First edition of Dionisios Solomos’ «Evriskomenon» by Polylas

Iakovos Polylas (1825-1896) was a versatile personality, a close friend, and student of Dionisios Solomos. Being himself influenced by Schiller and Hegel, he familiarized our “national poet” with German philosophy. He combated with a sense of great responsibility and devotion with the manuscripts and unfinished works of Solomos, he cataloged them and published “Evriskomena” for the first time in 1859. His debate with Spyridon Zampelis and the aptly critical “Prolegomena” initiated a fruitful literary discussion on Dionisios Solomos. He translated Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad” and Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “The Tempest” and provided some of the most profound literary translations in Greek.