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Celebrating the Human Form Debut Exhibition

Saħħara’s Tethered The Timeless Appeal of Nude Art Tuesday 20 February 2024 at 3:03 pm

by Nataša Pantović

Saħħara’s Tethered is a debut photography exhibition presented in Splendid Gallery located in Strait Street in Valletta. Sahhara’s selection of twenty images showcase the merge of a landscape aesthetic and human form. Highly precise and aesthetically engaging, Sahhara’s work is both classic and timeless.

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Antonio Annetto Caruana

Researching Lingua Maltese Studio Storico Etnografico e Filolgico Monday 08 January 2024 at 10:38 am

Antonio Annetto Caruana (1830 – 1905), also known as A. A. Caruana, was a Maltese archaeologist and author

   by Nataša Pantović

University of Malta Rector, Librarian and Keeper of Antiquities at the National Library of Malta, Director of Education in Malta's imperial administration, Caruana is best known for his activities as an archaeologist, has published numerous books and articles. He worked on the excavation of the Hagar Qim neolithic temple complex.

Lingua Maltese Studio Storico Etnografico e Filolgico by Caruana published in 1896

This brings me to a book I am researching at the moment published in Malta, in 1896, in Italian with the title “Lingua Maltese, Studio Storico, Etnografico e Filologico” by Em. Caruana, given to me by my dear neighbor friend as his most precious antique purchased as a rare item in Italy.

Lingua Maltese by Caruana published in 1896

Lingua Maltese by Caruana published in 1896

Many of the ideas of this noble Maltese man have since been challenged, yet we find ourselves returning to them listening more closely to his story of Ancient Greeks in Malta. According to Caruana, all the Greek “Copto”-s that spoke Ionic Greek dialect are Slavic languages. The famous Rosetta Stone inscription is in 3 languages has also been written in the Ionic dialect. Ancient Egypt Rosetta Stone

Today we know that within the region, a more than a few educated souls were Greeks, for they even had Schools * (of Athens), some were Roman, sent out to the foreign lands to govern their provinces, we also find some Slavswe know them by their names.

The region was "Roman”, that meant 10% of taxes on all goods, plus the legal benefits for carrying a Roman Name, for only a few could have called themselves “Romans”. Do you remember, that was the time of Caligula and Ceasar, mad-men convinced of their divinity, killing millions of villagers, while on their conquests.

The people of the region that called itself " Macedon” aparenlly spoke a language different to Ancient Greek but had scholars that were fluent in Greek and Egyptian.

 

Decree of the Maltese with greek inscription 200 BC bronze from Malta - Epigraphic Collection of Archaeological Museum in Naples

Decree of the Maltese with greek inscription 200 BC bronze from Malta - Epigraphic Collection of Archaeological Museum in Naples

Originally carved in Ionic Ancient Greek, now it is known by its Latin translations where the letters are not so profoundly expressed as symbols and frequencies,or music!!!

 

ancient-greek-maltese-inscription-wording-in-napoli-decree-of-the-maltese-with-greek-inscription-200-bc--bronze

Translation of the Ancient Greek Maltese Napoli Decree 200 BC

Lingua Maltese, Studio Storico, Etnografico e Filologico” by Em. Caruana

The precious book from the 19th century, within its pages contains a study of the history of Malta during the time of Greeks for around 400 years, from 600 BC to 200 BC. The Maltese islands were somehow inside the cultural or commercial sphere of the Mycenaean civilization. Lycophron's brief reference to the settlement in Malta of a group of Greeks who, after the siege of Troy - 1250 BC were prevented by the gods from reaching their homelands.

The author refers to the time as the Golden era when democracy was introduced to the island that has already advanced in writing skills, received from Phoenicians. The identification of Gozo, with the Homeric island of Calypso is not a modern 'invention' but goes back to 300 BC.

Pella Tablet in Doric Greek in Macedonia 450 BC

The Pella curse tablet is a text written in a distinct Doric Greek idiom, found in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedon, in 1986.

 

Pella Macedonia Ancient Greece

Inscribed on a lead scroll, it is now dated to the first half of the 400 BC. The Pella curse tablet has been forwarded as argument that the Ancient Macedonian language was a dialect of North-Western Greek. Some, however, argue that the region spoke Ionic or Jonic (ć).

