SPARTA -- I never knew much about my Greek grandfather except he came from
Sparta, Greece, and was a restaurant owner. He helped other Greeks in the
family to come to America. My grandfather died before I was born, therefore
I didn't know him. My father's mother was Irish, whom my grandfather met
once he had arrived in America. They had eight children. My grandmother also
died before I was born. My father never talked about his childhood or
parents. So until recently when I took a real interest in family genealogy,
I didn't know where in Greece, except maybe Sparta, my grandfather was from.
Searching on the Internet, I found one Hanzakos in Michigan who said she
knew my grandfather was related to her grandfather. She knew that her
grandfather was from the Mani, Peloponnese area of Greece.
Having visited many Web sites telling about the Mani, Greece area, I had
learned that the Maniots (people of Mani) had originally descended from the
original Spartans and were freedom fighters over the centuries, never having
been conquered by the Persians or Turks throughout the centuries. Instead,
they left the original Sparta and moved into the mountains of Mani in
Southern Greece. There, they built stone castles and towers in which they
lived and fought off any invaders. The area is very rough with little to no
water, so it was difficult for any invader to remain there and fight for any
length of time. And it was not worth it in the long run to do so. The
Maniots maintained the original way of speaking Greek just as in the Spartan
days: short and to the point. Over the centuries, many battles were fought
against invaders such as the Persians and, later, the Turks. The Maniots
joined the Venetians twice to fight the Persians, whom they considered the
worse of two evils. But even later when Greece was overrun by the Turks, the
Maniots remained free. They were told to pay a tax to the Turkish King but
were left alone regardless of whether they paid or not.
For that reason, during the wars that broke out in the 1800s against the
Turks, the Maniots chose to change the motto on their battle flag from
"Freedom or Death" to "Victory or Death" because they considered themselves
as always having been free. The Maniot flag had a blue cross on a white
background. This is opposite the flag of Greece, which is blue with a white
cross. The Maniot Freedom fighter flag can still be found flying when you
visit Mani.
There are two other mottos that are endeared to the hearts of the Greek
people. One is "Molon Labe," which means "Come take them." This is the reply
sent by King Leonidas to the Persian King Xerxes when Xerxes and over
300,000 men ordered Leonidas with his 7,000 men at the Thermopylae pass to
lay down their weapons. Leonidas then sent all but his 300 Spartans and some
volunteers back to Sparta to form a defense while they held the pass against
Xerxes' entire army, knowing they would all die in the end.
The other motto is "ę tan ę epi tas," which when translated means "either
this or upon this." This is what a Spartan mother told her son as she gave
him a shield and sent him off to war; a more complete translation would be
"Bring back the shield or come home dead on it." As cold-hearted as it may
sound, dishonor was worse than death in those days. Spartans lived for only
one thing, The State: Sparta, or Lacedaemia in the ancient times. This is
why the Lambda, or "L," shows up on many Spartan shields.
Some people like myself, who were in the military and spent most of their
lives in uniform of one sort or another, understand the deep feelings of
loyalty, dedication to duty, and love of country that the Spartans felt.
From when I was 11 years old and in a Scout uniform, I remained in uniform
until I retired -- first the military and then as a police officer in the
Washington, D.C. area. I fought on the streets in every riot in Washington,
D.C. that the '60s and '70s produced, from a small riot in Anacostia in D.C.
to the riots of Maryland University during the Vietnam War. When it was time
to retire, my wife and I needed a place where we could live on a pension.
Rand McNally wrote a book on places to retire. Where did we end up? With a
Sparta, Tennnessee address. Just a coincidence, or was it?
I was thrilled to think that I descended from the greatest fighting men in
all time. But in my search, I could not find a "Hanzakos" in ancient Greece.
Then one day, I found an island near Crete and there I saw two cities side
by side: Handros and Zakros. I was shocked -- did I just become descended
from sheep herders? Although, there are those that would prefer that than be
descended from a people who seemed as hard as the rocks they lived on. I
tried to learn whether Handros and Zakros were some sort of roots for my
namesake. But having been in contact with a Greek who now lives in Canada, I
was told it was just a coincidence because Greeks with a name ending in
"-akos" come from the Laconia side of Mani, Greece. And he had no doubt that
my family was from that area. But I was not convinced, so I kept looking.
