What Inspired the Greek Anthem?

The Greek national anthem was inspired by the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821, according to AthensInfoGuide.com. It is based on a poem entitled "Hymn to the Freedom."

History

The author of "Hymn to the Freedom" was Dionysios Solomos from Zakynthos Island. Nicolaos Mantzaros composed music for the poem in 1828, according to AthensInfoGuide. Before this became the national anthem, the "Royal Anthem" of the King Othon of Greece served as the national anthem.

King George I

King George I, who took the throne in 1863 after Othon was deposed, replaced the Royal Anthem with the "Hymn to the Freedom," which had remained popular as a patriotic song that reviews the history of the Greek Revolution and calls for unanimity and freedom.

Other Facts

In its entirety, the national anthem consists of 158 strophes or stanzas and is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest anthem. Usually only the first stanza is performed as the anthem.

References

• Athens Info Guide: The Greek Anthem
• Athens Info Guide: History of Athens