Constantine Levidis
Encyclopedia
Constantine N. Levidis was a Greek scholar, writer, editor, considered as 'the father of Greek journalism'. Noted for his noble attempt to turn the Kingdom of Greece
into a constitutional monarchy
.
, Constantinople to the Levidis family
, a noble Greek
family of Byzantine
origins. His father was Nikolaos A. Levidis, a man of letters, editor of many books and a prominent figure among the Greeks influenced by the Age of Enlightenment
. His mother was also a woman of letters, highly educated and talented in music and languages.
Levidis studied greatly throughout his youth. A polyglot, he spoke Albanian
, Ancient Greek
, English
, French
, German
, Italian
, Latin
and Turkish
with graceful fluency. He was passionate about history, literature and political sciences and graduated the University of Vienna
before 1821, along with classmate Dimitri Kalergis
. (Kalergis was later to become the prime mover in the Greek coup d'état of 1843
, an insurrection which forced Otto of Greece
to grant a proper constitution. Resulting in the Greek Constitution of 1844
).
It was also in Vienna were Levidis was initiated by Atanas Bogoridi in Filiki Eteria
, the revolutionary organisation. When the Greek War of Independence
broke out, Constantine along with his brother Alexander traveled to the Danubian Principalities
in order to volunteer to the Sacred Band
, the revolutionary Greek battalion in Wallachia
. He fought under Prince Alexander Ypsilantis
and took part in the Battle of Drăgăşani (June 19, 1821).
, Levidis became a public servant
, appointed by governor Ioannis Kapodistrias
to several important administrative committees and posts. In 1832, the Republic was succeeded by the Kingdom of Greece
, with the underage Prince Otto of Bavaria
as the first King of Greece. During his minority, Bavarian advisors were arrayed in a council of regency headed by Count Josef Ludwig von Armansperg
.
During the regency of the Bavarian council, Levidis was Councellor of the Finances. But soon found himself opposed and in 1836, after a severe clash with the regents he founded at an early period for the Greek press the historic newspaper Elpis or l'Esperance,(1836–1868) which he edited bilingually, first in Greek and German, later in Greek and French, with great ability till his death.
The Nestor
of the modern Greek Press, Levidis was a well-meaning patriot.
By his talented and powerful writing in that journal, Levidis he mainly criticised to the outmost the Bavarian rule, first under the regency of Count Josef Ludwig von Armansperg
and then uder Otto himself. From the very first issue Levidis asked for the establishment of a proper constitution for the newly liberated Greek State. He distinguished himself by his violent attacks on the Bavarian-dominated regency but his fierce criticism and opposition nearly cost Levidis his life.
In November 1837, only a year after the publication of the Elpis an attempt was made to assassinate Levidis. A Bavarian major named Feder, together with his company of ten more Bavarian army officers, attacked Levidis in the historic Athenian coffeehouse I Oraia Ellas were Levidis was a regular and he had been peacefully reading. Thanks to the intervention of the many civilians who rushed to defend him the Bavarians withdrew. Consequently, his press was confiscated the publication of the Elpis was forcefully interrupted.
In 1843, Levidis actively participated and was one of the protagonists in the Greek coup d'état of 1843
over the adoption of a constitution, and in November he was first secretary and representative of Crete
and of Messenia
at the National Assembly of the same year. The Elpis resumed publication in 1844 right after the establishment of the constitution
.
In 1854, during the Crimean War
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and the Second French Empire
occupied Piraeus
to prevent Greece declaring war on the Ottoman Empire
. Greece was an ally of the Russian Empire
and expected to join its side unless prevented. During the occupation, Elpis engaged in editorial attacks against the occupying Powers and were sympathetic to Russia. Because of his severe criticism, Levidis was briefly imprisoned by the French occupation forces.
A proponent of the English Party
, Levidis was a friend and political ally to Prince Alexander Mavrocordatos
. His library was among the most treasured of his time and the salon at his large mansion in Patisia in Athens assembled and entertained many well-known politicians, army officers and aristocrats of the era.
