The Scientific Research Centre of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth announces the release of the following publications:
-Kyprianos D. Louis, Entrepreneurship and Economic Strategy in Cyprus in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century: the Case of Georgakis Markantonides Series: Texts and Studies in the History of Cyprus, no. 89, Nicosia 2022, Dimensions 19 x 28, 304 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8166-0, Publisher "EPTALOFOS S.A.", Price €22,50.
This paper, which is a translation in English of the corresponding paper published by the CEC in 2021, examines the economic functions performed by Georgakis Markantonidis as a trader and administrator in the Cypriot market. Markantonides was the social type of capitalist, who combined the administrative and economic advantages of his position, family background, political connections, and business activities to achieve his goals. The typology and specificity of Georgakis Markantonidis' business was due to the resourcefulness and business strategy he adopted. His business strategy contributed to securing financing through the concentration of "industrial" products (commodities), both for the distribution of products and for the development of other activities, such as small corporate trading partnerships, monopoly-type holdings and leases of tax annuities and chiflis
His relationship with foreign big traders was based on the gradual mutual trust relationship, which was acquired and was the necessary condition for the success of the transactions between them. Markantonides' leasing of tax and cipholic annuities on behalf of Markantonides created a partnership which in turn led to a "proprietary reality" in terms of the management of these annuities. With the cooperation of a network of intermediaries with strong links to the places of production or through the assignment of a time bond receivable from producers, Marcantonides developed a wide network of exploitation of local goods and raw materials on behalf of exporters and foreign traders. These were the commodity crops of cotton, silk and then carob, which were the central character of exchanges throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
The book examines in detail the practices associated with the purchase and payment of the commodity. Pre-purchase is an under-researched issue and is intertwined with relationships of dependence and exploitation. The tax collection mechanisms established by Marcantonides were aimed at increasing the profit of the tax buyer. He also acted as a landlord of merchant chiflises, owner of a workshop and storage space.
The present study reveals a complex and multi-layered network of relationships, which developed by involving the local Ottoman authority, the Cypriot church, the 'Cypriot community', merchants, 'workshop owners', servants, craftsmen, local workers, etc.
The present study reveals a complex and multi-layered network of relationships, which developed by involving the local Ottoman authority, the Cypriot church, the 'Cypriot community', merchants, 'workshop owners', servants, craftsmen, local workers, etc. This particular network of relations defines the economic relations of the period under consideration in the Ottoman-occupied Cyprus of the early 19th century. In this context it became apparent that in order to succeed in a commercial - or other - enterprise, the possession of an administrative relationship seemed necessary.
-M. Matthaiou - A. Xenophontos, The Tales of Cyprus from the Folklore Archive of the Centre for Scientific Research, vol. 4, Series: Publications of the Scientific Research Centre, no. 63, Nicosia, Scientific Research Centre, 2022 Dimensions 19x 28, 549 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8168-4, "S. Livadiotis Ltd", Price €70,50.
This book, illustrated with engravings by the engraver Hampi Tsangaris, is a continuation of the three previous volumes of the series The Tales of Cyprus from the Folklore Archive of the Centre for Scientific Research, published in 2015, 2017 and 2019. The present fourth volume includes 23 sections with narratives of folk tales extracted from the Folklore Archive of the C.E.E.C. which have survived, either in manuscript and printed form or on tape. Each section includes one or more variants of each fairy tale, published in the idiom without linguistic interventions in the manuscripts and accompanied by renderings in common Modern Greek. This is followed by an annotation based on the international catalogues, Anti Aarne - Stith Thompson and the one revised by Hans-Jörg Uther, a basic methodological tool of international acceptance, which approaches fairy tales through a historical-geographical perspective, classifies them into types based on their plot development and attempts a constitutional analysis of the narrative in episodes. In addition, the motifs of popular literature are identified. The commentary is enriched with bibliographical observations, attempts to trace the origins of the core of the fairy tale and correlations with other genres of oral and written literature. This is followed by a listing of the titles of all variants in the Folklore Archive, both published and unpublished, and a notation of the differences in content between them. Finally, a list of earlier publications of Cypriot variants is provided. The edition of Fairy Tales of Cyprus also includes an Introduction, Bibliography, 4 Tables - Indexes and a Catalogue of engravings by Hampi Tsangaris.
