb of women, but they would rather die than admit it. Even middle-aged bachelors with own apartments, almost every day they visit their mother, who feeds them delicious food and irons their shirts perfectly.
For Greeks, a mother's cooking is always the most delicious, and therefore, when choosing a wife, a Greek will look for a girl similar to his mother. After all, the Greek proverb states that a wife is always like a mother-in-law, and Greek women are raised from childhood to be respectable mothers-in-law.
The older generation enjoys traditional respect in the family, even if the time has passed when they held the reins of power in their hands and when the children fulfilled their every whim. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that old people bring pensions into the house (sometimes quite significant), but most likely it is more important: after all, the children received everything from them on a golden platter until they became adults, so now they feel obligated to care for their elderly parents.
Besides, what will the neighbors say if they don't take care of their parents? They will be spoken of as if they had no philotimo at all.

They wouldn't let King Herod get anywhere near it!..

Stay away from Greek kids! Behind their angelic faces hide overfed, spoiled, boastful, demanding fiends of hell. These cute babies will destroy your house faster than a demolition team. Parents may yell at them for the sake of appearances (mainly when everyone else is sleeping sweetly), but they themselves spoil them terribly, yielding to the most reckless demands of their children.
As a result, most children develop all the worst qualities of the Greek character, and none of the best. Fortunately, healthy competition among peers, higher education, the army, work activity and other harsh realities of life, as a rule, cut them off, and such positive traits and virtues that no one even suspected.
Boys are much more spoiled worse than girls They should continue family name- therefore, nothing is too good for them, not to mention the belief of old women that refusal at a tender age can make a future man impotent. There are spankings, slaps, and terrible threats (“I'll skin you!”), but real discipline is rare.
Greeks adore their children and care for them endlessly until they find a good, stable job or get married. Relationships with parents are rarely broken, no matter what, and certainly do not degrade to the level of polite acquaintance so common in the rest of the Western world.

Other little things

The Greeks are one of the most non-racist nations in the world. If they tell racist jokes, it's because they can't resist the punchline of the story, not because they actually think anything bad of anyone.
The ancient Greeks said: “He who is not a Greek is a barbarian.” But, as the 3rd century BC orator Isocrates said, “We call those who share a common culture with us Greeks.” Modern Greeks think the same.
There are a lot of foreigners living and working in Greece (half of them illegally); among them are exchange students, political refugees and tourists who came for a week or two to relax, but after 10 years are still hanging out here.
The Greeks do not distinguish between individual ethnic and religious groups - rather, on the contrary, they are ready to bend over backwards to make “others” feel at home. However, this does not mean that the nightclub gatekeeper will let you in if he decides that you have no money or that you can expect trouble.

Dog life

The Greeks cannot be called such animal lovers, although you can often find elderly spinsters spending all their meager savings on a full house of stray cats and dogs. As a rule, keeping pets is a privilege of high society and those who try to imitate them.
The rest reserve their love for those animals that have at least some benefit. But if a Greek gets himself a cat or a dog, he will not allow them to sleep on the bed or run wildly around the house. IN big cities The fear of rabies (no cases of which have been reported for several decades) still forces mothers to warn their children: do not go near “those dirty dogs”!

