Kostes Palamas

Born in Patras in 1859, Kostis Palamas became one of the most important figures in modern Greek literature. He studied in Athens and emerged as a central voice in the literary generation of the 1880s, helping move Greek writing toward the everyday spoken language rather than older, more formal styles.

Palamas wrote poetry, criticism, and prose, and his work played a major part in the New Athenian School. Britannica describes him as crucial to the evolution of modern Greek literature, while standard reference sources also note that he wrote the lyrics of the Olympic Hymn, one of the works by which he is still widely recognized.

He died in Athens in 1943, during the Axis occupation of Greece. His influence lasted far beyond his lifetime, and he is still regarded as one of the defining poets of modern Greece.