With the publication of the series, local popular literature is both preserved and disseminated to the scientific and general public alike. It is the most complete and systematic publication of fairy tales in Cyprus with a scientifically documented commentary. Above all, the work constitutes a comprehensive supplement to the Greek and, by extension, the international catalogue of folk tales.
-Georgios Deligiannakis, A Cultural History of Late Roman Cyprus, Series: TextsandStudiesintheHistoryofCyprus, no. 90, Nicosia 2022, Dimensions 19 x 28, 208 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8169-1, Publisher " RPM Lithographica Ltd.", Price €20,00.
The book deals with the coexistence of Christians and Gentiles in Roman Cyprus in late antiquity, starting with the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305) and ending with the granting of autocephalous status to the Church of Cyprus in 431. This period, although not studied to the same extent as the subsequent centuries, mainly because of the paucity of sources, was decisive in shaping the cultural identity of Cyprus in late antiquity. The period is characterised by continuity with Cyprus' Roman past and by religious pluralism, albeit to a markedly reduced degree compared to the immediate past. The author has drawn on both written and archaeological sources and finds in writing this monograph, which consists of five chapters.
The first chapter discusses the transition of Cyprus from the classical period of Roman rule to that of late antiquity, with reference to the changes that the island and its inhabitants underwent. These changes, moreover, had an impact on the way people outside Cyprus saw the island. The second chapter focuses on the so-called Gentiles who still believed in the dodecatheon and other gods of antiquity, and how they dealt with the new Christian faith. A major obstacle to examining this topic is the almost universal lack of evidence for polytheism after the third century, with the result that scholars who take up the subject use later Christian and even hagiographical sources. They overlook the fact that these sources provide a one-sided picture of the reality of the third and fourth centuries AD, almost always in retrospect, which was more complex and varied than is apparent from them. A new methodological approach is proposed through the use of evidence not previously taken into account.
The third chapter reviews the magnificent mosaic floors found in settlement sites in various parts of Cyprus, which offer new interpretations of various aspects of urban culture, as well as new interpretations of their topography and iconography. A particular effort is made to discuss these finds within their Cypriot and wider geographical context, something that has not been adequately done to date despite the existence of a rich literature. The fourth chapter systematically describes the spread of Christianity and the consolidation of the local church from the time of the Apostles to that of Bishop Epiphanes, using archaeological finds and written sources to add new aspects of the subject to the existing scholarly literature. The material from Cyprus, moreover, is contrasted with that from neighbouring countries. A comparison is made between Cyprus and other regions in examining the various phases of the spread of Christianity.
The final chapter focuses on Bishop Epiphanios as a personality who left an indelible mark on Cypriot reality in the second half of the fourth century. In his writings, however, Epiphanios provides little information about the conditions prevailing in Cyprus at the time. Therefore, archaeological finds and historical sources are used in conjunction with what he wrote to assess his influence on local society. There is also an appendix at the end of the book on the history of the Jewish element in Cyprus.
-Aikaterini Aristeidou, The Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) and the East in the 18th century (1700-1808). Series: Sources and Studies in Cyprus History, no. 91, Nicosia 2022, Dimensions 19x 28, 544 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8167-7, Typography Conos Ltd, Price €26,50.
The book describes and analyses the commercial activity of the Adriatic state of Ragusa with the various commercial ports, centres and regions of the Eastern Mediterranean in the eighteenth century, using above all the archival material of this state, but also archival material from Venice, Agona in Italy and various regions of Greece, such as Hydra. As the author states in the introduction to the work, almost all the regions of the Eastern Mediterranean in the period under consideration were under Ottoman rule. The particular importance of the 18th century, a period marked in Europe by the expansion of industrial production and the demand for raw materials from the eastern Mediterranean regions, is emphasised in the introduction, as is the fact that these raw materials were transported to Europe by sea.