Greek manners

In interpreting the word “freedom” in a peculiar way, the Greeks often confuse good manners with the servile obedience that they were forced to learn under the Turkish yoke in order to survive. As a result, they believe that politeness is only suitable for slaves.
Add to this an absolute aversion to discipline (which they are taught to do from the cradle), a desire to put everyone in their place, and a general tendency to lower standards (since it is always easier to move down than up) - and it will not surprise anyone that good manners are not are the strongest trait of the Greek character.
Greece does not have a class system with clearly defined boundaries; different classes mix freely, so bad manners can be found in the most unexpected places. Birth and good school do not provide a guaranteed right to a position in society, and the concept of a “social upstart” does not exist for the Greeks.
Since the titles of the nobility are prohibited by the constitution, what the Greeks call the upper classes are in fact the nouveau riche of today married to the nouveau riche of yesterday. This rich social dough is leavened with the addition of intellectuals, scientists, artists, senior managers and politicians.
Those few representatives of truly old families who can still afford to move in society decorate this social cake like decorative cherries. But most of the ancient families mentioned in the Venetian Golden Book, whose ancestry goes back to the Byzantine court and whose ancestors were powerful landowners and leaders of the past, have long since gone to the bottom financially. There may be quite a few of them left, but still not many enough to have a positive influence on the unmannered majority.
And so Greek manners are best described as superficial. Handshakes are for getting to know each other only. Friends say “Yia soul” to each other and kiss on both cheeks, regardless of gender or age. Bowing and kissing hands are reserved for priests of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Standing in line is practically an unprecedented experience. Greeks move and drive in an aggressive manner, and their actions are completely free from any concern for the well-being and peace of mind of others. Don't expect to be told "thank you" or "please" or anything resembling punctuality all the time, and don't expect Greeks to remain calm in a crisis. Those who do this will regret it later (if they survive, of course).

At the table

The table manners of the Greeks leave much to be desired. Elbows scurry back and forth, hitting neighboring plates; your neighbor may run into your shoulder in an unequal struggle with a stubborn piece of meat. And even in expensive restaurants it is not considered shameful to gnaw bones. People reach into shared dishes with appetizers and salads with their fingers and dip individual pieces of bread into the common sauce.
At the same time, everyone chats and chews without closing their mouths.
But what the Greeks lack in table manners, they more than make up for good mood and lively sociability. If you have at least a few Greeks at the table, even the most formal dinner is sure to ring with laughter - to the benefit of everyone present.

Greek obsession

The passion for easy money is one of the obsessions of the Greeks, as evidenced by numerous state lotteries, which create a couple of millionaires every week and at the same time provide the treasury with a decent income. For many Greeks, buying a lottery ticket is as common a habit as reading the morning newspaper, and once they buy a ticket, they begin to daydream about what they will do with all the money they win. This is how they spend their time dreaming until the day of the draw. The day of the draw (and, accordingly, disappointment) comes, and everything starts all over again - they buy new tickets and start dreaming again.
Greece may be a poor country, but most Greeks have more money than they can spend. Money pleases the enormously inflated ego of the new bourgeoisie, and it tries to advertise the amount of money it has with cars, furs and other acquisitions. This innocent desire to show off is understandable - most of the townspeople left their villages for big cities only 50-60 years ago, so their urban mentality has not yet formed - it will take at least two more generations for them to become a real middle class.
The enormous popularity of the soap operas Dynasty, The Bold and the Beautiful and their Greek imitations is matched only by Greek self-doubt. Through such films, they seem to live among all those items of prestige and wealth that they cannot or do not dare afford in real life. Equally popular are game shows, which, with prizes ranging from toasters to cars, quench the Greeks' thirst for easy riches.
One might expect the Greeks to be obsessed with their cultural heritage, but no. They are indifferent to him - as they say, the closer you know, the less you respect. The Greeks remember their famous ancestors only when their fame can serve some practical purpose.
But who they respect most are the heroes of the War of Independence. They are also terribly proud of the fact that in World War II they still continued to fight against the Axis powers, when the rest of Europe had already capitulated: “We no longer say that Greeks fight like heroes, we say that heroes fight like Greeks,” said Winston Churchill.
Greek national holidays - March 25 and October 28 - celebrate victories in these two wars with flags and emotions. The Greeks may be indifferent to classical Hellas, but as soon as anyone questions any of the heritage of their ancestors, modern Greeks will rise one and all to defend this heritage, since they perceive any disregard for their historical past as a personal insult, like infringement of their own philotimo.

Greek profile- a special interpretation of the profile of a human face, which is part of the canon ancient greek sculpture classical and Hellenistic eras. It is one of the most important characteristics of beauty of that period. In this sense, it was perceived by artists of the New Time, who were guided by fine arts to Ancient Greece.

