1490, As a sign of gratitude, the Maria Komnenos statue........

Maria Komnenos, a symbol of heroism

After the concession of the island of Lemnos,
                  [by the Venetians to the Turks with a treaty a year ago,
the Christians did not just lose the island,
                                       [they also lost the spring and the rainbow.

With these two names they called Maria,
                       [because of her heavenly beauty, her attractiveness,
but history said Maria was not a beautiful woman,
         [she is known as a heroine because of her martial activeness..

During the First Ottoman–Venetian War,
     [Lemnos and other Greek islands were seized by the Venetians.
Ten years later the Turks marched against Lemnos but found....
      [in front of them the descendants of the Spartans, the Grecians.

The Greek people in Lemnos joined the Venetian forces,
                                                                  [to battle against the Ottoman Turks.

Maria's father died defending the fort, then they all saw,
   [something unthinkable, metaphysical that exist in her, something that lurks.
She picked up his sword, which was lying beside him,
                                  [and then attacked against the enemy with much ferocity,
(inspiring the other people of Lemnos)
                                                     [with unprecedented flexibility and virtuosity.

This counter-attack forced the Turkish invaders,
                                                            [to take their ships and flee from the port.
So Maria Komnenos became a symbol of heroism, unexpectedly a woman
                                                          [the Ottoman plans she managed to thwart.

No one ever heard, what the fate was of this heroine after that war,
                               [but outside the yard of the Church and overlooking the sea,
stands the statue of the local hero holding up a sword,
                           [an indication of the gratitude of the inhabitants, an ethical fee.
________________________________________________________________

to be continued

* ''IT COULD BE OTHERWISE in verse''
Texts and Narration: Odysseus Heavilayias - ROTTERDAM //
Language adjustments and text adaptation: Kellene G Safis - CHICAGO//
Digital adaptation and text editing: Cathy Rapakoulia Mataraga - PIRAEUS//
______________________________________________________________

  ELEGHOS... at history