22 December 1978; 46 years ago (1978-12-22) (Naval ensign: 1822–1832 & 1970–present,National flag: 1969–1970 & 1978–present)[1][2]
Design
Nine horizontal stripes, in turnblue andwhite; a white Greek cross throughout a blue canton
Thenational flag ofGreece, popularly referred to as theBlue-and-White (Γαλανόλευκη,Galanólefki) or theCyan-and-White (Κυανόλευκη,Kyanólefki), is officially recognised by Greece as one of itsnational symbols and has 5 equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolisesEastern Orthodox Christianity. Theblazon of the flag isazure, four barsargent; on a canton of the field aGreek cross throughout of the second. The shade of blue used in the flag has varied throughout its history, from light blue to dark blue, the latter being increasingly used since the late 1960s. It was officially adopted by theFirst National Assembly at Epidaurus on 13 January 1822.
While the nine stripes do not have any official meaning, the most popular interpretation says that they represent thesyllables of the phraseΕλευθερία ή Θάνατος (Freedom or Death): the five blue stripes for the syllables inΕλευθερία, the four white for those ofή Θάνατος. White and blue symbolize the colours of the Greek sky and sea.[3]
It has been suggested by historians that the current flag derived from an older design, the virtually identical flag of the powerfulCretanKallergis family. This flag was based on their coat of arms, whose pattern is supposed to be derived from the standards of their claimed ancestor, Byzantine EmperorNicephorus II Phocas (963–969 AD). This pattern (according to not easily verifiable descriptions) included nine stripes of alternating blue and white, as well as a cross, assumed to be placed on the upper left.[4] Although the use of alternating blue and white – or silver – stripes on (several centuries-old) Kallergis' coats of arms is well documented, no depiction of the above described pattern (with the nine stripes and the cross) survives.[5]
The Byzantines, like the Romans before them, used a variety of flags and banners, primarily to denote different military units. These were generally square or rectangular, with a number of streamers attached.[6] Most prominent among the early Byzantine flags was thelabarum. In the surviving pictorial sources of the middle and later Empire, primarily the illustratedSkylitzes Chronicle, the predominating colours are red and blue in horizontal stripes, with a cross often placed in the centre of the flag. Other common symbols, prominently featuring onseals, were depictions ofChrist, theVirgin Mary and saints, but these represent personal rather than family or state symbols. Western European-styleheraldry was largely unknown until the last centuries of the Empire.[7]
There is no mention of any "state" flag until the mid-14th century, when a Spanish atlas, theConosçimiento de todos los reynos depicts the flag of "the Empire of Constantinople" combining the red-on-white Cross of St George with the "tetragrammatic cross" of the ruling house of thePalaiologoi, featuring the fourbetas orpyrekvola ("fire-steels") on the flag quarters representing the imperial mottoΒασιλεύς Βασιλέων Βασιλεύων Βασιλευόντων ("King of Kings Reigning over those who Rule").[8] The tetragrammatic cross flag, as it appears in quarters II and III in this design, is well documented. In the same Spanish atlas this "plain" tetragrammatic cross flag ispresented as (among other places in the Empire) "the Flag ofSalonika" and "the real Greece and Empire of the Greeks (la vera Grecia e el imperio de los griegos)". The (quartered) arrangement that includes the Cross of St. George is documented only in the Spanish atlas, and most probably combines the arms of Genoa (which had occupied Galata) with those of the Byzantine Empire, and was most probably flown only in Constantinople.[9]Pseudo-Kodinos records the use of the "tetragrammatic cross" on the banner (phlamoulon) borne by imperialnaval vessels, while themegas doux displayed an image of the emperor on horseback.[10]
The merchant vesselPanagia tis Hydras, built 1793, flying the Graeco-Ottoman flagAgios Nikolaos (1797) andPoseidon (1815), belonging to the Anargyros brothers fromSpetses, flying variants of theRussian flag
During the Ottoman rule several unofficial flags were used by Greeks, usually employing the Byzantinedouble-headed eagle (see below), the cross, depictions of saints and various mottoes.[9]
A military leader,Yiannis Stathas, used a flag with white cross on blue on his ship since 1800. The first flag featuring the design eventually adopted was created and hoisted in theEvangelistria monastery inSkiathos in 1807. Several prominent military leaders (includingTheodoros Kolokotronis andAndreas Miaoulis) had gathered there for consultation concerning an uprising, and they were sworn to this flag by the local bishop.[11]
Flag used by the Greeksipahis of the Ottoman army between 1431 and 1619
Civil ensign for merchant ships owned by Ottoman subjects belonging to the Greek Orthodox (Rum)millet
Proposed flag of Greece as drawn byRigas Feraios in his manuscripts
BishopGermanos of Patras blessing the flag of the Greek revolutionaries at theMonastery ofAgia Lavra, part of a popular legend regarding the start of the revolution of 1821, although it never actually happened
Flag used byOrlov revolutionaries from 1770 to the early stages of the War of Independence
