A legend about Thessaloniki
Reading exercise book
By Greek team
By Greek team
The Legend Of Alexander The Great & The Mermaid
«Immortality and eternal life have been the great dream of man since ancient times»
The legend of the Mermaid of Thessaloniki is one of the most well-known and beloved myths of the city and is its emblem.
The king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great, had acquired the "immortal water" with labors and risks, to indicate his immortality
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Thessaloniki, Alexander the Great's halfsister, accidentally threw it away.
When she realized her mistake she transformed into a mermaid.
In other words, she became a fish from the waist down and jumped into the sea.
Since then she always goes back to the sea and if he sees a boat, he runs and asks: "Ship, little ship; is King Alexander the Great alive?"
Unfortunate is the boatman who will tell her that he is dead. The Mermaid stirs up the waters, the waves raise mountains and the boat is lost.
If the clever sailor says: “Here, my lady, King Alexander the Great lives and reigns and dominates the world!!", then the Mermaid glows with joy.
She spreads her blonde hair and the waves immediately calm down.
The seas and shores laugh, and the sailors from their ships listen, enchanted, to the voice of the Mermaid, who sings again:" King Alexander the Great lives and reigns and dominates the world! "
So the mermaid continues wandering the seas, constantly looking for an answer from the sailors...
knowledge and answer the following questions
your
Now check
Questions
1. What’s the name of the half-sister of Alexander the Great?
2. What was the tragic mistake of Thessaloniki?
3. How does a mermaid look like?
4. What was the question made by the mermaid to the boatmen?
5. What are the concequenses to the boat when the boatman’s reply is that King Alexander the Great is dead?
6. What happens when a boatman tells the mermaid: “King Alexander the Great lives and reigns and dominates the world”?