You can always trust Blue to find a way to talk about - Greek City-States - Rome - Medieval Rome - Greek-Speaking Medieval Roman City-State. - Former Roman City-states that were "rebirthed" by Greece - A Former Roman City-State that uh, crusaded against said Greek-Speaking Medieval Roman City-State.
9:46 bet some Venician said to an artillery man "bet you two florins that you can't hit that temple" and were probably very shocked when the temple went off like a firework display
Nah I knew this one. The Ottomans thought the walls of the Parthenon were unpenetrable to conventional cannons and too far from the sea to get hit. Venetian spies knew where the arsenal was and the navy in the harbour just lobbed a bunch of shells using a mortar to hit the relatively weak roof. A good example of Ottomans starting to lag behind in tech.
@@Steadyaim101 the final killer in the ottoman power in that region was when navies began using steam power and much better cannons and steel ships, able to decimate any kind of piracy or ottoman trade blockade.
The Venetian commander was noted to laugh and applaud the destruction of the ancient building calling it an excellent shot. This was to the horror of the Germans observers who had tagged along.
The funny thing about the Parthenon, as argued by Anthony Kaldellis , is that despite its pagan history being the most famous, it was probably more important/famous as a church than it was when it was a temple. When the Parthenon was originally built it was more of a super ornate treasury that just happened to have a temple to Athena in it, even the statue of Athena inside wasn't the main one in the Acropolis, as the Athena Promachos outside was considered more prestigious. As a church however, the Parthenon was not only the main basilica of Athens, but also the most prestigious church in all of Greece (outside of Constantinople), with plenty of Emperors visiting it personally. Also, as a caveat to the video, we don't actually know when the roof of the Parthenon was destroyed. The idea that it happened in the 3rd Century under the Heruli is pure speculation with little evidence, and we have no idea when the roof was rebuilt.
@@kklh7918 Because we have no written sources documenting when the roof was destroyed or when it was re-built, but we do have written sources about the initial construction of the Parthenon and its early use.
@marvelfannumber1 Probably the other people reading this comment chain? 🤷♂️ Not every reply we get to our comments is an attack or accusation, y'know. Often, the reply is a, "Why Yes! And also…" Or have I misinterpreted your, "Who are you talking to?"
@@John_Weiss I was just confused because that guy's comment was a completely rambling non-sequitur that I could barely understand. Felt like he was replying to the wrong comment or something.
Mate, I just appreciated the nice weather for a change. Flip-flopping between +40 and -40 throughout the year sucks. I could get used to the Mediterranean climaye.
“The _______ is a big dumb pile of rocks and it’s one of my favourite places on Earth.” Is a quote that can be applied to a lot of great historical places. The Acropolis, The Sphinx, The Pyramids, Machupichu, Petra, and probably most aptly, Stone Henge.
Which got retconed in a later episode of QI. The clue is in "they say", when in fact "it looks straight, because it is", which is also a funny QI scene.
it still amazes me how often britain gets mentioned in these videos even when it is just "and then the brits came in, nicked off with stuff and immediately bailed"
@@gabrielbastos18 Between the harrying of the North and St Brice's day, very little Viking blood in the common English, Our Norman nobility on the other hand!
@@jon-paulfilkins7820 according to a book called “What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions,” due to the nations and territories that make up the British Commonwealth, the sun has NOT, in fact, set on the British Empire. YET. Specifically due to the Pitcairn Islands, a small cluster of islands in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. However, the book’s author calculated that the closest we’ll get to seeing the sun set on the Empire is a total solar eclipse over the islands some time in the first half of the 2400s.
I must say, I’m more impressed that they not only acknowledged the curvature, but EXECUTED the construction so well. Probably inadvertently acknowledging the curvature of the earth in the process.
There's something that's always confused me about the whole, "they warped the geometry of the building to correct for the distortion perspective causes" thing. It... sounds like what they did would just exacerbate the effect? Perspective would make the ends of the columns seem smaller, and any horizontal line above the horizon appear to be bulging upward. So if you're trying to correct that, wouldn't you want columns to get wider toward the ends and the roof to sag inward a little? Like, I'm looking at a room in my house right now and the walls and ceiling all look like they're curving _out,_ not in.
Ancient Greeks knew the Earth was round and calculated its circumference almost exactly. All of the stories about how "everybody thought the Earth was flat" were lies invented to make Columbus look smarter. In reality, Columbus was an idiot who rejected science and was convinced that the Earth was only half of its actual size.
Tributary States: So the money goes to protecting us from the Persians, right? Pericles: That’s a great idea! But here’s a better one: how about giving Athens more bling? *rebuilds Acropolis*
Hey Blue, that is one fine looking shirt at 0:37! And take heart, scaling the Acropolis just means you got took the HIGH GROUND on a yearly basis and that's only the best thing!
I appreciate Blue's honesty regarding how much he used to hate going there compared to now where he's able to lovingly talk about it and what makes it cool
Blue, I had that EXACT Millennium Falcon T-Shirt years ago. Always love learning about the histories of people's and how they used past architecture to support their rule/religion. It's unfortunate that people lost interest in the location and was used as a tool.
What a lovely, personal video! I always love it when people talk about something dear to their heart and I sensed a great deal of heart in your discussion today! Because it looks like Athens played a huge part in forming your identity (whether you childhood self wanted it to or not!) and I love nothing more than seeing how someone's personal history molds them into the man/woman they are today. You don't have to be a Jedi to sense a great deal of personal history in this video, and that makes its pathos unrivaled and impactful in all the best ways!
Being a Athenian myself, I have to give my praise for such a well presented video about the crown jewel of our thousands-of-years old city. Well done sir.
I understand how 10 year old blue feels. My European side lives within a day trip of Venice, and was not shy of making said trip every time I visited, usually doing the same things every time. For me Italy became that boring place (with good food) my family dragged me too. thanks to history-tubers I'm learning to appreciate Italy like a normal person.
Just finished my bio lab final paper and my bioethics final paper for a total of 27 pages and I still clicked on the notification without thought, which means you either make really high quality videos or I've been Pavlov'ed into watching
Morning Blue, can't wait to watch this. Question, do you plan on covering the Greek culture featured in the Kushan Empire, Indo Greek, and or Bactrian Kingdom
10:32 The transition between the real-time photo and the historical drawing is flawless. I really makes you appreciate the astonishing architecture of its time.
