Athanasios Christopoulos ( el, Αθανάσιος Χριστόπουλος; 2 May 177219 January 1847) was a celebrated Greek poet, playwright, a distinguished scholar and jurist. He has been proclaimed a champion of the modern Greek demotic and the forerunner of the national poet
Dionysios Solomos
Dionysios Solomos (; el, Διονύσιος Σολωμός ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' ( el, Ὕμ ...
. More importantly he is the first modern Greek poet to have his works - the ''Lyrika'' - published and read across a broad section of the European continent.
Biography
![Kastoria 2014-05-18 (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Kastoria_2014-05-18_%281%29.JPG)
Christopoulos was born in
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...
in
Macedonia, the son of Yiannis Christou, a Greek Orthodox priest, who expanded the family name to Christopoulos. In 1774, the family moved to Bucharest, in the province of Wallachia. Under the guidance of esteemed Greek teachers of the Diaspora, Athanasios mastered the basics of Greek literature and Orthodox theology. He read the literature of the ancients. He studied the writings of the Church Fathers. He admired the smooth verses of the Cretan poet
Vitsentzos Kornaros
Vitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros ( el, Βιτσέντζος or ) or Vincenzo Cornaro (March 29, 1553 – 1613/1614) was a Cretan poet, who wrote the romantic epic poem '' Erotokritos''. He wrote in vernacular Cretan dialect ( Cretan Greek), and w ...
, whose ''Erotokritos'' was to inspire him in his writing and theories on linguistics. He sang the folk songs of his native land. All these interests developed as the Greek administrators of the province, the hospodar princes of his youth – like
Alexander Ypsilantis (1725-1805)
Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...
and
Nicholas Mavrogenes
Nicholas Mavrogenes (or Mavrogenous; el, Νικόλαος Μαυρογένης ''Nikolaos Mavrogenis'' (Greek: "Blackbeard"), ro, Nicolae Mavrogheni ), (1735 – 30 September 1790) was a Phanariote Prince of Wallachia (reigned 1786–1789). He ...
– cultivated the delicate climate of learning and culture around him. Christopoulos registered for courses in medicine at the University of Pest in 1792. Of course, this implies that he must have learned Latin, the official language of most universities. He spent about two years in the Hungarian metropolis before realizing that he was fascinated with the study of law. On a visit to Italy, in 1794, he decided to sign up for courses in medicine and law at the highly respected University of Padua. By 1797, he returned to Bucharest. For many reasons, least of which was personal dissatisfaction, Christopoulos decided to abandon the medical profession. He preferred to teach in the homes of the wealthy Greek families – the famous Phanariot Greeks – who were the bedrock of Bucharest’s high society. In 1799, he became tutor to the children of
Alexander Mourouzis
Alexander Mourouzis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Μουρούζης; Romanian: Alexandru Moruzi (1750/1760 – 1816) was a Grand Dragoman of the Ottoman Empire who served as Prince of Moldavia and Prince of Wallachia. Open to Enlightenment ideas, ...
,
Prince of Wallachia
This is a list of rulers of Wallachia, from the first mention of a medieval polity situated between the Southern Carpathians and the Danube until the union with Moldavia in 1859, which led to the creation of Romania.
Notes
Dynastic rule is hard t ...
. While in the court of Mourouzis, Christopoulos discovered that his patron was an accomplished man of learning. His deep love for education and the arts was apparent. He had established several libraries in the provinces and across the empire. With Mourouzis’ encouragement, Christopoulos began to translate Homer's ''Iliad'' into demotic Greek by 1803, and in 1804, after Mourouzis transferred his court to Jassy, in Moldavia, Christopoulos penned his drama ''Achilles'', also in the demotic.
