(_For the Mirror_.)
The delightful country of Greece, once the finest in the world, is
inhabited by a bold and intelligent race of men, whose noble struggles
to rescue themselves from an odious servitude has rendered them objects
of our esteem and admiration. For more than five years has this
unfortunate land been the scene of continual warfare and desolation; and
though the attempts of the Turks have been many and great, they have
notwithstanding entirely failed in their design,--that of exterminating
the Greeks.
The Greeks are of the same religion as the Russians, and, like that
nation, have monks and nuns. Great decorum is visible in their churches,
the females being excluded from the sight of the males by means of
lattices. Their bishops lead a life of great simplicity, as will be seen
from the following account of a dinner given by the bishop of Salona to
Mr. Dodwell:--"There was nothing to eat except rice and bad cheese; the
wine was execrable, and so impregnated with resin, that it almost took
the skin from our lips. Before sitting down to dinner, as well as
afterwards, we had to perform the ceremony of the _cheironiptron_, or
washing of the hands. We dined at a round table of copper tinned,
supported upon one leg, and sat on cushions placed on the floor. The
bishop insisted upon my Greek servant sitting at table with us; and on
my observing that it was contrary to our custom, he answered, that he
could not bear such ridiculous distinctions in his house. It was with
difficulty I obtained the privilege of drinking out of my own glass,
instead of out of the large goblet, which served for the whole party.
The Greeks seldom drink till they have dined. After dinner, strong thick
coffee, without sugar, was handed round."--The strictest frugality is
observable in all the meals of these people. The higher orders live
principally on fish and rice, and the common people on olives, honey,
and onions. The food of the Levantine sailors, according to the Hon. Mr.
Douglas, consists entirely of salted olives, called by the Greeks
_columbades_. They dress mutton in a singular manner, it being stewed
with honey. In a very rare work, published in 1686, entitled, "The
Present State of the Morea," is the following account of their manner of
thrashing corn:--"They have no barns, but thrashing-floors, which are
situated on high grounds, and open to the winds. Here they tread it out
with horses, which are made fast to a post, round which the corn is put;
the horses trampling upon it make great despatch: they then cleanse it
with the wind, and send it home."
The houses of the Greeks are generally built of brick, made of clay and
chopped straw; those at Napoli di Romania are considered among the best,
and are spacious and convenient. The stranger, on entering, is struck
with the singular appearance they present, the lower story being set
apart for the _horses_, while not a bell is visible in any part of the
building. When the attendance of a servant is required, it is signified
by the master clapping his hands. Most of the houses in the villages
have very pretty gardens, with walks round them covered with vines. The
Greeks are remarkable for their love of dancing, particularly the
_Romaika_, which is thus described by the Hon. Mr. Douglas:--"I never
shall forget the first time I saw this dance: I had landed on a fine
Sunday evening in the island of Scio, after three months spent amidst
Turkish despotism, and I found most of the poorer inhabitants of the
town strolling upon the shore, and the rich absent at their farms; but
in riding three miles along the coast, I saw above thirty parties
engaged in dancing the Romaika upon the sand; in some of these groups,
the girl who led them chased the retreating wave, and it was in vain
that her followers hurried their steps; some of them were generally
caught by the returning sea, and all would court the laugh rather than
break the indissoluble chain. Near each party was seated a group of
parents and elder friends, who rekindled the last spark of their
expiring gaiety and vigour in the happiness they saw around them."
Though the Greeks are an oppressed nation, yet, as Sir William Gell
testifies, they cannot be called uncleanly in their habits. The bath is
in constant use among them, and a Greek peasant would on no account
retire to rest without having previously washed his feet. The females,
generally speaking, are kept very secluded from society, and it is
seldom that their marriages are founded on mutual love or attachment.
The conduct of the married women in Greece is deserving of our highest
praise, both for their great virtue and goodness of heart, while
instances of divorce are extremely rare.
The burial-places of the Greeks are situated without the walls of their
towns, and round the tombs are a variety of plants, (principally
parsley,) which they take great care to keep alive. Numerous ceremonies
are observed at their funerals; but the most interesting scene is the
last. "Before the body is covered with earth, the relations approach in
turn, and lifting the corpse in their arms, indulge in the full pleasure
of their grief, while they call in vain on the friend they have lost, or
curse the fate by which that loss has been occasioned." The Greeks, when
occasion requires it, make use of flowers to express their thoughts.
Thus for instance, if a lover wishes to convey any private intelligence
to his mistress, he has only to make a selection of certain flowers, the
signification of which is perfectly understood if once seen by the
object of his love. The manners of the Greeks in many cases bear a
striking resemblance to those of the Turks. Like that nation, they smoke
with long pipes, and write with the left hand. The inhabitants of Napoli
di Romania have still further imitated their oppressors by wearing the
turban trimmed with white, together with the red _papouches_, or
slippers. The costume of the Greek soldiers is thus described by the
author of "Letters from the East:"--"The costume of these soldiers was
light and graceful; a thin vest, sash, and a loose pantaloon, which fell
just below the knee. The head was covered with a small and ugly cap.
They had most of them pistols and muskets, to which many added sabres or
ataghans." The dress of the females is very elegant; over the head is
worn a veil, called _macrama_, and between the eyelid and the pupil is
inserted a black powder, named _surme_, which, according to the Hon. Mr.
Douglas, gives a pleasing expression to the countenance. On their hair
(generally of a beautiful auburn) they bestow great pains, adorning it
with a variety of ornaments, and suffering it to hang down in long
tresses or ringlets, which present a most graceful appearance. In
stature the men are tall and well made; but their countenances, though
expressive, have generally an air of dejection, which no change of time
or circumstances have power to remove. The Greek women are very
beautiful, and remarkable for vivacity and intelligence of mind.
The character of the Greeks consists of a singular mixture of good and
bad qualities. They are vain, fickle, treacherous, and turbulent; but,
on the other hand, are industrious, bold, polite, moderate in their
living, with a lively and ingenious disposition. If it be asserted that
they are in some cases too much given to wine, it may be replied to in
the words of Cicero, _Necessitatis crimen est, non voluntatis_. When we
consider that from the earliest age they are accustomed to witness among
the Turks the most disgusting scenes of profligacy and villany, that,
like wandering pilgrims, they have no fixed abode, and are continually
subject to all the miseries attendant on war and poverty, can it be
wondered if in their character we find something worthy of reprehension?