At 400 BC this is how an ancient love letter / curse was written by an obviously rich and totally spoiled youth who perhaps had Dionysophon and Thetima as her servents. Translated by Dr. James L. O'Neil (2006) says -

"I forbid by writing the ceremony and the marriage of Dionysophon and Thetima, and of all other women, and widows and virgins, but especially Thetima. And I assign them to Makron and the daimones. And whenever I shall unroll and read this again, after digging it up, then Dionysophon may marry, but not before. Mayhe not take any wife but me, and may I and no other woman grow old with Dionysophon. I am your suppliant; pity me, dear daimones, for I am weak and bereft of all friends. But protect me so this does not happen and evil Thetima will perish evilly, [undecipherable] mine, but may I be fortunate and blessed,"

 The Dionysus cult was one of the region's “stay happy” and sing while praying...

Greeks and Macedonians, an Ancient Debate

Pre-Hellenistic Greek writers expressed an ambiguity about the Greekness of Macedonians portraying them as a potential barbarian threat to Greece. The late 500 BC sophist Thrasymachus of Chalcedon wrote, "we Greeks are enslaved to the barbarian Archelaus"

Demosthenes says for Philip II "not only no Greek, nor related to the Greeks, but not even a barbarian from any place that can be named with honor, but a pestilent knave from Macedonia, whence it was never yet possible to buy a decent slave".

He also calls Meidias, an Athenian statesman, "barbarian" and in an event mentioned by Athenaeus, the Boeotians, the Thessalians and the Eleans were labeled "barbarians"

In the Histories Herodotus calls king Alexander I, a Hellēn who ruled over Macedonians. in his eighth book he groups several Greek tribes under "Macedonians" and others under "Dorians".

Thucydides distinguishes between three groups fighting in the Peloponnesian War: The Greeks (including Peloponnesians), the barbarian Illyrians and the Macedonians.

Isocrates defending Philip's Greek origins wrote, "...he understood that Greeks are not accustomed to submit themselves to monarchy whereas others are incapable of living their lives without domination of this sort ... for he alone of the Greeks deemed it fit to rule over an ethnically unrelated population"

Isocrates to Philip: "Therefore, since the others are so lacking in spirit, I think it is opportune for you to head the war against the King; and, while it is only natural for the other descendants of Heracles, and for men who are under the bonds of their polities and laws, to cleave fondly to that state in which they happen to dwell, it is your privilege, as one who has been blessed with untrammelled freedom, to consider all Hellas your fatherland, as did the founder of your race, and to be as ready to brave perils for her sake as for the things about which you are personally most concerned."

Philip named the federation of Greek states "The Hellenes" (i.e. Greeks), and the Macedonians were granted two seats in the exclusively Greek League in 346 BC.

With Philip's conquest of Greece, Greeks and Macedonians enjoyed privileges at the royal court, although Philip's armies were only ever led by Macedonians. The process of Greek and Macedonian syncretism culminated during the reign of Alexander the Great, who allowed Greeks to command his armies.

Aristotle advising Alexander "to have regard for the Greeks as for friends and kindred" and has also in his Politics refered to Macedonians as barbarians.

J. King, Carol Allowing that there were living in ancient Macedonia throughout the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods people who were Greek, people who were akin to Greeks, and people who were not Greek, if one seeks historical truth about an ancient people who have left no definitive record, one may have to let go of the hope for a definitive answer. The ancient Greeks themselves differentiated between “Greeks” and “Macedonians...”

Now, who were the Barbarians at the time? What does DNA analysis say about Slavs on Balkan? Serbs have almost 1/3 of the Balkan origin gene which peaks in Herzegovina. It has originated in Balkan and spread out 7000 years ago and into other people now called Slavs (in Europe). However, it is not the most prevalent for the other Slavs - only certain South Slavs, like Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Bosniaks & Bosnian Serbs and Southern Croats.

History is like Playing the Hesse's Glass Bead Game with Pythagoras...

 

Egyptian stelae 1,800 BC excavated in Malta in 1829 are from Egypt

Learning from Egyptian stelae from Malta Jeremy Young, Marcel Marée, Caroline Cartwright and Andrew Middleton Tuesday 01 August 2023 at 3:07 pm

In 1829, four Egyptian stelae dated 1,800 BC were found on Malta

During the excavations for the foundations of the hospital in 1829, four Egyptian stelae came to light. They were excavated by Mr J.B. Collings, who sent them to the British Museum in 1836, where they have registration numbers EA 218, EA 233, EA 287 and EA 299.