Then on a Web site about the Maniots, I read just what he had said. It told
that Greek names with one ending meant you were from Messenia and ending
with "-akos" you were from Laconia in Mani. Since the original towns of Mani
are mostly gone anyway, it would be useless to try to find the exact town my
grandfather or his ancestors were from. He may have spent his adult life in
Sparta itself, just as many young Maniots today, and then moved to Athens to
make a living. It does not matter, because my ancestors were Maniots
descended from the Spartans and that answers the questions I have always had
about why I am what I am.
I decided I wanted to leave a family heirloom so that what I have learned
about my heritage is not forgotten by future generations. Our local jeweler
suggested I contact Gemstone Designs in Knoxville about having a ring made
up. He said that they have the equipment and ability to make any kind of
ring I wanted. I mailed Bill Patty at Gemstone Designs and told him my idea
for a ring. I wanted a likeness of King Leonidas on top. I wanted a Spartan
shield on one side and a Maniot Freedom Fighter flag on the other side. I
also wanted the motto "Victory or Death" in Greek. All this on one little
ring. Bill told me the ring would be large but it could be done. I looked at
Spartan shields and chose one that I felt was a good phalanx shield, the
Spartans being famous for the phalanx battle formation. I also wanted
crossed spears so that there was no doubt that it was a shield. The flag had
to have white with a blue cross. Bill said that was not a problem. Then Bill
asked me if I wanted my name on the ring. I had not thought of that, but
once he did, it had to be on there. After all, what is a family heirloom
without a family name or crest on it? Bill suggested we add another motto:
"Molon Labe." I didn't know where he would fit that one but he managed. Now
the ring had everything it needed, to tell what I felt about being a son of
Sparta. Little did I know one year ago that today I would be saving for a
trip to a remote area of Greece hoping to find what it was that made Maniots
love their Laconia so much. I thought I was being very original in my
choosing a Spartan shield for my ring. But I found that many of the military
units of Greece have used Spartan shields when forming a unit battle flag.
Published April 06, 2007 2:06 PM CDT
Very curious.
"Agamemnon" <agam...@hello.to.NO_SPAM> wrote in message
news:ROednZ2NFPXtJYvb...@eclipse.net.uk...
Couldn't tell you. Don't know any people like that in the region (sarcasm).
But i'll tell you who it ISN'T ......... It ain't the TURKS and the
SUBSAHARAN GREEKS who squat on Macedonian soil!
"Protagoras" <gemin...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1175896515.8...@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
Yawn.
"Nashton" <na...@na.na> wrote in message
news:lsCRh.19323$EJ6....@newsfe24.lga...
> Yawn.
You only have to look here to see that the Fyrom Slavic majority,
like yourself, are simply West Bulgarians and have no connection to
'Macedonia' anything:
In a letter to Prof. Marin Drinov of May 25, 1888 Kuzman Shapkarev writes:
"But even stranger is the name Macedonians, which was imposed on us only 10
to 15 years ago by outsiders, and not as something by our own
intellectuals... Yet the people in Macedonia know nothing of that ancient
name, reintroduced today with a cunning aim on the one hand and a stupid one
on the other. They know the older word: "Bugari", although mispronounced:
they have even adopted it as peculiarly theirs, inapplicable to other
Bulgarians. You can find more about this in the introduction to the booklets
I am sending you. They call their own Macedono-Bulgarian dialect the
"Bugarski language", while the rest of the Bulgarian dialects they refer to
as the "Shopski language". (Makedonski pregled, IX, 2, 1934, p. 55; the
original letter is kept in the Marin Drinov Museum in Sofia, and it is
available for examination and study)
Here is the text in the original:
"No pochudno e imeto Makedonci, koeto naskoro, edvay predi 10-15 godini, ni
natrapiha i to otvqn, a ne kakto nyakoi mislyat ot samata nasha
inteligenciya... Narodqt obache v Makedoniya ne znae nishto za tova
arhaichesko, a dnes, s lukava cel ot edna strana, s glupeshka ot druga,
podnoveno prozvishte; toy si znae postaroto: Bugari, makar i nepravilno
proiznasyano, daje osvoyava si go kato sobstveno i preimushtestveno svoe,
nejeli za drugite Bqlgari. Za tova shte vidite i v predgovora na izpratenite
mi knijici. Toy naricha Bugarski ezik svoeto Makaedono-bqlgarsko narechie,
kogato drugite bqlgarski narechiya naricha Shopski."
