Hellenic Heritage Journeys in English

In this episode, we travel to the fertile interior of Naxos and climb a low hill at Gyroulas, south of the village of Sangri. There, we discover a sanctuary dedicated to Demeter and Persephone, with a temple that marked a turning point in the history of architecture. The story begins with open-air rituals around 800 BC and gatherings of worship, possibly linked to a mystery cult, beneath the first known semi-translucent marble roof in Greece. And it concludes almost a thousand years later with the conversion of the temple into an Early Christian church and the addition of a monastic complex producing olive oil and wine. The archaeological site of Sangri preserves this layered history across the centuries. This episode is a journey through light, the fertility of the earth and the enduring sacredness of a place that refuses to fade.Learn more at https://hh.gr/en

In this episode, we explore the mystical island of Samothrace and step into the inner sanctum of one of the most enigmatic sanctuaries of the ancient world – the Sanctuary of the Great Gods – to uncover the sacred rites performed there. To be initiated, your origin, gender, and social status meant nothing. What mattered was your faith in the gods and the oath of silence you would keep forever. From the initiation of Philip II and Olympias, parents of Alexander the Great, to the celebrated statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, we unravel the thread of a cult that promised a more pious and just life, protection at sea and, of course, a privileged place in the Underworld.Learn more at https://hh.gr/en

As you walk across the Macedonian plain, among the ruins of an ancient city, imagine that what you would once have heard here, thousands of years ago, was the sound of waves breaking on the shore. How could a city that now lies 25 kilometres from the coast once have had a harbour, a sea breeze and streets leading to every corner of the known world? In this episode, we follow the traces of ancient Pella – a city that became the capital of the Macedonian kingdom, where Philip II of Macedon ruled and Alexander the Great was born. Built with geometric precision and a grandeur, it was worthy of an empire that stretched deep into the East.Learn more at https://hh.gr/en

Before you even take a step inside the Casa Romana in Kos, a single word – carved into marble – awaits you. What made the owner of this house choose such an inscription? In this episode, we take you into the heart of the aristocratic quarter of Roman Kos, in the 2nd century AD, entering an impressive mansion with peristyles, courtyards with fountains, marblework, and mosaics. Today, the inscription at the entrance feels like a message. You are not simply stepping into an ancient house, but into a space built to protect, to impress and to endure. You’ll imagine the banquets and the people who once lived here – as well as the challenges this household faced. Because its story is not only one of luxury – but also one of resilience.Learn more at https://hh.gr/en