Andreas Laskaratos ( el, Ανδρέας Λασκαράτος; 1 May 1811 – 23/24 July 1901) was a satirical poet and writer from the Ionian island of

Cefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...

(or Kefallinia), representative of the

Heptanese School (literature) The term Heptanese School of literature ( el, Επτανησιακή Σχολή, links=no, literally: "The School of the Seven Islands", also known as the Ionian School) denotes the literary production of the Ionian Island's literature figures fr ...

. He was excommunicated by the

Greek Orthodox Church The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also call ...

because his satire targeted many of the church's prominent members.

Biography

Andreas Laskaratos was born in

Lixouri Lixouri ( el, Ληξούρι) is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli a ...

in 1811, at the time when the Ionian islands were moving from the French to the British as a

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...

. He was considered to be highly spirited by nature, intelligent and glib. He was intensely satirical and constant in his views, publishing works which contrasted the views of his time. The fact that he did not hesitate to freely express his views by criticizing hypocrisy became the main reason behind his arrest and imprisonment, persecutions, and excommunication by the church. He lived through the entire process of unification of the Ionian islands with mainland

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

but he distanced himself from the opinions of most leaders of the pro-unification movement. During his persecution he lived at times in

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

, Zakynthos, London and

Argostoli Argostoli ( el, Αργοστόλι, Katharevousa: Ἀργοστόλιον) is a town and a municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is one of the three municipalities on the island ...

, where he died in 1901. Being brought up in a wealthy aristocratic family of land-owners, he studied law in Paris, but only practised law when he was in financial need. He was the student of the great poet Andreas Kalvos and also met Greece's 'national poet' Dionysios Solomos, both of whom influenced his later course. He worked as a journalist and published poetry but is more well known as a writer of satire. He married Penelope Korgialeniou (Πηνελόπη Κοργιαλένιου), also from a wealthy family, who bore him two sons and seven daughters. His niece

Eleni Lambiri Eleni Lambiri ( el, Ελένη Λαμπίρη, 9 February 1889 – 30 March 1960) was a Greece, Greek conductor and composer. She is often regarded as the first female Greek composer. Life and career Eleni Lambiri was born in Athens, daughter of ...

was a conductor, librettist and composer. He published several satirical newspapers such as Lychnos (Λύχνος) that criticized immorality, injustice and hypocrisy. On many occasions he turned against politicians and their incompetence while he also fought against religious prejudices and the corruption of religious authority. His main works include: * (Τα μυστήρια της Κεφαλονιάς) "The mysteries of Cephalonia" * (Ιδού ο άνθρωπος ή ανθρώπινοι χαρακτήρες) "Ecce homo or human characters" * (Ποιήματα και ανέκδοτα) "Poems and anecdotes" * (Οι καταδρομές μου εξαιτίας του «Λύχνου») "The troubles Lychnos caused me" * (Απόκριση στον αφορισμό) "Response to aphorism" *Aftoviografia (Αυτοβιογραφία) "Autobiography"

Anecdotal Incidents

* On his birthday, a neighbour in order to make fun of him sent him a basket full of goat's horns (implying his wife's adultery) with the inscription "For your birthday". Laskaratos replied by sending him a basket full of flowers: "One can only give away what one has in plenty".

Published works

*Poiimata (Ποιήματα) "Poems", ed. Φέξης, Athens, 1916 *Stochasmoi (Στοχασμοί) "Ponderings", ed. Γανιάρης και Σία (Ganiaris et co.), 1921 * (Ήθη, έθιμα και δοξασίες της Κεφαλλονιάς) "Ways, mores and beliefs of Cephalonia", ed. Ελευθερουδάκης, Athens, 1924 *Aftoviogrfafia (Αυτοβιογραφία) "Autobiography", ed. Δημητράκος, Athens, 1927 * (Τα παθήματά μου και οι παρατηρήσεις μου στις φυλακές της Κεφαλλονιάς) "My misfortunes and observations in the jail of Cephalonia", ed. Κοντομάρης και Σία, Athens, 1930 *Techni tou dimigorein kai singrafein (Τέχνη του δημηγορείν και συγγράφειν) "Art of declaiming and writing", ed. Κολιατσάδα, Athens, 1954 *Poiimata (Ποιήματα), ed. Μαρής, Athens, 1958 *Apanta (3 volumes) (Άπαντα) "Omnibus", Athens, 1959 *Viografika mou enthimimata (Βιογραφικά μου ενθυμήματα) "My biographical rememberings", Athens, 1966 *Idou o anthropos (Ιδού ο άνθρωπος), ed. Πάπυρος, Athens, 1969 *Idou o anthropos (Ιδού ο άνθρωπος), ed. Ερμής, 1970 * (Ένα ανέκδοτο ποίημα) "An unpublished poem", ed. Κείμενα, 1976 *Poiimata (Ποιήματα), ed. Μαρής, Athens, 1976 *Aftoviografia (Αυτοβιογραφία), ed. Γνώση, Athens, 1983 *Idou o anthropos (Ιδού ο άνθρωπος), ed. Νέος σταθμός, Athens, 2001 *Reflections, tr. Simon Darragh, Aiora Press, Athens, 2015

References

*''Parts of the article were based on the content of the website http://www.kefalonitis.com (and are published under permission).''

External links

;In Greek
Biographical note''The mysteries of Cephalonia'' on Scribd
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laskaratos, Andreas Greek male poets People from Paliki Heptanese school (literature) Criticism of Eastern Orthodox Church People excommunicated by Eastern Orthodox Church bodies 1811 births 1901 deaths 19th-century Greek poets 19th-century male writers