Η ΣΥΜΒΟΛΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΟΣ

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΙΝΟΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΝ

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THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE HELLENIC SPIRIT

TO THE HUMAN CIVILISATION

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Ἐναρκτήριος ὁμιλία

τοῦ τέως Προέδρου τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς Δημοκρατίας

ΧΡΗΣΤΟΥ Α. ΣΑΡΤΖΕΤΑΚΗ

εἰς τὸ ΧΧ Διεθνὲς Συμπόσιον τῆς

 "Διεθνοῦς Ἐπιτροπῆς Ὄζοντος"

Κῶς, 31^η Μαΐου 2004

[α]

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A D D R E S S 

by CHRISTOS A. SARTZETAKIS

Former President of the Hellenic Republic

In the International Symposium of the "International Ozone Commission"

May 31^st 2004, Kos, Greece

[β]

^*^*^*^

Ἡ Διεθνὴς Ἐπιτροπὴ Ὄζοντος

(International Ozone Commission [IOC]) τῆς Διεθνοῦς Ἑνώσεως Μετεωρολογίας καὶ Ἀτμοσφαιρικῶν Ἐπιστημῶν (International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences [IAMAS]) παρεκάλεσε μὲ ἔγγραφόν της (τῆς 9.2.2004) τὸν τέως Πρόεδρον τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς Δημοκρατίας Κύριον Χρῆστον Σαρτζετάκην, ὅπως θέσῃ ὑπὸ τὴν αἰγίδα του τὸ 20ὸν ἀπὸ τὰ ἀνά τετραετίαν διεθνῆ ἐπιστημονικά της Συμπόσια, ποὺ θὰ ἐπραγματοποιεῖτο εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα, συγκεκριμένως εἰς τὴν νῆσον Κῶν τῆς Δωδεκανήσου ἀπὸ 1^ης ἕως καὶ 8^ης Ἰουνίου 2004.

31.5.2004, Ἀσκληπιείου Ἱπποκράτους, Κῶς. ὁ Πρόεδρος Χρῆστος Α. Σαρτζετάκης ἀπευθύνει χαιρετισμὸν πρὸς τοὺς συνέδρους τοῦ Διεθνοῦς Συμποσίου Ὄζοντος.

Τὸ αἴτημα εὐχαρίστως ἔγινε δεκτόν. Τὸ δὲ Συμπόσιον, διοργανωθὲν κυρίως μὲ τὴν φροντίδα τοῦ Καθηγητοῦ τῆς Φυσικῆς τῆς Ἀτμοσφαίρας τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν Κυρίου Χρήστου Ζερεφοῦ, Γραμματέως τῆς ἐν λόγῳ Διεθνοῦς Ἐπιτροπῆς Ὄζοντος, ἐσημείωσε περιφανῆ ἐπιτυχίαν : μὲ τὴν προσέλευσιν τετρακοσίων πεντήκοντα διακεκριμένων εἰδικῶν ἐπιστημόνων ἀπὸ 60 χώρας τοῦ κόσμου (καὶ τῶν πέντε ἠπείρων), μεταξὺ τῶν ὁποίων καὶ τριῶν κατόχων βραβείου Νόμπελ, καὶ τὴν παρουσίασιν 640 ἐπιστημονικῶν ἐργασιῶν.

31.5.2004, Ἀσκληπιείου Ἱπποκράτους, Κῶς. ὁ Πρόεδρος Χρῆστος Α. Σαρτζετάκης ἀνὰ μέσον ἐπισήμων καὶ συνέδρων κατὰ τὸ Διεθνὲς Συμπόσιον Ὄζοντος.

