Greek Women are Goddesses

By Katerina Tsemperlidou

A contemporary love story that highlights the similarities between the ancient Greek goddesses of mythology and Greek women of today.

Greg is a Greek American journalist who comes to Greece to create a documentary for Greek women. Athena is a young lawyer who has written a thesis “Greek women are goddesses”.

She undertakes the task to bring Gregg to contact with women willing to participate in his documentary. Athena is beautiful, dynamic, a modern-day goddess who holds a secret. The more Greg knows her the more he likes her until he falls in love with her. But there is a fiancée back in NYC… 

Through Athena’s thesis we come to know that Greek women have many similarities with the 6 Olympus Goddesses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AKAKIA Publications
• Release date: Dec 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781912935031

Book preview

Artemis.

Contents

A few words about the book

PART 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Greek Women are GoddessesThesis by Athena A.Introduction

Athena - The Goddess of Wisdom

The Successful Greek Career Woman

Zeus’ Headache

Athena The Defender of the City of Athens

The Goddess of Tactical Thinking and Wisdom

Athena’s Characteristics

Six Dilemmas in the Professional Life of a Greek Woman-Goddess

A Successful Greek Career Woman?Please Explain

What It Takes to Make a Modern Greek Athena-Goddess Happy

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Demeter - The Goddess of Harvest,

Agriculture and Fertile Soil

The Ultimate Greek Mother

Demeter, the One and Only Mother

A Hymn to Selfless Devotion

Little Princes and Princesses

The Act of Giving in a Mother– Daughter Relationship

The Mother Who Holds Nothing Back

The Tupper Phenomenon

Mothers, Heads of Single-Parent Families

A Big Heart

The Virgin Mary, the Ultimate Expression of Motherhood

What About My Mother?

Mommy 10 Truisms Concerning Mothers

What It Takes to Make a Modern Greek Demeter-Goddess Happy

Chapter 10

Spring the Season of the Salutations

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Hestia -The Goddess of Hearth and Home.

The Traditional Greek Domestic Goddes and Pillar of the Household

Hestia the Goddess of Familial Bliss

My Kingdom is My Home

Old Family Recipes and Secret Ingredients

Goddesses in the Kitchen

The Quality of Ingredients

The Myth of Pure Unadulterated Ingredients

The Twenty Favorite Recipes of Today’s Greek Goddess

The Bliss of Sunday Lunch

What It Takes to Make the Modern Greek Hestia-Goddess Happy

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Artemis - The Goddess of Hunting

The Independent Greek Girl

The Animal-loving Activist

Artemis the Independent Goddess

Once a Girl, Always a Girl

Archery: Sports are not Our Strong Point

At One with Nature

Greek Goddesses and their Constant Companions

Family Businesses: Keep it in the Family!

Women’s Agritourist Co-ops

Volunteering

Koumbares

Fairy Godmothers

What It Takes to Make the Modern Greek Artemis-Goddess Happy

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Aphrodite - The Sensual Goddess of Beauty

The Greek Carefree Woman, the Joy of Living, the Artist

Aphrodite – the Sensual Goddess of Beauty

Love Conquers All

Beauty Confidential

The Elixir of Beauty and Youth

Beauty Has no Age

A Greek Goddess’ Helpers in Her Quest for Beauty

Famous Greek Beauties and Courtesans Who Have Made History

The Caress of the Sun

The Ten Beloved Must-haves of Every Greek Woman

The Refined Details of a Modern Aphrodite’s Style

Passion in Pursuit of an Ideal

Unforgettable Greek Women Who Have Served Humanity with Aphrodite’s Passion

What It Takes to Make a Modern Greek Aphrodite-Goddess Happy

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Hera - The Goddess of Marriage

The Quintessential Married Greek Woman

Hera, the First Lady of Olympus

From Fairytale to Mundane Reality

Hera’s Curse

Jealousy, the Green-eyed Monster

The Resourceful Greek Wife, a Pure Goddess!

The Twenty Roles of a Married Greek Woman

Joint or separate bank accounts?

Danger Zone

Divorce

What It Takes to Make the Modern Greek Hera-Goddess Happy

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

PART 2

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

And they lived happily ever after… and the goddesses lived on even more happily!

