History Of The Greek National Anthem

  • by XpatAthens
  • Monday, 19 March 2018
History Of The Greek National Anthem

The Greek national anthem, officially titled "Y'mnos is tin Eleftherian" in Greek and the "Hymn to Freedom" in English, is a song that is a reminder of not only how far Greece has come since the Ottoman Empire was officially defeated, but also of the journey that the people took that ultimately led to their freedom.

Written By a Famous Greek Poet
The Anthem was written by the famed poet, Dionysios Solomos, in 1823. He was born and raised in Zayknthos, but his family were refugees from the island of Crete. As a member of a prominent wealthy family, Dionysios was well educated, which eventually drove him to be a poet. Although his studied abroad in Italy for several years, he eventually penned his poems in his native Greek language.

Hymn To Liberty Is Written
One of Solomos' most inspiring works is the Hymn to Liberty. The Greek Revolution began in 1821 and was happening just as he began his career as a poet. In addition to the revolution that finally ended the Ottoman occupation, it served as a source of inspiration for this poem. Solomos wanted to put into words the feelings that he had about the struggles of the Greek people and the inevitability of the win.

To learn more, please visit: Greek Boston