Κατὰ τὴν πανηγυρικὴν ἐναρκτήριον συνεδρίασιν τοῦ Συμποσίου, ἡ ὁποία ἔγινε, μὲ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Ὑπουργοῦ Αἰγαίου Κυρίου Ἀριστοτέλους Παυλίδου, ὡς ἐκπροσώπου τῆς Κυβερνήσεως καὶ τοῦ Πρωθυπουργοῦ Κυρίου Κωνσταντίνου Καραμανλῆ, τῶν τοπικῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ πλήθους ἄλλων, τὸ ἀπόγευμα τῆς 31^ης Μαΐου 2004 εἰς τὸν ἀρχαιολογικὸν χῶρον τοῦ εἰς Κῶν Ἀσκληπιείου τοῦ Ἱπποκράτους, προηγηθείσης μιᾶς κατανυκτικῆς ἀναπαραστάσεως τοῦ Ὅρκου τοῦ Ἱπποκράτους,  ὁ Πρόεδρος Χρῆστος Α. Σαρτζετάκης ἐν εἴδει χαιρετισμοῦ πρὸς τοὺς Συνέδρους ἐξεφώνησε τὴν ἀκόλουθον ὁμιλίαν «περὶ τῆς συμβολῆς τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ πνεύματος εἰς τὸν ἀνθρώπινον πολιτισμόν», κατ' ἀρχὰς εἰς τὴν ἑλληνικὴν καὶ ἀκολούθως εἰς τὴν ἀγγλικὴν γλῶσσαν.

Μὲ τὴν ἰδίαν σειρὰν παρατίθενται ἐδῶ τὰ κείμενα τοῦ Χαιρετισμοῦ.

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α) Τ ὸ Ἑ λ λ η ν ι κ ὸ ν κ ε ί μ ε ν ο ν  :

Χ Α Ι Ρ Ε Τ Ι Σ Μ Ο Σ

ΧΡΗΣΤΟΥ Α. ΣΑΡΤΖΕΤΑΚΗ

Τέως Προέδρου τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς Δημοκρατίας

Εἰς τὸ Διεθνὲς Συμπόσιον τῆς «Διεθνοῦς Ἐπιτροπῆς Ὄζοντος»

Κῶς, 31^η Μαΐου 2004 

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Ἀξιότιμοι Κύριοι Ἐκπρόσωποι τῶν Ἀρχῶν, Κύριε Ὑπουργέ,Κύριοι Δήμαρχοι,

Διακεκριμένοι Σύνεδροι,

Κυρίες καὶ Κύριοι,

Μὲ ἰδιαίτερη χαρὰ ἀπεδέχθην τὴν ὅλως τιμητικὴ πρότασι τῆς «Διεθνοῦς Ἐπιτροπῆς Ὄζοντος», ὅπως θέσω ὑπὸ τὴν αἰγίδα μου τὸ παρὸν Διεθνὲς Συμπόσιον. Τιμητικὴ ἡ πρότασις, ἀφοῦ τὸ Συμπόσιον διοργανώνεται ἀπὸ

έξέχοντες φορεῖς, τὴν «Εὐρωπαϊκὴν Ἕνωσιν», τὴν «Γενικὴν Γραμματείαν Ὀλυμπιακῶν Ἀγώνων», τὴν «ΝΑSA», τὸν «Παγκόσμιον Μετεωρολογικὸν Ὀργανισμὸν τῶν Ἡνωμένων Ἐθνῶν» καὶ ἄλλους Διεθνεῖς Ὀργανισμούς. Καὶ ἰδιαίτερη ἡ χαρά μου, λόγῳ τοῦ ἀντικειμένου τοῦ Συμποσίου∙ ποὺ δὲν εἶναι ἀπὸ τὰ κατὰ κοινὴν ἀντίληψιν συνήθη.