"Based on their far-flung findspot, some have suggested that the stelae were locally made by Egyptian colonists who had settled on the island during the second millennium bc. This contribution argues that the stelae offer no basis for such historical reconstructions. Style, content and petrology demonstrate that all four stelae were made in Egypt and that they originally stood in the necropolis of Abydos in Upper Egypt. Microfossils show that these stelae are made of Egyptian limestones, which are of a different geological age to limestones available on Malta" Egyptian stelae from Malta.

The British Museum stelae suggest that each was destined to be set up in Abydos, the cult centre of the god Osiris. The stela EA 233, the British archaeologists tell us, principal inscription addresses ‘those living on earth, every wab priest, every lector priest, every scribe and every ka servant who may pass by this eternal stela’. Those reading tell all that they should recite an offering prayer for the benefit of all those commemorated on the monument. The version of the prayer inscribed on EA 233 invokes the king and ‘Osiris, lord of Abydos’

On EA 233, between the two deities, the living king is also represented – through a cartouche. This contains the thronename of Amenemhat III, who is said to be ‘beloved’ of both gods; his mention dates the stela to c.1855–1808 bc

Upper part of stela EA 233 from the Twelfth Dynasty, from the reign of Amenemhat III (1855–1808 BC) in British Museum

It has been suggested that the stelae came to Malta in Roman times or at some other point...

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How to Improve Audience Engagement. Learning from Ancient Greece

Learning from Fi Do Performance by Manifesto Poetico Tuesday 11 July 2023 at 10:18 am

Presented by Nataša Pantović 

Athenian culture was ‘cast’ directly through theatre, it was moulded, and remoulded now inhabit not only our dreams, but our history, or legal speeches, philosophical dialogues, love thoughts or the interior decor of houses. Internet culture is “cast” directly through Internet and Society still places a great premium on entertainers who fit the bill while the rest is badly paid or not paid at all.

Modern psychologists argue that the origins of theatre archetypal roles lie deep in human beings collective sub consciousness, manifested in the repertoire of every human culture at any point of time. When the travel was limited, theatre had the function of philosophers, prophets and historians. Aristotle suggests using feelings. Laughter, fear, was most commonly used: Gladiator fights, slaves with lions, etc. Exploiting the mood of the crowd.

Following own research, I was particularly interested in Ancient Greek Improvisation Triangle from The Theatrical Cast of Athens:

To use the Dicaeopolis actor’s words, “A ‘must appear to be’ B in the eyes the audience. In this triangular process, two parties exist and are present: A (the actor) and C (the spectator). But B - the role - is improvised. B could be an animal, a symbol, or a god. B could be dead, as yet unborn.”

The actors were called: Apollo-dorus (embedded with Apollo’s spirit). In Greek myth, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo (Sun), a virgin huntress, the Greek goddess of the Moon. At Ephesus, Turkey, we find remains of an Artemis (Ἄρτεμις ) Temple destroyed the very same day when Alexander the Great was born. When asked why wasn't she able to protect her own home, the temple in Ephesus, that was burnt by madmen in 356 BC, she said that she was in Pella, the capital of Macedonia (near Thessaloniki), assisting at Olympius and Philip son's birth. The Temple was so impressive that it was together with Egyptian pyramids listed as one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Aristotle tells us of star actors like Theodorus who travelled the Mediterranean world with great acts of Antigone, Electra, and Hecuba.

Theatre is perceived as being more about viewing. Or is it?

Theoros the one who leaves to participate in a religious or state rituals where participation is a must (singing to God or King). The theoros is an engaged witness of the political or religious life, an ambassador.

The idea of exploring the world through theatre, Plato uses to describe the audience chained to their chairs in the cave. Plato’s Republic excludes art.

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A Brief History of Poetry

Friday 19 May 2023 at 2:00 pm

Poetry as an oral form is the oldest form of expression

by Nataša Pantović

The use of rythm, repetition, and hypnosis by shamans and politicians from around the planet, in larger poetic units is common in both: religious and village people’s poetry. In Balkans, African or Asian cultures, performance poetry is accompanied by various local instruments.

The earliest poetry kept the memory of genealogy, or law alive. Poetry is closely related to musical traditions. The most famous because it was the oldest was written by Sumerian priestess Enheduanna, celebrating Goddess Moon, SiN, in the form of chant using a priest vs congregation response, blessings altered by all, etc. identical to today’s Christian liturgy. Chants are usually devoted to God / Goddess.

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