He coedited, with Alexander Rangabes, a French-Greek Lexicon in 1837, and also a Anglo-Greek dictionary. C.N Levidis also left behind a number of unpublished works of great importance.Among them, a History of the Filiki Eteria and a History of the Ottoman State.
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
into a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
.
Early life
Levidis was born in TatavlaKurtulus
Kurtuluş, formerly known as Tatavla , is a cosmopolitan neighborhood of Şişli whose population consists of Turks, Greeks , Armenians , Kurds , and Jews...
, Constantinople to the Levidis family
Levidis family
Levidis is the name of a family of old Byzantine aristocratic origin, hailing from Constantinople and with a distinguished role in the history of the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, Wallachia, and modern Greece....
, a noble Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
family of Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
origins. His father was Nikolaos A. Levidis, a man of letters, editor of many books and a prominent figure among the Greeks influenced by the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. His mother was also a woman of letters, highly educated and talented in music and languages.
Levidis studied greatly throughout his youth. A polyglot, he spoke Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
with graceful fluency. He was passionate about history, literature and political sciences and graduated the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
before 1821, along with classmate Dimitri Kalergis
Dimitri Kalergis
Dimitrios Kallergis , was a Cretan-born Greek soldier and statesman.Hailing from the distinguished Cretan Kallergis family, he studied medicine at Paris and on the outbreak of the War of Greek Independence went to the Morea and joined the insurgents...
. (Kalergis was later to become the prime mover in the Greek coup d'état of 1843
Greek coup d'état of 1843
The 3 September 1843 Revolution , was an uprising by the Greek Army in Athens, supported by large sections of the people, against the autocratic rule of King Otto. The rebels, led by veterans of the Greek War of Independence, demanded the granting of a constitution and the departure of the Bavarian...
, an insurrection which forced Otto of Greece
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
to grant a proper constitution. Resulting in the Greek Constitution of 1844
Greek Constitution of 1844
The first constitution of the Kingdom of Greece was the Greek Constitution of 1844. On 3 September 1843, the military garrison of Athens, with the help of citizens, rebelled and demanded from King Otto the concession of a Constitution....
).
It was also in Vienna were Levidis was initiated by Atanas Bogoridi in Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...
, the revolutionary organisation. When the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
broke out, Constantine along with his brother Alexander traveled to the Danubian Principalities
Danubian Principalities
Danubian Principalities was a conventional name given to the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, which emerged in the early 14th century. The term was coined in the Habsburg Monarchy after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in order to designate an area on the lower Danube with a common...
in order to volunteer to the Sacred Band
Sacred Band (1821)
The Sacred Band was a battalion founded by Alexander Ypsilantis at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, in February 1821 in Wallachia, now part of Romania.-Origin and structure:...
, the revolutionary Greek battalion in Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
. He fought under Prince Alexander Ypsilantis
Alexander Ypsilantis (1792-1828)
Alexander Ypsilantis, Ypsilanti, or Alexandros Ypsilantis was a member of a prominent Phanariot Greek family, a prince of the Danubian Principalities, a senior officer of the Imperial Russian cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, and a leader of the Filiki Eteria, a secret organization that...
and took part in the Battle of Drăgăşani (June 19, 1821).
Life in Greece
After the formation of the First Hellenic RepublicFirst Hellenic Republic
The First Hellenic Republic is a name used to refer to the provisional Greek state during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire...
, Levidis became a public servant
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, appointed by governor Ioannis Kapodistrias
Ioannis Kapodistrias
Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias |Academy of Athens]] Critical Observations about the 6th-Grade History Textbook"): "3.2.7. Σελ. 40: Δεν αναφέρεται ότι ο Καποδίστριας ήταν Κερκυραίος ευγενής." "...δύο ιστορικούς της Aκαδημίας κ.κ...
to several important administrative committees and posts. In 1832, the Republic was succeeded by the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
, with the underage Prince Otto of Bavaria
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
as the first King of Greece. During his minority, Bavarian advisors were arrayed in a council of regency headed by Count Josef Ludwig von Armansperg
Josef Ludwig von Armansperg
Josef Ludwig, Graf von Armansperg served as the Interior and Finance Minister and Foreign and Finance Minister under King Ludwig I of Bavaria in the government of Bavaria...
.