Ἐδῶ, ἐπιφανέστατοι ἐπιστήμονες ἀπὸ ὅλο τὸν κόσμο, καὶ ὡς ἔνδειξιν ἂς μνημονεύσω τὴν παρουσία καὶ βραβείων Nobel, θὰ προέλθουν εἰς κατάθεσιν πνεύματος ἐπὶ θέματος τῶν εὐρυτέρων νοητῶν διαστάσεων. Ἀφοῦ ὄχι μόνον θὰ προσφέρουν μίαν ὄψιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ Σύμπαντος, ἐνώπιον τοῦ ὁποίου ὅλοι μας συνειδητοποιοῦμε τὴν σμικρότητα τοῦ γηίνου κόσμου μας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ δὲν θὰ περιορισθοῦν μετεωριζόμενοι εἰς τὸ ὑπεργήινον ἐκεῖνο διάστημα. Διότι ὁ λόγος των θὰ ἀρθρωθῇ ἐν ὄψει πρακτικῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀνάγκης : τῆς προστασίας τοῦ περιβάλλοντος, ἐντὸς τοῦ ὁποίου κινεῖται, ζῇ καὶ ἀναπνέει ἡ τόσον πρόσκαιρη κατ’ ἄτομον ἀνθρώπινη παρουσία, μηδαμινὴ ἐν σχέσει πρὸς τὸ μεγαλεῖον καὶ τὴν αἰωνιότητα τοῦ Σύμπαντος.

Συνάρθρωσις λοιπὸν ὑψιπετῶν θεωρήσεων καὶ μερίμνης ἱκανοποιήσεως πρακτικῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀνάγκης, αὐτῆς τῆς ἐπιβιώσεως τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου γένους. Αὐτὴ εἶναι καὶ ἡ οὐσία τῆς προσφορᾶς τοῦ προκειμένου Συμποσίου σας, διακεκριμένοι καὶ σεβαστοὶ ἀπὸ τόσα μέρη τοῦ κόσμου ἐπιστήμονες.

Καὶ ἂς προσθέσω μὲ εὔλογη ὑπερηφάνεια, ὅτι εἶναι ἰδιαιτέρως εὐτυχὴς ἡ πρωτοβουλία ὀργανώσεως Συμποσίου μὲ τέτοιαν ἀποστολὴν ἐδῶ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα. Ὄχι βεβαίως μόνον διὰ τὸ γεγονός, ὅτι μετὰ δίμηνον θὰ τελοῦνται ἐδῶ οἱ Διεθνεῖς Ὀλυμπιακοὶ Ἀγῶνες, ποὺ θὰ ὑπενθυμίζουν σὲ ὅλο τὸν κόσμο, ὅτι ὁ πανανθρώπινος αὐτὸς θεσμὸς ἐδῶ γεννήθηκε, μὲ ἑλληνικὲς ἀποκλειστικῶς καταβολές.

Ἀλλὰ πρωτίστως διότι ἀκριβῶς τὴν διφυῆ ἐκείνην συνάρθρωσιν θεωρητικῶν συλλήψεων καὶ πρακτικῶν ἀναγκῶν, ποὺ τὸ παρὸν Συμπόσιον ὑπηρετεῖ, ἠκολούθησεν ἀπὸ τὰ πανάρχαια χρόνια, καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως πάντοτε ὑπηρετεῖ, ἐπὶ παντὸς πεδίου τοῦ ἐπιστητοῦ τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν πνεῦμα.