In 1805, Christopoulos penned a very influential work entitled “The Aeolo-Doric Grammar” and it marks a revolution in Greek linguistics and literature. Its central premise is that no single Greek author succeeded in giving the Greek people of the Turkish occupation its very own grammar. He blames this on the antiquity-worshipping Greek intellectuals: men who demonstrated that their love for the ancient Greek world was greater than the educational needs of the Greek peasant, merchant, cleric and landlord. Though written in two months, the controversy it provoked went on for many years. Among his many critics, one stands out:
Adamantios Korais
Adamantios Korais or Koraïs ( el, Ἀδαμάντιος Κοραῆς ; la, Adamantius Coraes; french: Adamance Coray; 27 April 17486 April 1833) was a Greek scholar credited with laying the foundations of modern Greek literature and a majo ...
, the famous patriot and intellectual whose crusade for a purified Greek tongue led to the artificialities of the katharevousa. Christopoulos continued the offensive by declaring that the genuine dialect of the common people and folk tradition – not that proposed by Korais – should be the national language of the Greeks. In an even more fascinating theory, Christopoulos proclaimed that the Aeolo-Doric dialect of the Macedonians, Epirots and Thessalians - not the Attic dialect of Pericles’ Athens - was the true foundation of modern Greek. In response to building criticism he wrote: "Let us not become, O Greeks, ungrateful to it. We must not kick it about. Let us honor it, in our speech, and even in our writing."
In 1806, Mourouzis relocated once again and this time it was to his palace in Constantinople. Christopoulos, who was given the honorific title of “kaminaris” (the official who received the taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco) accompanied his patron and was rewarded with access to his astonishing personal library. Christopoulos also managed to spend his summers in Halki with his close friend and colleague
Iakovos Rizos Neroulos Iakovos is a transliteration of the Greek name Ἰάκωβος, which in an English form is Jacob or James.
People with the name include:
* Archbishop Iakovos of America (1911–2005), Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South ...
, who was to become a well-known dramatist. During these years Christopoulos’ many poems were collected and finally published. In 1811, in Vienna, the “Lyrika” were published to great acclaim. The poems became well-known and distributed throughout most of Europe, particularly Germany, France and Italy. His peers proclaimed him the ''New Anacreon''.
After the fall of Prince Mourouzis in 1811, Christopoulos departed Constantinople and returned to his home. Fortunately for him, the new hospodar
John Caradja
Ioan Gheorghe Caragea (sometimes Anglified as John Caradja; pre-modern Romanian: ''Ioan Gheorghie Caragea'', Cyrillic: Їωан Геωргïє Караџѣ; Greek: Ἰωάννης Γεώργιος Καρατζάς, ''Ioannis Georgios Karatzas''; ...
was well-disposed and eager to invite the poet to his court. Recognizing his legal education, Caradja elevated Christopoulos to the position of Logothete of Foreign Affairs. If it was thought that the title was purely ceremonial, the belief was proven to be incorrect: Christopoulos was called upon to draft a code of law for his new patron. The code was set down with the expressed purpose of bettering the plight of the masses. Thus, by 1818, the Wallachian Code of Law made its appearance. From the onset it was opposed by the nobility, who based their arguments on the premise that the Code sought to eradicate feudal rights. Caradja requested that the logothete issue a new edition. The first edition, however, remained in the record and evidenced clear influences from the French, particularly the political writings of
François-Marie, marquis de Barthélemy
François-Marie, Marquess of Barthélemy (20 October 1747, Aubagne3 April 1830 Paris) was a French politician and diplomat, active at the time of the French Revolution.
Biography
Diplomat and member of the Directory
Born in Aubagne, he was ed ...
and Baron
Montesquieu
Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (; ; 18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher.
He is the princi ...
. Perhaps the most compelling comparison was to the Napoleonic Code.
In 1817, Christopoulos had met and courted a younger woman of whom so little is known. Not even her name is known. She accepted his offer of marriage and soon thereafter became his wife. It was unfortunate that the wife shared no interest in the great talents of her famous poet husband, and oftentimes sought escape in the company of salon society. In time, the couple welcomed a son, Ioannis. His wife seemed unconcerned with the proper upbringing of her child, and Christopoulos hired a wet nurse. For a period of time, the marriage seemed to be on shaky ground. Added to this, the publication of the Code led to demonstrations against Caradja, who was eventually ousted from power by the Porte. Christopoulos, sharing his patron’s disappointments while at the same time devastated by the state of his marriage, chose to escort the prince to Italy with his infant son and the wet nurse. His wife could not be persuaded to join him at any time.
