Culture of Diadochia

The Culture of Diadochia has evolved for thousands of years and has been influenced by Diadochian/Atlantean traditions and customs to form a multinational culture.

Language

Folklore

Diadochian folklore originates from the heavily greek based polytheistic pagan beliefs of ancient Diadochians (or Atlanteans) These old tales and stories passed on for many centuries is now represented by the Diadochian Fairy Tales.

Literature

Diadochia has literary tradition that is remarkably rich and brilliant its distinctive uniqueness and creativity. Diadochian Literature goes back over 2000 years and is incredibly rich. There are three phases of Diadochian Literature, Ancient Diadochia, Christian Diadochia, and modern Diadochia.

Visual arts

Architecture

The architecture of Diadochia has its origins in the period between 980 BC and stretches to the present day.

Diadochian gardens

The Design of Diadochian gardens have largely been based on Hellenistic styles and ideals and principles to form a distinct a Diadochi-Atlantean style of garden design. In modern times Diadochian gardens make use of elaborate mosaics, fountains, and small shrines.

Handicraft

Diadochian handicraft are the arts and crafts that are distinct to Diadochia. Diadochian handicraft includes Diadochian Icons, Diadochian porcelain, Samovári and others.

Icon painting

Icon painting is centuries old and in Diadochia it has been perfected and has involved into a distinct Diadochian art form.

Painting

Diadochia has been blessed with many artists and people with creative genius. Diadochian art really took off during the First Diadochian Renaissance known as the Nikolai-Basilian Renaissance, named after the dynasty in power during the art movement from (901-1093). The Diadochian empire experienced two more renaissance periods; the Middle Diadochian Renaissance known as the Komnenos Renaissance (1212-1357) named after the ruling dynasty and the Late Diadochian Renaissance (1367 to the mid 17th century. The remarkable thing about the Late Diadochian renaissance is that during the first seventy years or so the empire was divided and in turmoil suffering unrest and rebellion after rebellion. The political uproar in Diadochia spanning most of the fifteenth century did nothing to stop Diadochian artistic creativity.

Throughout the history of Diadochian art there have been several artistic movements including the Minoan School (15th, 16th and 17th centuries) followed by the Ionian-Attic School (mid 17th century to mid 19th century).

Sculpture

Silk making

The art of silk making in Diadochia is centuries old. For centuries silk was one of the most important manufactured goods of Diadochia. Silk making in Diadochia started during the reign of Cassander III of Diadochia in the sixth century when he had silkworm eggs smuggled out of Namor in 589. For over a thousand years silk production was an imperial monopoly.

The major dyes used to make traditional Diadochian silk are Tryian Purple, Rose madder, Kermes (red color), indigo, weld, Brazilin. Many traditional Diadochian silks have religious and iconographic themes while others dipict the interests of the Upper classes and the Imperial Court of Diadochia. Diadochian silk motifs include the tree of life, lions, palmette, lotus flowers, winged horses and other imaginary animals and beasts.

Diadochian silk uses five basic weaving patterns, they are plain weave, twill, damask, lampas, and tapestry. Diadochian silks along with porcelain, tapestries, and Diadochian crafts are often used as diplomatic gifts to foreign countries.

Lacemaking

Diadochian lacemaking is a centuries old art form. In fact Diadochia is well known for its finely sometime hand made lace. Traditionally lace is used in Diadochia to make table cloths and other fine items. Traditionally lacemaking is done by women.

Performance arts

Music

Dance

In Diadochia dance is a rich art form and tradition centuries old. Diadochian dances are diverse and largely folk dances or orginating several centuries ago. The number of traditional dances in Diadochia number as many as 3000.

Diadochian dances fall into many different categories including:

• Tritonos Islands: The dances in these islands of Diadochia are fast paced and involve alot of movement in jumping.
• Amphitrite: Dances vary here greatly
• Minoa: Dances are light involving lots of movement and jumping.
• Elláda: Dances mainly involve couples
• Epirus: Dances are very both slow and heavy at various times.
• Morea/Pelopónnisos: Dances are simple but heavy.
• Macedonia: Dances in this region very from heavy and fast to slow and steady. Most dances howver begin with a slow or even speed but slowly increase.
• Thrace: Dances are skippy and rather light
• Thessaly: Dances are similar to Epirote dances because they are in the same area. Dances are heavy and fast.
• Pontus: Dances performed in the Pontic region of the empire are very sharp and require alot of movement because they originated from war dances.
• Anatoliká: Dances in Anatoliká vary from area to area because Anatoliká is one of the country's most diverse region.
• Thalassa: Dances in Thalassa vary greatly because of its size.