Distinctive features are the line of the nose, which goes straight into the forehead with virtually no emphasis on the bridge of the nose. If the head is crowned with a helmet, then this line also merges with it. A relatively heavy chin is also noticeable.

In real life, it is extremely difficult to meet people with similar appearance, including among modern Greeks. General type: rectangular face, narrow subnasal area, rectangular eye sockets, high compact nose, developed cheekbones. Use of the expression in oral speech to describe someone's beauty in most cases is not true, since usually people really just intend to express admiration for the purity of the lines of the profile of the person being described. "Greek profile" is also not a synonym « long nose» (common mistake).

Researchers note that the initial folding of this type of image is most easily seen in Greek vase painting, where the Greek profile appears in the last stage of archaism. In the paintings of red-figure ceramics of this period, the proportions of faces change: their overall outline is leveled, the chin is shortened and heavier, and the forehead becomes lower and harder, while the nose shortens and becomes more vertical. In sculpture the principle appears a little later. Whipper explains that for the Greeks the relationship of individual features in such a face is determined not by psychological, but by plastic expressiveness, which was caused by their special love for the naked human body in action and its deep understanding.

Hegel, analyzing the Greek profile, concludes that it minimizes the “bestial” features inherent in the head: the mouth, chewing muscles, cheekbones, which remind of human physiology, and, on the contrary, accentuates the features denoting mental life - this is, first of all, beautiful forehead. In such a face, whose proportions are in absolute harmony, the forehead (usually not very high) receives an expression of firmness and stubborn mental concentration, speaking of the high merits of the person depicted.

A similar profile, which became the ideal of beauty, was endowed with images of gods and heroes: according to the Greek concept of kalokagathia (beauty and virtue are equal to each other), these positive characters had to be the most beautiful. At the same time, negative characters, even those opposing them in the same composition, were depicted with hooked “eagle”, flattened “monkey” noses.

The Benaki Museum of Greek Civilization displays a photograph of a "girl from Ipati" with a classic Greek profile and facial features. The Greek nose is also found among modern Greeks, for example, the artist Sakis Rouvas, the singer Dimos Anastasiadis. The Greek nose may have represented ideal facial beauty, probably due to its rarity.

Source:
Greek appearance
Greek profile is a special interpretation of the profile of the human face, which is part of the canon of ancient Greek sculpture of the classical and Hellenistic eras. Is one of the most important
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0 %BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C

Greek nose: what happened to the classic appearance of the Greeks?

Perhaps everyone has heard about the famous standard of beauty of the ancient Greeks - greek nose, all over the world the concept of classical beauty is associated with it. If countries could be associated with body parts, then Greece would undoubtedly get the face, along with the famous profile and characteristic Greek nose shape. For many years there has been debate about why these traits were considered ideal, were they really inherent to all Greeks, and is it now possible to meet people with a real Greek profile in Greece?

If you believe the canonical interpretations of Greek appearance, then the forehead of a typical Hellene smoothly blends into the line of the nose, and the bridge of the nose is almost not highlighted (except perhaps separated by a barely noticeable bend). The famous straight nose shape is perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Greek profile. Contrary to popular belief erroneous opinions, it is not synonymous with a big nose. But it seems that not all Greeks appreciate it: to this day, rhinoplasty remains the most popular appearance enhancement procedure in Greece. ??

It is unknown who first identified such features of Greek appearance. Some put forward the version that the Greeks themselves did it: the famous profile and nose are inherent in most ancient Greek frescoes and sculptures. Others argue: such an interpretation of the profile is simply an example of the ideal of beauty. This means that this type of appearance is more rooted in art than caused by physical characteristics real people. Heroes and gods were endowed with appearance that long defined the canons of beauty. But negative characters were depicted with flattened, hooked and “eagle” noses.

The figurative vessel is the head of a maiden. Athens, 5th-6th century BC

The very first examples of the image of a Greek profile can be seen on ancient Greek red-figure vases.