How to be an Authentic Greek Goddess

Divine Flavors

The Greek Goddess as Hostess

Recipes of a Greek Goddess

Acknowledgements

Publisher’s Note

About the Author

A few words about the book

The inspiration for this novel came to me some twelve years ago. At the time I had read a book on French women; the author was full of praise for Frenchwomen’s most enduring characteristic: their elegance and personal style, which singles them out from other women world-wide.

It set me thinking: how would we characterize Greek women? If we were to look for a single quality, which sets them apart from their sisters, what would it be?

My instinctive answer was: we Greek women are goddesses! What other women have as much in common with the deities of Greek Mythology as we Greeks? If one really thinks about it, we contemporary Greek women are goddesses in our own individual way since we are the heirs of those female personalities who had conquered Ancient Greek culture with their winning ways, their energy, their values, their relationships and their involvement in the affairs of mankind!

This was the genesis of my idea for writing about them.

I would write a book as a tribute to Greek women. The title and subject matter haunted my subconscious for many years; I would write, then leave the manuscript aside until, at some point, I completed this book.

In the years when I had the privilege of working in advertising, I came into contact with the female public and became an expert in the mentality and psyche of Greek women. I enjoyed following research projects on Greek women’s likes and dislikes, patterns of thought, in how they approached life, and what their values, fears, and dreams were all about. Therefore I feel I know them, we are old friends.

I feel I owe to Greek women who have responded so positively to my advertising work for so long.

This sense of obligation led me to gradually develop the conviction that we Greek women are the incarnation and blood descendants of the six goddesses who were worshipped by our ancestors some three thousand years ago.

Of course, in most ancient city-states the sexes were not equal but human qualities and attributes were evenly distributed among the twelve gods of Olympus, between six male and six female deities. Respect and equality between the sexes.

This fair balance in the world of the gods is truly remarkable! Neither the gods nor the goddesses were victims of gender bias. My next thought was that the people who invented these mythological beings, some three thousand years ago were most probably men; they instilled the worship of female goddesses and through them of women. If one examines the colorful career of ancient Greek goddesses one realizes that they are far from being perfect, they possess the full range of human qualities and defects. Therefore our ancestors created gods in the human image rather than the opposite which would have been more logical, theologically speaking.

Using our mythology as my starting point, I started examining similarities between these archetypical goddesses and ourselves; I looked for common characteristics inherited in the course of some one hundred generations by these revered goddesses. There are still so many clues around us, attesting to this connection… even if, in reality, they never existed. Statues, museums, temples, books, representations in art, given names, Greek history, school lessons… these are the tokens of their continuing presence in our lives. I therefore investigated our cultural inheritance and whether we are modern expressions in whole or in part of Aphrodite, Hera, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia, or Athena, with a dash of hero Bouboulina thrown in.

The more I thought about it, the more I discovered or remembered women possessing the spark of their divine predecessors. Our ancestors had, of course, invented a whole network of semi-divine friends or enemies, allies or opponents like the Muses, the Graces, the Morae, the Horae, the Erinyes, the Nereids and the Nymphs such as the Naiads, the Dryads, and the Oresteiads.

Since my subject matter deals with contemporary Greek women, I did not confine myself to the denizens of mythology. I also researched outstanding female figures gracing the course of our country’s history throughout many centuries; these are women who shine brightly through the pages of history in Art, in Letters, in Science, or by their heroic deeds, individually or collectively.

This is by no means a historic endeavor, I am not a historian nor do I propose to give an account of events which have already been recorded by experts. This book is not a religious work either. My references to mythology do not imply any belief in or observance of ancient Greek religious practices.

My primary goal is the celebration of contemporary Greek women. I want to encourage them, honor them and support them. I want to help them feel good about themselves, to stand proud and self-confident in their lives. I want them to realize their worth and follow their dreams while acknowledging the qualities and defects that make them who they are: goddesses, despite their imperfections! They have been through difficult times lately, but hardship has always been their lot. Modern Greek women are the distillation, the totality of a series of cultural, biological and historical developments, I could therefore not ignore our journey down to present times. This book might also be a source of inspiration to all women in the world.