Ballet

Opera

Theatre and Cinema

Lifestyle

National Costumes and dress

As a multinational empire, the Empire of Diadochia has no single national costume. However, many different regions of the empire national costumes which more or less stem from the same origin or same type of dress.

Traditions and customs

Diadochian people have many traditions, customs and beliefs. The tradition of spa bathing in a thermal pool is strong in Diadochia especially around Thermá Loutrá, in fact the city's name means warm or thermal baths in greek. Most traditions and customs in Diadochia are of a religious nature, but some have their origin in paganism.

Holidays

Diadochians love and cherish their special holidays because most of these public holidays hold significant meaning to the people of Diadochia. The major holidays of Diadochia are New Year's Day, Theophany, Clean Monday (first day of Lent), Annunciation, Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Pentecost, Pentecost Monday, Assumption (Dormition) of the Holy Virgin, Christmas, Glorifying Mother of God, Saint Matthaios Day, Saint George's Day, Saint Nicholas Day, Saint Andrew's Day, Emperor's Official Birthday, Saint Constantine's Day, Saint Helena's Day, Saint Alexander's Day

Because Diadochia is deeply religious country with the vast majority of the population adhering to the Diadochian Orthodox Church many holidays are religous based, in fact every city, town, village, hamlet have a patron Saint who is honoured on their certain name day, and on this day it is customary for schools to be given the day off.

Religion

Naming conventions

The common naming convention in Diadochia isfor a person to have a given name, middle name and surname. It is very common for children to be named after their grandparents in Diadochia.

Most surnames of Diadochian origin are Patronymics, but surnames also fall into five main types:

• Occupations: Siderás (smith), Zythopoiós (brewer), Mágeiras (cook), Toxóti̱s (archer), Artopoiós (baker), Mylo̱nás (miller), Ráptis (tailor/sewer), Ktísti̱s (mason), Ippotis (Knight), Yfantís (Weaver), Xylourgos (carpenter), Ergátis (wright), Vaféas (dyer), Papas (priest), Karotsiéris (carter),
• Personal Characterisics: Sgourós (curly), Chersótopos (moor), Kókkinos (red), Kastanó (brown), Mavros/Mavres (black), Nearós (young), Mikros (small), Lefkos/Lefko/Lefki (white)
• Geographical features: Géfyras (ridge), Lófou (hill), Xylo (wood), Drymós (forest), Petrino (stone)
• Place names: Synadenos (Synada), Chaldias (Chaldia), Moréos (Morea)
• Patronymics: divided into various categories based on patronymic suffixes.
  • -akis: Afroudakis, Doukakis, Manousakis
  • -as: Bilias, Dimas/Demas, Stagias, Zorbas
  • -atos: Manatos, Georgatos, Theodoratos,
  • -allis and -ellis: Georgallis, Kanellis, Stefanellis
  • -idis/-ides and -iadis/iades: Angelidis, Koutoufides, Georgiadis, Georgiades
  • -opoulos: Papadopoulos, Gianopoulos, Anagnostopoulos, Michalopoulos
  • -oglou: Anakoglou, Tsolakoglou, Seferoglou
  • -ou: Konstantinou, Athanasiou, Panayiotou
  • -akos: Xarhakos, Kyrgiakos, Sarandakos
  • -eas: Koteas, Georgeas, Charisteas
  • -tis, -otis: Politis, Chiotis, Rachiotis
  • -tzi, -tsi: Devetzi, Kouyioumtzis, Sapountzis
  • -lis: Karamanlis, Mamalis, Papoulis, Rallis

Cuisine

Diadochian cuisine is a mediterranean influenced cuisine. Diadochian cuisine widely uses olive oil, vegetables, herbs, grains, bread, wine, fish and verious meats including beef, lamb, poultry, rabbit, and pork. Because Diadochia is a multiethnic empire their are many different cuisine influences.

