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Eleftheria i thanatos

National motto of Greece

Eleftheria i thanatos

National motto of Greece

[[Flag of Greece

Eleftheria i thanatos (, ; 'Freedom or Death') is the motto of Greece. It originated in the Greek songs of resistance that were powerful motivating factors for independence. It was adopted in 1814 by the Filiki Eteria, a secret organization formed specifically for the overthrow of Ottoman rule.

Overview

The motto arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule. It was adopted after the Greek War of Independence and is still in use today. One explanation for the 9 stripes on the Greek flag is that they represent the nine syllables of the motto, five blue stripes for the syllables Eleftheria and four white stripes for i thanatos. The motto symbolized and still symbolizes the resolve of the people of Greece against tyranny and oppression.

Part of the emblem of the Filiki Eteria were two flags with the letters ΗΕΑ and ΗΘΣ; These represent Ή ΕλευθερίΑ Ή ΘάνατοΣ, 'Either Freedom, or Death'. This is also the motto of the 4th Infantry Division of the Greek Army.

'''Ή''' '''Ε'''λευθερί'''Α''' '''Ή''' '''Θ'''άνατο'''Σ'''}} ('Freedom or Death').

Cultural references

Nikos Kazantzakis' novel Captain Michalis was subtitled Freedom or Death, which became its title in the United States, Germany, France, and other countries.

References

References

  1. Pedersen, Christian Fogd. (1971). "The International Flag Book in Color". Morrow.
  2. Crampton, William. (1991). "Complete Guide to Flags". Gallery Books.
  3. "Greek Independence Day.". www.britannica.com.
  4. (1995). "War: A Cruel Necessity?: the Bases of Institutionalized Violence". I.B. Tauris.
  5. Smith, Whitney. (2001). "Flag Lore of All Nations". Milbrook Press.
  6. [http://www.army.gr/default.php?pname=PERIGRAFH_EMBLIMATOS_IVMP&la=1 Greek Army website]
  7. [https://www.fhw.gr/chronos/12/en/general/gallery/001.html FHW-Membership card of the Philiki Etaireia ]
  8. [http://www.army.gr/default.php?pname=PERIGRAFH_EMBLIMATOS_IVMP&la=1 Greek Army website]
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1810s-quotations 1814-introductions national-mottos greek-political-phrases liberty-symbols national-symbols-of-greece
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