European monarchies, aligned in the so-called "Concert of Europe", were suspicious towards national or social revolutionary movements such as theEtaireia. TheFirst Greek National Assembly, convening in January 1822, thus took steps to disassociate itself from theEtaireia's legacy and portray nascent Greece as a "conventional", ordered nation-state.[11] As such, not only were the regional councils abolished in favour of a central administration, but it was decided to abolish all revolutionary flags and adopt a universal national flag. The reasons why the particular arrangement (white cross on blue) was selected, instead of the more popular blue cross on a white field, remain unknown.[11]
On 15 March 1822, the Provisional Government, by Decree Nr. 540, laid down the exact pattern: white cross on blue (plain) for the land flag; nine alternate-coloured stripes with the white cross on a blue field in the canton for the naval ensign; and blue with a blue cross on a white field in the canton for the civil ensign (merchant flag).[12][11] On 30 June 1828, by decree of the GovernorIoannis Kapodistrias, the civil ensign was discontinued, and the cross-and-stripes naval ensign became the national ensign, worn by both naval and merchant ships.[11]
On 7 February 1828 the Greek flag was internationally recognised for the first time by receiving an official salutation from British, French, and Russian forces inNafplio, then the capital of Greece.[13]
The first official specifications for the war flag or naval ensign (published 3 June 1833)
After the establishment of theKingdom of Greece in 1832, the new king,Otto, added the royalcoat of arms (a shield in his ancestralBavarian pattern topped by a crown) in the centre of the cross for military flags (both land and sea versions).[12] The decree dated 4 (16) April 1833 provided for various maritime flags such as the war flag or naval ensign (set at 18:25), pennant, royal standard (set at 7:10) and civil ensign (i.e. the naval ensign without coat of arms).[14]
Administrative flags of Greece (1934)
In 1863, the 17-year old Danish prince William was selected as Greece's new king, taking on the nameGeorge I. A royal decree dated 28 December 1863 introduced crowns into the various flags in place of the coat of arms.[15] Similar arrangements were made for the royal flags, which featured the coat of arms of the House ofSchleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg on a square version of the national flag. A square version of the land flag with St. George in the centre was adopted on 9 April 1864 as theArmy'scolours.[11][16] The exact shape and usage of the flags was determined by Royal Decree on 26 September 1867.[11][17] By a new Royal Decree, on 31 May 1914, the various flags of Greece and its military were further regulated. By this decree, the flag with the crown was adopted for use as astate flag by ministries, embassies and civil services, while the sea flag (without the crown) was allowed for use by private citizens.[11]
On 25 March 1924, with the establishment of theSecond Hellenic Republic, the crowns were removed from all flags.[11] On 20 February 1930, the national flag's proportions were established at a 2:3 ratio, with the arms of the cross being "one fifth of the flag's width". The land version of the national flag was to be used by ministries, embassies, and in general by all civil and military services, while the sea flag was to be used by naval and merchant vessels, consulates and private citizens. On 10 October 1935,Georgios Kondylis declared that the monarchy had been restored. By decree of 7 November 1935, the 31 May 1914 decree was restored.[18]
The Greek flag was a forbidden symbol, especially during the tripleAxis occupation of Greece, German, Italian and Bulgarian, in the period 1941–1944. It was a symbol of National Resistance and struggle against the occupying forces. In September 1944 inProsotsani, and while the wider Eastern Macedonia was under the occupation ofBulgarians, the public school teacherKonstantinos Kazanas together with Asterios Asteriadis lowered the Bulgarian flag and raised the Greek one, in the central square of the town, despite the terrorism and threats of the occupiers. The event is unique for the entire conquered Europe as it involved the lowering of the conqueror's flag in broad daylight and the raising of the national flag.[19][20][21][22]
The legal provisions went unaltered for a relatively long period of time. In 1967, a new Compulsory Law (198) regulated the declaration of regional flag days, but did not alter the flag. However, on August 18, 1969, the sea flag was established as the sole national flag[23] and on August 18, 1970, the flag ratio was changed to 7:12 from 2:3.[11] Flags flying in ministries, embassies and public buildings had the crown in the centre of the cross until the official abolition of the monarchy on 1 June 1973 and the use of the crown was officially discontinued on July 16.[24]
After therestoration of democracy, Law 48/1975 and Presidential Decree 515/1975, which entered into effect on 7 June 1975, reversed the situation and designated the former "land flag" as the sole flag of Greece, to be used even at sea. The situation was once again reversed in 1978, when the sea flag once again became the sole flag of Greece and all previous provisions were abolished.[11]
Several Greek researchers[4][25][26] have attempted to establish a continuity of usage and significance of the blue and white colours, throughout Greek history.
