Dionysios Solomos

Dionysios Solomos was born in Zakynthos in 1798. His parents were the wealthy nobleman Nicolaos Solomos and Aggeliki Nikli, who earned her living by working as the count’s maid. The count made sure that his sons, Dionysios and Dimitrios, were raised profusely and learnt Italian, according to the habits of aristocracy at the time. Solomos was orphaned at a very young age; he lost his father, however, his share of the fortune he inherited allowed him to continue his studies.

In 1808, at the age of 10, Solomos goes to Italy with his Italian teacher, priest Don Santo Rossi. He studied at the High School of Cremona and the University of Padua (1815-1818). In 1818 he returns to Zakynthos, where he composes his first poems in Italian. However, after the exhortation of Spyridon Trikoupis, he begins writing poetry in Greek. He commences studying folk songs, as well as Cretan poetry. He clearly ranged himself for the demotic language (spoken language of his time), the natural language of the folk, which must be fostered in order to contribute to the awakening of the enslaved Greek Nation.

The outburst of the Greek Revolution for Independence from the Turkish Yoke in 1821 comes as a great shock to the poet. In May of 1823, in only one month, he composes the 158 stanzas of the Hymn to Liberty, and is immediately established as a poet. The 25 year-old poet describes Liberty, both a tangible and allegoric notion: “I know you of old, Oh divinely restored, By the light of your eyes and the edge of your sword”. This poem describes the difficult years of slavery the Greeks survived under the Turkish yoke, as well as the accomplishments of the national liberating struggle of the Greeks. The poem causes an immense emotional stir and is translated into many languages. In 1824, he writes the Dialogue, a prose piece, that presents his views on the demotic language with great liveliness of speech. His only other prose piece, that remained forgotten until recently is the Gynaika tis Zakynthos (Woman of Zakynthos). In 1826, he composes Lambros – a major oeuvre he never completed, and Farmakomeni.

Towards the end of 1828, Solomos moved to Corfu where he spent the rest of his life. Amongst others, he met Nicolaos Mantzaros, who later on composed the music for the National Anthem of Greece. In 1833, he composed Kritikos (The Cretan), which was also left incomplete. His major poem, which engrossed him more than any other of his work, was the Eleftheri Poliorkimeni (The Free Besieged). The Free, were the besieged inhabitants of Mesolonghi during the second, great siege, from 1825 up until the desperate yet heroic exit on Palm Sunday of 1826. Solomos feels for the suffering people of Mesolonghi: the cannonries are heard even on the island of Zakynthos, and the refugees, inhabitants of Mesolonghi, wander around the streets of Zakynthos asking for charity. However, the poem is composed many years later.

During the last ten years of his life (1847-1857), Solomos proves to be remarkably productive, however without completing all his poetic works. The most important of his poems during this decade is Porfyras (The Shark) (1849) which describes the death of a British soldier by a shark in Corfu.

Solomos passed away in February 1857, at the age of 59. So great was his reputation, that when the news of his death reached the Ionian Parliament, the Parliament ceased its proceedings and decided to proclaim the mourning for the poet public.

A few years later, his student, Iakovos Polylas gathered the poet’s manuscripts and published all his works under the title Evriskomena[1]. In 1864, the first stanzas of the Hymn to Liberty form the National Anthem of Greece. It is only fair that Solomos is considered to be the leader of the Literary Movement of Greece called Eptanisiaki Scholi[2], and one of the greatest poets of modern Greek literature.