Kostes Palamas

Born in Patras in 1859, Kostis Palamas became one of the most important figures in modern Greek letters. He wrote poetry, prose, criticism, and plays, and is widely remembered as a leading force in the literary generation that pushed Greek writing toward a more modern voice.

Palamas published extensively over a long career, and his writing often brought together personal feeling, classical inheritance, and the cultural life of modern Greece. He is also known for writing the words to the Olympic Hymn, first used for the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens.

He died in Athens in 1943. His funeral, held during the German occupation of Greece, became a major public moment of mourning and national feeling, showing how deeply his work had connected with readers.