Dionysios Kokkinos (Greek: Διονύσιος Κόκκινος; 1884–1967) was a Greek historian, journalist, academic and writer.

Early life and education

Kokkinos was born in Pyrgos in Elis, Greece. His father, Antonios Kokkinos, was a hagiographer, born in Amorgos, 1864. His mother, Angeliki Yiannopoulou, was born in Agoulinitsa (today

Epitalio Epitalio ( el, Επιτάλιο, before 1927: Αγουλινίτσα - ''Agoulinitsa'') is a town and a community in Elis (regional unit), Elis, Greece. It was the seat of the former municipality of Volakas, Elis, Volakas, which was merged into t ...

) to a family who fought in the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

in 1821. Although Kokkinos briefly studied medicine at the University of Athens, he ended up abandoning this path in favor of history, journalism, and literature. During his college career he published the socialist newspaper '' Mellon'' (or "Future"). When Greece entered the

Balkan wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

, he joined as a soldier, and a year later published 4 volumes on his impressions of it.

Career

During his career, Kokkinos worked for the newspapers ''

Akropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

'', ''

Kathimerini ''Kathimerini'' (Greek: Η Καθημερινή, pronounced kaθimeriˈni meaning ''The Daily'') is a daily, political and financial morning newspaper published in Athens. Its first edition was printed on September 15, 1919. and it is considered ...

'', ''Patrida'', ''Proteifousa,'' ''Hellenic, Proia,'' and ''

Ethnos Ethnos (from el, ἔθνος, link=no, lit=nation) may refer to: *Ethnic group * ''Ethnos'' (newspaper), Greek weekly *''Ethnos'', fantasy strategy board game by CMON Limited CMON Limited, formerly known as CoolMiniOrNot is a publicly listed mini ...

,'' fulfilling at times the roles of chronicler, correspondent, and philological collaborator. He often published works under various pseudonyms, including "Maccabeus" and "Ariel". From October 1935 to February 1954, he directed the National Library of Greece. In 1948, the Academy of Athens awarded him the "National Excellence of Letters and Arts" and, in 1950, he was elected a member of the Class of Letters. In addition, he was a member of the board of directors of the National Theater, as well as the Actors' Labor Fund. Kokkinos authored short stories and novels as well as history, vignettes, and theater and art criticism. He first appeared in fiction with ''The'' ''Last'' , a short story published in the magazine Numas , in 1906. His other works are: ''The Lady with the White Horse'' (1922), ''The Secret Nest'' (1924), ''Illigos'' (1932), ''Alexis the coachman'' (1934), ''A rifle in the blue water'' (1935), and ''Hunted by the world'' (1937). Kokkinos's literature mainly focuses on the life of the Athenian

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

. In addition, Kokkinos wrote a series of theatrical dialogues which were published in a volume in 1924 under the title ''Theater of Life.'' He also penned original works for the theatre. His one-act play ''The Lost One'' was performed in 1939 by Marika Kotopouli. In 1960 he completed his definitive work, ''The Greek Revolution,'' in 6 volumes, but the fifth and final edition would not be published until after his death.

References

1884 births 1967 deaths 20th-century Greek historians Greek journalists Greek writers People from Pyrgos, Elis Members of the Academy of Athens (modern) 20th-century journalists {{Greece-historian-stub