Ἔτσι ἐξηγεῖται καὶ ἡ πρωταρχικότης τῆς συμβολῆς τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ πνεύματος εἰς τὸν ἀνθρώπινον πολιτισμόν. Διότι, κατὰ κοινὴν καὶ ἀναμφισβήτητον παραδοχήν, οἱ Ἀρχαῖοι Ἕλληνες, οἱ πρόγονοί μας, εἰς τὴν γεωγραφικὴν αὐτὴν περιοχὴν τῆς ἀνατολικῆς λεκάνης τῆς Μεσογείου, κυρίως εἰς τὴν σημερινὴν ἠπειρωτικὴν Ἑλλάδα, τά, πάντοτε μόνον ἑλληνικά, νησιὰ τοῦ Αἰγαίου Πελάγους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἔναντι Μικρασιατικὴν περιοχήν (ἑλληνικὴν κατὰ τὴν συντριπτικὴν πλειονότητα τῶν κατοίκων της ἤδη ἀπὸ τὰ πανάρχαια χρόνια μέχρι καὶ σχετικῶς προσφάτου ἐποχῆς, τοῦ 1922, μὲ ἐπιζῶντα ὅμως ἐκεῖ ἀκόμη θαυμαστὰ  μνημεῖα τῆς ἑλληνικῆς παρουσίας) ἄρθρωσαν πρῶτοι τὸν φιλοσοφικὸν λόγον καὶ ἐδημιούργησαν ὅλες τὶς ἐπιστῆμες. Ὡς πρὸς τὴν Φιλοσοφίαν : Οἱ Προσωκρατικοί, οἱ τρεῖς φιλόσοφοι ἀπὸ τὴν Μίλητον, τῆς ἔναντι Μικρασιατικῆς περιοχῆς, Θαλῆς, Ἀναξίμανδρος καὶ Ἀναξιμένης, ἔθεσαν πρῶτοι αὐτοὶ τὸ πρόβλημα τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Σύμπαντος. Μαζὶ δὲ μὲ τοὺς ἀκολουθήσαντας, τὸν Πυθαγόραν, τὸν Δημόκριτον, τοὺς Σοφιστάς, τὸν θεῖον Πλάτωνα, τὸν πανεπιστήμονα Ἀριστοτέλη, τοὺς Στωϊκούς, τοὺς Ἐπικουρείους, τοὺς Σκεπτικούς, τοὺς Κυνικούς, καὶ ὅλους τοὺς περὶ αὐτοὺς, συνθέτουν ὡς μεγαλοφυᾶ πνεύματα καὶ καταυγάζοντες ἀστέρες  ὁλόκληρον τὸ μέχρι καὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν μας στερέωμα τῆς φιλοσοφικῆς σκέψεως καὶ τῶν παραπλεύρων κλάδων τῆς Μεταφυσικῆς, τῆς Λογικῆς, τῆς Αἰσθητικῆς. Εἰς τὸ ὁποῖον οὐσιαστικῶς μόνον ἑρμηνευτικὲς ἐπεξηγήσεις κατὰ καιροὺς προσετέθησαν.

Ὅπως δημιουργήματα τοῦ ἑλληνικοῦ πνεύματος εἶναι καὶ ὅλες οἱ ἐπιστῆμες. Τόσον αὐτὲς τοῦ κοσμικοῦ περιβάλλοντος : Ἀστρονομία, Φυσική (Μηχανική, Ὀπτική, Ἀκουστική, Μετεωρολογία, Βοτανική), Χημεία, Ζωολογία, Βιολογία, Ἰατρική, Μαθηματικά (ἀριθμητική, γεωμετρία, τριγωνομετρία),  Γεωγραφία, κλπ. Καὶ διὰ νὰ περιορισθῶ εἰς τὰ ἐπιστημονικά σας ἐνδιαφέροντα, διακεκριμένοι Σύνεδροι, ἂς ὑπομνήσω μόνον, ὅτι ὁ Ἀρίσταρχος ἀπὸ τὴν Σάμον ὑπῆρξεν ὁ κύριος εἰσηγητὴς τοῦ ἡλιοκεντρικοῦ συστήματος, τὴν διδασκαλίαν δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπεμιμήθη μετὰ αἰῶνας πολλοὺς ὁ Κοπέρνικος. Ὅπως καὶ εἰς τὴν Βιολογίαν, τὴν διδασκαλίαν τοῦ Ἀναξιμάνδρου περὶ τῆς ἐξελίξεως τῶν εἰδῶν ἐπανέλαβε μετὰ 2.500 χρόνια  ὁ Δαρβῖνος.

