Erotokritos - the Greek Romeo and Juliet

Details

Category: Literature

Published on Monday, 12 March 2018 16:00

Have someone of you ever wished that Romeo and Juliet would have a happy ending? If yes - good news! Shakespeare's Greek contemporary Vitsentzos Kornaros also composed a love story full of tragic, true love, friendship, tears and passion...

- and maybe it is the positive Greek way of thinking that even in this story of two unhappy lovers their fate leads to an unexpected ending.
Erotokritos and Aretousa are the Greek lovers I am talking about. Set in Ancient Athens, Erotokritos, the son of the king's advisor, falls in love with the daughter of the king, Aretousa. Like a real gentleman, he begins to sing to his beloved woman at her window and she directly falls in love with him. As the king Herakles hears of this ourtageous love, he tries of course everything to get rid of Erotokritos. In his first attempt, he sends his soldiers which are beaten by Erotokritos and his friend. Nevertheless, the young man leaves Athens in his hopelessness and returns a few years afterwards to visit his dying father in Athens. At this time, Aretousa finally revealed the identity of his lover as she found a painting of her and the songs for her in Erotokritos' house. She refuses to marry a king's son and marries Erotokritos in secret. The situation seems hopeless when Aretousa is imprisoned by her father in his anger and Erotokritos is banished by the king.
But fate helps them to reunite: After three years, when the Vlechs besiege Athens, Erotokritos returns with a new identity and saves the life of the king. As a reward, he is allowed to marry his daughter Aretousa and becomes the king of Athens.
This is the passionate story of two lovers written around 1600 in Crete. Until today, this text has been reinvented and performed. Many Cretan musicians like Γιάννης Χαρούλης or Νάνα Μούσχουρη performed some parts of this romance with traditional Cretan melodies.
"Better to be with you in death than with another one in life,
it is for you that my body was born into this world!"
These lovable sentences of a Greek gentleman will probably impress romance-lovers also in the future. So, if you want to fascinate your lover too, maybe you should have a look. It would be maybe too much to sing at the balcony, but also this is worth to try.