The first chapter of the book describes the conditions under which trade between Ragusa and the eastern Mediterranean developed in the 18th century, with reference to the most important trading centres in the East, the trade of the various European states with It also describes the customs practices of the Ottoman Empire and of Ragusa itself, the emergence and development of the Greek merchant navy and the prohibition of certain goods by the administration of the Ottoman Empire under certain specific circumstances, which resulted in smuggling. The second chapter describes the gradual development of shipping in Ragusa during the 18th century until the beginning of the 19th century, with special reference to the systems of maritime lending and marine insurance, as well as the emergence of marine insurance companies.
The third chapter of the book describes the trade of Ragusa with the various regions of the Eastern Mediterranean, first with the regions of mainland and island Greece, then with Egypt, Cyprus, Syria, Palestine and Karamania (southern coastal Turkey), and then with Smyrna, Asia Minor, Constantinople and the trading centres of the Black Sea. Chapter four discusses the establishment and configuration of Ragusa's consulates in various ports and urban centres of the Eastern Mediterranean. The creation of the consular service of Ragusa, the operation of Ragusa's consulates in the East during the first and second half of the 18th century, the sub-consulates and the role they played, the boundaries of these consulates and sub-consulates in the East, the foreigners in Ragusa's consular service, including Greeks, and finally the organization and finances of the consulates are described. The conclusions at the end of the book note that Ragusa was among the first European states to acquire significant commercial privileges in Ottoman territory and that, despite its relatively small size compared to other European states, it nevertheless played a significant role in trade with the Eastern Mediterranean.
At the end of the book are appendices with the movements of Ragusa's ships to and from the East, a glossary of nautical and other terms, as well as colour and black and white photographs, maps, engravings and photographs of documents relating to Ragusa and the regions of the Eastern Mediterranean with which it traded.
-Kalliopi Protopapa, Birth customs in the traditional society of Cyprus, Series: Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, no. 49 - Nicosia 2009, reprint 2022, Dimensions 17x 24, 655 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8113-4, Publisher "RPMLithographicaLtd", Price €19,50.
The content of the book is based on material from the Folklore Archive and the Oral Tradition Archive of the Centre for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education and Culture and is the result of systematic field research. It includes testimonies from all over Cyprus.
There is a great variety of birth customs. Due to the critical situation created for the survival of both the mother and the infant, the main effort is to prevent evil. The prevention of evil and the deception of evil spirits and their appeasement, as well as the creation of favourable conditions for the new life to come, have always concerned people, who tried to give solutions with the help of folk medicine and magic, since traditional man believes that the supernatural world affects his earthly existence.
Pre-Christian beliefs and customs survive until the 20th century. The encounter with Christianity often gave a different mantle and content to the customs, which continued to exist. The similarity of practices mentioned in ancient medicine by Hippocrates and Galen is striking.
In the whole effort, the participation of community members, ethical and essential, is essential and necessary. Caring for the newborn is accompanied by symbolic acts. The blessing of the mother and child with holy water and the crossing, i.e. the formation of the cross on the walls of the house, are essential. Great importance, both substantial and symbolic, is attached to the care of the mother with steam baths and fumigations, which have been customary since antiquity.
Breastfeeding and the daily care of the newborn are at the heart of the efforts. The symbolic cuddling of the infant is also essential. Particular importance is also attached to the removal of objects, both for the mother and the baby.
Symbolic gifts for the newborn, which must be white: salt, sugar, cotton, wool, all white, so that he may live many years and have white hair. Precautions to prevent evil, since the danger is great. In earlier times, with the absence of medicine, to a great extent the gap was filled by natural and magical ways of healing.
Tender lullabies accompany the child in his first steps.
Interspersed in the text are testimonies in the Cypriot dialect, which give authenticity to the information. At the same time, the researchers and informants of both the Folklore and Oral Tradition Archives are listed in the Appendix.
The book is included in the four-volume work on the customs of the cycle of life and was awarded a commendation by the Academy of Athens in 2013 on the grounds that it "promotes knowledge of the popular culture of Cyprus".
He has also received the State Prize of the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2009.
(IP/MB/SX)
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