I have also included information on the life of a contemporary Greek goddess. Maybe this is the first book which gives out information on the role, the values and the life of the modern Greek woman. Their characteristics, their role models, and habits are recorded in this book which is a combination of novel and sociological data. If, for instance, a foreigner or extra-terrestrial were to express curiosity about us and our mentality, he can look for answers to his questions in this book.

I would like to express my love, respect, and admiration to all those who came before us and to those who will follow.

All of the above we learn or remember, through the story of the Greek-American reporter Greg and the beautiful lawyer Athena, as well as from the remarkable women who inhabit their world. We connect, through their lives, to the six archetypical goddesses of our mythology.

While the depiction of Greek mythological women is substantially accurate, I have taken some liberties for the sake of the contemporary narrative. The goddess Aphrodite was not Athena’s sister for instance.

I have dedicated this book to two dearly beloved women in my life, whose influence on me has been paramount. The first is my beloved mother, Vasso Tsermeli-Tsemperlidou who taught me many valuable things: that marriage equals love and motherhood, compassion for the weak, how to be a good housewife and appreciate my partner while being financially independent. She also taught me respect for tradition, the secrets of making good galaktoboureko (traditional greek desert with cream and pastry) and the will to keep family bonds intact. This book is also dedicated to the second most important woman in my life, my mother’s sister, my aunt and godmother Alexandra Tsermeli who also taught me many things; how to be an imaginative and engaged working woman, how to improve myself through constant effort, how to wear a suit and impeccable high heels, how to sew on buttons and mend hems, how to have faith in God, how to love gardening and flowers and learn their respective names, how to be proud and dignified and lastly how to walk with my head held high and my shoulders straight (she did not manage the last item).

Among other women who have influenced me l should mention my aunt, Kassiani Tsemperlidou who taught me the secrets of a well-kept home and consideration for others; she taught me the importance of deliciously-smelling food always on the ready for guests in an unfailingly hospitable house. She taught me how to be humble and enterprising, how to keep open house for guests and relatives, how to take care of aged family members with kindness, how to have a sense of humor and exchange jokes and funny stories with one’s partner.

Another aunt, Noussia Georgopoulou, nee Tsemperlidou, taught me how to be a fan of sports without sacrificing one’s femininity, how to have many interests, how to be a true friend to women and a buddy with men.

My two grandmothers, Katerini Tsermeli, nee Koutsi from Epirus and Maria Tsemperlidou, nee Orfanidou from Pontus were also significant presences in my life. They taught me all about surviving in difficult circumstances as a stranger in a new environment and how to be head of the family, and assume all the responsibilities of a single parent.

Above all, these women in my life and family taught me by example the value of love and strong family bonds, the cornerstones of Greek society.

I will always be grateful to you and honor your memory as long as I live.

Dear friends, I hope you enjoy this novel-documentary. Like all of my previous books, this one too is inspired by a central idea: Greek women are goddesses, and an ultimate purpose: making us feel like better people. I will be delighted to receive your feedback on my Facebook page.

Thank you very much for your heartfelt comments, for your warm presence at my side and for reading my books.

I send you my love

.

PART 1

Chapter 1

His eager gaze took in the panorama of the sea from on high. The series of events that had ultimately led to his presence in a plane flying above the Aegean Sea flashed through his mind. He had done his research among members of the Alumni Club of his American college, and their advice had been unanimous: get in touch with Athena. She was the indispensable contact if he was to obtain a thorough overview of contemporary Greek women. Greg’s project involved a documentary and Athena had not only collected valuable information but had also written a thesis on the subject. Her input as an expert would significantly enhance the final video production he had in mind.

They had already been in frequent contact through social media, in English of course, and now the hour was fast approaching when their co-operative adventure would begin. It involved shooting a video with Greek women as its theme.

Landing gear on the ready, the plane was preparing for touchdown at Athens’ airport. Though it was still the end of February, the day was bathed in a glorious light, and the playful rays of a majestic sun shone down on his beloved land. A brilliant light, the precursor of spring, was making its way in through the cabin windows and was so intense that one had to squint to see. During the descent, Greg stared down at the sea stretching around him for miles, dotted here and there with low-lying islands standing at attention like little sailors scattered in this unique landscape. His sunglasses were somewhere around; his traveling companion Artemis had wisely advised him to have them on hand as he was sure to need them.