And here:
Reference source for Gotse Delchev's numerous utterings of 'We are
Bulgarians'......
http://www.ucc.ie/staff/jprodr/macedonia/macmodnat2.html
Even Gotse Delchev, the famous Macedonian revolutionary leader, whose nom de
guerre was Ahil (Achilles), refers to "the Slavs of Macedonia as
'Bulgarians' in an offhanded manner without seeming to indicate that such a
designation was a point of contention" (Perry 1988:23).
In his correspondence Gotse Delchev often states clearly and simply, "We are
Bulgarians" (MacDermott 1978:192,273).
And here:
For fair use only.
http://members.tripod.com/~dimobetchev/documents/ilinden.htm
" Considering the critical and terrible situation that the Bulgarian
population of the Bitola Vilayet found itself in and following the ravages
and cruelties done by the Turkish troops and irregulars, ... considering
the fact that everything Bulgarian runs the risk of perishing and
disappearing without a trace because of violence, hunger, and the upcoming
misery, the Head Quarters finds it to be its obligation to draw the
attention of the respected Bulgarian government to the pernicious
consequences vis-a-vis the Bulgarian nation, in case the latter does not
fulfill its duty towards its brethren of race here in an imposing fashion
which is necessary by virtue of the present ordeal for the common Bulgarian
Fatherland...
...Being in command of our people's movement, we appeal to you on behalf of
the enslaved Bulgarian to help him in the most effective way - by waging
war.We believe that the response of the people in free Bulgaria will be the
same.
... No bulgarian school is opened, neither will it be opened... Nobody
thinks of education when he is outlawed by the state because he bears the
name Bulgar...
Waiting for your patriotic intervention, we are pleased to inform you that
we have in our disposition the armed forces we have spared by now.
The Head Quarters of the Ilinden Uprising"
Damian GRUEV, Boris SARAFOV, Atanas LOZANTCHEV
This memorandum was handed to Dr.Kozhuharov, the Bulgarian consul in Bitola,
and transmitted by him to the government in Sofia with report N441 from
September 17th, 1903. "
And here:
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/document.htm
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/documen1.htm
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/documen2.htm
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/documen3.htm
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/drzhava.htm
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/exarchy.htm
http://w3.tyenet.com/kozlich/mapovska4a.htm
And finally here
http://www.bulgaria.com/VMRO/bitola06.htm
http://www.historymuseum.org/items.php3?nid=199&name=ochrid
from: Spirit of Truth
(using June's e-mail to communicate to you)!
Ya gotta love it. There is not one complete genealogical record in the world
that goes back that far that passes the giggle test and yet this man did it. If
there were such a record it would the the subject of intensive study as the
longest duration single record that exists. After so many generations it would
fill a modestly thick book.
--
Palestine was wiped off the map and no one cared. Why would anyone care if
Israel is wiped off the map?
-- The Iron Webmaster, 3725
nizkor http://www.giwersworld.org/nizkook/nizkook.phtml
book review http://www.giwersworld.org/israel/willing-executioners.phtml a7
And, if your blood is Macedonian then you must fell ALL-ASHAMED for
abandonning Macedonian family for a SlavoSkopian one.
Istor
Macedonian, therefore Greek
Ο/Η Aryan 666 έγραψε:
Response to:
"Istor the Macedonian"
Istor
TURK
Stupidity has hurt you plenty...
"Ioannis Borbelis" <aeo...@orange.nl> wrote in message
news:461A0148...@orange.nl...