Ὅσον καὶ οἱ λεγόμενες θεωρητικὲς ἐπιστῆμες : Ἱστορία, Πολιτικὴ καὶ γενικῶς ὅλες αὐτὲς ποὺ ἀναφέρονται εἰς τὴν κοινωνικὴν συμβίωσιν, τὴν πολιτειακὴν συγκρότησιν, τὴν ὀργάνωσιν θεσμῶν καὶ θέσιν κανόνων συμπεριφορᾶς. Ἂς μὴ λησμονοῦμεν ἐπὶ τοῦ προκειμένου, ὅτι τὸ ἰδεωδέστερον πολίτευμα, τὸ ὁποῖον συνέλαβεν ὁ ἀνθρώπινος νοῦς, τὸ πολίτευμα ποὺ κυριαρχεῖ εἰς ὅλα τὰ πολιτισμένα κράτη τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὸ ὁποῖον μοχθοῦν νὰ ἀποκτήσουν ὅλοι οἱ καταπιεσμένοι λαοὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, ἡ Δημοκρατία, μὲ τὶς σύμφυτες ἀρετές της, τὴν ἐλευθερία, τὴν ἰσηγορία (ἰσοτιμία λόγου τῶν πολιτῶν), τὴν ἰσοπολιτεία ( ἰσότης ἔναντι τοῦ νόμου), ἐγεννήθη καὶ ἐφηρμόσθη διὰ πρώτην φορὰν εἰς τὴν Ἱστορίαν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, ἐδῶ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα∙ καὶ ἡ ἑλληνικὴ αὐτὴ λέξις Δημοκρατία υἱοθετήθη καὶ χρησιμοποιεῖται πρὸς χαρακτηρισμὸν τέτοιου πολιτεύματος παντοῦ στὸν κόσμο, καθολικῶς. Τοὺς δὲ κανόνες συμπεριφορᾶς ἐθέσπισαν οἱ ἀρχαῖοι μας πρόγονοι ὄχι μόνον ἐνδοπολιτειακῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔναντι ξένων καὶ ἀλλοφύλων, οἱ ὁποῖοι, ὅταν δὲν προέβαινον σὲ ἐχθρικὲς πράξεις, πάντοτε εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα μας ὑπῆρξαν ἀποδεκτοὶ καὶ σεβαστοί, μέχρι σημείου καὶ ἰδιαίτερος Θεὸς ἐδῶ νὰ τοὺς προστατεύῃ, ὁ Ξένιος Ζεύς, καὶ ἰδιαιτέρους βωμοὺς (τῷ ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ) πρὸς ἄσκησιν τῶν ἰδικῶν τους λατρευτικῶν  καθηκόντων νὰ ἔχουν, ἀκόμη καὶ ἐντὸς τῶν Ἀθηνῶν. Ἤδη ὁ Δημόκριτος (περίπου 460-370 π.Χ.) ἐξέφερε τὸ ὑψηλότατον δίδαγμα «Ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ πᾶσα γῆ βατή∙ ψυχῆς δὲ ἀγαθῆς πατρὶς ὁ ξύμπας κόσμος» (ἀπόσπασμα 247 Diels). Ἔτσι τὸ φιλάδελφον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον, τὸ κοσμοπολιτικὸν πνεῦμα, ἡ ἀληθινὴ διεθνὴς κατανόησις καὶ ἀλληλεγγύη ἐδῶ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα διὰ πρώτην φορὰν ἀνεπτύχθησαν εἰς τοιαύτην περιωπήν. Ἔκφρασιν δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ ἀποτελεῖ σήμερα καὶ ἡ παροιμιώδης ἑλληνικὴ φιλοξενία, ποὺ τόσον ἐντυπωσιάζει τοὺς ξένους ἐπισκέπτες μας.