Blue, I'm the mirror opposite to you, with an American mother and a Greek father. Yet somehow, living in Greece my whole life, it took my wife to come all the way from Brazil to not only introduce me to your channel, but to also realize, in this video, after watching you for so long, that you're half Greek. Γειά σου ρε συμπατριώτη!
The funny part is that Lord Byron was fighting for Greek Independence and was partly responsible for some of that destruction. His 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' might have been better titled "Ode to a Grecian Urn, I Blew Up One Midsummer Morning." XD
The angst of Young Blue is a sight to behold. XD But this actually cleared up a few questions I had about the Parthenon and o had no idea it had become an Orthodox Church at one point.
I can totally relate to your experience as a kid. I was 12-13 when I visited Rome, Venice, and Paris, and all I took away was how hot the sun was and how long I was forced to stand and listen to various tour guides talk about things I lacked the context to understand yet.
let's be honest here. going to a museum or some historical site to learn about history will always be boring. I also used to go with my school when I was a primary school kid to a museum. I seriously don't even know the name of that museum or what exactly I have watched. I don't even remember the name of the city I have visited. this was in the 3rd grade or something. I seriously forgot so many things of my childhood. I also went to a theater play with by school to watch a play. I don't even remember the name of that play. btw, for context. I'm now almost 30 years old. so I'm not some old man in my 70s because at least when you are 70 year sold, it's natural to forget about childhood memories.
Congratulations Blue. You became the very thing your younger self couldnt stand. An old man, that would drag his children to the top off an uncovered hill on the hottest day off the year to monolouge to them for hours, about an unmoving pile off rocks, that they are not allowed to touch or play on.
@@hihey229 Wasn't really that bad, then again the property wasn't the best and was in a bad part of town, but still a lot of access to the historical area.
@@hihey229 Greece was the most reasonably priced tourist designations that we have been to in decades. Especially the Gyros. Beer and wine at the market were also a good price.
I had it quite the opposite to Blue. I was (and still kinda am) in love with Ancient Greece since I was early primary school kid. I've never ever visited Athens or Greece, but the Acropolis was my favourite piece of Greek history because of the cool CD encyclopedia of ancient Greece I got on my 9th birthday. It had detailed, narrated history of the hill with beautiful music and animations showing the changes to it. This video brought some of that nostalgia back.
Kirsten Paff as Ariane replied indirectly, in Centennial Park in Nashville TN is a full -scale Parthenon replica. It is closed on Mondays, and is a reasonably priced Art Museum. Inside, is a full size replica of the statue mentioned in the video. The one he said cost more than the Parthenon did.
I realise that this is going to sound overly-wistful, but I often wonder what it would be like to just hop in a time machine and go back to visit these cultures back in their prime. Now THAT would be a great holiday 😊
I was thinking that exact thing at 10:35 with that transition, I'd just love to see the ancient Greek world at its peak. The sights, sounds and smells would be awesome but sadly I think the closest we can get to a time machine is Assassins Creed Odyssey.
I don't often watch your videos, I'm generally more of a Red fan, but I had to watch this one as I've had a fascination with Athens and the Parthenon for forever. It makes me so happy that you're able to use screenshots from my favourite game to show how it used to look, and it seems pretty accurate! Getting to see the Athenian acropolis for the first time in AC Odyssey was such a beautiful moment for me. My primary knowledge of the Athena Parthenos comes from the Percy Jackson books, and getting to see that statue in all its glory, in the space it belongs, felt amazing. Watching this video makes me wanna go back to that game again, I haven't played in a while...
I've seen the acropolis for Athena in Lindos recently and it was absolutely amazing to see it. Definitely want to see the one in Athens too, and even more so after seeing this video. Points for your timing, Blue
I'm ashamed. I'm Greek and a history MA student and I didn't even know that the Parthenon was ever anything but a pagan temple- and an administrative hub much, MUCH later. Great job, Blue.
The only reason it wasn't reduced to ash and stone is because someone decided it seemed glorious and expensive enought to make it a church. Otherwise it would have been destroyed along with all the other temples.
As I will always associate this with it, I am compelled to say. "I'm coming off the Acropolis to start some pandemonium. Don't bring limp raps to a pimp slap symposium."
Speaking of unbreakable associations, I clicked on this video fast as human reflexes allow just to go into the comments, and I am *so* disappointed that nobody here knows what they say of the acropolis where the Parthenon is. Edit- nevermind lol
Learning that Blue is heir to the glory of Ancient Greece, and climbed the Acropolis every year as a young boy, is totally in character. And it fits in perfectly with my tinfoil headcanon that he's secretly the God Apollo reborn ;)
I started my journey of learning Greek History from playing AC Odyssey, I'm so glad I found your channel! Thank you very much for all your videos and keep up the great work!
A few things I want to add: The temples before the Erechtheion and the Parthenon were already huge and were only erected because of the destruction. There is the famed pledge of Plataiae, where the Athenian alledgedly swore to never rebuild the ruins of the destroyed temples. There is a debate if this pledge actually happened, though the place where the old temple stood was left empty and there was indeed no new temple for almost 50 years. If this happened because of a pledge or because of other reasons is being discussed again. Famously the spaced formerly occupied by their main sanctuary is indee left alone, even after the new ones were build, except for the maiden chamber. Another interesting factor to these buildings is that we have proof of all the expenditures. They were inscribed in bronze plates and hang up publicly, listing even the wages the workers got.
Hello Blue! Would you guys be able to do a video or series on what people in what we consider the "ancient times" thought were the ancient times? Like what the Greeks/Egyptians/Romans/etc. thought were ancient? I'd love to learn about that. Love the OSP channel by the way! Xx.
Sometimes it is difficult to get an ideal of scale from ruins and drawings. As much as I loved seeing the the Acropolis in person, it wasn't until I went to see the full sized recreation of the Parthenon in Nashville TN that the scale and grandeur of the original began to sink in. Walking into the building and hearing the sound of footsteps echo around the room as you come into the main room and the statue of Athena catches you, it really puts the expense and the glory of ancient Greece into something that you can interact with.
0:35 This face right here is the face that I have when I wake up and realise that I live in this 3-5 million people chaos of a city that is Athens and it's metropolitan area.
