Vitsentzos Kornaros

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Vitsentzos Kornaros, a Cretan poet of the Late Venetian period, is considered one of the most important representatives of Cretan literature and modern Greek literature in general. His most famous work is the narrative poem Erotokritos, written in the Cretan dialect, which has significantly influenced Greek poetry. He is also credited with writing the religious drama The Sacrifice of Abraham, although this work is traditionally attributed anonymously.

Biography

Vitsentzos Kornaros was born on March 29, 1553, in Trapezonda (now an area near Sitia, Crete), to a Venetian-Cretan family. He was the son of Iakovos Kornaros and Zampeta Demetzo, and belonged to an influential and wealthy Venetian family. His family had significant influence in the region and was likely prosperous.

He lived in Sitia until around 1580, and then moved to Handakas (modern Heraklion), where he married Marietta Zeno, and they had two daughters, Eleni and Katerina. From 1591, he took on various administrative roles and, during the plague epidemic (1591-1593), served as a health supervisor. At the same time, he participated in the Academy of Strangers, a literary association founded by his brother Andreas Kornaros, who was also a writer.

He passed away in 1613 or 1614 in Handakas and was buried in the Monastery of Saint Francis. The cause of his death remains unknown, and his life is less documented, as most of the information we have comes from the final verses of Erotokritos.

The most reliable source for his biography is the end of his work Erotokritos, where he mentions his name, origin, and birthplace:

"And I do not want to be concealed, nor for them to call me unknown,
But I want to be revealed, and for everyone to know me.
Vitsentzos is the poet, from the Kornaros family,
Who, when Death comes, will not be found without sin.
In Sitia, he was born, in Sitia, he was raised,
There he worked and toiled, writing what you read.
In Handakas, he married as nature dictates,
The end of him is to come where God ordains."

Works

The most well-known work of Vitsentzos Kornaros is Erotokritos, a verse novel considered the pinnacle of Cretan literature, which has inspired numerous Greek poets, including Dionysios Solomos, Kostis Palamas, Sotiris Krystallis, and Giorgos Seferis.

Cover of the 1713 edition of The Sacrifice of Abraham

Kornaros is also considered the likely author of the religious drama The Sacrifice of Abraham, though this work is attributed anonymously. However, scholars of modern Greek literature agree that Erotokritos is the work that cemented his fame.

The sculpture in Sitia dedicated to Vitsentzos Kornaros

Legacy

Vitsentzos Kornaros remains one of the most significant figures in the history of Greek literature. In his birthplace, Sitia, a sculpture in his honor, created by the sculptor Thomas Thomopoulos, stands in the city's center. Additionally, Kornaros' name has been given to various places and institutions, such as Vitsentzos Kornaros Square, the Vitsentzos Kornaros Center, Sitia Public Airport, and others. His legacy is also honored in the cultural life of Crete and Greece.

His name has been used for a ferryboat connecting Crete, Kythera, and Antikythera to the Peloponnese and Piraeus, as well as a cinema in Heraklion.

Influence and Contribution to Poetry

Erotokritos continued to be a source of inspiration for many significant Greek poets and contributed to the development of modern Greek poetry. Its language and structure had a major influence on later poets, while the work remains a cornerstone of the Cretan literary tradition.

Overall, Vitsentzos Kornaros remains one of the most important figures in Greek literature and continues to be honored in various ways throughout Crete and Greece.