Greg made sure he had saved Artemis’ card with her contact numbers both at Athens and at the city of Grevena, bade her a warm farewell and thanked her for her company on the Zurich – Athens leg of the trip; they promised one another they would meet again and get together for a coffee. It seemed that every Greek woman with whom he shared the concept of his proposed project was enthusiastic about it and was eager to contribute her share of information.

His arrival was relaxed. The formalities of travel over, he looked for a woman holding up a placard with his name. He scanned the waiting crowd. There it was! It was being held up by a tall, good-looking woman with a mane of long, shiny, waving chestnut hair. He was taken aback by her arresting appearance. Her choice of clothes revealed expensive tastes, a sense of superior status and understated elegance. She was wearing a black coat, cinched at the waist which underlined her slenderness, a blue pashmina tucked around her neck, black opaque tights, and ankle boots. She was holding a large carryall bag overflowing with papers, envelopes, documents and other paraphernalia of work. Her earrings were small platinum hoops, and a pale pink lipstick completed her look. Greg just stood there, amazed.

He had not imagined her quite like this. She was impressive, more beautiful, more imposing, more dynamic, more put- together than his imagination had led him to expect. She was a luminous girl, her shining gray-blue eyes ready to make their way into the depths of a person’s soul.

Are you Athena? he hazarded.

Yes, I am. Are you Greg?’ she replied in a lively self-confident voice. Do you speak any Greek?" she continued.

Well, I can manage the basics, but my accent is lousy confessed Greg in broken Greek. You see, I lived with my mother up to the age of fifteen, and she is an American. My dad is of Greek origin, but whatever Greek I’ve managed to pick up is through Granny Anthoula, my father’s mother.

I’m pleased to meet you, Greg. You’re so much taller than I imagined.

And you are very stylish. I thought Greek women were much more conservative in appearance.

Just exactly what were you expecting us to look like? Did you imagine we go around swathed in headscarves or something? Our appearance may be up to date, but our lifestyle keeps up with tradition."

They squeezed into Athena’s car. Greg carefully placed his luggage in the trunk and sat beside her, squeezing his legs tightly to fit in his tall frame. He was wearing beige pants, a striped shirt, and a black, V-neck pullover. He was carrying a black bomber jacket.

I’d better leave this in the back seat. The sun here makes one feel toasty, he remarked light-heartedly, the weariness of his long voyage already forgotten.

Athena was observing him from the side of her eye; she was getting a sense of him. He seemed cheerful, sociable, and communicative, and had something of an air of American innocence and naiveté about him. The more they talked, the more her impression confirmed her assessment.

Athena, you can’t imagine how happy I am that we will be collaborating. When I was assigned this project, I kept wondering how on earth I was going to get in touch with reliable sources. Who would be helping me navigate my way through Greece, on ground zero as it were, and get things into proper perspective?

Does your channel intend to present women from other parts of Europe or are they limiting themselves to Greek women?

For the present, we are confining ourselves to Greece. The show is a pilot project. If all goes well, we will follow up with Italian women.

Well, good luck to you Greg! We have a lot of things to talk about and many subjects to cover.

Greg noticed Athena’s hands. They were beautifully groomed, her nails painted a very feminine but discreet shade of pink which suited her to perfection. She drove in a careful but relaxed way, surrounded by cars full of reckless and impatient drivers. He caught himself braking unconsciously although he wasn’t driving.

So… you seem to be named after your capital city of Athens. Is it a crushing cultural load to bear or is it a common name in Greece? he asked lightly.

It’s a very common name. I’ll tell you more about it on video she answered, laughing.

All the alumni at college mentioned you, Athena. They noted your erudition and how knowledgeable you are about all things Greek. They also mentioned your thesis on Greek women. How far along are you? asked Greg, fishing around for more information.

News travels everywhere these days, remarked Athena. I have already completed my thesis which, as I mentioned in my last email, is entitled Greek Women are Goddesses. We will have ample occasions to discuss this subject at length in the coming days.