The fact that your videos don't go viral instantly always shocks me. I love both Red's and Blue's videos, though Blue's usually amuse me more. Thank you so much for producing this content!
4:23 So, would you say "They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is...they say of the acropolis where the Parthenon is...they say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is...there are no straight lines"?
I have a lot of family in Greece and visiting Athens as a kid was always so boring until I grew up to appreciate it and all its beauty. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one! Your videos also helped me educate myself more on Greek history, so thank you for that and love your content :)
I'd love to see a video about Pallas Athena and it's trip from Troy to Rome to Constantinople. It's significance in the minds of those that possessed it. About it's function in lineage, authority, city founding and how that changed over time.
Great Video. I literally just visited the acropolis for the first time, on my first trip to Greece. 2 days ago. If only you posted this just a couple days earlier. You did a better job than my tour guide at explaining the history of the place
I love how for most of its history, the Parthenon was *some* manner of place of worship. Even if it doesn't serve that exact function today, the fact that it currently serves as a symbol of Athenian/Greek identity that doubles as a tourist trap does seem appropriate enough in my book. I do hope to visit someday.
This might be my favorite vid from you, Blue. Not only did I learn FAR more than I did about the history, it was hilarious and you made it a little personal too. Thank you!
Loved the video but I'm just a little disappointed you didn't mention the Greek rebels sending the Ottomans lead to make ammunition so they would not strip it from their national heritage as it's one of my favourite humanity in war moments. Love the content and always look forward to it.
I have the same thing with Pompei, I'm Italian but we lived outside of Italy so we went back to Naples every summer, and every summer someone visited and we essentially acted as your guides for Pompeii.
There’s a place in America built within an asteroid crater, too. Also what is it with Greeks and building temples right on top of natural disasters? Like you got the Delphi one where they built it over a natural gas deposit
Loved the video! Even though I literally live in Athens and have gone up and down the Acropolis so many times, I really enjoyed listening about the history of it again! also Blue hating his trip to Acropolis as a kid is hilarious 😂😂
Whenever it’s Friday I get so excited hoping that you guys had posted. I always get so happy seeing one of your new videos on my RUclips time line. Thank you overly sarcastic team for everything you all do.
I've always enjoyed Greecian archetecture, and the Acropolis was always my favorite. And, to see a...modern rebuild of the structure, visit the one in Nashville, TN. It doesn't have the grandeur of the original, but it does convey a good sense of what the original was in it's heyday, including the massive statue of Athena inside.
I've visited the Acropolis a few times, but never got the chance to really understand it. After watching this video, I'm inspired to visit again! It would be fantastic if you could create a self-guided tour based on this content. Many people walk around without understanding its significance, so this would be incredibly useful for them.
man, i’d kill to have your childhood family trips, blue. my family’s been in the states for a few generations now, so we don’t have nearly as much family to visit back in greece and i’ve only been once. you’re right about that summer hike to the acropolis, though. i was so much more tired than interested by the time we got to the top!
Hey Blue, I just finished my degree in comparative history, so if you ever need a paper with lots of sources in any of the following to kick-start your research, just let me know! - the queer Newport Naval Investigation 1919-1920 - the Mexican Revolution - Indigenous history in Canada (especially the Red River Resistance of 1869-1870) - persecution of witchcraft in 15-18th century Germany - the persecution of people with disabilities, hereditary illnesses, or accused of homosexuality in Nazi Germany - the oppression of Chinese and Japanese immigrants in Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries - enfranchisement in Canada
Oh my goodness, you understand me!!! My mom is from a small village in Spain, like super charming and idyllic Spanish countryside with fields of poppies and olive trees, and it was sooo boring when I was younger for me and my brother. I kick myself every time I think about my shitty attitude while we were literally driving past medieval castles.
Considering what Blue shared back in one of the first History Makers videos, I can't help but imagine his mother was EXTREMELY validated when her boy came back from college obsessed with Greek History.
I had a very similar experience with trips to Greece when I was young being terribly boring, though we always routed directly to Kerkyra rather than staying in Athens (as most of the family had moved back to the island since the 80s). I *just* got back from the first trip where we actually visited Athens proper (ie I got the notification of this video at the airport getting ready to leave xd), including finally getting to visit the Acropolis, which was a fantastic time. Glad to see that maturing and being able to appreciate that which dumb kid versions of ourselves took for granted is a universal experience c:
You know why Greek loves the Acropolis now? Because its history is concerned with everything he loves, Greece, Rome, Venice, Byzantium, and even Florence!
Not history related, but that same explanation you gave in the first minute of growing up with something is the same reason I had a hard time appreciating the fact that Darth Vader was Lukes' father. By the time I was 5 it was common knowledge, and I hadn't even seen the movies. Anyway, history is still cool :)
I too can also relate to Blue's childhood of loathing one's visit to historical sights. When I lived in Romania as a teenager, 15-18 yrs old, my family went to visit 'Dracula's Castle' (it was really just an old fort of Vlad Dracul's and was the occasional resident of the Romanian Royal family). As a horror-obsessed teen, the first two visits were awesome. The 3rd time we went was because we had family from out of the country visiting (we were not Romanian ourselves, just lived there) and we couldn't NOT take them to see the pinnacle of Romanian tourism, it was kinda boring, but hey, at least I got a cool shirt out of it. By the 4th time, we played tour guide to visiting family and friends, 17 yr old me trudged up the hill to the castle steps wearing the same expression as 10 yr old blue at 0:39, the only MIDLY interesting part was watching an American tourist attempt and fail to take a battle axe decoration off the wall, and the mini 'torture museum', which after the 2nd visit, I realized/learned a good 1/3rd of the 'torture devices' and 'historical facts' were made up. By the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th time, we brought people to the 'Vampire' castle 18-year-old me was fed up and refused to make the small hike up to the castle and just hung out at the bottom of the hill with my dad (who got bored of the whole thing by the 3rd time we made the trip). While my poor mom and brother suffered through playing tour guide for the next 2-3 hours, I'd be in the gift shop trying to decide what awesome satanic horror illustration to spend my hard-earned babysitting money on (I got two, one of a haunted house full of pained spirits crying out in agony, and another of a satanic 6-eyed goat floating above a river of blood), indulging in a local cafe's delightful 'royal tea time' menu (they had a lovely orange tea and rose flavored ice cream) with my dad and finally buying 3-4 rolls of coconut and cinnamon Trdelník to snack on during the 2-3 hour car ride back to Bucharest (We'd eat 2 on the car ride back and the rest would last a day or two at most, we'd gobble them up quick). The only part of our Dracula trips I enjoyed and actively looked forward to was that we would always make a pit stop at Peleș Castle to show our guests more of Romania's beautiful (and more interesting in my opinion) tourist attractions. Peleș was a much more aesthetically pleasing and interesting castle to walk through. every time I entered that castle I would still gaze upon the carved wooden staircases, glass flower mirrors, sitting rooms, and secret passages with the same look of awe I had when I first visited the castle at 15 during a class trip.
