Alexandros Rizos Rangavis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexandros Rizos Rangavis
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Rangavis in 1869
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| Born | Alexandros Rizos Rangavis 27 December 1809 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 28 June 1892 (aged 82) Athens, Greece |
| Occupation | Writer, Statesman |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Period | 19th century |
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Alexandros Rizos Rangavis (born December 27, 1809 – died June 28, 1892) was a very important Greek writer, poet, and statesman. He was also known as Alexander Rizos Rakgabis. He played a big role in Greek literature and government during the 19th century.
Rangavis's Early Life
Alexandros Rizos Rangavis was born in Constantinople (which is now Istanbul, Turkey). His family was a well-known Greek family called the Phanariotes. They were important in the Greek community during the Ottoman Empire.
He went to school in Odessa and then a military school in Munich. After his studies, he became an artillery officer in the Bavarian army.
Later, he returned to Greece. There, he held many important jobs in education and government. He even became an ambassador for Greece. He served as ambassador in Washington, D.C. (1867), Paris (1868), and Berlin (1874–1886). He also helped represent Greece at the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
His Literary Work
Rangavis was a leading figure in a group of writers called the First Athenian School. This group wanted to bring back as much of the ancient Greek language as possible into modern Greek. He also helped start the Archaeological Society of Athens.
He wrote many different kinds of works. Some of his important books include Hellenic Antiquities (1842–1855) and Archaeologia (1865–1866). These books are very useful for studying old Greek writings and history. He also wrote an illustrated Archaeological Lexicon (1888–1891).
Rangavis wrote the first History of Modern Greek Literature (1877). This book tells the story of Greek writing from more recent times.
He also wrote plays, such as the comedy The Wedding of Koutroulis and the tragedy Dukas. Other plays include The Thirty Tyrants and The Eve (about the Greek revolution).
He wrote novels too, like The Prince of Morea, Leila, and The Notary of Argostoli. Rangavis also translated parts of famous works by writers like Dante, Schiller, Lessing, Goethe, and Shakespeare.
After his time as an ambassador, he lived in Athens. He passed away there on June 28, 1892. He was married to Caroline, who was the daughter of James Skene.
A full collection of his language-related works was published in Athens between 1874 and 1890. His own Memoirs (stories about his life) were published after he died, in 1894–1895.
See also
- Modern Greek literature
- Black is the Night
- First Athenian School
- Katharevousa
