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Sfakians
The Sfakians (or Sphakians or Sfakiots; el, Σφακιανοί) are the inhabitants of the region of Sfakia located in western Crete. The Sfakians hold themselves to be the direct descendants of the Dorians who came down to Crete around 1100 BC. The inhabitants of Sfakia have faced numerous foreign invaders, to which fact they owe their reputation as courageous warriors that they have had for centuries as cousins of the Maniots and Souliots. Sfakians and Saracens When the Saracen Arabs invaded Crete in 824 AD, many regions of the island, Sphakia included, escaped effective Arab rule. One reason frequently offered is geography: Sphakians, secure in their mountain fastness, could mount a formidable deep defence from high ground gradually retreating upward while imposing relatively high casualties on invaders from the lowlands. In refusing to submit to the Arabs, the Sfakians established a form of self-government known as the ''Gerousia'' ("Council of Elders"); this had its ant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sfakia
Sfakiá ( el, Σφακιά) is a mountainous area in the southwestern part of the island of Crete, in the Chania regional unit. It is considered to be one of the few places in Greece that have never been fully occupied by foreign powers. With a 2011 census population of 1,889 inhabitants living on a land area of , Sfakia is one of the largest and least densely populated municipalities on the island of Crete. The etymology of its name is disputed. According to the prevailing theory, it relates to its rugged terrain, deriving from the ancient Greek word ''σφαξ'', meaning land chasm or gorge. Description The road from Chania to Sfakiá crosses the island from north to south, through the village of Vryses. From this village the route crosses the White Mountains ( Lefká Óri) to Hóra Sfakíon () by the Libyan Sea. Halfway from Vrisses to Hóra Sfakíon is the fertile plateau of Askifou, surrounded by high mountain peaks. From here to Hóra Sfakíon the road is particularly s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by Direct election, popular vote, or a council member elected by voters. Etymology The title is derived from the Old English title of ''ealdorman'', literally meaning "elder man", and was used by the chief nobles presiding over shires. Similar titles exist in some Germanic countries, such as the Sweden, Swedish language ', the Danish language, Danish, Low German, Low German language ', and West Frisia, West Frisian language ', the Netherlands, Dutch language ', the (non-Germanic) Finland, Finnish language ' (a borrowing from the Germanic Swedes next door), and the German language, High German ', which all mean "elder man" or "wise man". Usage by country Australia Many local government ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Phocas
__NOTOC__ John Phokas ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Φωκᾶς, ''Iōánnēs Phōkâs'') or Phocas ( la, Johannes Phocas) was a 12th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine pilgrim to the Holy Land. He wrote an account of his travels, the so-called ''Ekphrasis'' or ''Concise Description of the Holy Places'', which has been called "the most elegant of Palestinian pilgrimage accounts".Michael Angold (2016), "The Fall of Jerusalem (1187) as Viewed from Byzantium," in Adrian J. Boas (ed.), ''The Crusader World'' (London & New York: Routledge) pp. 289–308, at 294. Doubt has recently arisen over whether Phokas was in fact the author of the ''Ekphrasis'', which has been re-attributed instead to the John Doukas (megas hetaireiarches), John Doukas who went on an imperial mission to the Holy Land in 1177. Little biographical information about Phokas is available. One manuscript of the ''Ekphrasis'' contains a note stating that he was a priest and that his father, a certain Matthew, became a monk o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agia Roumeli
Agia Roumeli ( el, Αγιά Ρούμελη) is a small village in southwest Crete, Greece and is popular with tourists. Background Located a few kilometers above the town is the southern entrance to the Samaria Gorge. For most walkers, this is the exit, as the usual route through the gorge is to descend from the north. The gorge is a popular tourist destination in Crete, the longest gorge in Greece, and one of the longest in Europe, measuring 18 km. The village has several hotels and a few rooms for rent and also some tavernas. Agia Roumeli has a large beach and a ferry slipway where the ferry to and from Hora Sfakion via Loutro, arrives, mainly used by walkers who have completed the Samaria walk. The village is not accessible by road. According to one local source, the name comes from a corruption of the Arabic words ''Maya'' (وأتر) meaning water, and ''Roumi'' (رومى) meaning Byzantine Greeks, indicating a place of "Greek/Roman water", possibly a reference to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, but lower than a viscount or count. Often, barons hold their fief – their lands and income – directly from the monarch. Barons are less often the vassals of other nobles. In many kingdoms, they were entitled to wear a smaller form of a crown called a ''coronet''. The term originates from the Latin term , via Old French. The use of the title ''baron'' came to England via the Norman Conquest of 1066, then the Normans brought the title to Scotland and Italy. It later spread to Scandinavia and Slavic lands. Etymology The word '' baron'' comes from the Old French , from a Late Latin "man; servant, soldier, mercenary" (so used in Salic law; Alemannic law has in the same sense). The scholar Isidore of Seville in the 7th century t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexius II Comnenus
