Εuropean Youth Murals: Participation in a European competition

The pupils of the 4^th grade of the 3rd Primary Schoolof Agii Anargyri, Athens are going to take part in the  European Youth Murals competition with their work: “The Mermaid, King Alexander’s sister” inspired by the popular Greek legend. The exhibition – competition will take place in the city of Salou, Tarragona, Spain  in autumn.

                                                                                                         Athens, 15th June 2014

Dear friends ,

There exists a popular Greek legend which talks about a mermaid who lived in the Aegean for hundreds of years who was thought to be Thessalonike,   sister of Alexander the Great.

•       After conquering the world, Alexander decided that he would conquer death as well. He asked the wise men how to go about this. They said that the water of life would grant him immortality if he could kill the dragon that guards it.

•       Alexander accomplished this feat and brought the water back to his home.

•       Tired as he was ,  he took a nap.

•       While sleeping, his sister Thessalonike found the water and thought it was only regular water. She didn’t know that it was the water of Immortality. She took a sip for herself and watered some plants.

•       Those plants never died but changed and became perennials.

•       When Alexander woke  up and  discovered what his sister had done  cursed her horribly.

•       When Alexander died, his sister  stricken by grief felt responsible for her brother’s death  and  attempted to end her life by jumping into the sea. Instead of drowning, however, she became a mermaid passing judgment on mariners throughout the centuries and across the Aegean and  the seven seas. She was to live forever in the sea growing larger with each passing year. Her form a woman from the waist up, but from there down she was to have two tails instead of legs.

•       She has become gigantic and can lift an entire ship with one hand. When she encounters sailors she asks them if Alexander is still alive:"Is King Alexander still alive?"

•        If they say:"He is dead" she raises great waves and their ship is lost sending every sailor to the bottom of the sea.

•        If they say:"He lives and reigns and conquers the world"  she allows them sail safely in calm seas. In Greece she is called the Gorgona.

      
                                                                       

                          ...... and a different message from our pupils.........

“Nowadays  the quest of the mermaid for her brother is a symbol of the quest of modern man  for  all those ideals Alexander the Great  stands  for and has fought for: respect  for each other’s civilization including language , religion  and traditions  through  education,  collaboration and  solidarity  among all the peoples.

• Let’s fight for the peaceful co-existence of people  against  injustice,  giving our support  to the weak  and less privileged. And as Alexander  believed:

•       “It is not important to conquer the world  but to keep all the people united in peace  and friendship”.  

•       If you meet a mermaid  in your voyages try to remember the correct answer and  as modern little Alexanders , let’s all  try to spread the values of peace and friendship around the world.                             

                                                                          
                                                                               

                                                                       Warm  Greetings  from  Athens, Greece.