Female head, Idalion, 6th century BC.

Since the people and gods on them are drawn in profile, it is not difficult to form an idea of ​​the classic appearance for that era: a forehead line that turns into a nose and a weakly defined chin. Moreover, the forehead was certainly depicted as beautiful and large - this was a reminder of the high mental abilities of the person depicted and his merits.

Artemis with a swan, Athens, c. 5th century BC.

Over time, the idea of ​​ideal appearance has changed a little - the chin began to be depicted as pronounced. Thus, the Greek profile is not just a straight nose shape, but a combination with a smooth forehead line and an implicit emphasis on the bridge of the nose.

During the Hellenistic era, realistic busts and sculptures began to be created. They made me doubt the real existence of the so-called “Greek profile”. The types of appearance depicted on realistic busts proved that the ancient Greeks were no different from their contemporaries. They had different noses and profiles, and quite often were far from ideal. Since the 19th century, reflections on the topic “What happened to the classical Greek profile?” began to appear in newspapers and scientific works. and “Were there perfect faces? Many agreed that there were similar examples of appearance, but not all Greeks had such a profile.

Greek appearance - who is her typical representative? First of all, you should turn to the classic busts of heroes and gods. Hermes and Athena correspond to the ideal idea of ​​beauty. Excellent examples among famous sculptures- Venus de Milo, reconstructions of Athena Lemnia, Venus Tauride, Diadumen.

(photo can be viewed enlarged)

As you can see in the photo above, the Greek nose in men and the Greek nose in women are not too different, except perhaps a little in size. A Greek nose with a hump is no longer quite the same; we don’t see a single example of this in classical statues, and the Greeks themselves consider a straight nose to be the ideal.

But the image of Socrates does not at all correspond to Hellenic ideas of beauty, and even more so does not correspond to the idea of ​​an ideal profile. The great philosopher had bulging eyes, an upturned and flattened nose with wide nostrils - in general, by ancient standards he was downright ugly. If you believe the descriptions, he was incredibly similar to the Sileni - satyrs, who were often depicted as drunk and who were characterized by demonic qualities.

Greek philosopher Socrates

The portrait of the orator Demosthenes also bears little resemblance to the classical ideal of beauty:

Greek orator Demosthenes

Of the modern owners of the Greek profile, the most prominent representatives are actresses Irini Pappa (Irene Papas):

Greek actress Irene Papas

and the unforgettable Ellie Lambethi,

Greek actress Ellie Lambeti

singer Elena Paparizou.

Greek singer Elena Paparizou

Among men, Sakis Rouvas has a Greek nose, almost in its classical sense.

Greek singer and artist Sakis Rouvas

IN ordinary life It is possible to see a Greek profile in Greece, although this happens extremely rarely. But the presence of striking examples confirms: such an appearance existed and exists. Another thing is that she was not “the only true one.”

Have you met people with a Greek profile? Still, the Greek nose is found not only in Greece...

Hello everyone! Our competition “Olive - my love” continues.

A film that deals with the topic Greek mythology, success is certainly destined.

Dear readers, I continue our “Friends and Guests” section. Today is yours.

Today we have new topic on the site “My Greece” - hairstyles in Greek.

25 Responses to

Congratulations on the spring holiday!
We wish you with all our hearts
May your life be bright,
Let it be strewn with roses
Your life path to end.

We wish you truth, happiness, kindness
Extraordinary and dream come true
We wish on the light, we wish on the stars
We wish you laughter and happy tears.

Thank you, Svetlana! And you and spring holiday!

about the nose, of course it’s cool! HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL LADIES.

Thank you, Sergey!

Happy first spring holiday, dear women!

Mikhail, thanks for the congratulations! And for your story - a wonderful addition to the article. And to that girl who has matured a long time ago, God bless her!

The Greek nose can also be found in Russia, interesting article. Happy Women's Day, Elena!