"Aryan 666" <arya...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:gv6dnfHhmo07I4vb...@wideopenwest.com...
Beri na kanis kati
>
> "Aryan 666" <arya...@yahoo.com <mailto:arya...@yahoo.com>> wrote
> in message news:gv6dnfHhmo07I4vb...@wideopenwest.com...
> Hmmmmm. The Turks from Asia Minor who squat on Macedonian soil and the
> Grkomans who sold out to their occupiers believe this, but they can't
> believe that the INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF MACEDONIA (such as myself)
> descended
> from generations ago.
>
> Very curious.
>
>
>
> "Agamemnon" <agam...@hello.to.NO_SPAM
> <mailto:agam...@hello.to.NO_SPAM>> wrote in message
Why would a Greek, with Greek roots, that speaks fluent Greek and was
born and raised in the Greek culture want to go to Turkey?
See, it's pretty obvious Slavo-Skopjians are confused about ethnicity,
especially their own.
Reminder: You are a Bulgar.
--
Nicolas
As a person who follows the history of Anacostia, Washington, DC very
closely I do not know of any 'riots' taking place in Anacostia in 1968-
could you provide details please-Thank you--
I've never really understood why this man wants everybody in the west to be
a Greek except a Macedonian. Some sort of ego trip I guess.
You think this guy was alive in 6c AD? Now that is a good trick!
And, if your blood is Macedonian then you must fell ALL-ASHAMED for
abandonning Macedonian family for a SlavoSkopian one.
Istor
Macedonian, therefore Greek
د/ا Aryan 666 فمٌلّه:
Hey Slavomonkey; Look..... wikipedia lists you in their slavs chapter
under Eastern Orthodox Slavs;
Also under South Slavs
Slavyan666 is a mega-idiot
Only 10 million peopole speak Greek ... and it was forced upon the ancestors
of 5 million of them.
Greece is nothing.
"Drexl Spivey" <honi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1179052022....@w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
How the hell did that happen if Macedonians conquered the other Greek
states and had a different nationality? Wouldn't they have forced
their imaginary language on the other Greeks?
> Greece is nothing.
>
You blathering Slavomonkey fool! Makedonskatistan's economy depends
70% on Greek investments. So if Greece is nothing what the hell is
Makedonskatanistan?
I understand that you being stuck in that landlocked piece of shit
republic of yours is a source of tension for you. The more you attack
Greece verbally the more you look bad. Just don't facking ask us for
help when Albanians take you over aqnd ship your asses to Bulgaria
IF YOU ARE A GRKOMAN, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED THAT YOU SOLD OUT TO YOUR LITTLE
NIGGER MASTERS IN ATHENS.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MACEDONIA.
"Drexl Spivey" <honi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1179084950.0...@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
>YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MACEDONIA
You're not very bright are you?
What are the accomplishments of your republic (makedonskata) so far?
Nothing!!! What are you so proud of moron?
And what have the griks ever acieved in their entire history since
they came into existance in 1821 ?
They've NEVER EVER won a war
Had 9 military coups
Begged $8Billion in Freebies from the EU because they're so POOR
Have the highest rate of Anti-Semitism in Europe
Lowest Birthrate in the world
HIGHEST PUBLIC DEBT AT OVER 100%
A football team that LOSES 1-4 (53) to Turks
A deluded PARANOID populace that hates everyone including most other
GRIKS
Huge popular support for Comunism / State ownership of industy /
Command economy
Highest number of illegal SEX SLAVES employed in any European country
HIGHEST ROAD DEATH RATE in the Northern Hemisphere
A diaspora that is SOoooo Pro-Greek it got the fuck out....and STAYED
the fuck out of that LOSER COUNTRY as fast as it possibly could !
Nice try Fuckwit
Keep 'em rolling
;-)))))))
What has Greece ever contributed to society? What is Greece known to the
world for?
o The Arts? Opera? Ballet? Symphony? No!
o Culture? No!
o Cuisine? No!
o Beautiful Women? HELL NO!