Usages cited include the pattern of blue and white formations included on the shield ofAchilles,[25][9] the apparent connection of blue with goddessAthena, some ofAlexander the Great's army banners,[4] possible blue and white flags used duringByzantine times,[25][9] supposed coats of arms of imperial dynasties and noble families, uniforms, emperors' clothes, patriarchs' thrones etc.,[4][26] 15th century versions of the Byzantine Imperial Emblems[9] and, of course, cases of usage during the Ottoman rule and the Greek revolution.
A number of sources describe, since at least 1810 and through the revolution, a flag consisting of eight horizontal alternating blue and white stripes used by Greeks as a sea flag, suggesting a connection with the original naval flag.[9]
On the other hand, theGreat Greek Encyclopedia notes in its 1934 entry on the Greek flag that "very many things have been said for the causes which lead to this specification for the Greek flag, but without historical merit".[13]
The use of the Greek flag is regulated by Law 851.[28] More specifically, the law states that:
When displayed at the Presidential Palace, theHellenic Parliament, the ministries, embassies and consulates ofGreece, schools, military camps, and public and private ships as well as the navy, the flag must:
Fly from 8am until sunset,
Be displayed on a white mast topped with a white cross on top of a white sphere,
Not be torn or damaged in any way. If the flag is damaged, it should be burned in a respectful manner.
The flag can be displayed by civilians on days specified by the ministry of internal affairs, as well as in sporting events and other occasions of the sort.
When displayed vertically, the canton must be on the left side of the flag from the point of view of the spectator.
The flag should never be:
Defaced by means of writing or superimposing any kind of image or symbol upon it,
Used to cover a statue. In that case, cloth in the national colours must be used,
Hung from windows or balconies without the use of a mast,
Used for commercial purposes,
Used as a logo for any corporation or organization, even at different proportions.
When placed on top of a coffin, the canton must always be on the right of the person's head.
The Government of Greece has never specified exactly which shade of blue should be used for the flag, and as such flags with many varying shades exist. In the most recent legislation regarding the national flag, the colours mentioned are:
The National Flag of Greece is cyan and white, it is made up of nine (9) stripes equal in width, of which five (5) are cyan and four (4) are white so that the upper and lower stripes are cyan and the others in between are white.
Law 851/1978,Regarding the National Flag, Article 1, Clause 1
Because of the use of the word "cyan" (Greek:κυανός,kyanós), which can also mean "blue" inGreek, the exact shade of blue remains ambiguous. Although it implies the use of a light shade of blue, such as on theflag of the United Nations, the colours of the Greek flag tend to be a relatively dark blue, especially since theRegime of the Colonels (though during the reign ofOtto I a very light shade of cyan was commonly used). Consequently, the shade of blue is largely left to the flagmakers to decide.
In a 2010 document, the specific shade of blue used in thecoat of arms of Greece was given asPantone 280 U/C/M orCMYK 100/70/0/20. Thoughweb colors specifications are not given,HEX #014488 is used consistently throughout the document.[29]
Law 851/1978 sets the general outline for when the specific days on which the flag should be raised.[28] For national holidays, this applies country-wide, but on local ones it only applies to those areas where the said holiday is being celebrated.[28] Additionally, the flag may also be flown on days of national mourning,half-mast. TheMinister of the Interior has the authority to proclaim flag days if they are not already proclaimed, and proclaiming regional flag days is vested with the elected head of eachregional unit (formerlyprefectures).[28]
Although 17 November is not an official national holiday, Presidential Decree 201/1998 states that respects are to be paid to the flag on that particular day.[31]
According to theConstitution of Cyprus, the community authorities and their institutions have the right to hoist the Greek flag (as well as theTurkish flag) alongside theflag of Cyprus during the holidays. Any citizen may, without any restriction, fly the Greek or Turkish flag, or both, next to the flag of Cyprus.[32]
The war flag (equivalent to regimental colours) of the Army and the Air Force is of square shape, with a white cross on blue background. On the centre of the cross the image of Saint George is shown on Army war flags and the image ofarchangel Michael is shown on Air Force war flags.[12]
In the Army war flags are normally carried by infantry, tank and special forces regiments and battalions, by theEvelpidon Military Academy, the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy and thePresidential Guard when in battle or in parade.[33]
The current naval and civilensigns are identical to the national flag.