Interesting thoughts on the Greek profile. We are really more accustomed to his historical portraits, but now I thought that in Russia, I probably met a few people with a Greek profile among my friends, I know one for sure, but in Bulgaria I met more such people. Perhaps the proximity of the countries influenced this??

Olya, of course - this is the Balkans, everything is mixed up here...

Source:
Greek nose: what happened to the classic appearance of the Greeks?
What is the difference between a Greek nose and a Greek profile, the classic Greek nose of Ancient Greece and modern times
http://elramd.com/grecheskij-nos/

People of Greece

Although they say that the people of Greece are the descendants of the Gods, what is the most ancient man lived in Greece more than nine thousand years ago, and that the Greeks are the founders of the sciences and arts, they do not consider themselves great at all. Friendly? Yes! Do they love football? Yes! Do they admire women? Yes!

In Georgia, the Greeks are called “berdznebi” (“sages”), and Greece is called “saberdzeneti”, that is, “land of the sages.”

These people mainly ate fish. Moreover, the fish whose bones were found in the cave were never found near the shore, which means that the ancients were not afraid to go out into the open sea and were well versed in navigation. As a result of searches in the cave, pottery and grain vessels were also found, which confirmed scientists’ guesses that the ancients knew how to cultivate the land. Of particular interest were tools made from obsidian. The fact is that this material was present only on the island of Milos, located one hundred kilometers from the continent. Today, scientists are confident that the Fraghti cave was inhabited by Neanderthals, and perhaps a new study will answer the question of why the Neanderthals disappeared while homo sapiens survived.

State lottery draws weekly “make” one or two millionaires, and at the same time provide the state treasury with good income. For many Greeks, buying a lottery ticket is a habit that has become as common as buying a morning newspaper.

People in Greece are proud, which is typical of southern European peoples. But it should be noted that the Greeks have reasons to be proud. The names of their ancestors alone are worth the great scientist and philosopher Aristotle, the father of mathematics, Pythagoras, great thinker Socrates, the father of chemistry Archimedes, the father of philosophy Plato, the father of medicine Hippocrates, the famous ancient sculptor Phidias, and great commander Alexander the Great and many others.

Greeks are very proud that Greece still continued to fight in World War II against the Nazis while everyone European countries have already capitulated. “Now we no longer say that Greek warriors fight like heroes - we say that heroes fight like Greeks,” Churchill said.

Greece in Greek is Hellas, and the Greeks are Hellenes and Hellenids (as they call themselves). More than half of the population is employed in the tourism business: there are few industrial enterprises.

Every morning before school starts, children read a prayer. First day school year Instead of the director, the priest greets the children, wishing them successful studies. In Greece, young people want to work as teachers. But the young specialist does not choose his place of work: he is sent to a particular city or village by the Department of Education, located in Athens. The teacher can only agree or not, or wait for other proposals. In schools, half of the teachers are men. The profession of a teacher is a budgetary one, therefore it is paid. And the teacher earns “no worse than other” state employees. In hospitals, the reception desk staff is also men. And the store clerks are men. Of course, women work too, it’s just unusual to see men in a pastry shop, packing cakes.

The Greeks only accept handshakes during introductions. When friends meet, they say “Hello” (“Yia sou”) to each other and kiss each other on both cheeks. This greeting does not depend on gender or age. The Greeks reserve kissing hands for clergy. Orthodox Church Greece.

Now about the Greeks themselves. Greek names They are not particularly diverse. Grandfather, son and grandson have the same name. When you meet a Greek, you can be sure it’s Yirgos, Yannis, Kostas or Dimitris. The names Panayiota, Maria, Vasiliki are popular among women. Women themselves may forget their full name– they’ve been called diminutives all their lives. IN last years the fashion has come to be called in the English manner: Yorgos - George, Yannis - John.

Greeks love to communicate on a cell phone. Thanks to various offers from companies, they have the opportunity to talk for free for a long time. Which they enjoy using. Basically, Greeks are friendly and hospitable people, polite in communication: they will show you the way, explain anything you don’t understand. Greeks are not aggressive. There are almost no fights in bars. At most, they will shout and wave their hands, after a while they will calm down and communicate as if nothing had happened. Greeks love coffee. With ice. And without. They sit in cafes for a long time, discuss the news and are in no hurry to go home.

