Collection from Greece to show culture.

1. 13rd Primary School of Heraklion - Crete
European project ERASMUS+ “A tale of many cities”

2. The Phaistos Disc (also
spelled Phaestos Disk) is a disk of
fired clay from the Minoan
palace of Phaistos on the Greek
island of Crete, possibly dating to
the middle or late Minoan Bronze
Age (1700 BC).
It is about 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter and covered on both sides
with a spiral of stamped symbols. Its purpose and meaning
remain disputed, making it one of the most famous mysteries
of archaeology. This unique object is now on display at
the archaeological museum of Heraklion.
The Phaistos disc Ο δίσκος της Φαιστού

3. The disc was discovered in 1908 by the Italian
archaeologist Luigi Pernier in the Minoan palace-site of
Phaistos, and features 241 tokens, comprising 45 unique signs,
which were apparently made by pressing hieroglyphic "seals"
into a disc of soft clay, in a clockwise sequence spiraling toward
the disc's center.
The Phaistos Disc captured the imagination of amateur and
professional archeologists, and many attempts have been
made to decipher the code behind the disc's signs.
Historically, almost anything has been proposed, including
prayers, a narrative or an adventure story, a "psalterion", a call
to arms and a geometric theorem.

4. The Acropolis and the Parthenon
Η Ακρόπολη και ο Παρθενώνας
The greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated
primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the centre of
the modern city from the rocky crag known as the Acropolis.
The monuments of the Acropolis stand in harmony with their natural
setting. These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine
different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative
manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries.

5. The most important buildings visible on the Acropolis today -
that is, the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the
temple of Athena Nike, were erected during this period under
the supervision of the greatest architects, sculptors and artists
of their time. The Parthenon, dedicated by the Athenians to
Athena Parthenos, the patron of their city, is the most
magnificent creation of Athenian democracy at the height of
its power. It is also the finest monument on the Acropolis in
terms of both conception and execution, built between 447
and 438 BC. The Periclean Parthenon was designed by
architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, while the sculptor Pheidias
supervised the entire building program and conceived the
temple's sculptural decoration and chryselephantine statue of
Athena.

6. Τhe kotinos Ο κότινος
The kotinos (=Olive wreath), is
an olive branch, originally of
wild olive-tree, intertwined to
form a circle, introduced by
Heracles. In the ancient
Olympic Games there were no
gold, silver, or bronze medals.
There was only one winner per
event, crowned with an olive
wreath made of wild olive l
eaves from a sacred tree near
the temple of Zeus at Olympia. The victorious athletes were
honoured, feted, and praised. Their deeds were heralded and
chronicled, so that future generations could appreciate their
accomplishments.

7. Olympia – Olympic torch Ολυμπία – Ολυμπιακή φλόγα
In western Peloponnese, in the beautiful valley of the Alpheios
river, lies the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece, which
was dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods.

8. Olympia was the most important religious and athletic centre in
Greece. Its fame rests upon the Olympic Games, the greatest
national festival and a highly prestigious one world-wide, which
was held every four years to honour Zeus.
Today, several months before the opening ceremony of the
Olympic Games, at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia,
eleven women, representing the Vestal Virgins, perform a
celebration at the Temple of Hera in which the torch is kindled by
the light of the Sun, its rays concentrated by a parabolic mirror.
The torch briefly travels around Greece via short relay, and then
starts its transfer to the host city after a ceremony in the
Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens.

9. The Pythagorean cup Η κούπα του Πυθαγόρα
A Pythagorean cup (also known as a
Pythagoras cup) is a form of drinking cup which
allows the user to fill the cup with wine up to a
certain level. If the user fills the cup no further
than that level, he may enjoy his drink in peace.
If he exhibits gluttony however, the cup
wreaks instant retribution by spilling its
contents out through the bottom.
A Pythagoras cup looks exactly like a normal drinking cup, except that
the bowl has a central column in it. The central column of the bowl is
positioned directly over the stem of the cup and over the hole at the
bottom of the stem. A small, open pipe runs from this hole almost to
the top of the central column, where there is an open chamber.

10. The chamber is connected by a second pipe to the bottom of the
central column, where a hole in the column exposes the pipe to the
contents of the bowl of the cup. When the cup is filled, liquid rises
through the second pipe up to the chamber at the top of the
central column.
As long as the level of the liquid does not rise beyond the level of
the chamber, everything is all right. If the level rises further
however, the liquid spills through the chamber into the first pipe
and out through the bottom. Hydrostatic pressure then creates a
siphon through the central column causing the entire contents of
the cup to be emptied through the hole at the bottom of the stem.
By this way the avid is punished.
With a simple
example of hydrostatic
pressure, Pythagoras
teaches us to accept
those we already have
and not ask for more and more.

