The Doric Mode: Heracles and the Hellenes

The Dorians were the archetype of Greek masculinity. In their culture, men strove to perfect their bodies and grow stronger and faster. The Dorians include great warriors like the spartans, macedonians, corinthians, cretans, and others.

The art is mostly from the French Neo-Classical painter Jacques-Louis David.
The singer is Notis Sfakianakis (Νότης Σφακιανάκης) singing 'να χαρείς' - NA HAREIS (Be Glad).

Here is the historical context for the Dorians:


The Mycenaeans were the first Greeks to become Kingdoms in Greece. They invaded many surrounding areas, such as Minoa, Troy, Anatolia. Much of their war with Troy is recorded by Homer in his Illiad.

That period of Greek history is known as the Late Helladic. Much of their world has been lost to us, but we do know that after their conquest of Minoa (Crete), another Greek tribe coming from north of Thessaly (Macedonia today) invaded and possibly was the cause of the destruction of Mycenae. The Dorians (Δωριεῖς) have often been linked with the Sea-Peoples, because they were great sailors.

After these dark ages, where the foreign traces on Greek culture were destroyed, new city states emerged, each championing its own unique culture.

The Dorians, who had settled in Macedonia, West Greece (Doris was a city in Central Greece), and much of the Peloponnese, had also their own way of life. It was a life of physical endurance and a love of things military.

The Ancient Greeks viewed the Doric mode of music as pertaining to masculinity, seeing that it was evocative of power, strength and discipline. Dorian comes form the word for spear Dory (Δόρυ), which characterized them as a violent tribe.

The Doric style of architecture is one of robustness and strength, and is less refined than the Ionian.

The Dorians had also numerous colonies around the Greece, settling in Crete and the twelve islands to the west, to the seven islands and syracuse (sicily) to the east, and to Apollonia and Epidamnus (modern Durrës in Albania) in Ancient Illyria.

The great rivalry between the Ionians and Dorians was shown in the Peloponnesian War.

The Dorian invasion is too lengthy a topic to do it justice in a three minute video.

Enjoy, and leave your comments!

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[SirGeorge8600]

What a GAY video this was. Pui pui. Twee twee....

[Yanitsaros]

@SirGeorge8600, a feminine persona does not, as a direct consequence, make historic archetypes of masculinity "gay". Unless this comment comes from someone whose low level of testosterone prods him belittle what suddenly emasculates him.

[PavlosDionysus]

Isnt It a beatifull thing to be Greek

[22poopoo]

Don't go on! Your making me feel guilty for my seditary lifestyle and lack of muscles.... I love Na Chareis, it was a really good choice.

[MushroomedAnymore]

Alright I subscribed! You are totally on the right track with this channel. Hellas Forever!

[shockolanu]

@Yanitsaros

I think the appearance of the Illyrians in the Balkans coincides too much with the fall of Troy.

I would like to point out the fact that Illyrians did not have an alphabet, while the Phoenicians had one. Wouldn't they have brought the Phoenician alphabet to the area too?

[Yanitsaros]

@shockolanu, yes the Romans claimed to come from the Trojans, but Ilium and Illyria are not related. Illyrius was the son of Cadmus the phoenician, who settled in the adriatic. According to the Albanians, ilyr means free, so they claim Illyrian is actually one of their words. There were no Illyrians in the war of troy however.

[shockolanu]

@PavlosDionysus

Wonderful.

[shockolanu]

@Yanitsaros

I too tended to believe the same thing for a very long time. The Celtic influences are from people such as the Boii whom resided West of the Thracians. In origins, the Dardanians were an Illyrian tribe and they originated from the ones whom fled Troy upon it's destruction by the Hellenes.

Yes, same origin different cultural paths.

I might also remind you that the Roman emperors claimed to have originated from Troy (Illyum). Thus the similar name of Illyrians...

[Yanitsaros]

@shockolanu , I disagree. The Illyrians originate from a mixture of Celts with Thracians. Their homeland was were Bosnia is today. Illyrians conquered Paeonia, who according to Herodotus were Trojans (thus Dardanian). Thracians and Greeks share a common origin, but they parted ways 4000 years ago, when Greeks encountered Pelasgians, and Thracians stayed "pure"

[shockolanu]

@Yanitsaros

Actually I tracked down the Illyrians and they descended from Troy upon it's destruction (a Ionian Hellenic city). Further more, the Thracians are related to the Ionian Hellenes, coming to the area around 2000 BC. If we look to the Pelasgian origins, we'll find that they descended from Crete, where they neighbored the Dorians, just like in the Balkans.

Stating that Illyrians are from the Adriatic sea is true, but their origins are Hellenic. Same case for Romans.

[Yanitsaros]

@MrLadrocuori, Pelasgian are non-Caucasian people, who did not speak an Indo-European language, who lived exclusively around the Aegean sea, in the neolithic period (4000-2000 BC). Illyrians are a Caucasian people, who spoke an Indo-European language, who lived on the shore of the Adriatic sea. Albanians today want to claim they are pelasgians so they can claim the pre-history and by extension, the entire history of Greece. The truth is Albania has very little recorded history