In 1819, Christopoulos resided in the Caradja villa in Pisa. It was here that he probably met two literary giants of Romantic literature,
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
and
Percy Bysshe Shelley. In June of that year, Christopoulos left his son and wet nurse behind in Pisa and traveled to the Ionian island of Zakynthos
lso known as Zante where he came in contact with the leading literary figures of the period. While it would seem natural to expect some meeting, there is however no proof that Christopoulos met with the poet
Dionysios Solomos
Dionysios Solomos (; el, Διονύσιος Σολωμός ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' ( el, Ὕμ ...
, the man who would become acclaimed as the national poet of Greece, who resided there. That same year, Christopoulos also paid a visit to the city of Ioannina, which was governed by
Ali Pasha of Ioannina, and shared the good company of the poets
Athanasios Psalidas and
Ioannis Vilaras. By the end of the year, Christopoulos traveled to the island of Corfu, where he probably made contacts with members of the secret patriotic society known as the
Philike Hetaireia ociety of Friendsand became an initiate. While he passed the time in Corfu, he was also secretly corresponding with
Alexander Ypsilantis
Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...
, the man who was destined to proclaim the Greek War of Independence in the Danubian principalities in 1821. At some point in 1823, his correspondence with Ypsilantis was discovered by the British authorities. Fearing that he may be detained and arrested, Christopoulos immediately left the island and made haste for the solitude of the Transylvanian Alps.
Upon his return to Wallachia, Christopoulos settled in a house in the village of
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
and was joined by his son and repentant wife. Here he learned of the tragedy of Ypsilantis’ campaign and the Turkish reprisals against the Greek communities. He also learned of the revolt proclaimed on the Greek mainland and Aegean islands. He was nevertheless in a world of spiritual and artistic exhaustion. He retired into private life and devoted himself wholly to
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
promoting the demotic form of the Greek language. He also decided to present a work that would guide his struggling fellow Greeks in their revolt. His ''Political Parallels'' is an analysis of political systems from antiquity to the modern age. He boldly stated that all political systems have no value whatsoever if there is a lack of able and qualified leaders. Any emphasis on self-interest and state-sponsored violence is destructive. While the Greeks read his treatise, Christopoulos was congratulatory towards the
July Revolution of 1830
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...
in Paris, which brought forth the constitutional monarchy of
Louis-Philippe
Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France.
As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...
. It so happened that at this time Christopoulos’ rival, Korais, was busily promoting a fully democratic system based on the ancient Athenian model.
With the assassination of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Greek head of state, in 1831, and the coming of the Bavarian king Othon (
Otto of Greece
Otto (, ; 1 June 181526 July 1867) was a Bavarian prince who ruled as King of Greece from the establishment of the monarchy on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed on 23 October 1862.
The second son of King Ludw ...
) to Greece, Christopoulos decided to break his silence and embark on another trip to his native land. One odd reason for the journey was a report originating from friends in Greece that he had been proclaimed deceased. He arrived in Piraeus in 1836, hoping to put the story of his death to rest. Having barely settled in his lodgings, Christopoulos was inundated with cheers and well-wishes from hundreds, including the poets
Alexandros Soutsos
Alexandros Soutsos ( el, Ἀλέξανδρος Σοῦτσος) (1803–1863) was a Greek poet from a prominent Phanariote family. Soutzos family He founded the Greek Romantic school of poetry. Soutsos was born in Istanbul in 1803 from Chia ...
,
Alexandros Rizos Rangavis
Alexandros Rizos Rangavis or Alexander Rizos Rakgabis" ( el, Ἀλέξανδρος Ῥίζος Ῥαγκαβής; french: Alexandre Rizos Rangabé; 27 December 180928 June 1892), was a Greek man of letters, poet and statesman.