11. Theatre - theatrical masks Θέατρο – θεατρικές μάσκες
Theatre was born about 2,500
years ago in Ancient Greece.
Great tragedies by Aeschylus
(Oresteia) , Sophocles
(Antigone) and Euripides (Medea)
and great comedies by
Aristophanes (Peace, Lysistrata) were written at that time.
One of the best- known theatres is the ancient theatre of Epidaurus,
which has excellent acoustics.
The theatre was considerade as “the school of the people” and that’s
why the city paid for the tickets of the poor.
Theatrical masks were an important ‘tool’ for the actors. The masks
were made out of light weight, organic materials like stiffened linen,
leather, wood, or cork. There were only male actors, but masks
allowed them to play female characters.

12. Cretan music and the instrument lyra - Κρητική μουσική και λύρα
The music of Crete is a traditional form of
Greek folk music, also called kritika.
Cretan music, like most traditional Greek
music, began as product of ancient,
Byzantine and western inspirations.
The Cretan lyra is a Greek pear-shaped,
three-stringed bowed musical instrument,
central to the traditional music of Crete and other islands in the
Dodecanese and the Aegean Archipelago, in Greece.
It is considered as the most popular surviving form of the medieval
Byzantine lyra, an ancestor of most European bowed instruments.
The body and neck are carved out of one piece of aged wood
(minimum 10 years old). Traditionally the body's wood was sourced
from trees growing in Crete, such as walnut or mulberry.
The Cretan lyra is still widely used in Crete and it accompanies
traditional Cretan songs and dances.

13. The evzonas Ο εύζωνας
The Evzonas (plural Evzones) is the name
of several historical elite light infantry and
mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, it
refers to the members of the Presidential
Guard, an elite ceremonial unit that guards
the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the
Presidential Mansion and the gate of Evzones
camp in Athens.
The unit is famous around the world for its
unique traditional uniform. The most visible
item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-
like garment. Their proven valour and
peculiar dress turned them into a popular
image for the Greek soldier, especially among
foreigners.

14. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition,
as shipping is arguably the oldest form of
occupation of the Greeks and has been a
key element of Greek economic activity
since ancient times.
The Greeks, more than any other people in
the world, have remained, during their entire, very long history,
mariners without interruption, they have loved the sea, they have
thought of it as a beautiful element, and they believed it had
godlike powers.
The landscape is mountainous and as the farming area is limited, it
can only offer a poor harvest. Thus, the sea was a way out. The
endless coastline forms closed inlets, natural harbours, deep bays,
golden beaches and hundreds of picturesque islands. It was
natural, that such beautiful surroundings would inspire the Greeks
and would also instill in them a love for the sea and the ships.
The ship το καράβι

15. The sponge το σφουγγάρι
They are multicellular organisms that have
bodies full of pores and channels allowing
water to circulate through them.
Until the invention of synthetic sponges, they
were used as cleaning tools and applicators
for paints.
Sponge diving is the oldest known form of
the original art of underwater diving, in order
to find natural sponges for human use. In
Kalymnos, an island in the Aegean sea,
sponge fishing was the oldest profession on
the island. Diving for sponges brought social
and economical development to the island.
Other Greek islands where people dived for
sponges were Symi, Hydra and Aegina.

16. olive oil ελαιόλαδο
Olive oil is the oil obtained from the fruit of olive.
It comes from olives that are crushed in special
machines in mills, after the farmers gather them
before their final maturity. Olive oil is a key
element of the Mediterranean diet, is very healthy
and extremely tasty.
The Mediterranean countries are among the major
oil producers in the world, as Spain, Italy and
Greece produce the largest amounts of oil. Indeed,
the Greek olive oil is considered to be very good in
quality and is exported abroad. In Greece, there
have been found oil presses which existed since
prehistoric times.
Olive oil is very important for our country and is
considered to be the gold of the Greek land!

17. spinning top σβούρα
A top (also called spinning top or
spintop) is a toy designed to be spun
rapidly on the ground, the motion of
which causes it to remain precisely
balanced on its tip because of inertia.
Such toys have existed since antiquity.
Traditionally tops were constructed of
wood, decorated with colourful patterns.
Today they are often built of plastic.