The feuds in Crete lasted for many years and with many victims, and the case was closed after years.
The phenomenon of vendetta, which is passed down from generation to generation and has never been effectively addressed. Starting from antiquity, we find it in the customary law of Crete and is recorded for the first time in the Minoan state. Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics mentions Rhadamanthys, brother of Minos, as the proponent of the "Law of Retribution". According to this penal provision, whoever commits an offense, only when he suffers what he did, then the trial will be fair. The law of retribution was considered, in fact, as an important form of justice.
So the vendetta that bloodied Crete It is a remnant of the past, an ancient way of administering justice in societies, and specifically between families, from the need for revenge that one feels towards the other for the murder of a relative of one for which the other must retaliate – “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. The vendetta, therefore, is based on the concept of personal honor, which is still a high value for the island’s inhabitants today, and on the concept of their protection.
The feuds in Crete lasted for many years and with many victims and the case was closed after years. Characteristic is the case of a feud between two families, one of which was very well-known, which calmed down after the mediation of prestigious persons, who had the esteem of both warring families. The method that was invented and that was followed by subsequent similar cases was the creation of kinship between the families by entering into marriage between the members of the two families.
A way of reaching a consensus to suppress the phenomenon of vendetta in Vorizia was proposed by PASOK president Nikos Androulakis, who invited local authorities and organizations regardless of party or color to a meeting of understanding, which could effectively help to calm the passions. Let us hope that the toxicity prevailing in the Parliament will subside and the joint intervention of local organizations will raise awareness among Cretans.
This move by the PASOK president apparently had particular significance, as the next day Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis announced initiatives on gun ownership, the granting of a permit and the manner of conducting an inspection. I believe, of course, that consultation helps much more than imposing measures, which, although delayed, are undoubtedly necessary. Moreover, the measures, in order to be implemented effectively, must have been previously discussed in Parliament and agreed upon by the parties.
At the same time, I believe that an educational policy program regarding the culture of Crete, the tradition of vendetta that is embedded in the Cretan mentality, would be particularly helpful in the effort to address bad episodes in Crete. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle points out that the Virtues are of two kinds, intellectual Virtue, which requires teaching, knowledge, experience, and moral Virtue, which is the result of ethos - ethos, that is, habit. Educational policy, therefore, will enable intellectual Virtue to surpass morality and this of course requires time.
Let us not forget how many prime ministers, Cretans by origin, have governed and govern Greece. No Cretan can accept the "title" of violence for his homeland. They themselves also argue that maintaining the vendetta is a defamation of their land. The great Kazantzakis, a son of the Levant-born Crete, believed that the right man is willing to sacrifice his individual desires for the good of the group or the community. I therefore believe that the authorities and local bodies after the meeting organized by the Cretan president of PASOK, they will remember and follow the beliefs and ideals of their unforgettable compatriot for an effective response to the legendary vendetta.
Published in VIMA
photo Leonhard_Niederwimmer, https://pixabay.com
