Sigma Publications

09/11/2025

"Gods and Men": http://sigmapublications.com/mth_en_en2.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9604250760/

“The crags of stand silent and bare, scoured by the icy winds. The halls of the gods are as if they had never been.” This sequel to 'The Gods of Olympus' takes the reader from the birth of mankind to the passing of the ancient religion of the Greeks. Names and events which have become a part of the western world’s identity are brought to vivid life in these pages: how brought the gift of fire to men; the tale of ’s box; the story behind 'the touch'; the boy on the dolphin; the origin of 'tantalize'; the sad end of Icarus, who literally burnt his wings; how the Peloponnese came by its name and Europa gave hers to a continent. Here are love’s labours lost in the tragic myth of and his , and love lent wings in the story which has given us our 'halcyon days'. The gods of the Greeks may have vanished in the mists of time, yet their legacy lives on undimmed.

07/11/2025

👩‍🍳 + 🏛️

Nineteen Greek archaeological sites, including the Roman Agora of Thessaloniki, Frangokastello in Sfakia, the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, and the northern wall of Amphipolis, are opening their grounds to through the “Eaternity Experience” program run by the Organization for the Management and Development of Cultural Resources (ODAP).

The initiative allows professional chefs and caterers to showcase local gastronomic products in historic settings, provided all events respect the monuments and gain approval from the Culture Ministry.

More: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1285222/archaeological-sites-hosting-culinary-events/

05/11/2025

"The Gods of Olympus": http://sigmapublications.com/mth_en_en1.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/9604250582/

The twelve gods of , as seen in the most important and loveliest of the myths surrounding them, are presented in this book with the light touch and clear eye of the distinguished student of Greek mythology Menelaos Stephanides. Combining the joy of learning with the pleasure of tales well told, this enjoyable volume will give its readers an amusing introduction to the all-too-mortal gods of the ancient Greeks. For in Greek mythology the gods are very far from perfect and have as many human weaknesses as supernatural powers. It is precisely their blend of power and frailties that gives mythology in its Greek form the lasting appeal that has drawn people to the stories of its gods for the past three thousand years. Superhuman battles with fearsome creatures or forces of nature such as Typhon, the loves and infidelities of , cunning, hatred, friendship, wisdom and generosity are all interwoven in an entrancing tangle which Menelaos Stephanides unwinds and weaves into clear and simple language. The myths are arranged so that each god is given one chapter, while the first chapter is devoted to 's cosmogony, the Greek version of the birth of the world. Suitable for all ages.

02/11/2025

Starting today!

Free admission to archaeological sites, museums and monuments managed by the Culture Ministry will resume on Sunday, November 2, applying on specific Sundays and commemorative dates throughout the year.

The ministry said free entry is offered on the first Sunday of each month from November 1 to March 31, as well as on the third Sunday within the same period.

Additional free-entry days include October 28 (National Holiday), April 18 (World Heritage Day, also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites), May 18 (International Museum Day), the last weekend of September (European Heritage Days), and March 6 (Melina Mercouri Memorial Day).

The ministry noted that these provisions do not apply to the Acropolis Museum, which sets its own free-admission dates. The museum allows free entry on March 6, March 25, May 18 and October 28, and partially during European Heritage Days, following a decision by its board of directors.

Free admission to archaeological sites, museums and monuments managed by the Culture Ministry will resume on November 2, applying on specific Sundays and commemorative dates throughout the year.

28/09/2025

„Griechischen Mythologie“: https://sigmapublications.com/mth_en_ge0.html

Bei dieser 8bändigen „ “ handelt es sich um das Lebenswerk der Gebrüder Stefanides, das sie nach 25jährigem Schaffen 1997 zum Abschluss brachten. Seither wird die Reihe bei jeder Neuauflage bezüglich Erscheinungsbild und Inhalt verbessert.

Das Werk stützt sich auf das antike griechische Schrifttum ( , , , , , , u.a.) aber auch auf die neuere Forschung (Decharme, Richepin, Graves, Kereny, Rose, Hamilton, Koun) und lässt spätere römische Veränderungen unberücksichtigt. In diesen Veränderungen wird zum Beispiel ein , das Symbol der Verbindung von Geisteskraft und Körperkraft, zum Helden Hercules, der seine Kräfte in nutzlosen Abenteuern verschwendet.

Die Bücher erzählen uns die gesamte griechische Mythologie in moderner, lebendiger Sprache, sie sind mit bildhaften Details angereichert, die das Interesse des Lesers wecken, unabhängig davon, welcher Altersgruppe er angehört.

Ziel des Autors ist es, die Liebe zur Mythologie und zum Lesen überhaupt zu erwecken, deshalb zeigt er die Poesie und die Schönheit der alten griechischen . Er stellt die Mythologie in ihr natürliches Umfeld und präsentiert die Mythen in logischer, zeitlicher Abfolge. Die Beschreibungen und die Illustrationen „duften“ nach Griechenland und nach Meer, bekannte Namen und Bezeichnungen erlangen ihre tatsächliche Bedeutung und historische Fakten tauchen teils vage, teils überzeugend aus dem Gespinst der Erzählung auf.

So ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass die „Griechische Mythologie“ von Lehrern oft im Unterricht verwendet wird und dass sie von Tausenden Lesern jeder Altersgruppe in der ganzen Welt gelesen und geliebt wird.
Die Bücher der Reihe wurden in viele Sprachen übersetzt. 1989 wurde der Band „Die Argonauten“ mit dem europäischen Pier-Paolo-Vergerio-Preis ausgezeichnet.

24/09/2025

acropolis seen from above!

Source: https://www.visitpeloponnese.com/en/prdct/archaeological-site-mycenae

19/09/2025

’s newly restored palace represents a magnificent contribution to Greek cultural heritage, but stirs new questions about , one of ancient Greece’s most colorful but least-understood kings.

The takeaway from a visit to Aigai? The newly restored palace represents a grand, mystery-solving vision of ancient Macedonia and Philip II. We’ve certainly seen grand archaeological visions before, at the Athenian Acropolis, Knossos, Mycenae and elsewhere. Such inspired perspectives are a great tradition in Greece and a beloved source of interest for visitors. Perhaps as Aigai’s recent “dust” begins to settle, there will be a clearer understanding of the scope of the work and contributions accomplished. Much hinges on the palace’s new foundation date, with significant ramifications for the history of ancient Greek architecture and how we perceive the ancient Macedonian monarchy.

Yet many questions remain: If the royal family didn’t live at the palace, where did they reside? Was Philip II truly an enlightened, Plato-inspired monarch, an architectural innovator, who welcomed his subjects en masse into his presence, and who cared enough about democratic ideals to make his palace, as Kottaridi puts it, “an architectural manifesto of the ideal state,” and to post his new laws in a publically accessible portico beside its entrance? Such a benevolent, intellectual image clashes with that we’ve previously held of Philip as an ambitious military commander and empire builder who conquered peoples, burned cities and, at the end, elevated himself among the Olympian gods. The truth may lie somewhere in the middle.

More: https://www.ekathimerini.com/leisure/destinations/1259487/aigai-the-mysteries-of-philip-iis-restored-palace/

17/09/2025

📚📖 Mythologie Grecque des Frères Stéphanidès en français! - https://sigmapublications.com/mth_en_fr0.html

Cette série de livres est une réédition particulière de la Grecque des frères Stéphanidès qui a connu un succès mondial. Le lecteur pourra, à travers elle, se délecter de toute la magie de la Mythologie Grecque, faire un voyage de rêve en pénétrant jusqu’aux confins d’une époque qui remonte à plus de 3.000 ans, et encore, stimulé par la philosophie réaliste de l’auteur parcourant le texte, philosopher lui-même.

15/09/2025

It was part of an ambitious development plan carried out in the 3rd century BC by the king of , , for the Sanctuary of Zeus and Dione at Dodoni in northwestern Greece. The plan included a theater and a stadium, but was mainly about the bouleuterion (the senate), which, together with the adjacent prytaneion (the administrative center), testified to the sanctuary’s dual character.

The was big, covering 1,250 square meters. “It was a building of impressive proportions and it was key to the sanctuary’s role as a political center and as the seat of the Epirotic political formations in Hellenistic times. The Epirote League convened there, as did the Koinon of the Epirotes, following the abolition of the monarchy in 231 BC,” says archaeologist Hypatia Faklari from the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina, referring to two important tribal alliances.

“Representatives from various Epirote tribes – such as the Molossians, the Chaonians and the Thesprotians – would gather here to make decisions about the region’s future,” she adds.

The Culture Ministry recently announced a plan to restore and showcase the bouleuterion.

More: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1276384/ancient-building-symbolizing-tribal-unity-to-get-facelift/

31/07/2025

Inspiring stories from Greece, ancient and modern!

"Folk-tales from Greece" is a two-volume edition with twelve folk tales selected from the treasure-house of modern Greek tradition. (➤ "Folk-tales from Greece I": http://sigmapublications.com/flk_en_en1.html ➤ "Folk-tales from Greece II": http://sigmapublications.com/flk_en_en2.html)

"Aesop's Fables and Jokes by Ierocles" presents the fables in their original simple form and aims not only to entertain the reader but to give him a closer experience of this unique and, one might add, immortal form of the written word: http://www.sigmapublications.com/cls_en_en1.html

23/07/2025

The iconic 2,700-year-old $Kore of Thera statue has returned to $Santorini’s renovated Archaeological Museum, now protected by a groundbreaking anti-seismic base that can withstand magnitude 8.0 earthquakes.

The 2.48-meter Archaic sculpture, weighing 500 kilograms and carved from Naxian marble, inaugurates “Kykladitisses: Untold Stories of Women in the Cyclades.”

The innovative support system, designed by Athens’ National Technical University under Professor Emeritus Vlasis Koumousis, uses kinetic energy and friction to absorb seismic forces while requiring minimal marble intervention.

The €750,000 museum renovation preserves architect Konstantinos Dekavallas’ 1960s modernist design while adding contemporary infrastructure.

New glass installations create visual perspectives, and specially designed windows block visual pollution from Santorini’s uncontrolled tourism while maintaining controlled Cycladic lighting through lateral skylights.

This marks the first pan-Cycladic exhibition ever organized, featuring 180 masterpieces spanning prehistory to recent centuries.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni noted advances in anti-seismic technology since the first base was created for Praxiteles’ Hermes 25 years ago. The exhibition runs until October 31.

Source: https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1272990/the-kore-of-thera-returns-home/