Philia (deep friendship) : Its objects range from people to drink, food e.g. dried figs (Aristophanes, Peace, 634) and concepts such as peace. It is the most general word for love and friendship. Pothos is ‘an intense nostalgic longing for someone…
…and sleep came over him
The Fates covered him with honey and ashes… Lullaby by Thodoros Gonis Beehive used as child’s tomb. Museum of Kissamos, Crete. *The title comes from Theocritus’ 24th Idyll. It is about Alcmene’s lullaby to her twins…
Xinohondros- a fermented milk/cereal mixture
The combination of ground cereal grains and milk or yogurt to produce a highly nutritious, storable foodstuff is a common practice among the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. There are two Cretan variations under this category: xinochondros (sour ground wheat)…
A fast and easy method to make Garum
I don’t think my neighbours appreciate my attempts at making garo (ancient Greek: garos or garon, Latin: garum) , the liquid that results from the 2-3 months fermentation of small fish or of fish intestines in brine. The…
The impressive hawthorn of Zominthos
In the archaeological site of Zominthos (Psiloritis/Crete) there is a particular hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) which stands at a height of 12 meters. It is really impressive considering that its family usually grows like shrubs or small trees.…