Zakynthos poets and writers

On the Death of Lord Byron’, ‘The Cretan’, and ‘The Destruction of Psara’ are some of his other important poems. He also stands out in prose writing, as shown by his ‘Dialogue between a Poet, a Friend, and an Intellectual’ and ‘The Woman of Zakynthos’. According to historical data, the ‘Hymn to Liberty’ was written on the hill of Lofos Strani, near Bohali, on the outskirts of the town, well-known for its spectacular panoramic views, which include Zakynthos town, the bright blue Ionian Sea and the Peloponese - they all can be seen form the hill form just one strategic place.

Andreas Kalvos (1792-1869) is another important writer contributed by this area. The main works by this poet are two tragedies written in Italian, ‘Danaides’ and ‘Theramenis’. However, once the Greek National Revolution started, he began to write patriotic odes –one dedicated to General Lafayette in 1826- as a way of encouraging the nation in a pacific way. The popularity of his works still remains because of his personal use of language and versification, as well as the lyrical concept of his writing.

Dionyssios Solomos and Andreas Kalvos also share a museum dedicated to Zakynthos art, since they are considered the most representative local artists. Apart from exposing their relics, the museum also has contemporarypaintings from Zakynthos artists, sculptures, the works of other poets, and other elements of ancient times, like musical instruments and utensils of some noble families. It is located in St Marco square and it was founded in 1959, after which it became very famous.
Grigorios Xenopoulos (1867-1951) After Solomos and Kalvos, Grigorios Xenopoulos came up as another prominent writer from Zakynthos . He also has a museum to his honor, which has on display his manuscripts, as well as some personal belongings from him and his family house. He belonged to the first generation of writers in prose that used ordinary language, and his main works analyze generation and social problems. "Fioro di Levante", "Temptation", and "Stella Violandi" are some of his main prose pieces. In addition, he is thought to have found the neo-Hellenic theatre.

Homer Of course, we also cannot pass by on the most representative ancient Greek poet and writer, Homer. Although some of his personal data is unclear, his relation to Zakynthos becomes apparent, as he mentions it in ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’. This direct quotation is made when he explains the way it became populated, seemingly from 1500 to1600 BC when Zakynthos, the son of King Dardanos of Troy arrived on the island along with his men. Then Homer keeps on referring to the island when King Arkeisios of Kefalonia invades it, after which the famous Ulysses conquers it as well, becoming its King until Zakynthos reaches the state of independent democracy after signing a treaty.