Dionysios Solomos

He was born in Zakynthos in 1798 to an aristocratic family. In 1808, he was sent to Italy for his studies, where he pursued a degree in law. After ten years, he returned to Zakynthos with a solid literary education. During that time, he was accepted into a literary organization where he was recognized as a lyricist. At the end of 1828, he left Zakynthos and settled in Corfu to devote himself to poetry. In 1833, a serious family incident disturbed him; his half-brother claimed their father's inheritance by declaring it to the port authorities. Throughout his years in Corfu, he never traveled to liberated Greece because, as it is said, "he was not accustomed to showcasing his national sentiments but rather kept them within the sacred realm of his soul." When Solomos returned from Italy, he brought with him poems of religious content. Later, he created impromptu sonnets and eventually lyrical poems. Solomos' first extensive poem is the "Hymn to Liberty," written in quatrains. Solomos died in February 1857 from a stroke. His remains were transferred in 1865 to Zakynthos and initially placed in a small mausoleum at Kalvos' grave. Notably, Solomos gained fame as a poet from his youth, and over the decades, his poetic work has remained unsurpassed.