During the regency of the Bavarian council, Levidis was Councellor of the Finances. But soon found himself opposed and in 1836, after a severe clash with the regents he founded at an early period for the Greek press the historic newspaper Elpis or l'Esperance,(1836–1868) which he edited bilingually, first in Greek and German, later in Greek and French, with great ability till his death.
The Nestor
Nestor (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Nestor of Gerenia was the son of Neleus and Chloris and the King of Pylos. He became king after Heracles killed Neleus and all of Nestor's siblings...
of the modern Greek Press, Levidis was a well-meaning patriot.
By his talented and powerful writing in that journal, Levidis he mainly criticised to the outmost the Bavarian rule, first under the regency of Count Josef Ludwig von Armansperg
Josef Ludwig von Armansperg
Josef Ludwig, Graf von Armansperg served as the Interior and Finance Minister and Foreign and Finance Minister under King Ludwig I of Bavaria in the government of Bavaria...
and then uder Otto himself. From the very first issue Levidis asked for the establishment of a proper constitution for the newly liberated Greek State. He distinguished himself by his violent attacks on the Bavarian-dominated regency but his fierce criticism and opposition nearly cost Levidis his life.
In November 1837, only a year after the publication of the Elpis an attempt was made to assassinate Levidis. A Bavarian major named Feder, together with his company of ten more Bavarian army officers, attacked Levidis in the historic Athenian coffeehouse I Oraia Ellas were Levidis was a regular and he had been peacefully reading. Thanks to the intervention of the many civilians who rushed to defend him the Bavarians withdrew. Consequently, his press was confiscated the publication of the Elpis was forcefully interrupted.
In 1843, Levidis actively participated and was one of the protagonists in the Greek coup d'état of 1843
Greek coup d'état of 1843
The 3 September 1843 Revolution , was an uprising by the Greek Army in Athens, supported by large sections of the people, against the autocratic rule of King Otto. The rebels, led by veterans of the Greek War of Independence, demanded the granting of a constitution and the departure of the Bavarian...
over the adoption of a constitution, and in November he was first secretary and representative of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and of Messenia
Messenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
at the National Assembly of the same year. The Elpis resumed publication in 1844 right after the establishment of the constitution
Greek Constitution of 1844
The first constitution of the Kingdom of Greece was the Greek Constitution of 1844. On 3 September 1843, the military garrison of Athens, with the help of citizens, rebelled and demanded from King Otto the concession of a Constitution....
.
In 1854, during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and the Second French Empire
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
occupied Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
to prevent Greece declaring war on the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Greece was an ally of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and expected to join its side unless prevented. During the occupation, Elpis engaged in editorial attacks against the occupying Powers and were sympathetic to Russia. Because of his severe criticism, Levidis was briefly imprisoned by the French occupation forces.
A proponent of the English Party
English Party (Greece)
The English Party , was one of the three informal Early Greek Parties that dominated the early political history of Modern Greece, the other two being the Russian Party and the French Party.-History and party development:...
, Levidis was a friend and political ally to Prince Alexander Mavrocordatos
Prince Alexander Mavrocordatos
Alexandros Mavrokordatos was a Greek statesman and member of the Mavrocordatos family of Phanariotes....
. His library was among the most treasured of his time and the salon at his large mansion in Patisia in Athens assembled and entertained many well-known politicians, army officers and aristocrats of the era.
Literary activities
A prolific author, Levidis published many books about the society, politics and history of his times.These works include an important study on King Otto, published in French, Quelques mots sur la Grece et l'ex Roi Othon: Adresses a l' opinion publique du monde civilise, Bruxelles 1863, another on the newly founded Greek state, Le Gouvernement et l'Administration en Grece depuis 1833 par un temoin oculaire Genes 1863 and a long historical and political treatise, La race hellenique et l' Occident.Η ελληνική φυλή και η Δύσις : Απάντησις εις την ¨Συνταγματικήν, 1856.He coedited, with Alexander Rangabes, a French-Greek Lexicon in 1837, and also a Anglo-Greek dictionary. C.N Levidis also left behind a number of unpublished works of great importance.Among them, a History of the Filiki Eteria and a History of the Ottoman State.