We almost got banned in Greece!?

[Hoplitesmores]

Our swords scabbards shields and spears were "confiscated" and they tried to take our helms as well but we kept the helms and then at the end we got our equipment returned.

[Anonymous]

Our swords scabbards shields and spears were "confiscated" and they tried to take our helms as well but we kept the helms and then at the end we got our equipment returned.

Sounds like deliberate harassment to me. Does anyone else have a flashback to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"?

Policeman (grabbing shield): Put that down! That's a dangerous weapon, that is!

I've heard very unfavourable (indeed, libellous) comments about Greek Re-enactors of Classical Greece from one Greek individual, and he certainly seemed to assume you are all pagans. Can you not issue a Press Release, describing who you are and what you aim to achieve?

[Tarbicus]

Can you not issue a Press Release, describing who you are and what you aim to achieve?

That's a very good suggestion. You can compare it to other ancient re-enactors around the world where, although seen as a bit eccentric :wink: , is certainly not sinister, and we all know it's primarily about the history. I think it's safe to say we're mostly lay-historians in one way or another, and trying to figure out the what, where, when, how, why, who. Try to come up with examples where your efforts have contributed to advancements in knowledge and research of your history, contribute to education, etc.

Don't forget you're not isolated because you're Greek re-enactors, but part of a worldwide community looking at all aspects of ancient history.

[Robert Vermaat]

Website?

[hoplite14gr]

A mainstream newspaper is planning an article on renactors in Greece.
They promised to be fair. (OK I have me doubts.)

Themistokles and myself promised the lady to help her with photo material and to tell her that Ancient Greek re-enacting is a worldwide thing.

As my wife likes to sy you cant have ill without something good.

Wish us luck.

Kind regards

[Hoplitesmores]

We write in our website that we have nothing to do with religion or politics and that we are a reenacting group , alas it doesnt seem to have any effect.People just dont know what reenacting is and jump to conlcusions.

[Anonymous]

All the more reason to get your declaration out into a wider-reaching medium, like the press or radio. In Britain, if you feel you have been treated unfairly by the press, you can demand equal space to put your case. I don't know how it works in Greece, but I've got a feeling the papers will give you space, if only in the hope of stoking the controversy.

[hoplite14gr]

They decided to give space because the lost circulation to the free distributed" papers in the subway stations.

We will see how it develops after the interview this week.

Kind regards

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Stefane,in which paper and when exactly will they publish it?

[hoplite14gr]

ÈLEYTHEROTYPIA.
We had the interview today.
They plan to publish before 9 March to be before the "300" movie.

Probably they will cover the Thermopyale event this Spring but I am cautius.
We will wait and see.

Lets see it published first.

Kind regards

[Anonymous]

Well done, Stefane!

We'll never get anywhere in Greece without people who engage with the media and consciously try to manage the perception of what we do.
Laudes!

[hoplite14gr]

OK the article was published.
It was decent. It spoke about Greek reenactors appearing in Internatioonal events too. It mentioned Australia and US as other places where Ancient Hoplite reenactmet takes place. It mentoned history Channel work.
No mention of the UK despite my efforts.
I was not satisfied but it is the first positive publicity we get.

Kind regards

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Theo said------"Back to the monuments : as was said earlier, a better case can be made for the Church to have a legitimate claim over them since they were in its care for at least 1,000 years until the Turkish conquest. The Greek government is a twentieth century fabrication originally propped up by the British. Why should they get dibs on the monuments ? If I ran the Greek Church I'd press for full ownership over the sites. Of course, tourism is the the state's golden goose so they'll never relinquish it. As for the "all-powerful" Greek Church, what a joke. They couldn't even stop this little group from gaining access to the site. And a mosque is going to be built right in Athens. All-powerful ? If only it were true."


Well, you may think they were in the churches care for 1000 years, but the most damage done to ancient monuments in greece was done by the christians........ Then the Ottomans........ :?

Well, the modern Greek gov't is the only western govt to have defeated communism...... something to think about!

Freedom of religion extends to islam too...

[Idomeneas]

To be fair Gaius the Ottomans had the less to do with monument damaging. I think that the period of the faith convertion was on top of the scale, following the latter years of many temples turned to churches and then offcourse the famous european tourists during 17-18 centuries litterally pillaging the monuments cause it was very fashionable for their lords to display ancient items in their manners and palaces. The most famous might be Elgin cause he torn down one of the 7 miracles but he wasnt the only. All those artifacts didnt walked all the way to england, france, germany and wherever else.

Now about the communism comment.... BOING!!!! :roll: what exactly did you meant by that? I think that this point is way out of this forums area so i wont note down what actually happened, by who and what concequenses had for this country for more than 50 years. Im extremely allergic to witchhunts of any sort

As for the Greek reenactors i wish them to grow stronger, invite more international productions to be done in Greece and stay the hell away from any highly questionable events that can only cause missunderstanding for what they stand for. Finally i wish we can make our own productions one day. If the state wont fund it directly as it should then institutions like IME may do. If you notice most productions except few like ''the greeks'' which have incorporated many visual effects (not that we dont have the knowhow but i understand the budget factor) are really cheap consisting most times from map graphics, a narrator, and few guys dressed most times in questionable armour waving swords in the air trying to convice us they fight and the camera moving up and down until we get seaesick and we take the three guys for three hundred :lol: If they can do it and play serious networks with loads of money afterwards so can we:lol:
and as Motorhead said.... eat the rich

[hoplite14gr]

Guys leave modern politics out. (Forum rule!!)
I must also apologize for saying tha Uk was left out of the article.
It was not.
Kind regards