The simplewhite cross on blue field pattern is also used as the Navy'sjack and as the base pattern for naval rank flags. These flags are described in Chapter 21 (articles 2101–30) of the Naval Regulations. A jack is also flown by larger vessels of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Units of Naval or Coast Guard personnel in parade fly the war ensign in place of the war flag.[34]
In the past a war flag was assigned to the former semi-militaryHellenic Gendarmerie, which was later merged withCities Police to form the currentHellenic Police. The flag was similar to the Army war flag but showingSaint Irene in place of Saint George.[34]
Since the Fire Service and the Hellenic Police are considered civilian agencies, they are not assigned war flags. They use the National Flag instead.[35] Identical rules were applied to the former Cities Police. However, recently the Police Academy has been assigned a war flag, and they paraded for the first time with this flag on Independence Day, March 25, 2011. The flag is similar to the Army war flag, with the image of St George replaced with that ofArtemius of Antioch.[36]
The double-headed eagle was the symbol of thePalaiologoi dynasty.
One of the most recognisable and beloved Greek symbols, thedouble-headed eagle, is not a part of the modern Greek flag or coat of arms (although it is officially used by the Greek Army, theChurch of Greece, theCypriot National Guard and theChurch of Cyprus, and was incorporated in the Greek coat of arms in 1926[9]).
^Law 851/21-12-1978On the national Flag, War Flags and the Distinguishing Flag of the President of the Republic, Gazette issue A-233/1978.
^The Flag Bulletin, Volumes 14–17, Flag Research Center, 1976, p. 63: "Greeks wanted this color for their flag because they have always looked at the blue sky and the blue ocean."
^abcdN. Zapheiriou,Η Ελληνική Σημαία από τους αρχαίους χρόνους μέχρι σήμερα (The Greek Flag from Antiquity to Present), Eleftheri Skepsis, Athens 1995 (reprint of original 1947 publication)ISBN960-7199-60-X.
^abΜεγάλη Ἐλληνικὴ Ἐγκυκλοπαιδεῖα [Greece - Hellenism] (in Greek). Vol. 10. Athens: Pyrsos Co. Ltd. 1934. p. 242.Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved4 September 2018.
^Βουλτσιάδης, Γεώργιος (1995).Η Προσοτσάνη μέσα από την Ιστορία. Θεσσαλονίκη. p. 319.ISBN9780007814404.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Legislative Decree 53/1973On the amendment of certain provisions of the L.D. 254/69 "Regarding the National Flag and War Flags" (Government Gazette Issue A 144/1973)
^abcV. Tzouras,Η Ελληνική Σημαία, Μελέτη Πρωτότυπος Ιστορική (The Greek Flag, Original Historic Study), A. Lantzas, Kerkyra 1909
^abE. Kokkoni and G. Tsiveriotis,Ελληνικές Σημαίες, Σήματα-Εμβλήματα (Greek Flags, Signs and Emblems), Athens 1997ISBN960-7795-01-6
^Law 851/21-12-1978On the national Flag, War Flags and the Distinguishing Flag of the President of the Republic, Gazette issue A-233/1978.
^"The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus"(PDF).2. The authorities of the Republic and any public corporation or public utility body created by or under the laws of the Republic shall fly the flag of the Republic and they shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic both the Greek and the Turkish flags at the same time. 3. The Communal authorities and institutions shall have the right to fly on holidays together with the flag of the Republic either the Greek or the Turkish flag at the same time. 4. Any citizen of the Republic or any body, corporate or unincorporate other than public, whose members are citizens of the Republic, shall have the right to fly on their premises the flag of the Republic or the Greek or the Turkish flag without any restriction.
^O. Zotiadis (January 2001). "Decorations of War Flags (Greek:Τιμητικές διακρίσεις πολεμικών σημαιών)".Military Review. Hellenic Army General Staff.
^Presidential Decree 991/7-10-1980,Specification of the size of the National Flag born by the Coast Guard, Cities Police and Fire Service and the length of its staff, Gazette issue A-247/1980.
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