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On nine unpublished letters of the young Theotokas*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

Katerina Krikos-Davis
Katerina Krikos-Davis*
Affiliation:
Birmingham
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Extract

The nine letters to be discussed here were written by George Theotokas (1905-1966) in the space of ten months, that is, between the 20th of December 1922 and the 14th of October 1923. This was the first year he spent in Greece and also his first year at the University of Athens where he studied law. Indeed, eight of these letters were sent from Athens and one (No. 8) from Leros where he stayed for part of his summer holidays. The recipient was Sophoclis Dimitriadis, an old school-friend. During the same period Dimitriadis was first in Vienna following a course of commercial studies, then back in Constantinople and finally in Bucharest for business reasons as the family firm had connections there. His own letters in reply have not been found nor indeed any of those which, presumably, Theotokas wrote to him in subsequent years. In the latter instance, the only exception is a card dated 13 September 1947 where he expresses regret for having seen Dimitriadis only once during that summer and explains that he had been too preoccupied with his father’s illness. In fact, although their interests and professional lives were quite different (Theotokas a lawyer but first and foremost a writer, Dimitriadis a businessman), it seems that they never lost touch altogether but made a point of meeting every so often until, that is, Dimitriadis’ premature death in 1964, two years before that of Theotokas.

Type
Research Article
Information
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies , Volume 19 , 1995 , pp. 135 - 145
Copyright
Copyright © The Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham 1995

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References

1. These letters, which henceforth will be referred to by their serial number, are in the following sequence: No. 1: 20/12/22, No. 2: 4/1/23, No. 3: 22/1/23, No. 4: 12/3/23, No. 5: Good Friday [6/4/23], No. 6: 29/4/23, No. 7: 27/6/23, No. 8: 5/7/23, No. 9: 14/10/23. Theotokas’ extracts published here for the first time are in the original Greek. I have kept his spelling, correcting only the occasional oversight; any additions of my own — supplied where the manuscript is damaged or contains abbreviations that may be unclear — are shown in square brackets. All other quotations are given in an English translation which is my own unless otherwise stated.

2. Theotokas, G., (Athens 1940, 4th ed. n.d.) 44 Google Scholar; and for the translation see: Leonis, tr. Martin, D.E.(Minneapolis, Minnesota 1985) 32 Google Scholar.

3. Theotokas, , , 32 and 52–53 Google Scholar, respectively.

4. ibid., 44-45 and 47-48, respectively.

5. ibid., 48.english translation which is my own unless otherwise stated.

6. Theotokas, G., , ed. Savidis, G.P. (Athens 1989) 58–59 Google Scholar.

7. Theotokas, G., (1939-1953), ed. Tziovas, D. (Athens [1987]) 58–60 Google Scholar.

8. The G. Theotokas Archive, File 47, Agenda [= pocket-diary] 1922. I am grateful to Mrs. L. Alivizatos for showing me this pocket-diary and allowing me to publish the relevant entries (see below).

9. For the two entries from his 1921 journal, see: Theotokas, 125-126.

10. See, respectively: Theotokas, 70; and G. Seferis, (Athens 1977) 178.

11. Theotokas, 127-144.

12. G. Theotokas, ed. N. Alivizatos, 10, Nos. 75-76 (Jan.-March, 1993) 7-19.

13. See, respectively: Theotokas, 19-21; G. Theotokas-N. Kalas, ed. I. Konstandoulaki-Chantzou (Athens 1989); G. Theotokas & G. Seferis, (1930-1966), ed. G.P. Savidis (Athens 1975).

14. Theotokas, , 18.

15. E.g. (No. 1), (No. 5), (No. 7).

16. This retention, however, is not surprising: it was common practice among the demoticists of the time.

17. No. 2. For Theotokas’ involvement in this student union, which nearly cost him his expulsion from the University of Athens, see: Politis, L., 22, No. 264 (Christmas, 1937) 75–79 Google Scholar; Theotokas, G., (Athens 1961)201–205 Google Scholar; Alivizatos, L., 1925-1926. 15 (Sept. 1982) 25–61 Google Scholar; Lazos, C., 137 (12/2/1986) 41–44 Google Scholar.

18. See: Theotokas & Seferis, 93; cf.Seferis, G., B’ ed. Savidis, G.P. (Athens 1974) 301 Google Scholar.

19. Theotokas, 110-112.

20. No. 6. For the reference to Argo, see: Theotokas, G., II (Athens 1936, 10th ed. n.d.) 33–37 Google Scholar.

21. See: Ziras, A., (6/5/1978) 40 Google Scholar.

22. See, respectively: in the collective volume (Athens 1986) 179; and Y. Oikonomidis, 137 (12/2/1986) 47.

23. Nos. I, 8, and 9, respectively.

24. Elytis, O., 2nd ed. (Athens 1982) 261–262 Google Scholar. The text Elytis refers to is clearly , in Theotokas, G., (Athens 1931) 45–64 Google Scholar.

25. See: Alivizatos, L., (1872-1951) (Athens 1993) particularly, 16, 30-35, 39–42 Google Scholar.

26. See: The G. Theotokas Archive, File 47, Agenda 1922. The two dates given correspond, respectively, to the Julian and the Gregorian calendar, the latter having been introduced in Greece in 1922.

27. Theotokas, 168.

28. Here, again, note how these sentiments get recontextualised in Leonis, when the hero talks with Stasinos (‘I don’t know. From time to time I feel like the snake that sloughs off its old skin. It’s just that my new skin has not taken shape yet and everything shakes me up and bothers me. And I’m not sure it will ever take proper shape. ‘That’s funny.’ ‘Everything is funny.’ ‘Yea, sure…’ Stasinos became withdrawn for a few moments, then continued: ‘And the funniest of all are the ideologies and struggles. ‘), see: ibid., 169-171; and for the translation, Leonis, tr. D.E. Martin, 137; the italics are mine.