Καὶ διὰ νὰ συγκεκριμενοποιήσω τὴν ἀνωτέρω θεώρησιν περὶ τῆς πρωταρχικότητος τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ πνεύματος εἰς τὴν δημιουργίαν τῶν ἐπιστημῶν, ἂς ὑπομνήσω δύο ἀλήθειες. Ἡ πρώτη : Αὐτὸ τὸ ἀντικείμενον τοῦ προκειμένου Συμποσίου, τὸ ὄζον, εἶναι λέξις ἑλληνική, σημειωτέον διεθνῶς τώρα καθιερωμένη∙ προέρχεται ἀπὸ τὸ ρῆμα «ὄζω», ποὺ σημαίνει μυρίζω, καὶ ἔτσι προσδιορίζει στοιχεῖον τῆς φύσεως μὲ ἰδιάζουσαν ὀσμήν, ἤδη γνωστὸν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν ἀρχαιότητα∙ ἀφοῦ τὴν ὀσμὴν αὐτὴν ἀποδίδει ὁ Ὅμηρος εἰς τὸν κεραυνὸν καὶ τὴν χαρακτηρίζει ὡς θείαν (Ἰλιάδος Ξ΄ 415), δηλαδὴ ὡς ὀσμὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Διός. Ἡ δευτέρα ἀλήθεια : Εὑρισκόμεθα εἰς τὸ πανέμορφο αὐτὸ ἑλληνικὸ νησί, τὴν Κῶν, ἐδῶ ποὺ γεννήθηκε κατὰ τὸ 460 π.Χ. καὶ κυρίως ἔδρασεν ὁ θεμελιωτὴς τῆς Ἰατρικῆς ἐπιστήμης, ὁ περίφημος Ἱπποκράτης, συγγραφεὺς σωρείας συγγραμμάτων, ἀνατομικῆς, φυσιολογίας, διαιτητικῆς, παθολογίας, εἰδικῆς νοσολογίας, χειρουργικῆς, ὀφθαλμολογίας, μαιευτικῆς, κλπ., κλπ., ἀπὸ τὰ ὁποῖα σώζονται σήμερον τὰ 57∙ τὸν δὲ Ὅρκον τοῦ ὁποίου δίδουν ἀναλλοίωτον, ἀκόμη καὶ σήμερον γιὰ τὴν ἄσκησι τοῦ ἰατρικοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος, οἱ ἀπόφοιτοι τῶν Ἰατρικῶν Σχολῶν, τοὐλάχιστον ἐδῶ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα.

Εἴμεθα μάλιστα εἰς τὸ Ἀσκληπιεῖον τοῦ Ἱπποκράτους, τὸν ἱερὸν αὐτὸν χῶρον του, πατοῦμε τὴν ἴδια ἐκείνη γῆ καὶ κινούμεθα στὰ ἴδια σκαλοπάτια, ὅπου κατὰ τὴν ἀρχαιότητα προσήρχοντο ἀσθενεῖς, ἀπὸ παντοῦ, πρὸς θεραπείαν καὶ ἀνάρρωσιν ὑπὸ τὴν εὐεργετικὴν ἐπίδρασιν ἀγαθῶν κλιματολογικῶν συνθηκῶν καὶ τῶν ἀκτίνων τοῦ Ἡλίου, ποὺ τὸν κυβερνοῦσε ὁ Θεὸς Ἀπόλλων, ἰδιαιτέρως δι’ αὐτὸ τιμώμενος. Καὶ ὁ Ἱπποκράτης εἶναι αὐτός, ποὺ πρῶτος κατέδειξε, μὲ τὸ πόνημά του «Περὶ ἀέρων, ὑδάτων καὶ τόπων», τὴν σπουδαιότητα τῆς ποιότητος τοῦ περιβάλλοντος διὰ τὴν θεραπείαν τῶν πασχόντων, ἀληθινὸς πρόδρομος τῶν σχετικῶν συγχρόνων  ἐπιστημονικῶν ἀντιλήψεων.

