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Welcome on issue 11...
Dear Reader, greetings!
Recently, the unbridled forces of "mother" nature hit
very hard the region of S.E. Asia. Thousands upon thousands of people have
perished and millions have lost everything. This colossal disaster has brought
home an old, yet still relevant, message that conveys a hard-nosed realism: no
human being can be considered "happy" before the end of his/her life (μηδένα
προ του τέλους
μακάριζε). This message goes back to
Solon, the Athenian statesman, who gave a grim warning about the insecurity of
the human condition to the very rich and powerful King Croesus. Although the
story of Solon's meeting with Croesus was rejected on chronological grounds in
antiquity, Solon's words, as recorded by Herodotus (1.32), are worth repeating
here:
"So you see, Croesus, that human life is a chancy
affair. You seem to me to be a very rich man and to rule over a large
population, but I still cannot call you what you asked until I know that your
life has ended well. For the very wealthy man is no happier than the man who
has just enough for his daily needs unless he has the good fortune to end his
life in prosperity. Many of the richest men are unhappy, men who have moderate
means have good luck. The man who is wealthy but unhappy is better off than
the man who has good luck in two respects only, whereas the lucky man is
better off than the rich and unhappy in many ways. The rich man can satisfy
his desires and is better able to bear great calamities, but the other is
better off in the following respects. He may be less well placed to gratify
his desires or withstand calamity, but his luck keeps him clear of them, and
he has sound physique, good health, freedom from trouble, fine children and
good looks. If in addition to all this he prospers till the end of his life,
he is the man you are looking for and deserves to be called happy. But till he
dies do not call him happy but lucky. It is humanly impossible for one man to
combine in himself all good things, just as no country can be entirely
self-sufficient but if it has one thing will be short of another; and the
country which has most is best. So no single man who continues to have the
most advantages and dies peacefully deserves in my opinion, Croesus, this
title of happiness. In all things look to the end and final result. For god
often gives men a glimpse of happiness only to ruin them root and
branch."
Good, solid advice from a man who was regarded as one of the
seven sages of antiquity. He was the man who, according to Plutarch, declared
that he continued to learn many things about the world, as he was growing older.
I believe that we try to do the same. In this issue of our magazine we will
certainly be learning something about Hermes, the messenger of Zeus and
protector of thieves!
On the occasion of the New Year, 2005, let me wish you all the
very best.
Dr Kostas Vitkos
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issue 11
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