The worst thing about the Acropolis was having an apartment next to Athena's statue and super shiny spear that was capable of reflecting a bright burning light directly in your windows every morning.
bro that whole schpeal about being a child and not appreciating visits to an absolute unit of a historical monument hit hard. went to see the hagia sophia several years ago on a connection flight to visit relatives, did NOT appreciate the architecture and the historical contexts in which it was built and now i pray to see the former pride of the byzantines once more.
I used to go to Greece yearly (not so much to *visit* family, but going with my greek grandmother to her home in Saloniki) and I can definitely relate to being absolutely sick of climbing the Acropolis in the summer in the afternoon sun. I don't do well with heat and the sun to begin with (haha funny internet gremlin can't handle sunlight joke) so add some of Greece's humidity to the mix and...well lets just say it's a lucky thing Greece has a lovely ocean to go into.
The fact that Blue, champion of Greek history and architecture, *hated* his yearly trip to Ancient Greek architecture is hilarious
Young Blue: You became the very thing you sought to destroy
Not knowing much about his personal life, it's very ironic to me.
And so relatable for my greek ass :")
Seriously. I would KILL to do that every summer. Hell living in Europe? Why not?!
Just more proof that history class is wasted on mid and High-school students
Blue: loves Venice.
Also Blue: hates the majority of things Venice did
Do as I build, not as I crusade.
@@OverlySarcasticProductionsTruly words to live by
@@JiMwBbe? Hehe.
@@jackychang9148 dang, I made a typo.
“My mom is Greek and I took yearly trips to Ancient Greek architecture”
Well, I didn’t know that, but I also can’t say I’m surprised
It explains so much honestly
Yep, one thing I know about Greeks. They love the motherland more than most Anglo British people do
Yeah, it explains so, so much.
I’m pretty sure you’ll be thrown out of the family if you don’t come to visit at least once a year
@@fuzzyhair321 yeah… I’d hope they’d love their country more than foreigners…
You can always trust Blue to find a way to talk about
- Greek City-States
- Rome
- Medieval Rome
- Greek-Speaking Medieval Roman City-State.
- Former Roman City-states that were "rebirthed" by Greece
- A Former Roman City-State that uh, crusaded against said Greek-Speaking Medieval Roman City-State.
you,
you get it!
You forgot domes
Now all in one video!!
You forgot the most important one:
DOME!
Don't forget Venice.
9:46 bet some Venician said to an artillery man "bet you two florins that you can't hit that temple" and were probably very shocked when the temple went off like a firework display
Nah I knew this one. The Ottomans thought the walls of the Parthenon were unpenetrable to conventional cannons and too far from the sea to get hit. Venetian spies knew where the arsenal was and the navy in the harbour just lobbed a bunch of shells using a mortar to hit the relatively weak roof. A good example of Ottomans starting to lag behind in tech.
@@Steadyaim101 the final killer in the ottoman power in that region was when navies began using steam power and much better cannons and steel ships, able to decimate any kind of piracy or ottoman trade blockade.
Sounds like a Monty Python skit
The Venetian commander was noted to laugh and applaud the destruction of the ancient building calling it an excellent shot. This was to the horror of the Germans observers who had tagged along.
@@AskMia411 Half of history reads exactly like a Monty Python Skit, That History was Terry Jones other bag and he worked on most of the scripts.
The funny thing about the Parthenon, as argued by Anthony Kaldellis , is that despite its pagan history being the most famous, it was probably more important/famous as a church than it was when it was a temple. When the Parthenon was originally built it was more of a super ornate treasury that just happened to have a temple to Athena in it, even the statue of Athena inside wasn't the main one in the Acropolis, as the Athena Promachos outside was considered more prestigious.
As a church however, the Parthenon was not only the main basilica of Athens, but also the most prestigious church in all of Greece (outside of Constantinople), with plenty of Emperors visiting it personally.
Also, as a caveat to the video, we don't actually know when the roof of the Parthenon was destroyed. The idea that it happened in the 3rd Century under the Heruli is pure speculation with little evidence, and we have no idea when the roof was rebuilt.
@pyropulse
Who are you talking to?
If we don’t know how the roof was re-built how do we know the true purpose of it?
@@kklh7918
Because we have no written sources documenting when the roof was destroyed or when it was re-built, but we do have written sources about the initial construction of the Parthenon and its early use.
@marvelfannumber1 Probably the other people reading this comment chain? 🤷♂️ Not every reply we get to our comments is an attack or accusation, y'know. Often, the reply is a, "Why Yes! And also…"
Or have I misinterpreted your, "Who are you talking to?"
@@John_Weiss
I was just confused because that guy's comment was a completely rambling non-sequitur that I could barely understand. Felt like he was replying to the wrong comment or something.
As someone who is born and raised in Athens, yeah it takes a while to appreciate all the history around you
Mate, I just appreciated the nice weather for a change. Flip-flopping between +40 and -40 throughout the year sucks. I could get used to the Mediterranean climaye.
I can say the same thing being from Rome!
@@AEmyDeAngelis My dad loves your city and his history! And he hates big cities in general!
I really want to come and visit it!
I love how Blue has decided to call Alexander “The Great” only once in a video and never again for the rest of his life
It's like so expected now I look forward to what he would call the sun shade of Diogenes next
My favorite so far has been Alexander the Alexander
@@pequod_ Could you tell me which video that's from? I wanna hear it with my own eyes
@@gribberoni Blue's Dumb History Tales #2 - 3:27
It has been a different name in every video I've seen and I love it
“The _______ is a big dumb pile of rocks and it’s one of my favourite places on Earth.” Is a quote that can be applied to a lot of great historical places. The Acropolis, The Sphinx, The Pyramids, Machupichu, Petra, and probably most aptly, Stone Henge.