Δικαίως λοιπὸν αἰσθάνομαι πολλαπλῶς ὑπερήφανος, διότι ἔχω τὸ προνόμιον, νὰ ἀπευθύνω σήμερον τὸ ἐγκάρδιον «καλῶς ὁρίσατε» εἰς τὴν μικράν, ἀλλὰ πρωτοπόρον τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου πολιτισμοῦ Ἑλλάδα μας, πρὸς ὅλους ἐσᾶς, τοὺς τόσον ἐπιφανεῖς καὶ διακεκριμένους ἀπὸ ὅλον τὸν κόσμον ἐπιστήμονας.

Καὶ νὰ εὐχηθῶ κάθε ἐπιτυχίαν εἰς τὸ τόσον σημαντικὸν Συνέδριόν σας. Ἐπιτυχίαν, τὴν ὁποίαν καὶ ἐγγυᾶται, μαζὶ μὲ τὶς ἐπιστημονικές σας γνώσεις καὶ ἀρετές, καὶ ἡ εὐαρέστησις, ποὺ προσφέρει ὁ ὡραῖος καὶ ἱστορικὸς αὐτὸς τόπος.

Χρῆστος Α. Σαρτζετάκης

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β) The English text :

A D D R E S S 

by 

CHRISTOS A. SARTZETAKIS

Former President of the Hellenic Republic

In the International Symposium of the "International Ozone Commission"

May 31^st 2004, Kos, Greece

 *^*^*^

Honourable Representatives of the Authorities,

Distinguished Conferrers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with particular pleasure that I have accepted the honourable proposal of the "International Ozone Commission" to put this International Symposium under my auspices. Honourable since the Symposium is co-organized by prominent institutions, the European Union, the General Secretariat for the Olympic Games, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), the World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations and other International Organizations. And particular my pleasure for the subject of this Symposium, which is not in the common sense ordinary.

Here, illustrious scientists from all over the world, and as an indication let me mention the presence of Nobel Laureates, will proceed to mentally testify about subjects of the widest conceivable dimensions. Since they will not only provide a part of the mystery of the Universe, in front of which we all are conscious of the meanness of our earthly world. But they will also not be confined elevated in the celestial space. Because their speech will be articulated in sight of a practical human need : the protection of the environment, in which the short-lived individual human presence moves, lives and breathes, insignificant in comparison to the magnificence and eternity of the Universe.

A combination therefore of high flying contemplations and the care to satisfy a practical human need, namely the survival of the human race. This is  the substance of your offer in this Symposium, distinguished and respectable scientists from so many countries of the world.

And let me add with reasonable pride, that the initiative of organization of a Symposium with such a task here in Greece is particularly fortunate. Certainly not only because of the fact that in two months the International Olympic Games will be held here, reminding the whole world that this panhuman institution was born in this country, with exclusively Greek layings. But primarily because that double-natured combination of theoretical concepts and practical needs, that your Symposium serves, the Hellenic spirit has since ancient times followed and uninterruptedly always serves in every field of knowledge.

This also explains the primary contribution of the Hellenic spirit to the human civilization. Because, to common and undisputable recognition, the Ancient Hellenes, our ancestors, in this geographical region of the eastern Mediterranean, mostly in today’s continental Greece, the, always only Greek, islands of the Aegean Archipelagos, but also on the other side nearer part of the Asia-Minor (Greek to the great majority of its population from ancient times until recently, in 1922, but still survive there miraculous monuments of Greek presence), were the first to articulate the philosophical logos and created all sciences. As for Philosophy : the Pre-Socratics, the three philosophers, from Militos of the Asia-Minor area, Thales, Anaximandros and Anaximenis, were the first to set the problem of the beginning of the Universe. With those that followed, Pythagoras, Democritus, the Sophists, the divine Plato, the multi-scientist Aristotle, the Stoics, the Epicureans, the Skeptics, the Cynics, and all the others compose, as ingenious spirits and brightly shining stars until our days an edifice of the philosophical thought and the contiguous branches of Metaphysics, Logic, Aesthetics, in which essentially only interpretative explanations were added in time.