Greece is known as a beggar country that continually bites the hands of the
masters (EU) that feeds them. The exhibit the same babboonish traits of
their genetic cousins in Arica. They're lazy, they don't want to work ...
they only want to steal and make excuses about other people conspiring
against them.
The History Books are now open to the world ... THATS WHY THEY NOW KNOW
ABOUT THE GREEK LIES ABOUT MACEDONIA.
MACEDONIA WAS NEVER GREEK ... NOT IN 325 BC ... NOT IN 1821 ... NOT IN 1913
... NOT NOW!
MACEDONIA ... 63 YEARS STRONG!
EXCELLENT POST
FACK THE GRIKS
DIRTY GRIK BEGGARS
Maybe you two should get a room or something
This is typical Toork behavior:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBf5Mc-gb4Q
This is what happened later that day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YlZ-033EAM
Boouuuuhhaaaaaahhahhaha
Tough Ozkan was crying like a little girl
A lot!
> They've NEVER EVER won a war
The revolutionary war. Turks were there, now they are not
WWII, the Italians
You facking LIAR!
> Had 9 military coups
1
Turdey has one every day.... right now.
> Begged $8Billion in Freebies from the EU because they're so POOR
EU built their own infrastructure you filthy liar
> Have the highest rate of Anti-Semitism in Europe
Huh?
> Lowest Birthrate in the world
No, but if Birthrate was an indication of prosperity, Namimbia would
among the richest
> HIGHEST PUBLIC DEBT AT OVER 100%
> A football team that LOSES 1-4 (53) to Turks
Fagball is the lamest sport EVER,.... who cares!? opiates for the
masses
> A deluded PARANOID populace that hates everyone including most other
> GRIKS
No, just the facking terks and for a good reason
> Huge popular support for Comunism / State ownership of industy /
> Command economy
>
> Highest number of illegal SEX SLAVES employed in any European country
That don't jive with communism now do it?
> HIGHEST ROAD DEATH RATE in the Northern Hemisphere
That's Turdey you LIAR
> A diaspora that is SOoooo Pro-Greek it got the fuck out....and STAYED
> the fuck out of that LOSER COUNTRY as fast as it possibly could !
You are dumb as a wall. Diaspora goes back all the time
Stop being so jealous beanie! Turdey is a facking mess and you know it
> What has Greece ever contributed to society? What is Greece known to the
> world for?
Substitute the word Greece for Slavs, and you got game
> o The Arts? Opera? Ballet? Symphony? No!
All of the above; Theatre and stage performances originated in Greece
you ignorant monkey. How many of the above words have Greek etymology
you dumb shit?
> o Culture? No
Yep; sciences as well in case you lived in a shithole former Yugo
republic and never read anything
> o Cuisine? No!
Absolutely
> o Beautiful Women? HELL NO!
Our women got titles in world competitions and consistenly place in
top spots you liar! Not bad for a country of 10 Million
> Greece is known as a beggar country that continually bites the hands of the
> masters (EU) that feeds them. The exhibit the same babboonish traits of
> their genetic cousins in Arica. They're lazy, they don't want to work ...
> they only want to steal and make excuses about other people conspiring
> against them.
You're describing your compadres. Do you still grow corn?
> The History Books are now open to the world ... THATS WHY THEY NOW KNOW
> ABOUT THE GREEK LIES ABOUT MACEDONIA.
>
> MACEDONIA WAS NEVER GREEK ... NOT IN 325 BC ... NOT IN 1821 ... NOT IN 1913
> ... NOT NOW!
Look at a Map and cry
> MACEDONIA ... 63 YEARS STRONG!
WTF you talking about Slavomonkey? If Greece is that bad, what about
Makedonskatanistan? You must be real dirt then.
Poor bastard. You're like a rat spinning the wheel. How can you
possibly badmouth Greece when your economy depends on the Greeks by
80%?
What is problem turk,your two little women love Greek men?Why not
better have a Geek their cherry
just like you lost it to a Greek bus driver,yo bitch he drove you home
sssssssssssssssssssssssssssss