The Unique Radiant Light of Greece

“When I read in Homer the simple words “φάος ἠελίοιο” , today I would say “φως του ηλίου” (the sunlight) , I experience a familiarity that stems from a collective soul rather than from an intellectual effort. It is a tone, one might say, whose harmonies reach quite far; it feels very different from anything a translation can give.” George Seferis,1963

It is undeniable that the miracle of Greek antiquity is one of the highest peaks of the accomplishments of the human spirit and continues to illuminate every field of human activity. For centuries, countless individuals, with awe and wonder, wanted to attribute this miracle to all kinds of factors – political, economic, and ethnic.

But when you find yourself in Greece in the summertime, you may start sensing another cause. Admiring the sunset from the sublime cliffs of Sounion, next to the ancient Temple of Poseidon, or crossing the pine forests of Attica accompanied by the playfulness of the myriad colors of oleander, another explanation begins to appear. Descending upon countless olive groves to the south of the Peloponnese, climbing the mountains of Mani, wandering within the sacred ruins of Olympia, you feel there is another reason. Visiting Delphi, climbing the Meteora and sailing on the Aegean to one of magic islands, you intuitively become aware that there exists in Greece a central component that excites the spirit.

It is the light of Greece

A light that does not blind or burn, but one that inspires and above all stimulates the spirit. Τhe light that never deems since homer time. "Whoever has seen Greece will carry forever in his heart the remembrance of a miracle of light. No blinding glare, no blazing colors, but an all-pervading, luminous brightness which bathes the foreground in a delicate glow, yet makes the furthest distances clearly visible. “  wrote Walter F. Howe, author of "The Homeric Gods”