"Tehran,Pyongyang, or moscow"
Would work for future "big dumb piles of rocks" sites as well!
@@Shinzon23? So would Washington, D.C. right.😂
@@dragonmaster3207both of you are right
As the great comedian Stephen Fry once tried to say: "They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is, that the are NO STRAIGHT LINES!"
Which got retconed in a later episode of QI. The clue is in "they say", when in fact "it looks straight, because it is", which is also a funny QI scene.
"Whatevvvvvvah!" - I watch that clip every few months, and it never ceases to get me roaring in laughter!
I'm appalled that I had to scroll as long as I did to see a comment on this.
What do they saaaaay 🎵
About the Acropoliis 🎵
Where the Parthenon iiiis 🎵
Tried is right xD The best thing about it is just how eloquent he usually is xD
it still amazes me how often britain gets mentioned in these videos even when it is just
"and then the brits came in, nicked off with stuff and immediately bailed"
"It's not grave robbing if you never bury your victims"
-the brits
That's why the sun never set on the British Empire, I mean, who's trust the English in the dark!
It's probably the Viking blood
@@gabrielbastos18 Between the harrying of the North and St Brice's day, very little Viking blood in the common English, Our Norman nobility on the other hand!
@@jon-paulfilkins7820 according to a book called “What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions,” due to the nations and territories that make up the British Commonwealth, the sun has NOT, in fact, set on the British Empire. YET. Specifically due to the Pitcairn Islands, a small cluster of islands in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. However, the book’s author calculated that the closest we’ll get to seeing the sun set on the Empire is a total solar eclipse over the islands some time in the first half of the 2400s.
I must say, I’m more impressed that they not only acknowledged the curvature, but EXECUTED the construction so well. Probably inadvertently acknowledging the curvature of the earth in the process.
And that somehow the marble was strong enough that the illusion still works today despite having literal tonnes of gunpowder exploded inside of it.
There's something that's always confused me about the whole, "they warped the geometry of the building to correct for the distortion perspective causes" thing. It... sounds like what they did would just exacerbate the effect? Perspective would make the ends of the columns seem smaller, and any horizontal line above the horizon appear to be bulging upward. So if you're trying to correct that, wouldn't you want columns to get wider toward the ends and the roof to sag inward a little? Like, I'm looking at a room in my house right now and the walls and ceiling all look like they're curving _out,_ not in.
@@Fralexion I mean, the columns look great so they must have done something right
Ancient Greeks knew the Earth was round and calculated its circumference almost exactly. All of the stories about how "everybody thought the Earth was flat" were lies invented to make Columbus look smarter. In reality, Columbus was an idiot who rejected science and was convinced that the Earth was only half of its actual size.
I love all the different ways Alexander the Great is always called something different than "the Great" but we always know who we are talking about!
My favorite was Alexander the pretty alright
The Great is so boring
It’s like a nerdier and far snarkier version of the Cucumberpatch meme
@@paulinetrivago.7540 That is my number two, my favourite is Alexander the not particularly studious.
Alexander wasn't called the great that was later added by the romans to his name
The state of the Acropolis would basically sum up the history of Greece in a nutshell. It's been through very rough centuries but it's still standing!
kinda
Barely (if you stretch out the definition of "barely")
I didn't hear no goddamn bell.
-Greece after 1821
@@ΕυθύμηςΜακρίδης Also Greece: Casually sends the head spaghetti eater himself (Mussolini) packing into Albania before being stopped by the Germans
I like to think Athena blessed that stray cannon shot that cleaned all that other junk out of her home.
Tributary States: So the money goes to protecting us from the Persians, right?
Pericles: That’s a great idea! But here’s a better one: how about giving Athens more bling?
*rebuilds Acropolis*
I’ve been looking forward to this. And using AC Odyssey shots demonstrates how much the crew for that game acted for the product
Yes! The game gets way too much flak from people who don't realize that it is probably the best virtual recreation of Ancient Greece.
@@micahmiller2304 oh yes. A history nerd’s dream
I was a boi. They were two girls. Can I make IT any more obvious? I am RUclips's ALPHA MALE. Acknowledge IT, dear jar
@@micahmiller2304 it looks nice, just really boring.
@@Hideyoshi1991 The open world can feel empty at times, but the combat is genuinely fun. Just don't go in expecting an AC game.
Hey Blue, that is one fine looking shirt at 0:37! And take heart, scaling the Acropolis just means you got took the HIGH GROUND on a yearly basis and that's only the best thing!
Hello There
I appreciate Blue's honesty regarding how much he used to hate going there compared to now where he's able to lovingly talk about it and what makes it cool
Blue, I had that EXACT Millennium Falcon T-Shirt years ago.
Always love learning about the histories of people's and how they used past architecture to support their rule/religion. It's unfortunate that people lost interest in the location and was used as a tool.
Omg he stole your shirt
You cannot really say that the Greeks lost interest or used the acropolis as a tool since it was made a fort under ottoman occupation
What a lovely, personal video! I always love it when people talk about something dear to their heart and I sensed a great deal of heart in your discussion today! Because it looks like Athens played a huge part in forming your identity (whether you childhood self wanted it to or not!) and I love nothing more than seeing how someone's personal history molds them into the man/woman they are today. You don't have to be a Jedi to sense a great deal of personal history in this video, and that makes its pathos unrivaled and impactful in all the best ways!
Being a Athenian myself, I have to give my praise for such a well presented video about the crown jewel of our thousands-of-years old city. Well done sir.
I understand how 10 year old blue feels. My European side lives within a day trip of Venice, and was not shy of making said trip every time I visited, usually doing the same things every time. For me Italy became that boring place (with good food) my family dragged me too. thanks to history-tubers I'm learning to appreciate Italy like a normal person.
Just finished my bio lab final paper and my bioethics final paper for a total of 27 pages and I still clicked on the notification without thought, which means you either make really high quality videos or I've been Pavlov'ed into watching
You've been Pavlov'ed _because_ of the consistently high quality, so... both, indeed.
Morning Blue, can't wait to watch this. Question, do you plan on covering the Greek culture featured in the Kushan Empire, Indo Greek, and or Bactrian Kingdom
Morning? It's still night for me
@@nenggo2540 It's 10:12 am from my end.
