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 Nikos Kazantzakis
(1893 - 1957)
Was a accordinng to many one of the best and most famous Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. Nikos Kazantzakis was born in year of 1883 in the city of Iraklion. In 1906 he graduated from the Athens Law School and continued his studies in Paris (1907-1909). During the Balkan Wars he fought as a volunteer in the Greek Army. After the Wars he travelled to many European and Asian countries, publishing travelogues from his trips (Spain, Egypt-Sina, China-Japan, What I saw in Russia, England etc.).
Kazantzakis, much more of a philosopher than a writer, was deeply influenced by the writings of Nietzsche and Bergson, and the philosophies of Christianity, Marxism and Buddhism. In his work, he attempted to synthesize these different world views.
In 1927 he published the book "Askitiki", the main work of his philosophy. In 1938, after constantly revising it for 13 years (1925-1938), he publishes his epic poet Odyssey: A modern sequel, continuing Ulysses's story form the point where Homer leaves off. This huge poetical work comprises of 33.333 verses.
He became famous, however, during the last years of his life, when he turn to pezography. During that time he published, among others, Zorba the Greek (Vios kai politeia tou Alexi Zorba), The Last Temptation of Christ (O teleutaios peirasmos), Freedom and Death (O Kapetan Mihalis), The Greek Passion (O Hristos ksanastauronetai), and his autobiography Report to Greco (Anafora ston Greco). His book, The Last Temptation of Christ, was considered quite controversial when first published in 1955, and prompted angry reactions from both the Roman Catholic Church which banned it, and from the Greek Orthodox Church which excommunicated him!
In 28th of June 1956, in Vienna, he was awarded the International Peace Award.
He died in 1957 in Germany and is buried on one of the bastions of the Venetian fort surrounding Iraklion, Martinego.
In the Historical Museum of Crete there is a room devoted to Nikos Kazantzakis. His desk, library, some of his personal belongings as well as manuscripts of many of his works are displayed.
A complete picture of Nikos Kazantzakis life and work can also be acquired by a visit to the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum in Myrtia.
To honor the 40th anniversary from his death, a whole range of cultural events werer scheduled in Greece and abroad for 1997.
Movies based on Kazantzakis' novels
 Eleftherios Venizelos
(1864-1936)
Eleftherios Venizelos was born in Chania, Crete in 1864. After studying law in Athens Venizelos became leader of the Liberal Party in Crete. In 1896 he took a prominent role in the Cretan rising against Turkish rule. In 1905 Venizelos becoming the island's first independent prime minister.
In 1910 Venizelos became prime minister of Greece and supported the Balkan League against Turkey (1912) and Bulgaria (1913). As a result of these conflicts Greece gained territory from its defeated rivals. On the outbreak of the First World War Venizelos favoured an alliance with Britain, France and Russia against the Central Powers. Venizelos wanted Greece to give military aid to the Allies during the Dardanelles campaign, and when King Constantine I refused to agree, he resigned from office. When Venizelos was re-elected after a landslide victory in March 1915, he ordered mobilization of the Greek Army. When Venizelos invited the Allied forces to Salonika he was dismissed by the king. Venizelos returned to Crete where he formed a provisional revolutionary government. With the support of Allied forces, Venizelos made plans to march on Athens. In June 1917 King Constantine I was deposed and Venizelos was able to regain power without resorting to force. Venizelos led the Greek war effort until the Armistice in November 1918. At the Versailles Peace Conference, Venizelos won substantial territorial gains from Bulgaria and Turkey. Despite his achievements Venizelos was defeated in the 1920 General Election. The new pro-royalist government invited King Constantine I back to power. Venizelos was prime minister again in 1924, 1928-32 and 1933. In 1935 Venizelos came out of retirement to support another revolt in Crete. When this failed Eleftherios Venizelos was forced to flee to France where he died in 1936.
 El-Greco (Domenicos Theotokopoulos)
1541-1614
El Greco ( medieval Castilian for "the Greek ") is the name by which ??µ?????? Te?t???p????? Domênikos Theotokópoulos ( 1541 , Fodele , Heraklion , Crete , Greece – April 7 , 1614 , Toledo, Spain ), a Greek - Spanish painter , sculptor and architect of the Spanish school, is best known.
He was a painter in Crete , where he was born in 1541, and likely first trained as an icon painter. At the age of twenty-six he journeyed to Venice where he studied western-style art under Titian and Tintoretto . He spent almost two years there before moving to Rome . In Rome El Greco was influenced by the manneristic style, such as the paintings of Michelangelo . Mannerism appealed to him because of the talent and intelligence and virtuosity required to create the images. In 1577 he emigrated to Toledo — at the time the religious capital of Spain — where he produced his mature works. The Christian doctrines greatly influenced his life and his artwork, leading him to a successful career as a painter of altarpieces and portraits. Some works include The Annunciation , Laocoon , and The Repentent Peter. Many of El Greco's works are on display at Madrid's Museo del Prado ; however others can be found in other places such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
El Greco referred to himself not as a craftsman or painter, but rather as an artist-philosopher because he was guided by his underlying religious principles. His works are all very intense to the viewer. The strong spiritual emotion transfers from painting directly to the audience. A fantastic example of his religious fervor is in the painting, "Saint Francis in Prayer." His strange art has had many wonder if he was insane or suffered from eye problems, such as astigmatism, but in actuality it simply reflected the strong Christian influence in Spain during the time.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Mikis Theodorakis ( Greek : born July 29 , 1925 in Chania) is perhaps the most important Greek music composer of the 20th Century and one of the most significant in the world; politically, until the collapse of the military junta in 1974, he identified with the left ; in the 1980s he became a member of parliament with the centre-right New Democracy party. He has consistently opposed oppressive regimes. He was born on the island of Chios in Greece and spent his childhood years in different provincial Greek cities such as Mytilene , Cephallonia , Pyrgos , Patras , and Tripolis . His father came from Crete and his mother from Asia Minor . He has received several offers to serve as President of Greece , but has refused them. He is world-known for his scores in the Hollywood films, ' Zorba the Greek '(1964) and ' Serpico '(1973).
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