Last modified: 2006-05-27 by ivan sache
Keywords: army corps | support brigade | helmet: greek | spear (red) | shield (yellow) | cross (white) | cross (black) | rainbow | sword (white) |
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The website of the
Greek Armed Forces shows 66 flags, probably all the unit flags of
the Greek Army. By clicking on the link below each flag, you can
reach another page with a large image of the flag.
All flags have the same general design: Three horizontal coloured
stripes, with a fimbriation between them, an emblem in the middle and
a golden fringe.
Ivan Sache, 18 February 2002
I translated the first part of the texts from the website
mentioned above, and added some minor comments.
The mottos in the emblems are mostly from ancient times, therefore in
various forms of ancient Greek (e.g. from Homer's Ilias).
Transliteration of Greek is according to the
rules of transliterating
ancient Greek into English, i.e., ζ is
transliterated "z", η "ê", θ "th",
χ "x", υ "u" or "y", φ "ph", χ
"ch", Ψ "ps", Ω "ô", all others are
straightforward. The modern pronunciation of Greek, however, is
different: especially a whole set of vowels and diphthongs (y,
ê, ei, oi) are pronounced as "i" (like
"invincible"). If the Greek terms would have been only in Modern
Greek, I would have preferred a more phonetic transliteration; for
this mixture of ancient and modern Greek I prefer the more
traditional transliteration. I left off all the diacriticals
(accents, spiritus, iota adscriptum).
Marcus Schmöger, 25 February 2002
![[1st Army corps, 1st Brigade]](../images/g/gr^a_ss.gif)
Flag of the 1st Support Brigade - Image by Marcus Schmöger, 25 March 2002
Colours: blue-red-blue with white fimbriation, black shield.
Description: Helmet and spear of Leonidas.
They symbolize the determination of the 1st Army Corps to fight, if
demanded, to the last, as Leonidas did with this men at the
Thermopyles.
Motto: ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, molôn labe (Come and get them).
In context: "When Xerxes wrote "send the arms" he wrote back "come
and get them". (Plutarch, Apophthegmata Lakonika). The above
messages were exchanged on the eve of the Thermopylae battle (August
of 480 BC) between Persian King Xerxes commanding an army of 300,000
men and Spartan King Leonidas, who was defending the Thermopylae pass
with a force of about 7,000 men (300 were Spartans, who stayed until
the end with Leonidas and fell all but one).
Marcus Schmöger, after the website of the Greek Armed Forces, 25 March 2002
![[2nd Army corps 2nd brigace]](../images/g/gr^b_ss.gif)
Flag of the Second Support Brigade - Image by Marcus Schmöger, 25 March 2002
Colours: red-yellow-red with black fimbriation, black shield.
Description: A shield and crossed spears of a soldier from
ancient Sparta.
They symbolize the power, the pugnacity and the determination of the
ancients.
Motto: Η ΤΑΝ Η ΕΡΙ ΤΑΣ, ê tan ê epi tas (either this or
upon this).
Encouragement by Spartan mothers to their sons, when they gave them
the shield, when they departed for war. ("Either you shall bring the
shield back as a victor, or they shall bring you dead upon it").
Remark: The motto is Spartan dialect, in Attic dialect it would be êtên ê epi tês.
Marcus Schmöger, after the website of the Greek Armed Forces, 25 March 2002
![[3rd Army corps 3rd Brigade]](../images/g/gr^g_ss.gif)
Flag of the Third Support Brigade - Image by Marcus Schmöger, 25 March 2002
Colours: dark blue-yellow-dark blue with light blue fimbriation, light blue shield.
Description: It depicts the cross, symbol of faith,
patience and martyrdom, that is defended by a shield, which also
bears the cross, symbol of the power of the
Byzantine emperors.
The letters "B" in the corners of the cross mean:
Basileus Basileôn, Basileuôn
Basileuontôn (King of kings, ruling over rulers). These
elements were taken from Byzantium, because Thessaloniki was the
second city of Byzantion after Constantinople.
Motto: ΟΥ ΦΕΙΣΟΜΕΘΑ ΤΗΣ ΖΩΗΣ, ou pheisometha tês zôês (we
will not spare our lifes).
In context: "To deliver the city to you, is neither my right nor the
right of any other of its inhabitants, as we all, by common opinion,
are going to die defending ourselves and we will not spare our
lifes." These words constitute the answer of
Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos to
Sultan Mehmet II, who besieged Constantinople in 1453, after he had
asked him to deliver the city and withdraw safely.
Marcus Schmöger, after the website of the Greek Armed Forces, 25 March 2002
![[4th Army corps 4th brigade]](../images/g/gr^d_ss.gif)
Flag of the Fourth Support Brigade - Image by Marcus Schmöger, 25 March 2002
Colours: light blue-yellow-red with white fimbriation, light blue shield.
Description: In the light blue field, that symbolizes the
Greek sky and the seas of our country, appear two helmets and a
sword, that constitute the typical military elements of the uniform
of warriors of Alexander the Great. The hilt of the sword appears on
the bright disk of the rising sun, which is surrounded by a
rainbow.
The combination of the rainbow (symbol of calmness, optimism and
hope) and the hilt of the sword on the rising sun, symbolizes the
concurrent aim of the campaign of Alexander the Great, to distribute
Greek spirit and culture in the countries of the East he conquered.
Motto: ΤΩ ΞΙΦΕΙ ΤΩ ΔΕΣΜΟΝ ΛΕΛΥΣΘΑΙ, tô xiphei to desmon lelusthai (the knot
being undone by the sword) (Arrianos, Alexander's Anabasis 3, 7).
The phrase describes the boldness and the determination with which
Alexander the Great cut the known Gordian Knot with this sword,
verifying, with his later successes, the respective myth, that
wanted, that the one that would untie the knot would be determined to
rule over Asia.
Marcus Schmöger, after the website of the Greek Armed Forces, 25 March 2002