So Greek Women are Goddesses huh? An intriguing title! I must say, they seem to make a habit out of naming you after goddesses in this country. A girl I was traveling with on the way to Athens was called Artemis!

What a coincidence! remarked Athena with a smile. Ancient Greek names are very popular with parents, but most of the girls in my country bear the name Mary, after the Mother of God!

It's a shame my great-grandfather didn’t see fit to name my granny Anthoula after a goddess instead. In the USA the name Aphrodite would have conferred instant prestige!

They were silent for a while.

Athens is a big city and quite densely populated, remarked Greg as he looked around. Truth to say, it was not Athens’ size that had impressed him, but rather the presence of Athena, which was unsettling him in some way.

Umm…yes, but your hotel is only two minutes’ walk from the old quarter of Athens, Plaka, and about a quarter of an hour away from the Acropolis. You will find it well worthy of your attention…

I’ve read so much about it…can’t wait to see it at close quarters.

I’ll drop you off at your hotel so that you get your rest and I’ll come by tomorrow morning to pick you up and start on your project. Maybe the hotel terrace would be an excellent location for the shoot, think about it. I booked you a room with a view of the Acropolis, to serve as a focus of inspiration. Hope your gear arrived in good condition. She turned on her alarm lights and stopped at the entrance to the hotel. Here we are she announced coolly. Have a lovely afternoon she added leaning toward him. See you tomorrow at eight!

Greg collected his luggage and leaned into the window of the passenger’s seat to say goodbye. His tall frame was unsuited to such contortions, and his knees were practically touching the curb.

We have a lot to say. Thank you so much for your time and kindness towards a virtual stranger. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help.

Greg turned in for the night and tried to put some order into the whirl of impressions evoked by his introduction to Athens, the light, the buildings, the streets, and the hum of its urban life. His mind, however, kept turning back insistently to the image of the beautiful Greek girl he had just met.

He sent a string of messages to his fiancée Ellen, but already felt very far removed from the concerns of his real life back in the USA. The persistent image of a beautiful girl with gray-blue eyes and chestnut hair had brushed it all aside. Her way of speaking, her energy, the strength emanating from her presence and the look in her eyes….Every particle of his being was overcome by the desire to see her again. He wondered what had attracted him the most; her beauty, her overpowering personality, her mind…?

His questions remained unanswered since wakefulness finally lost the battle with sleep, spreading oblivion like a sheet over his preoccupations.

Chapter 2

Morning! What about a Greek coffee?

Good morning Athena! No, I would prefer an espresso!

"In this neck of the woods, you have to have Greek coffee. It's traditionally made by mixing coffee, water, and as much sugar as you want, then boiling it slowly and expertly over hovoli , with a film of tiny bubbles forming a creamy topping!"

"What’s hovoli?"

"White-hot embers. The best Greek coffee is made by the hovoli method. Give it a try it and let me know what you think of it. Did you sleep well?"

Like a bird! What with the jet lag I was out like a light for over nine hours! He did not bother mentioning his messages to Ellen.

Greg was freshly shaven, he seemed rested, and he smelled of shampoo and fresh soap. His short black spiky hair shone under the early morning sun. His sunglasses were off, and Athena could see his eyes which were dark brown, framed by long eyelashes; the corners already showed a tracing of laugh lines, signifying a positive outlook on life. His eyebrows were dark and well- shaped but not too thick. He seemed good-humored and full of energy and enthusiasm.

He was wearing a white shirt, cargo pants and a cotton neckpiece, that indispensable accessory of directors the world over. However, Greg was not Bergman or Ridley Scott but a mere reporter traveling to the ends of the earth in pursuit of his story. Maybe he felt that by looking the part he could better convince himself and others of the seriousness of his present undertaking.

He couldn’t wait to see the Parthenon up close and learn more about Greek goddesses. What were they all about? He waited impatiently for Athena to enlighten him on the subject.

They left the hotel and started their uphill journey along the winding paths of Plaka, the old town of Athens, and made their way to the foot of the Sacred Rock, the Acropolis, towering over the city.

"You know Greg the idea for my thesis was inspired by our ancestors. The ancient Greeks had always valued beauty in its many manifestations. No other civilization, some 2500 years ago, had ever worshipped and even quantified beauty as represented in the human form