'' "The Free Besieged" ( el, Οι Ελεύθεροι Πολιορκημένοι, ''Oi Eleftheroi Poliorkimenoi'') is an epic, unfinished work, composed by

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� ...

and inspired by the third siege of Missolonghi (1825–1826), a crucial conflict of 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 ...

. It is not a single work, but consists of three separate poems in fragmentary form. The Free Besieged is considered one of the greatest poems of Solomos, national poet of

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 wi ...

Background

The sortie of Messologhi by Theodore Vryzakis

On April 15, 1825, the invading Ottoman armies in

Central Greece Continental Greece ( el, Στερεά Ελλάδα, Stereá Elláda; formerly , ''Chérsos Ellás''), colloquially known as Roúmeli (Ρούμελη), is a traditional geographic region of Greece. In English, the area is usually called Central ...

besieged the city of Missolonghi for the third time. However, the defenders managed to keep the city for almost one year, but a number of factors like the numerically superior strength of the Ottomans, the continuous assaults and the lack of food and other supplies led them to decide a heroic sortie on the night of 10 April 1826. The siege and the subsequent sortie were one of the most stirring events of the

Greek Revolution 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 b ...

(1821–1830) and in fact the besieging forces were so overwhelming that there was no doubt about the result of the struggle. This event inspired

, the national poet of Greece, to compose ''The Free Besieged'', which refers to the struggle of the defenders.

Composition

''The Free Besieged'' was composed in a period of more than twenty years (1828–1851). It is not a single work, but consists of three separate poems in fragmentary form. The first poem, in chronological order, is considered to be a lyric draft. Then the work is progressively advancing to a more epic form, with the second poem written in rhyming decapentasyllable and the final one a decapentasyllable without rhyme. The three fragments are linked together by short narrative passages in prose. ''The Free Besieged'' does not have a continuous narrative, but consists of a series of scenes and glimpses that occurred during the last days of the siege, before the sortie. The central theme, according to Solomos' notes, is the defenders' power of the will, which is tested by a number of afflictions. Thus, the besieged, according to Solomos, become truly free because of their spiritual victory over all their trials. This was described by the poet as an inner freedom of the will.

Interpretations: temptations and struggle

The theme of temptation is one of the most significant in the epic. Apart from the armed conflicts, the defenders have also to undergo a spiritual struggle against these that threaten to weaken their will to resistance. It is not only their physical condition of

starvation Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, de ...

and destitution, but also the far more subtle and insidious effect on them of the spell cast by nature itself: the work is set in the last days of the siege, just before the

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samue ...

of 1826, during springtime, and two of its sections are dedicated to the beauty of spring.Mackridge, 1996: 16 Thus, at one time the poet describes pastoral scenes of peace which are suddenly disrupted by a bugle call, faintly blown by one of the defending soldiers, to waken and rescue their souls from 'enchantment'. At times Solomos describes the spirit of a woman that walks through the town and encourages the defenders. On the other hand, memories of past happiness and love also provide a poignant background to their sufferings, as in a scene where a soldier recalls his last meeting with his girlfriend, who died during the siege.Mackridge, 1996: 17 According to Bruce Merry, ''The Free Besieged'' is "the greatest Greek poem ''never'' written."Merry, 2004: 152

References

Sources

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External links

The Free Besieged
wikisource (in Greek). {{DEFAULTSORT:Free Besieged, The 1820s poems Fiction set in 1826 Epic poems in Greek Greek poems Missolonghi Works about the Greek War of Independence Heptanese School (literature) Dionysios Solomos Unfinished poems 1820s in Greece Starvation