Συντάκτης: Theodoros Karasavvas

When we talk about religion in antiquity, very few gods came close to Zeus in terms of popularity and worship. Zeus was the king of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; he was god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice. He was first worshiped by the Greeks, then by the Romans (who referred to him as Jupiter), and then by the peoples of many other parts of the world. As the father of the gods, Zeus ensured that each deity performed their individual duty, punished their misdeeds, settled their disputes, and acted as their all-knowing counselor and mighty friend….READ MORE

Η πλατεία Συντάγματος αποτελεί το πιο hot meeting point της πόλης, εδώ και πάρα πολλά χρόνια. Είναι το σημείο του Kέντρου, όπου αποτυπώνεται το αστικό τοπίο πιο έντονα από κάθε άλλο σημείο της πρωτεύουσας. Είναι σχεδόν σίγουρο, ότι πολλοί από εμάς κάποια στιγμή, έχουμε βρεθεί μπροστά από το σιντριβάνι της πλατείας ή κάποιο γνωστό ταχυφαγείο της περιοχής, να περιμένουμε εναγωνίως ένα επαγγελματικό ή ερωτικό ραντεβού, ενώ κάποιοι άλλοι με κοινές συλλογικές μνήμες, έχουμε συναθροιστεί τυχαία σε κάποια πορεία ή κίνημα (call it αγανακτισμένων), μπροστά από το κτίριο της Βουλής….READ MORE

Vlad III, also known as Vlad Tepes (the Impaler), or just Dracula, was a three-time Voivode (ruler) of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462, the period of the incipient Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. He is considered a folklore hero in many parts of Eastern Europe for his bloody battles to protect Orthodox Christianity from the invading Ottomans. As the cognomen “the Impaler” suggests, his practice of impaling his Turkish enemies is part of his reputation, while his lust for blood would make him, hundreds of years after his death, one of the most popular figures in pop culture history….READ MORE

Nowadays the belief that demons exist and can possess people is more likely something you’ll find in a novel or see in a horror film than in real life. However, the fear of demons and evil spirits has been one of the most widely held religious beliefs in the world and goes back to antiquity. Unsurprisingly, the Catholic Church still claims humans can be possessed by demons and for that matter, the Bible recounts six instances of Jesus casting them out and offers exorcisms to remedy this threat….READ MORE

We have all heard the expression “heart of gold” when someone tries to describe a person’s goodness and kindness. This expression alludes to gold in the sense of something valued for its “goodness” and this is just one of many examples in which gold is used to represent the element of greatness. You’ve probably noticed that Olympic winners are awarded gold medals (though they are mostly silver and coated with only one percent of gold), the Oscar statuettes are coated with gold, as are the Grammy awards, the Golden Globes, and the Nobel Prize medals. But why do we love and value gold so much when there are hundreds of metals on Earth….READ MORE

When most men think of tourism their mind usually goes to sunny beaches, cocktails, exotic foods, and hot chicks with big butts. However, the most sophisticated—or maybe geeky—often wonder what happens when tourism rises to another level and one seeks more than the ordinary things the “pop culture” tourism of our times requests. What happens when tourism becomes another field of activity where the alternative view on it stimulates human curiosity and interest? What happens when our love for certain films has reached such incredible heights that we literally want to be part of them? Well, the short answer is we visit them . . . if we can, of course. And yep, in case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, there are certain movie sets that have become tourist destinations….READ MORE

Guns N’ Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles that shook the world during the late 1980’s and dominated the music charts across the globe by the early ‘90s. With more than 100 million records sold worldwide (more than 45 million in the United States) and winning several American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and World Music Awards, the band has been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of rock music at a time when music was dominated by pop, dance, and glam metal. Their sound was described as a “hedonistic rebelliousness” reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones, while their wild reputation earned them the nickname “the most dangerous band in the world….READ MORE

Did you know that you can order your future bride via mail or even online? To some, this may sound a bit disquieting…but it’s true. And what’s even more interesting is that marriage via “mail-order brides” is not a new practice, many men from the Western side of the world have “ordered” their brides. And get this: Most live happily ever after! Marriage often means the beginning of a family and is meant to be a lifelong commitment. It offers the opportunity to grow in selflessness as you serve your wife or husband and children. Some believe when a man and a woman get married the “two become one” which is why; some argue, we should all be very careful when the moment comes to pick a life partner….READ MORE

It’s no secret that our planet has a host of terrifying natural phenomena that can easily end someone’s life. It’s really an odd enigma for us humans to witness vast frighting displays of power while at the same time admiring a complex statement of beauty. Take hurricanes for example. These vast powerful storms have claimed the lives of thousands of people, but who can resist gawking at the sight of a meteorological picture and witnessing its stupefying scale. Or how about a volcano? Some volcanoes are responsible for the death of many people, even to the point of eradicating entire villages. However, who can deny the striking spectacle of liquid fire shooting in the air and flowing down a “mountain”? You can almost say mother nature has a sick sense of humor….READ MORE

A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences, or April Fools’ Day events that are passed along in good faith or as jokes. Even if you weren’t aware of its meaning it’s almost certain you’re aware of some of the most famous and “successful” hoaxes. Some have even managed to fool millions of people and last for ages or even decades. Take the Loch Ness monster for example. It may be easy for us to understand how a photograph can be manipulated (after all, photoshopp skills are not that uncommon anymore), but for people back then, a photo manipulation was not something easily done…..READ MORE