I agree!
@@MegaGun2000 Agree with the topic matter for future video or on what time it is ⏲️ 🇮🇳
We fight for Midland in these comments out lander. You will soon learn of the glory of the hawk
This was such a sweet love letter from blue to essentially what pushed him to the path he is on today. Really enjoyed it 💕💕
10:32 The transition between the real-time photo and the historical drawing is flawless. I really makes you appreciate the astonishing architecture of its time.
Blue, I'm the mirror opposite to you, with an American mother and a Greek father. Yet somehow, living in Greece my whole life, it took my wife to come all the way from Brazil to not only introduce me to your channel, but to also realize, in this video, after watching you for so long, that you're half Greek. Γειά σου ρε συμπατριώτη!
The funny part is that Lord Byron was fighting for Greek Independence and was partly responsible for some of that destruction. His 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' might have been better titled "Ode to a Grecian Urn, I Blew Up One Midsummer Morning." XD
Ode to a Grecian Urn was Keats tho
0:36 Evil Blue be like: "I hate domes."
The angst of Young Blue is a sight to behold. XD
But this actually cleared up a few questions I had about the Parthenon and o had no idea it had become an Orthodox Church at one point.
I can totally relate to your experience as a kid. I was 12-13 when I visited Rome, Venice, and Paris, and all I took away was how hot the sun was and how long I was forced to stand and listen to various tour guides talk about things I lacked the context to understand yet.
let's be honest here.
going to a museum or some historical site to learn about history will always be boring.
I also used to go with my school when I was a primary school kid to a museum. I seriously don't even know the name of that museum or what exactly I have watched. I don't even remember the name of the city I have visited. this was in the 3rd grade or something.
I seriously forgot so many things of my childhood. I also went to a theater play with by school to watch a play. I don't even remember the name of that play.
btw, for context. I'm now almost 30 years old. so I'm not some old man in my 70s because at least when you are 70 year sold, it's natural to forget about childhood memories.
𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯"They say about the Acropolis, where the Parthenon isssssss"𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯
Congratulations Blue. You became the very thing your younger self couldnt stand. An old man, that would drag his children to the top off an uncovered hill on the hottest day off the year to monolouge to them for hours, about an unmoving pile off rocks, that they are not allowed to touch or play on.
I actually used to live in Athens and was about a ten minute walk from the Acropolis. I love Greece and its history!
Your rent must have been so expensive
@@hihey229 Wasn't really that bad, then again the property wasn't the best and was in a bad part of town, but still a lot of access to the historical area.
@@hihey229 Greece was the most reasonably priced tourist designations that we have been to in decades. Especially the Gyros. Beer and wine at the market were also a good price.
I had it quite the opposite to Blue. I was (and still kinda am) in love with Ancient Greece since I was early primary school kid. I've never ever visited Athens or Greece, but the Acropolis was my favourite piece of Greek history because of the cool CD encyclopedia of ancient Greece I got on my 9th birthday. It had detailed, narrated history of the hill with beautiful music and animations showing the changes to it. This video brought some of that nostalgia back.
Blue is half Greek!?! I mean I guess that makes a lot of sense but This feels like an important revelation in the backstory of blue
One of the few reasons why I would actually want to travel back in time would be to see buildings like the Parthenon in their full glory.
You might be able to! At 4:57, Blue uses an image from the full-scale Parthenon replica in Nashville, TN.
Kirsten Paff as Ariane replied indirectly, in Centennial Park in Nashville TN is a full -scale Parthenon replica. It is closed on Mondays, and is a reasonably priced Art Museum. Inside, is a full size replica of the statue mentioned in the video. The one he said cost more than the Parthenon did.
I realise that this is going to sound overly-wistful, but I often wonder what it would be like to just hop in a time machine and go back to visit these cultures back in their prime. Now THAT would be a great holiday 😊
I was thinking that exact thing at 10:35 with that transition, I'd just love to see the ancient Greek world at its peak. The sights, sounds and smells would be awesome but sadly I think the closest we can get to a time machine is Assassins Creed Odyssey.
Probably not so great considering you likely don't speak many ancient languages.
@@Nerazmus Eh it'll be like watching a K-Drama with no subtitles I'll give it a go.
"... the smells..."
You mean the open sewerage?
@@jacobvardy You have to take the good with the bad if you're truly in it for the experience.
I don't often watch your videos, I'm generally more of a Red fan, but I had to watch this one as I've had a fascination with Athens and the Parthenon for forever. It makes me so happy that you're able to use screenshots from my favourite game to show how it used to look, and it seems pretty accurate! Getting to see the Athenian acropolis for the first time in AC Odyssey was such a beautiful moment for me. My primary knowledge of the Athena Parthenos comes from the Percy Jackson books, and getting to see that statue in all its glory, in the space it belongs, felt amazing. Watching this video makes me wanna go back to that game again, I haven't played in a while...
I've seen the acropolis for Athena in Lindos recently and it was absolutely amazing to see it. Definitely want to see the one in Athens too, and even more so after seeing this video. Points for your timing, Blue
I'm ashamed. I'm Greek and a history MA student and I didn't even know that the Parthenon was ever anything but a pagan temple- and an administrative hub much, MUCH later.
Great job, Blue.
The only reason it wasn't reduced to ash and stone is because someone decided it seemed glorious and expensive enought to make it a church. Otherwise it would have been destroyed along with all the other temples.
As I will always associate this with it, I am compelled to say.
"I'm coming off the Acropolis to start some pandemonium. Don't bring limp raps to a pimp slap symposium."
The mad gadfly, philosophy was my invention.
@@ΣτελιοςΠεππας rolling with the flyest nihilist, and me! Their French henchman!
Speaking of unbreakable associations, I clicked on this video fast as human reflexes allow just to go into the comments, and I am *so* disappointed that nobody here knows what they say of the acropolis where the Parthenon is.
Edit- nevermind lol
@@MaidenMarvel2 “We’ve got the wisdom!”
“And the wit!”
“That even I couldn’t question!”
Learning that Blue is heir to the glory of Ancient Greece, and climbed the Acropolis every year as a young boy, is totally in character. And it fits in perfectly with my tinfoil headcanon that he's secretly the God Apollo reborn ;)
lets go, a bonus podcast episode that I just finished listening to and a new video coming out, it feels like osp christmas
I started my journey of learning Greek History from playing AC Odyssey, I'm so glad I found your channel! Thank you very much for all your videos and keep up the great work!
