Kostis Palamas

Kostis Palamas was a descendant of an old family that emerged in the early 18th century, with Panagiotis Palamaris as its progenitor. He was born in Patras in 1859. At the age of 7, he became an orphan, losing both parents. At just 16, he began studying law, following in his father's footsteps. In 1876, he moved to Athens and enrolled in the Law School of Athens. However, he soon abandoned law and decided to pursue literature. Although he engaged with modern Greek literature, his first work, published in 1876 under the title "Eroton 'Epi," was written in a highly formal style. In 1886, he released his first collection in the vernacular, and in 1889, he published one of his finest works, "Hymn to Athena," which won an award at the Philadelphia Poetry Competition. This was his first award, with Nikolaos Politis serving as the competition's adjudicator. In 1892, he published the collection "The Eyes of My Soul," which also won an award in 1890. In 1897, he became the secretary of the University of Athens, a well-paid position that provided him with the financial stability to continue his work. A year later, in 1898, he published two poetry collections, "Asty" and "The Tomb." This was followed by a period of inspiration, during which Palamas wrote "Greetings of the Sun-born" in 1900, "The Unshaken Life" in 1904, "The Twelve Lays of the Gypsy" in 1907, "The King's Flute" in 1910, and "The Fourteen Lines" in 1919, which were also published in Alexandria. In 1925, he received the Award of Letters and Arts and became a key member of the Academy of Athens upon its establishment. In 1928, he published "Timid and Harsh Verses" (Chicago), and in 1930 or, according to others, in 1931, he became the president of the Academy of Athens. He passed away in Athens on February 27, 1943, and his widely attended funeral turned into a demonstration of resistance by the Greek people against the German occupiers.