Alexios II Komnenos ( gkm, Αλέξιος Β' Κομνηνός; 14 September 1169, p. 383September 1183), Latinized Alexius II Comnenus, was Byzantine emperor from 1180 to 1183. He ascended to the throne as a minor. For the duration of his short reign, the imperial power was ''de facto'' held by regents. Biography Early years Born in the purple at Constantinople, Alexios was the long-awaited son of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (who gave him a name that began with the letter alpha as a fulfillment of the AIMA prophecy) and Maria of Antioch. In 1171 he was crowned co-emperor, and in 1175 he accompanied his father at Dorylaion in Asia Minor in order to have the city rebuilt. On 2 March 1180, at the age of eleven, he was married to Agnes of France aged 10, daughter of King Louis VII of France. She was thereafter known as Anna, and after Alexios' murder three years later, Anna would be remarried to the person responsible, Andronikos, then aged 65. Regency of Maria and Alexios When Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexius I Comnenus
Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power and initiated a hereditary succession to the throne. Inheriting a collapsing empire and faced with constant warfare during his reign against both the Seljuq Turks in Asia Minor and the Normans in the western Balkans, Alexios was able to curb the Byzantine decline and begin the military, financial, and territorial recovery known as the Komnenian restoration. His appeals to Western Europe for help against the Turks was the catalyst that sparked the First Crusade. Biography Alexios was the son of John Komnenos and Anna Dalassene,Kazhdan 1991, p. 63 and the nephew of Isaac I Komnenos (emperor 1057–1059). Alexios' father declined the throne on the abdication of Isaac, who was thu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint Nikon The Metanoeite
Nikon the "Metanoite" ( el, , ''Nikon ho Metanoeite'' (Nikon "repent!"; born circa 930, died 998.) was a Byzantine monk, itinerant preacher, and Christian Orthodox saint.: "Nikon the Metanoeite...Greek monk, itinerant preacher, and saint.": "NIKON, a native of Pontus, in his youth fled from his friends to a monastery called Khrysopetro, where he lived twelve years in the practice of the most austere penance and prayer." Perhaps Nikon's most notable historical impact, according to historian Andrew Louth, was his ''Life'', the biography of Nikon written after his death by a successor abbot in his monastery, focused on the re-Christianizing of reconquered sections of the Byzantine Empire.. It is also special in its references of localities in Crete and the central Greek mainland. Nikon himself was special in that he was represented as a missionary monk, one who was constantly preaching rather than constantly praying.. Biography Nikon, of Greek origin, was born in Pontus (modern north ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global population. Its adherents, known as Christians, are estimated to make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, whose coming as the messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible (called the Old Testament in Christianity) and chronicled in the New Testament. Christianity began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the 1st century Hellenistic Judaism in the Roman province of Judea. Jesus' apostles and their followers spread around the Levant, Europe, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, the South Caucasus, Ancient Carthage, Egypt, and Ethiopia, despite significant initial persecution. It soon attracted gentile God-fearers, which led to a departure from Jewish customs, and, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Area) according to the 2011 census. The population of the municipality was 177,064. The Bronze Age palace of Knossos, also known as the Palace of Minos, is located 5.5 km (3.1m) southeast of the city. Heraklion was Europe's fastest growing tourism destination for 2017, according to Euromonitor, with an 11.2% growth in international arrivals. According to the ranking, Heraklion was ranked as the 20th most visited region in Europe, as the 66th area on the planet and as the 2nd in Greece for the year 2017, with 3.2 million visitors and the 19th in Europe for 2018, with 3.4 million visitors. Etymology The Arab traders from al-Andalus (Iberia) who founded the Emirate of Crete moved the island's capital from Gortyna to a new castle they called ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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