Food

Beverages

Leisure

Sport

There are many different types of sports that are popular in Diadochia. The national sports of Diadochia are Association football, rugby union and rugby league. Other sports that are popular include croquet real tennis, tennis, golf, tzykanion/Polo, Lacrosse, squash, cricket cricket, croquet, field hockey, hunting, lawn tennis, and thoroughbred horse racing. The sports of tzykanion/Polo, real tennis, tennis, lacrosse, horse racing and hunting are favored by the nobility. The sports of football, rugby, cricket and horse racing are popular throughout the empire. The sport of rugby is by far the most popular sport in all of Diadochia

The spectator sports events held in the Hippodrome of Atlantis holds a special place in the hearts of the people. While in residence in Atlantis, the capital it is the Emperor's duty to preside at the circus games and chariot races in the Hippodrome. A special Hippodrome games are held annually on May 21 to honour and commorate the founding of the city. It is the duty of the Emperor to give the signal for the races to begin The Emperor makes the signal by dropping a white handkerchief called a mappa. Four races are run at morning, and four in the afternoon. The Emperor traditionally gives a lunch party between the two race times. At the end of each of the days events the emperor awards prizes to the final winner, consisting of an aurigarion (gold emblem), a silver helmet, and a belt.

During the intervals between the races the audience is entertained by theatrical performances, singers, mimes, dancers, acrobats and circus stunts.

Thermae

The word Thermae comes from the Greek word thermos and means hot.In Diadochia Thermae refers to the bathing facilities that are from ancient times, and stem from Atlantean tradition. The ancient Diadochians liked bathing almost as much as the ancient Atlanteans did. The modern people of Diadochia have inherited this trait. It is not uncommon for most people to have two baths a day. In fact bathing is a common daily activity of Diadochian culture. There are public bathhouses in almost every city, town, village, hamlet in all of Diadochia. Bathhouses in Diadochia are generally impressive, well built, with ornate facades with rich interior decorations and luxurious equipment. Diadochian bathhouses have included cubicles, lavatories, hot and cold swimming pools, and a hot steam bath.

Diadochian bathouses have a series of rooms, including:

• Apodyterion: changing room with cubicles for storing clothes.
• Frigidarium: cold room with a cold water swimming pool to open the pores of the skin
• Tepidarium: Warm room heated by a hypocaust and underfloor heating.
• Caldarium: Hot and steamy room with a hot swimming pool. The room containts a hot floor heated by a brazier underneath the hollow floor, contained cold-water basins which the bather could use for cooling
• Laconicum: Dry or sweating room

Festivities and Public holidays

Festivities and public holidays are an important part of Diadochian culture. Festivities and public holidays in Diadochia are numerous. Public festivities include great religious festivals, processions, events organised in the Hippodrome, state occaisions such as coronations, state balls, state banquets, royal births, baptisms, marriages, namedays, funerals, burials, and other festivities for the general public. Icon veneration is a important part of Diadochian festivities, and all Diadochian towns have a icon that they honour on a particular day with feasting, processions, dancing and public holidays. There are numerous Diadochian festivities that are similar to pagan festivals.

Diadochian festivals include:

• Sementivae: sowing festival
• Parentalia: nine-day festival held in honor of family ancestors. Families visit the tombs of their ancestors and share cakes and wine both in the form of offerings and as a meal among themselves.
• Februalia: festival of spring washing or cleaning to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility.
• Feralia: festival celebrating the spirits of the dead, end of Parentalia.
• Caristia: Festival celebrating family love with banquets, gift giving, and distributions of bread and wine
• Equirria: chariot racing and horseback racing festival
• Matronalia: festival where women receive gifts from their husbands and children, and servants are given gifts by their employers.
• Tubilustrium: historically the traditional start of the campaign season, festival to make the army fit for war.
• Parilia: festival aimed at cleansing both sheep and shepherd
• Vinalia: festival of the wine harvest
• Vitulatio: annual thankgiving festival
• Lucaria: festival of the grove
• Vulcanalia: bonfire festival

National symbols

There are many different flags, icons, and cultural expression that represents the empire of Diadochia. The Diadochian flag features the Cross of St. George and the tetragrammic cross, both symbols of Diadochia as well.

The double headed eagle and before that the single headed eagle on a red or yellow background was the banner of the Emperors of Diadochia for centuries. The official anthem of the Empire of Diadochia is King of Kings, ruling over the kings.

Other symbols of Diadochia include Mother Diadochia (national personification) the Diadochi Lion, (depicted in Diadochian heraldry), Roses, The Virgin Mary, Saint Matthaios, Saint George, Saint Nicholas, Saint Andrew, Tea, Coffee, Vergina Sun, Olive Tree, Owl, Dolphin, Bay Laurel, Diadochian Bull, Pheonix, and the Imperial Coat of Arms of Diadochia which uses many of the other symbols.