Most visitors to Greece relate to its ancient past through monuments, museums, or, if they are really motivated, through books. Few, if any, are ever exposed to a real life display of faith in the twelve gods or ancient hoplite training.
This experience does, however, exist I found out a few weeks ago in early July. Every year during the first weekend of that month, thousands turn out in the foothills of Mount Olympus near the town of Litohoro to celebrate the Olympian gods and to re-create and, in some cases, re-relive the lives of the ancient Greeks.
The three-day long event is called “Promeithea” and has been going on since 1995, the brainchild of Tryphon Olympios, a professor and lover of ancient Greek philosophy. Olympios, a solemn, bearded man who might easily pass for an ancient philosopher himself, hopes that more and more Greeks tap into their ancient roots, particularly the ethics that made the region the cradle of Western civilization.
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| Promithea: The three-day event is punctuated by ancient poetry, lectures, music, dance, ceremonies and food [Credit: Greek Reporter] |
The three-day long event is called “Promeithea” and has been going on since 1995, the brainchild of Tryphon Olympios, a professor and lover of ancient Greek philosophy. Olympios, a solemn, bearded man who might easily pass for an ancient philosopher himself, hopes that more and more Greeks tap into their ancient roots, particularly the ethics that made the region the cradle of Western civilization.