By Major General (Ret.) K. H. Constantinidis
The dramatic fall of Nineveh, Babylon and Egypt, and their subjugation by the Persians, together with the somewhat earlier fall of Troy, whose inhabitants belonged to the same race as their conquerors, the tragic adventures of the heroes who took part in the expedition, as well as the devastating wars among the Greek city-states (Argos, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes and Athens), and the total destruction of cities such as Potidaea, Stageira, Plataea, Mytilene and others, whose inhabitants were massacred or sold into slavery, revealed to humanity the flaws, uncontrollable passions, savage instincts, terrible egotism and spiritual hardness of human beings.
From this horrifying crucible, flames emerged that shook and stirred the souls of men. For the Greeks, this marked a turning point. Something had to be done.
Disturbed by the tragedies suffered by their own people and by neighbouring nations, they began to reflect seriously on the future of humanity in their time. The pain of the soul and the suffering they witnessed awakened the minds of the wise and educated thinkers of the age, who sought ways to prevent such great disasters, enslavement, cruelty, pain and tears from occurring again.
During the Dark Ages following the Trojan War, the Greek spirit did not remain dormant. This was an era in which the powerful kingdoms had collapsed: first the Minoan civilization and subsequently the Mycenaean civilization. Even today, we do not know the exact causes of their downfall. Perhaps the eruption of the Thera volcano played a role, bringing about or accelerating their destruction.
All these events prompted the Greek world to reflect deeply and engage in serious soul-searching. Something had to be done to overcome their decline and obscurity and restore their former prominence.
It was then that the Greek spirit triumphed, providing them with a solution. During that period, in 776 BC, they established the institution of the Olympic Games as a means of channelling rivalries and preventing civil wars among the Greek city-states.
They began to study ways of improving the governance of their city-states. Heraclitus was the first, around 500 BC, to formulate radical ideas concerning a common human order and the rule of law, at a time when foreigners were often regarded as slaves, unwanted strangers or enemies, and could even be led to an altar and sacrificed to the gods.
It was then that free-thinking individuals emerged who believed in individual liberty as the supreme good. From that time onward, the ancient Greek sages taught not the things associated with warfare, military campaigns and armaments, but rather how human beings and their societies could be better educated and governed.
From Thales to Aristotle, influenced also by Orphic philosophy and religious worship, they sought ways to prevent wars, so that people could live their lives peacefully and freely.
It was then that they established Athletic Games as an institution and named them the Olympic Games, in honour of Zeus and the Olympian gods. They used athletic competition as a means of preventing wars among the Greek city-states. Through the institution of the Olympic Truce, they also established the cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Games.
At that time, they realised that people needed education in order to transform the mentality of the harsh and bloodthirsty warrior. They also needed to incorporate moral values into society, including the following:
- Balance, prudence, moderation and humility.
- Courage of spirit, freedom and autonomy.
- Good order, beauty and truth.
- Bravery, discipline and personal responsibility.
- Friendship, love, affection and justice.
- Love of one’s country, cooperation and peace.
- Family, unity and friendship.
- Virtue, solidarity and integrity.
- Respect for human beings and obedience to the laws.
- Love and admiration for women, together with love and respect for womanhood.
- The thirst for knowledge – education and learning.
- Admiration for the Universe and Divine Providence.
- Respect for Nature, our Great Mother, and many other values.
These values were meant to become the duty of every citizen, to be respected and upheld. In this way, citizens became enlightened and enriched with higher moral principles.
They came to understand the benefits of peace for every human being, regardless of race, colour, religious beliefs or other differences that divide people. Peace benefits above all mothers and children, giving mothers the opportunity to raise and nurture their children without the constant fear of losing them to war.
Out of the lamentations, the cries of anguish, slavery and the ultimate degradation of human beings, the Greek spirit emerged like a flame and spread throughout the Greek world. The Greeks, however, did not keep this spirit for themselves alone. They offered it as a gift and a means of salvation to the entire known world of their time.
Universal human suffering and extreme misery gave birth to a universal vision of salvation. This was the clarion call that gave rise to the finest civilisation of the ancient sages, a civilisation that refined human nature, shaped better citizens and established the measure of life for civilised people.
It was a civilisation that humanised people and made them virtuous and, in the words of Socrates, kaloi kagathoi – noble and good – transcending the interests of individuals, leaders, groups, races or religions whose objectives were the enslavement and exploitation of other human beings.
These thinkers established the noble concepts of Homeland, Freedom, Justice and Democracy – universal principles capable of benefiting all peoples and all human beings.
And when they began putting these principles into practice and establishing them as institutions, they set sail in their ships to spread them throughout the known world of that time, founding colonies and living peacefully alongside the indigenous peoples.
From that time onward, according to my understanding, the Greeks did not pursue wars of conquest; rather, they also fought for the liberation of their enslaved brothers.
Alexander the Great is accused of having become a conqueror of the East. Yet Alexander was not merely a conqueror; he was also a vehicle for the dissemination of the Greek spirit. He carried the ideas of Freedom and Justice into the lands through which he passed, respected local systems of government and religious beliefs to a considerable extent, and spread the Greek way of life, intellectual cultivation, athletics, civilisation and Greek values. This is why his presence left a profound and lasting mark on the East.
The rest of the world, however, did not share the same views as the Greeks. The Romans considered them an easy adversary and conquered them. But the worst consequence was the spiritual transformation imposed upon them through the replacement of their ancestral religion. From that point onward, the Greeks ceased to be bearers of light and became slaves for a long period of time.
But let us now examine what is happening in the world today.
(To be continued in Part 2.)
(7 November 2026)
Major General (Ret.) Konstantinos Constantinidis
Author – Member of the Society of Greek Authors
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