A few things I want to add: The temples before the Erechtheion and the Parthenon were already huge and were only erected because of the destruction. There is the famed pledge of Plataiae, where the Athenian alledgedly swore to never rebuild the ruins of the destroyed temples. There is a debate if this pledge actually happened, though the place where the old temple stood was left empty and there was indeed no new temple for almost 50 years. If this happened because of a pledge or because of other reasons is being discussed again. Famously the spaced formerly occupied by their main sanctuary is indee left alone, even after the new ones were build, except for the maiden chamber.
Another interesting factor to these buildings is that we have proof of all the expenditures. They were inscribed in bronze plates and hang up publicly, listing even the wages the workers got.
Hello Blue! Would you guys be able to do a video or series on what people in what we consider the "ancient times" thought were the ancient times? Like what the Greeks/Egyptians/Romans/etc. thought were ancient? I'd love to learn about that. Love the OSP channel by the way! Xx.
Sometimes it is difficult to get an ideal of scale from ruins and drawings. As much as I loved seeing the the Acropolis in person, it wasn't until I went to see the full sized recreation of the Parthenon in Nashville TN that the scale and grandeur of the original began to sink in. Walking into the building and hearing the sound of footsteps echo around the room as you come into the main room and the statue of Athena catches you, it really puts the expense and the glory of ancient Greece into something that you can interact with.
Blue, you made Athena proud today
Loved visiting Athens in AC, they always do a great Job with the World they recreate. Great Video btw
10:35 was such a sleek transition! The was we seamlessly shift into the past, so nearby and real. I got goose bumps
0:35 This face right here is the face that I have when I wake up and realise that I live in this 3-5 million people chaos of a city that is Athens and it's metropolitan area.
The fact that your videos don't go viral instantly always shocks me. I love both Red's and Blue's videos, though Blue's usually amuse me more. Thank you so much for producing this content!
4:23 So, would you say "They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is...they say of the acropolis where the Parthenon is...they say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is...there are no straight lines"?
Beat me to it! Otherwise known as "How you make Stephen Fry cry"
So glad that I'm not the only one who immediately thought of this
I have a lot of family in Greece and visiting Athens as a kid was always so boring until I grew up to appreciate it and all its beauty. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one! Your videos also helped me educate myself more on Greek history, so thank you for that and love your content :)
I'd love to see a video about Pallas Athena and it's trip from Troy to Rome to Constantinople. It's significance in the minds of those that possessed it. About it's function in lineage, authority, city founding and how that changed over time.
Great Video. I literally just visited the acropolis for the first time, on my first trip to Greece. 2 days ago. If only you posted this just a couple days earlier. You did a better job than my tour guide at explaining the history of the place
Perfect timing. Just visited the Acropolis today. Great information you provide in this video!
I made a comment about Akragas and it was deleted for some reason...
I love how for most of its history, the Parthenon was *some* manner of place of worship. Even if it doesn't serve that exact function today, the fact that it currently serves as a symbol of Athenian/Greek identity that doubles as a tourist trap does seem appropriate enough in my book. I do hope to visit someday.
This might be my favorite vid from you, Blue. Not only did I learn FAR more than I did about the history, it was hilarious and you made it a little personal too. Thank you!
Loved the video but I'm just a little disappointed you didn't mention the Greek rebels sending the Ottomans lead to make ammunition so they would not strip it from their national heritage as it's one of my favourite humanity in war moments. Love the content and always look forward to it.
I have the same thing with Pompei, I'm Italian but we lived outside of Italy so we went back to Naples every summer, and every summer someone visited and we essentially acted as your guides for Pompeii.
Literally watched this standing at the acropolis hill. Wayyy better than a guided tour and cheaper haha thank you so much !
I remember reading somewhere where some archaeologists believe that the Parthenon in Athens was built inside of an asteroid impact crater.
There's a German village that literally is inside a meteor Crater, the locals assumed for centuries that it was a dead volcano.
Maybe around a small one? I mean its on a big hill, which is kind of the opposite of a crater...
This theory is just stupid, lol. (I'm sorry.)
There’s a place in America built within an asteroid crater, too. Also what is it with Greeks and building temples right on top of natural disasters? Like you got the Delphi one where they built it over a natural gas deposit
Loved the video! Even though I literally live in Athens and have gone up and down the Acropolis so many times, I really enjoyed listening about the history of it again! also Blue hating his trip to Acropolis as a kid is hilarious 😂😂
It's only now, with this video, that I realize that Blue is upholding over 2,500 years of traditional Athenian self-criticism.
Bravo.
Athena is the Goddess of morning people. Girl literally sprung forth into the world fully ready to go about her day.
To be honest, linking the Virgin Mary to Athena makes more logical sense than linking her to Aphrodite.
Whenever it’s Friday I get so excited hoping that you guys had posted. I always get so happy seeing one of your new videos on my RUclips time line. Thank you overly sarcastic team for everything you all do.
angsty teen blue standing in front of a historical monument absolutely giving no f's is such a mood
I went last month. ITS AMAZING!!! I absolutely fell in love with Greece when I visited!
I've always enjoyed Greecian archetecture, and the Acropolis was always my favorite. And, to see a...modern rebuild of the structure, visit the one in Nashville, TN. It doesn't have the grandeur of the original, but it does convey a good sense of what the original was in it's heyday, including the massive statue of Athena inside.
One of my favorite channels talking about one of my favorite sites in the world, what’s not to love?
They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is....
I've visited the Acropolis a few times, but never got the chance to really understand it. After watching this video, I'm inspired to visit again! It would be fantastic if you could create a self-guided tour based on this content. Many people walk around without understanding its significance, so this would be incredibly useful for them.
Blue’s half Greek? Ah yeah it’s all coming together
man, i’d kill to have your childhood family trips, blue. my family’s been in the states for a few generations now, so we don’t have nearly as much family to visit back in greece and i’ve only been once. you’re right about that summer hike to the acropolis, though. i was so much more tired than interested by the time we got to the top!
Hey Blue, I just finished my degree in comparative history, so if you ever need a paper with lots of sources in any of the following to kick-start your research, just let me know!
