Political Manoeuvring

There is much talk as far as the timeliness which we are experiencing with the Russia Ukraine Crisis is concerned and beyond. Since history generally repeats itself, let's recall a historically famous expert of political manoeuvring: Talleyrand, somewhere around the 2nd half of the 18th and 1st half of the 19th century. So, this guy had a long political life of the 'where the wind blew' type. He had become an enduring value, "burying" all his masters... 

Remember that he started out by being a member of the Tennis Court Oath (in French: Serment du Jeu de Paume) which was a pivotal event in the French Revolution and even helped to draft the famous Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

After the revolution he served abroad and avoided the purges. He "stuck" with Napoleon who brought him back from exile to make him Foreign Secretary, threw away the rags since he was a bishop (!) and when Napoleon was defeated, he deserted him and advised the Senate to demand Napoleon's resignation.

Then, he helped Louis XVIII. to take power, delved into convincing Metternich and Castlereagh that he was in charge in France, at the Congress of Vienna in 1814, etc. So, this diplomatic leopard, when he was in his old age serving king Charles X, the successor of Louis XVIII, had the following dialogue with his king, which indicates, precisely, the way in which Talleyrand had been managing the political affairs. King Charles who had to contend with heaps of demonstrations in Paris was engaged in the enactment of a series of authorial decrees and full of arrogance, said to Talleyrand: 'I would rather chop wood than reign like the king of England. I see no middle way between the throne and the scaffold'. Τalleyrand then replied soberly: 'Your Majesty forgets the stagecoach'. In a few days, Charles was so frightened by the riots that he fled to Britain, where he had since lived as a private citizen... Everyone may draw their own conclusions.

Endemic plants of Lesvos island, Greece

Lesvos is the third largest island of Greece, after Crete and Evia, with an area of 1.636 sq.km. and a coastline of 381 km.

The variations in the landscape create a range of habitats making the island one of the most important areas for wildlife not only in our country but also in the whole of Europe. A quarter of the island is covered by olive groves, while forests cover a fifth of the island.

There are over 1,500 species of plants throughout the island. Of these, three are endemic to the island, Alyssum_lesbiacum, Alyssum_xiphocarpum and Fritillaria_theophrasti.

Alyssum lesbiacum 

Its name etymologically comes from a (the prefix expressing deprivation) + lyssa (rabies, anger) = that which cures rabies (a disease whose symptoms are anger, mania, hydrophobia).

Its habitat is rocky places in open vegetation, openings of rough pine forest, dry meadows at altitudes of 200-800 m. It is a plant with a woody base and a stem up to 30-40 cm; its leaves are ashy-grey to off-white, covered with star-shaped hairs. It has yellow flower heads. It flowers in mid-April to mid-May.

Alyssum xiphocarpum

Its name etymologically comes from xifos (sword) + carpus (wrist) = that which has a sword-like appearance and is also an alyssum, meaning it cures rabies.

Its habitat is limestone cliffs, rocky slopes and peaks, and it is found at an altitude of 200-1000 m.

Fritillaria theophrasti

Its name etymologically comes from the box where the dice of checkers were kept, which was an ancient Roman game called fritillaria.The species was named in honour of the great ancient Lesvian (i.e. related to the island of Lesvos) philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus, a student and successor of Aristotle in directing his great philosophical school.

Its habitat is forests, bushes and olive groves and it is found at an altitude of 500-800 m.

It is a protected_species in danger of extinction.