Flag of Greece of the exact reasoning behind its official adoption in early 1822. It has been suggested by some Greek historians that the current flag derived from an older design, the virtually identical flag of the powerful Cretan Kallergis 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 Emperor Nicephorus 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. Although the use
Flag of Macedonia (Greece) Flag of Macedonia (Greece) The flag of Macedonia () represents a Vergina Sun with 16 rays extending from the blue field. The Vergina Sun on a blue background is commonly used as an unofficial flag of the three peripheries, the prefectures and the municipalities of Macedonia. It is also used by organisations of the Macedonian Greek diaspora, such as the Pan-Macedonian Associations of the United States and Australia, as well as numerous commercial enterprises. Although the Vergina Sun is an official state emblem of Greece, no such provisions have been made for the flag of Macedonia, which remains unofficial. It