- the queer Newport Naval Investigation 1919-1920
- the Mexican Revolution
- Indigenous history in Canada (especially the Red River Resistance of 1869-1870)
- persecution of witchcraft in 15-18th century Germany
- the persecution of people with disabilities, hereditary illnesses, or accused of homosexuality in Nazi Germany
- the oppression of Chinese and Japanese immigrants in Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries
- enfranchisement in Canada
Was the Newport investigation the one where the Navy called it off because too many people volunteered to “pretend” to be gay?
@@stoutyyyy Actually it was the first investigation which inspired that wave of "decoys" in the Navy, and it was pretty wild
WOW!! What a great video! No wonder I'm such a fan of yours.
Every time Blue talks about architecture I can hear the fanboy in him
Oh my goodness, you understand me!!! My mom is from a small village in Spain, like super charming and idyllic Spanish countryside with fields of poppies and olive trees, and it was sooo boring when I was younger for me and my brother. I kick myself every time I think about my shitty attitude while we were literally driving past medieval castles.
Considering what Blue shared back in one of the first History Makers videos, I can't help but imagine his mother was EXTREMELY validated when her boy came back from college obsessed with Greek History.
Oh my God, my mom's Greek as well and we used to do that exact same trip you were talking about every year. The half Greek struggle is real and felt.
I had a very similar experience with trips to Greece when I was young being terribly boring, though we always routed directly to Kerkyra rather than staying in Athens (as most of the family had moved back to the island since the 80s). I *just* got back from the first trip where we actually visited Athens proper (ie I got the notification of this video at the airport getting ready to leave xd), including finally getting to visit the Acropolis, which was a fantastic time.
Glad to see that maturing and being able to appreciate that which dumb kid versions of ourselves took for granted is a universal experience c:
2:14 Love the mighty owl controlling all.
Fantastic video keep it up your doing amazing job
I love the religious practicality where just adding a specifically looking tower to someone else's temple just makes it into yours
You know why Greek loves the Acropolis now? Because its history is concerned with everything he loves, Greece, Rome, Venice, Byzantium, and even Florence!
Exciting new editions to deep Blue lore! Loved it!
It resembles the modern greek state quite well!
Bro💀
kek
Anyone else notice how modern blue looks like a super villian at 0:39
Not history related, but that same explanation you gave in the first minute of growing up with something is the same reason I had a hard time appreciating the fact that Darth Vader was Lukes' father. By the time I was 5 it was common knowledge, and I hadn't even seen the movies.
Anyway, history is still cool :)
I too can also relate to Blue's childhood of loathing one's visit to historical sights. When I lived in Romania as a teenager, 15-18 yrs old, my family went to visit 'Dracula's Castle' (it was really just an old fort of Vlad Dracul's and was the occasional resident of the Romanian Royal family). As a horror-obsessed teen, the first two visits were awesome.
The 3rd time we went was because we had family from out of the country visiting (we were not Romanian ourselves, just lived there) and we couldn't NOT take them to see the pinnacle of Romanian tourism, it was kinda boring, but hey, at least I got a cool shirt out of it.
By the 4th time, we played tour guide to visiting family and friends, 17 yr old me trudged up the hill to the castle steps wearing the same expression as 10 yr old blue at 0:39, the only MIDLY interesting part was watching an American tourist attempt and fail to take a battle axe decoration off the wall, and the mini 'torture museum', which after the 2nd visit, I realized/learned a good 1/3rd of the 'torture devices' and 'historical facts' were made up.
By the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th time, we brought people to the 'Vampire' castle 18-year-old me was fed up and refused to make the small hike up to the castle and just hung out at the bottom of the hill with my dad (who got bored of the whole thing by the 3rd time we made the trip).
While my poor mom and brother suffered through playing tour guide for the next 2-3 hours, I'd be in the gift shop trying to decide what awesome satanic horror illustration to spend my hard-earned babysitting money on (I got two, one of a haunted house full of pained spirits crying out in agony, and another of a satanic 6-eyed goat floating above a river of blood), indulging in a local cafe's delightful 'royal tea time' menu (they had a lovely orange tea and rose flavored ice cream) with my dad and finally buying 3-4 rolls of coconut and cinnamon Trdelník to snack on during the 2-3 hour car ride back to Bucharest (We'd eat 2 on the car ride back and the rest would last a day or two at most, we'd gobble them up quick).
The only part of our Dracula trips I enjoyed and actively looked forward to was that we would always make a pit stop at Peleș Castle to show our guests more of Romania's beautiful (and more interesting in my opinion) tourist attractions. Peleș was a much more aesthetically pleasing and interesting castle to walk through. every time I entered that castle I would still gaze upon the carved wooden staircases, glass flower mirrors, sitting rooms, and secret passages with the same look of awe I had when I first visited the castle at 15 during a class trip.
The worst thing about the Acropolis was having an apartment next to Athena's statue and super shiny spear that was capable of reflecting a bright burning light directly in your windows every morning.
Athens is still super bright today. Between all the white stucco and solar panel roofs I was always bloody blind trying to walk through it.
bro that whole schpeal about being a child and not appreciating visits to an absolute unit of a historical monument hit hard. went to see the hagia sophia several years ago on a connection flight to visit relatives, did NOT appreciate the architecture and the historical contexts in which it was built and now i pray to see the former pride of the byzantines once more.
They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is…that there is…how does it go again?
He's going to say! He's going to say!
@@Madonkadonk Theyyyy sayyyy....about the Acropolisssss...
@@ScoutingForZen Wheeree the paaarthenooon iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssss...........
Perfect time, I was visiting Greece 3 weeks ago and the Acropolis is amazing.
Photographic evidence that Blue was indeed a child once, and a rather unimpressed one at that haha.
Of course, it didn't have a dome
@@Tree_-wp5zn Oh yes, silly me! How could I have missed something so obvious?
5:00. I think that’s the one in Nashville
I used to go to Greece yearly (not so much to *visit* family, but going with my greek grandmother to her home in Saloniki) and I can definitely relate to being absolutely sick of climbing the Acropolis in the summer in the afternoon sun.
I don't do well with heat and the sun to begin with (haha funny internet gremlin can't handle sunlight joke) so add some of Greece's humidity to the mix and...well lets just say it's a lucky thing Greece has a lovely ocean to go into.