Grigorios Zalykis facts for kids

Grigorios Zalykis (born 1785 – died October 4, 1827) was a smart Greek person who wrote books and worked as a diplomat. A diplomat helps represent their country in other nations. He started a secret group called the "Greek-speaking Hotel" in Paris in 1809. This group wanted to help Greeks fight against the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece at that time.

Early Life and Education

Grigorios Zalykis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1785. His father's name was Georgios Zalykis. Grigorios went to school in his hometown. Later, he traveled to Bucharest to study with a famous teacher named Lampros Fotiadis. With Fotiadis, Grigorios Zalykis learned a lot about Greek and Latin literature.

Life in Paris

In 1802, a leader from Walachia named Skarlatos Kallimachis sent Grigorios Zalykis to Paris for important political reasons. Zalykis decided to stay there. He became the secretary for a French nobleman named Marie-Gabriel-Florent-Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier. Zalykis helped him publish his book, Voyage pittoresque en Grèce. Grigorios Zalykis also wrote two dictionaries himself. One was in French, and the other was in modern Greek.

The Greek-speaking Hotel

Zalykis is best known for starting a secret group called the "Greek-speaking Hotel" (also known as Hellenoglosso Xenodocheio). He created this organization in 1809. It was one of the first groups to try and get Greeks ready to fight against the Ottoman Empire. This group was a bit like an early version of another famous secret society called Filiki Eteria, which later played a big role in Greece's fight for freedom.

Diplomatic Work and Later Years

In 1816, Zalykis became the first secretary at the Ottoman embassy in Paris. An embassy is like an office for one country in another country. He worked there until 1820. After that, he went back to Bucharest. When the Greek War of Independence began, he moved to Transilvania and then to Bessarabia. There, in 1822, he wrote a book called Dialogue about the Greek revolution.

Later, Zalykis traveled to Saint Petersburg, Russia. He met Emperor Alexander I of Russia and received important financial help. On his way back to Paris, he became very sick with a brain fever. Grigorios Zalykis passed away on October 4, 1827.