Early life
He w ...
and his friend Iakovos Neroulos. He made his way to Athens, the capital of the Greek state, and visited the ancient sites, taking particular satisfaction in a tour of the Acropolis. At the same, disappointment with the images of poverty, political and social disorganization, corruption and violence left him in a state of displeasure. He discovered that the government had put newspaper reporters and intellectuals on trial; he learned how famous warriors, like
Theodoros Kolokotronis
Theodoros Kolokotronis ( el, Θεόδωρος Κολοκοτρώνης; 3 April 1770 – 4 February 1843) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. Kolokotronis's g ...
, were despised by the royal court; thieves would break into houses while police remained idle; the king’s Bavarians were exercising unchecked authority and pillaging the country; and all the young king was concerned with was his search for a queen. His friends and acquaintances even seemed distant to him and looked only for their own promotions. This was a disappointment he never anticipated. He abruptly cancelled his stay and decided to return home.
Christopoulos spent the remaining years of his life serving the new hospodar
Alexandru II Ghica
Alexandru Dimitrie Ghica (1 May 1796 – January 1862), a member of the Ghica family, was Prince of Wallachia from April 1834 to 7 October 1842 and later caimacam (regent) from July 1856 to October 1858.
Family
He was son of Demetriu Ghica ...
and putting his literary affairs in order. He died in his bed with his family at his side on January 19, 1847.
His ''Hellenika Archaiologemata'' (Athens, 1853) contains an account of his life.
Thomas K. Papathomas (1872-1936), a poet from Kastoria himself, published Christopoulos's "Complete Works" ("Χριστοποὐλου Ἀπαντα" in Greek) in 1931-1932 in Thessaloniki (Spyros Syros Press).
Work
* ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΠΟΛΟΥ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΚΕ. ΤΗΣ ΑΙΟΛΟΔΟΡΙΚΕΣ ΗΤΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΟΜΙΛΟΥΜΕΝΗΣ ΤΩΡΙΝΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ ΓΛΟΣΣΑΣ. Vienna, 1805
google
* ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΠΟΛΟΥ ΛΥΡΙΚΑ ΕΡΩΤΙΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΒΑΚΧΙΚΑ. Β' Ἔχδοσις τοῦ Ἐθνικοῦ Ἡμερολογίου. Paris, 1864
google
* ''Collection de monuments pour servir a l'étude de la lengue néo-hellénique. N° 11. Le premier chant de l'Iliade traduit en vers grecs vulgaires par Ath. Khristopoulos. –'' IΛIΑΔΟΣ ΡΑΨΩΔΙΑ Α. Μεταφρασθεῖσα εἰς δημοτικοὺς στίχους ὙΠΟ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ ΕΚΔΙΔΟΝΤΟΣ ΑΙΜΥΛΙΟΥ ΛΕΓΡΑΝΔΙΟΥ. Paris, 1870
google
* ''Poésies lyriques de l'Anacréon moderne, Athanase Christopoulos, publiées et corrigées par G. Théocharopoulos, de patras. Avec la traduction française en regard.'' Strasbourg
google
See also
*
List of Macedonians (Greek)
The following is a list of Macedonians.
Ancient
''See List of ancient Macedonians.''
Roman
''Also see Macedonia (Roman province)#Citizens''
* Sopater, (Veria 1st century BC), saint, accompanied with Paulos
* Antipater of Thessalonica (late ...
References
External links
* (the texts there are in incorrect spelling)
* (only ha
Ιλιάδος Ραψωδία Α: Μεταφρασθείσα εις δημοτικούς στίχουςin incorrect spelling)
1772 births
1847 deaths
Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece
Modern Greek poets
Modern Greek-language writers
Macedonia under the Ottoman Empire
Greek jurists
19th-century Greek dramatists and playwrights
People from Kastoria
Greek Macedonians
19th-century Greek poets
People of the Modern Greek Enlightenment
Members of the Filiki Eteria
18th-century Greek writers
18th-century Greek educators
19th-century Greek writers
19th-century Greek educators
Greek dramatists and playwrights
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