Even today, Greeks can read many ancient texts without much difficulty due to the fact that the language has not undergone significant changes over thousands of years.

Loved by the Greeks folk music, which is listened to in bouzoukya. Usually musicians are invited to this party, wine is drunk and folk dances are performed. My favorite dance is no, not sirtaki, but zeybekiko, similar to the dance of a drunken sailor. Performed, as a rule, by one man. The audience sits in a circle and applauds. One got tired, the next one entered the circle.

The Greeks' favorite food is souvlaki (like shawarma) with fried potatoes. Both children and adults eat it, often and in large quantities. This is Greek fast food. Wash it down with Coca-Cola. Favorite Greek saying: “When other nations were still climbing trees and eating bananas, the Greeks were already suffering from cholesterol.” They drink little. They get drunk quickly. But they behave decently. Greek men know how to appreciate feminine beauty: when they see a beautiful woman, they will definitely demonstrate their admiration in some way. Flirting in Greek is called kamaki. Greeks “do kamaki” (flirt) with pleasure and often.

The following stereotype is popular regarding the differences in appearance between ancient and modern Greeks:

Greeks supposedly were there before all light, with with the right features faces. That's what it says in ancient Greek poems. And the fact that they are completely different now is the consequences of the Turkish conquest.

"Recent genetic research Greek populations provided evidence of statistically significant continuity between ancient and modern Greeks." (Wikipedia).

The myth about fair-haired people is explained very well on the Greek forum:

Thanks to user Olga R.:

“The Greeks were never a “homogeneous” ethnic group. From ancient times, they were divided into two tribal groups: the Ionians (Achaeans) and the Dorians (within these groups there were also subgroups, but this is not relevant to the subject of our conversation). These tribes differed from each other each other not only in culture, but also in appearance. The Ionians were short, black-haired and dark-skinned, and the Dorians were tall, fair-haired and light-skinned. The Ionians and Dorians were at odds with each other, and both tribal groups mixed completely only in Byzantine times. this is not entirely appropriate: in geographically isolated areas - for example, on some islands - a relatively pure Ionic or Doric type can still be found.

The Greeks of the Black Sea region (Ponti-Romans, Azov Rumians, Urums, etc.), like the rest of the Greeks, are also very heterogeneous: among them there are both pure Ionians and Dorians, and mixed type(The Black Sea region has been populated for many centuries by people from different areas Greece). Therefore, some Greeks in Ukraine may well differ from some Greeks in Greece - but, of course, not all and not from everyone. For example, if you go to Crete, you will find there as many “white and curly” Greeks as you like (most Cretans have retained the Doric type of appearance)."

“Then where did such a “classical” Greek image come from and take hold?

Thanks to the "Western European artists of the 17th-19th centuries. They depicted the ancient Greeks as similar to themselves, their loved ones - that is, to the Germans, Dutch and other Western Europeans. Hence the "stereotype" (not at all based on historical data.

“White-haired blonds are also, of course, called “ξανθοι” (what else can you call them?) But if you hear or read this word in relation to a Greek, it means light brown hair.”

"Homer describes Odysseus as a typical Ionian: dark and black-haired."

"...The fact is that the appearance of the ancient Greek gods was, as it were, a symbol of their essence - that is, it depended not on how the admirers of these gods looked, but on the “properties” of the gods themselves. Thus, Apollo’s golden hair is a symbol The "gray" eyes of Athena are actually not gray, but "owl": A8hna glaukwphs (the interpretation of this word as "gray" appeared because the ancient Greek word glaux - "owl" - was confused by modern translators with the word glaukos - “gray” or “blue”). The owl was a symbol and one of the incarnations of the goddess Athena; many scientists believe that Athena was originally the goddess of death and was revered in the form of an owl (a typical Neolithic image of death and burial). Athens with the head of an owl."

