EUDAIMONIA
(SYNOPSIS)
After attending his mother’s funeral in her birthplace somewhere in Greece, ALEC, a Greek expatriate, along with his 16-year-old son YIANNIS, have decided to go on a spiritual journey. His thoughts were to introduce his home country to his son hoping he would create stronger bonds with him and overcome their grieving together.
They visit Thessaloniki, Alec’s birthplace and wandering around in the city’s archaeological museum, Yiannis, an inquiring mind, meets STRATOS, an archaeologist who admires Yiannis’s passion and invites them to his own excavation at Stagira in quest of Aristotle’s grave.
At Stagira, whilst they are wandering around the excavation site, they become witnesses of the discovery of an altar with a sign in ancient Greek language << to the brotherhood of Akti -the maintainers of Aristotle’s practices>>.
Stratos explains that Akti was the ancient name of what stands now the Athos millennial monastery community; under Yiannis’s urge, they decided to visit it. Alec was reluctant at the beginning but his thought of meeting people of faith to help them with their grief, made him overcome his doubts.
On the way to Athos, they found out from the news that the altar has been vandalized by a frantic Greek orthodox monk who was then been shot dead by the security and in his pocket, a page of Aristotle’s book had been found, a book unknown to the public.
Alec and Yiannis got to Athos by boat. Arriving, they started walking towards Karies, the capital of the independent monastery-state where they could appreciate the Great Genus School’s library. On their way, a police officer named GEORGE gives them a lift. Along their drive, he gives them a brief about the specific features of what is called <>.
George dropped Yiannis off with Alec at the Great Genus School, where they were introduced to old POLYCHRONES, School’s last security guard. Yiannis was left to wander around the library where Alec had asked Polychrones to introduce him to a spiritual man to talk to. Polychrones suggests a hermit, father NIKITAS as the best choice.
Yiannis discovers a book about Aristotle where a chapter about EUDAIMONIA(happiness) is been mentioned and takes pictures of it. Polyphones advised them then, on their way, to visit the ascetic of Pigi where they could appreciate the cave with frescoes of the ancient Greek philosophers being presented as saints.
Alec and Yiannis arrive at the abandoned Pigi where they meet George along with other police agents who they were investigating the connection between the monk shot at Stagira and Pigi.
Father and son got into Pigis’s cave where they noticed frescoes unrelated to the Greek orthodox practice. Yiannis focused on Aristotle’s depiction where his halo <> had been engraved. Not noticing their presence, they had been followed by two monks who after interrogating them shoot at Yiannis and Alec and escaped. George heard the gun shooting and came to assist . All three of them, with more police cars to follow, went after the monks.
On their pursuit, they heard on the police radio that another group of monks attacked the Great School, killed Polychrones and set the whole building on fire. Yiannis assumed it was related to Aristotle’s book he discovered. They finally arrived in a cave. As they set the cave under siege, George advised Alec and Yiannis to leave Athos. Alec insisted on meeting father Nikitas so George ordered a policeman to take them to father’s sanctuary.
Whilst they were in the car moving away from the cave, a huge gunfight occurred. Then, silence. After several minutes, George’s voice on the radio said he had found two more pages on the monks, similar to the ones on the first. Yiannis asked if he could have a look at them where he would try to understand by their context why they were so important to their carriers. George said he would bring them to them before they leave.
Alec and Yiannis arrived at father Nikitas’s hermitage. They introduced themselves and had a great conversation about life, purpose, meanings, religion, loss and the afterlife. When Yiannis asked Nikita if he knew anything about Pigi, he talked about a legend :
Delphi, the centre of the old faith, was forced to shut down by Byzantine emperor Theodosius. The old teachings had to be forgotten. Desperate, the oracle and a few last supporters found shelter at Stagira, Aristotle’s birth and burial place. They stayed undercover over the years and they formed a brotherhood worshipping the Ancient Greek gods through Aristotle’s practices study. They became his philosophies and his books depositors and some say, if this is true, in their possession are teachings unknown to the rest of the world. These people used cloth for disguise. Father and son thanked Nikita and left, feeling solace after their conversation.
They finally met George who gave them the copies.
Yiannis sat on the deck and read the pages. The way to achieve happiness according to these sheets was through knowledge only and not through religion!
<>.
<>! Said Nikita pointing a gun. Nikita said that Aristotle’s teachings deliver all the good demons into the man turning him into a GOD!
-<> said Yiannis. Yes, said Nikita, that’s the epitome. All brotherhood members had a page of the book constantly with them to remind them of their purpose. Suddenly Alec attacked Nikitas. In the fight the gun fired leaving Nikita deadly wounded.<> were his last words.
George was informed about the incident and advised the father and son to catch the first plane and get back home. The rest (who knows how many left) of the monks could be after them.
As the plane was taking off from MACEDONIA AIRPORT, Alec staring at Yiannis looking out of the window towards Thessaloniki, held his hand and asked how he would address this journey back home…<> dad, <>.
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