Dionysios Kokkinos facts for kids

Dionysios Kokkinos (born 1884, died 1967) was an important Greek historian, journalist, and writer. He also worked in academics.

Early Life and Learning

Dionysios Kokkinos was born in a town called Pyrgos in Greece. His father, Antonios Kokkinos, was a hagiographer, which means he wrote about the lives of saints. His mother, Angeliki Yiannopoulou, came from a family that fought in the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

Kokkinos started studying medicine at the University of Athens. But he soon decided that history, journalism, and writing were what he really loved. While he was in college, he even started a newspaper called Mellon, which means "Future".

When Greece got involved in the Balkan Wars, Kokkinos joined the army as a soldier. After the war, he wrote four books about his experiences and thoughts on the conflict.

His Career and Writings

Dionysios Kokkinos worked for many newspapers during his career. These included Akropolis, Kathimerini, and Ethnos. He wrote articles, reported on events, and helped with language and literature sections. Sometimes, he used different pen names, like "Maccabeus" or "Ariel".

From 1935 to 1954, Kokkinos was the director of the National Library of Greece. This is a very important job, as he was in charge of a huge collection of books and historical documents.

In 1948, the Academy of Athens gave him a special award for his writing and arts. Two years later, in 1950, he became a member of the Academy. He also helped manage the National Theater and a fund for actors.

Books and Plays

Kokkinos wrote many different kinds of stories and books. He wrote short stories, novels, history books, and even reviews of theater and art. His first short story, The Last, was published in 1906.

Some of his other well-known books include:

• The Lady with the White Horse (1922)
• The Secret Nest (1924)
• Illigos (1932)
• Alexis the coachman (1934)
• A rifle in the blue water (1935)
• Hunted by the world (1937)

Many of his stories focused on the lives of middle-class people in Athens. He also wrote plays, which were collected in a book called Theater of Life in 1924. One of his plays, The Lost One, was performed in 1939 by a famous actress named Marika Kotopouli.

His Big History Project

In 1960, Dionysios Kokkinos finished his most important work, a huge history book called The Greek Revolution. This book was so big it came out in six volumes! It was about the Greek War of Independence. The final edition of this important work was published after he passed away.