Greece is a country with a rich history, existing for more than a first millennium. Of course, such a long time provided her with a huge cultural heritage. It can be traced even in state symbols, despite the fact that the flag and coat of arms of Greece were adopted not so long ago. And if many-blue striped banner with a cross in the corner is familiar to many, then not everyone knows about other symbols. Meanwhile, the emblem is very similar to the flag of the country.
The modern look of the coat of arms
At the moment, Greece uses the image of a direct silver cross on the azure shield, which is surrounded by a laurel wreath. There are three different color options for the latter. The blue and white wreath shows the official coat of arms of Greece, the armed forces use gold. In a multicolor version, with green leaves, the symbol is used by citizens everywhere, in an informal setting. The symbolic meaning does not change depending on the color.
What does the emblem of Greece mean?
The central element, a shield with a straight cross, recalls the military glory and the Christian religion, which is associated with the difficult history of the struggle of the Greek Orthodox Church for the freedom of the country. Blue color means a clear sky and seas washing Greece: Mediterranean, Aegean, Ionian and Cretan. The purity of the intentions of the Greek patriots is associated with white. There is another version, otherwise explaining the emblem of Greece. According to her, mercy and hope are indicated in blue, and justice, beauty and faith are white. Finally, the third option connects blue with truth and fidelity, and white with the world. A laurel wreath framing a shield recalls ancient history. Once in Greece, the winners of the Olympic Games were so awarded. In the current version, the emblem of Greece was approved on June 7, 1975.
Old look
State symbols are constantly undergoing changes. The flag and coat of arms of Greece were adopted about forty years ago. Before that, completely different characters were used. So, the ancient emblem of Greece combined images of an owl and Athena Pallas, which were applied to coins.
In the fifteenth century, the Greeks were under the Turkish yoke. Patriots began to use the white cross as a symbol of the struggle against Muslim Turkey. The rebellion of 1829 is also associated with such images. In the course were banners of blue or red flowers with crosses, the Virgin, saints and a phoenix bird engulfed in fire. During the reign of the first president of Greece, the country's seal was the image of a mythical bird, which symbolizes renewal and rebirth.
After the return of the monarchy in the state, the Bavarian flag began to be used . The coat of arms of Greece was then made in the same colors. A crowned blue and white shield was supported by golden lions on the sides, and a purple mantle crowned the image. In 1963, the throne passed to the Danish prince, and blue lions appeared on the coat of arms . The shield was supported by giants with clubs.
In 1924, a republic was formed again, the emblem of which was a white cross on the azure shield. The mantle and crowns were removed from the image, and two ancient Greek warriors appeared on the edges. Ten years later, the country voted to return the monarchy, and a new emblem was chosen that looked very similar to the modern symbol - the crowned shield.
Anthem of Greece
The emblem and flag of the country are very similar in many respects. What can the hymn say? His idea corresponds to the meaning of two other state symbols and talks about freedom. The words for the anthem were written in 1823 by a Greek named Dionysis Solomos, who lived on a small island. Then national independence was the main goal of most people, and the song became a kind of ideological weapon. There are 158 lines in the hymn, but in modern Greece only the first two quatrains are played.