Author: Polylas, Iakovos Polylas
Date of Birth: 1825, Corfu
Gender: Male
Biography: Jakovos Polylas was born in Corfu in 1825, the son of the laywer and scholar George Polylas and Helen, the son of Nicholas Voulgaris. Jakovos Polylas came from a prominent Corfu family – but his origin is traced to Konstantinopolis. His mother was educated and taught him the first letters, as well as foreign languages (English, French, Italian, German) and ancient Greek. Important to the course of Jakovos Polylas was the long-standing relationship of Dionysios Solomos with his family. Polylas in 1847 married of noble origin, Emilia Sordina. Due to the poor health of his wife Polylas was forced to leave for Naples with her in 1852 and stayed there until 1854. There he began his career in literature. In 1857 Emilia died at the age of twenty-nine, and Polylas returned to Corfu. The same year was marked by the death of Dionysios Solomos, and Polylas made a funeral speech at his funeral. From 1857 to 1862 he worked in Corfu as a public library guardian. In 1860 he was elected secretary of the Ionian Society of Philology. At the same time he played an active role in the political processes for the Union of the Ionian Islands with the Greek state. He founded the political club Anagennisi and published the newspaper of the same name, highlighting the necessity of the Union and after its realization the complete administrative assimilation of the Ionian Islands into the Greek kingdom. In 1871 he founded the political club and newspaper Rigas Feraios and then satirical Kodon. He fought fiercely for the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece by publishing a series of articles against xenocracy and foreign fraudulent movements. After the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece he dealt with politics and was often elected a Member of Parliament. But his involvement with politics did not detract from his literary pursuits, which were varied, such as poetry, prose, translations (he translates The Tempest, Hamlet by Shakespeare, Homer-Odyssey and Iliada), he wrote four poems, three texts, critical studies, various articles. In 1859, two years after the death of Dionysios Solomos, he compiled a volume The Findings of the Poet (Ta Euriskomena). Jakovos Polylas died in 1896 in Corfu.
Selected literature
Poems
Texts
Chronology of Iakovos Polylas
1825 | Birth of Jakovos Polylas in Corfu. |
1847 | Marriage of noble origin Emilia Sordina. |
1852-1854 | Departure and stay in Naples with his wife. |
1855 | His first appearance in literature with the publication of his translation of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. |
1857 | Death of Emilia Sordina. |
1857-1862 | During this time he worked in Corfu as a public library guardian. |
1859 | In 1859, two years after Solomon’s death, he compiled a volume The Findings of the Poet. |
1860 | He was elected secretary of the Ionian Society of Philology. |
1871 | He founded the political association and the newspaper Rigas Feraios and then satirical Kodon. |
1869-1879 | During this period he was a member of Corfu in the government of Charilaou Trikoupis. |
ως το 1890 | After disputes with Charilaos Trikoupis, Polylas joined Deligiannis’ party until 1890. |
1891 | He published the text A small mistake in Estia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iutk5EWEnzw ERT Archive Monday’s play “A small Mistake” on the story of Jakovos Polylas. |
1892 | He published the texts The Forgiveness & Ta tria floria. |
1896 | Death of Iakovos Polylas in Corfu. |