What is it? Where did the sculptures with “Greek profiles” (i.e., with the absence of the bridge of the nose) come from? Where did the descriptions of golden-haired people come from? Let's even say that it was blondes who were mentioned. Well, the gods can do anything! They must be different from mere mortals by definition. The absence of the bridge of the nose seemed to hint at such an origin. On the contrary, scoundrels and commoners were depicted with prominent eyebrows. It's a question of symbols. Greek art wasn't realistic at all.

Tnm, if you look at the busts of philosophers and imagine them in natural colors. And it’s even easier - check out the pictures Everyday life, where simple collective farmers are depicted - on a red-figure vase painting. Or even, as it were, gods, but in the clothes of mere mortals:

Classic Mediterranean type! Curly dark hair. And the profile, initially stylized to resemble the canon, later becomes more and more realistic.

The Italians, who never knew the Turkish occupation, look approximately the same. They have a different theme: the earliest Romans looked like the northern French of today. And then the blood of slaves from the Middle East was mixed in. Well, maybe. But this does not deprive them of classification among the “true Aryans”:

Moreover, southern Italians (i.e., residents of Naples and Sicily) are in many ways descendants of Greek colonists.

This is what the inhabitants of these areas looked like in ancient times:

And most importantly, look carefully at these faces. They can be dark-skinned and brown-eyed. But common origin, one way or another, it is felt. Here's Despina Vandi, for example:

And here is a Greek collective farmer from the film “The Day When All the Fish Floated Up.” Isn’t this an ancient Greek bust of a philosopher?):

Yes, no matter how many times I looked at all sorts of Greek mosaics, vases, frescoes - all curly.

Why were the Achaeans and Dorians at war? How was this expressed? Ancient Greece, this is essentially a bunch of policies, city-states, warring and collaborating, was the population in them homogeneous and consisted of one type or not?

Why is it that fair hair is a cool sign (as far as I know, most of the gods were fair-haired), but large brow ridges are not?

Answer

Sorry for not answering right away. Pre-holiday chores, sir)

In fact, here ordinary story, when a nation is formed, over time, gradually from different ethnic groups, closely related, and sometimes not so closely related. The fragmentation of a single civilization at different stages is also natural. The Achaeans created the Mycenaean civilization in the 2nd millennium BC. The fight against Crete, where the evil Minotaur is, and the war with Troy are from that era. The Dorians, although they spoke a similar language, lived to the west for a long time, and compared to the Achaeans, they almost climbed trees.

The "Catastrophe" has arrived Bronze Age". Due to difficult conditions, the Dorians invaded the borders of the mentioned power. Parts of the Achaeans had to be evacuated, where they joined the “peoples of the sea” who pirated in the Mediterranean.

At first it looked almost like an invasion of barbarians in animal skins. But during the Greek “Dark Ages” the conquerors assimilated some of the achievements of the conquered, mixed with them, and, coupled with their progressive energy and the achievements of the advancing Iron Age, eventually gave life to what in our understanding is classical Ancient Greece.

In total, four branches played a role in the formation of the ancient Greek ethnos: the Achaeans, Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians.

Some kind of memory was preserved locally. The people of Athens remembered that they used to have a great civilization, and that they were mainly descendants of the Achaeans. The Spartans were Dorians in their purest form. The Ionians eventually ended up in the east - in Asia Minor and on the adjacent islands. There, apparently, the connections with the existing local population turned out to be quite significant. Due to mixing with which, the Ionians, presumably, acquired a characteristic southern appearance.

Of course, there were differences on the ground. Even in our time, for example, we distinguish between northern and southern Russians. There are different dialects. In Greece to this day, depending on the region, either the Dorian or the Ionian type prevails. According to the records of one well-known knowledgeable guy on the Internet, known simply as the Greek (he even starred in one of the “Dinner Party” programs), indigenous people The countries now, for the most part, are of the European type, but repatriates from the CIS countries are, as a rule, Ionians.

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