Just like all the sciences are creations of the Hellenic spirit. The ones studying the environment of the cosmos : Astronomy, Physics (Mechanics, Optics, Acoustics, Meteorology, Botanic), Chemistry, Zoology, Biology, Medicine, Mathematics (Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry), Geography etc. And to limit myself to your scientific interests, Distinguished Conferrers, let me remind you only that Aristarchos from the island of Samos was the main introducer of the heliocentric system, whose instruction was mimicked by Copernicus centuries later. Like in Biology, the teachings of Anaximandros for the evolution of species were repeated after 2.500 years by Darwin.

Like the theoretical sciences : History, Politics and generally those that refer to the social symbiosis, the state composition, the organisation of institutions and the enactment of behavioural rules. We ought not forget on this subject that the most ideal regime that the human mind conceived, the regime that rules all the civilized countries of the world and all the oppressed peoples of humanity labour in obtaining, that is Democracy (Δημοκρατία) with its inherent virtues, the liberty (ἐλευθερία), the isigoria (ἰσηγορία, speeche' s equivalence of citizens), the isopolity (ἰσοπολιτεία, equality before the law), was born and applied for the first time in the History of humanity here in Greece ; and this hellenic word Democracy was adopted and is used to qualify such a regime everywhere in the world, universally. Moreover our ancient ancestors have enacted the rules of behaviour not only in-state, but also towards aliens and foreigners, which, whenever not hostile, have always been accepted and respected in our Greece, to the point that even a particular god was assigned to protect them, the Xenios Zeus (Ξένιος Ζεύς), as well as particular altars (devoted τῷ ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ, to the unknown god) were provided to them, to practice their own worshiping duties, even within the city of Athens. Already Democritus (about 460-370 B.C.) expressed the highest precept "For a wise man every part of the earth is passable; and for a virtuous soul homeland is the whole world "( fragment 247 Diels). Thus the fraternal and philanthropic, the cosmopolitan spirit, the true international comprehension and solidarity here in Greece for the first time  were developed in such a high standing. And an expression of this spirit is constituted today by the proverbial Greek hospitality, which impresses our foreign visitors.

And to make concrete the above view for the primary contribution of the Hellenic Spirit in the creation of the sciences, let me remind you of two truths. The first : Even the object of this Symposium is named by a Greek word, ozone, which is now established internationally; coming from the verb "ozo" that means "I smell", and thus defines an element of nature with a special smell, which was already known in the hellenic antiquity; since this smell is attributed by Homer due to thunder and is characterized as divine (Iliad Ξ' 415), that is as a smell of Zeus. The second truth : We are here on this beautiful Greek Island of Kos, where in about 460 B.C. was born and mainly has acted Hippocrates, the founder of Medicine, a writer of many works, about anatomy, physiology, diet, pathology, special nosology, surgery, ophthalmology, obstetrics etc., from which 57 have been saved ; and whose Oath is still taken today, unchanged, by graduates of Medical Schools, for the practice of medicine, at least here in Greece.

And especially we are in Hippocrates’ Asklepeion, this its sacred space, we are treading on that same earth and moving on the same steps where, in ancient times, patients were coming, from everywhere, to be cured and recover under the beneficial effects of the climatological conditions and the rays of the Sun, which was governed by the god Apollo, particularly revered for that. And it was Hippocrates, who first showed, by his work "About airs, waters and lands", the importance of the environment’s quality for the cure and recovery of patients, a real precursor to relevant modern scientific  beliefs.

Therefore, rightfully I feel proud, to have the privilege to address today the cordial “welcome” to our small, but forerunner of human civilization, Greece, to all of you, the so eminent and distinguished scientists from all over the world.

And to wish you every success in this very important Symposium. A success, which is guarantied by your scientific knowledge and virtues, and also by the pleasure that is offered by this beautiful and historic place. 

Christos A. Sartzetakis