The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The composer Fryderyk Chopin's visions..[ 2039 ]


Chopin 'probably had epilepsy'

By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News
Fryderyk Chopin  
Chopin invented the musical form known as ballade
BBC.,,25 January 2011 Last updated at 01:57 GMT

The composer Fryderyk Chopin, who was hounded by hallucinations during his relatively short life, probably had epilepsy, say Spanish researchers.
The Polish pianist died in 1849 at the age of 39 as a result of a lung disease which has recently been attributed to cystic fibrosis.
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But the Spanish doctors say he probably also suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy.
They cite reports of disturbing visions which the composer experienced.
Letters written by Chopin himself, as well as the memoirs of those close to him, describe the visions that invaded his life. 

Ghosts and terrors
His lover, George Sand, recalls various times when Chopin experienced visual hallucinations, including during a trip to a monastery that was "full of terrors and ghosts for him".
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In a letter written to the daughter of George Sand, Chopin himself describes a moment, during a performance of his Sonata in B flat minor in England in 1848 at a private salon, when he saw creatures emerging from his piano which forced him to leave the room to recover himself.
Hallucinations occur with several medical and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, but they usually take the form of voices rather than visions.
The most likely explanation for Chopin's visions, say the Spanish doctors, is a type of epilepsy called temporal lobe epilepsy.
With seizures of this kind it is common to experience strange visions and intense emotions, such as those described by Chopin. 
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They acknowledge that the composer also took the opium-based tincture laudanum to quell his various physical symptoms.
But they rule this out as the cause because of the quality of the visual hallucinations he experienced as well as the fact that he started having them long before taking this medication.
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Migraine with aura is another possible cause that they strike off the list because Chopin's visions were too brief.
Dr Manuel Varquez Caruncho and his team acknowledge that without the aid of modern day tests, it is difficult to make a definitive diagnosis.
But they told the journal Medical Humanities Chopin's illness could easily have been overlooked by his doctors because there was limited understanding of epilepsy at that time.
They added: "We doubt that another diagnosis added to the already numerous list will help us understand the artistic world of Fryderyk Chopin.
"But we do believe that knowing he had this condition could help to separate romanticised legend from reality and shed new light in order to better understand the man and his life."
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