Worldwide Famous Greek PersonalitiesAristotle - Hippocrates - Homer - Platon - Thales of Miletus - Galinos - El Greco - Nikos Kazantzakis - Nikos Skalkottas & Dimitri Mitropoulos - Demetrius Vikelas
Aristotle
Aristotle (Greek: Ἀριστοτέλης, Aristotélēs; 384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology. Together with Plato and Socrates (Plato's teacher), Aristotle is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy.
Hippocrates
Hippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos (Greek: Ἱπποκράτης; Hippokrátēs; 460 BC – 370 BC) was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles (Classical Athens), and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to as the father of Western medicine.
Homer
In the Western classical tradition, Homer (Greek: Ὅμηρος, Hómēros) is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.
Plato
Plato (Greek: Πλάτων, Plátōn, 424/423 BC – 348/347 BC) was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science.
Thales of Miletus
Thales of Miletus (Greek: Θαλῆς, Thalēs; 624 BC - 546 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Miletus in Asia Minor, and one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regard him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition. According to Bertrand Russell, "Western philosophy begins with Thales". Thales attempted to explain natural phenomena without reference to mythology and was tremendously influential in this respect.
Galinos
Galinos (Galean) (Greek: Γαληνός; Galinos; Pergamus 129 AC - Rome 199 AC) was the second most important
physician of antiquity after Hippocrates and the last one from all prominent physicians of Greek-Roman world. He was a follower of Aesculapius from Pergamon with extensive anatomical and surgical knowledge, who traveled and taught throughout the Roman Empire, until he moved to Rome and became the private physician of Marcus Aurelius.
El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos)
El Greco born Doménikos Theotokópoulos, (1541 – 7 April 1614) was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" (The Greek) was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος (Doménikos Theotokópoulos), often adding the word Κρής (Krēs, "Cretan").
El Greco was born on Crete, which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice, and the centre of Post-Byzantine art. He trained and became a master within that tradition before travelling at age 26 to Venice, as other Greek artists had done. In 1570 he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop and executed a series of works. During his stay in Italy, El Greco enriched his style with elements of Mannerism and of the Venetian Renaissance. In 1577, he moved to Toledo, Spain, where he lived and worked until his death. In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best-known paintings.
Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: Νίκος Καζαντζάκης; February 18, 1883 – October 26, 1957) was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus. He became known globally after the 1964 release of the Michael Cacoyannis film Zorba the Greek, based on the novel.
Nikos Skalkottas & Dimitri Mitropoulos
Nikos Skalkottas (Greek: Nίκος Σκαλκώτας) (21 March 1904 – 19 September 1949) was one of the most important Greek composers of 20th-century classical music. A member of the Second Viennese School, he drew his influences from both the classical repertoire and the Greek tradition. Dimitri Mitropoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος) (1 March 1896 – 2 November 1960), was a Greek conductor, pianist, and composer. He received international fame, in the classical music world, both as a major conducter and composer of the 20th century.
Demetrius Vikelas
Demetrios Vikelas, or Bikelas (Greek: Δημήτριος Βικέλας; February 15, 1835 – July 20, 1908) was a Greek businessman and writer; he was the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), from 1894 to 1896.
Abandoning business, he dedicated himself to literature and history and published numerous novels, short stories and essays, which earned him a distinguished reputation. Because of his reputation and the fact that he lived in Paris, he was chosen to represent Greece in a congress called by Pierre de Coubertin in June 1894, which decided to re-establish the Olympic Games and to organise them in Athens in 1896, designating Vikelas to preside over the organisation committee.
Actors of the Theatre of Ancient Greece:Eleni Papadaki - Chr. Nezer - Emilios Veakis - Marika Kotopouli -Katina Paxinou - Cybele Andrianou - Karolos Koun - Dimitris Rontiris.
Actors of the Theatre of Ancient Greece
The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between 550 and 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was institutionalized as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honored the god Dionysus. Tragedy (late 6th century BC), comedy (486 BC), and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there. Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies and allies in order to promote a common cultural identity. Western theatre originated in Athens and its drama has had a significant and sustained impact on Western culture as a whole. This vibrant theatrical tradition of centuries is still cultivated in Greece especially during the summer months in the well-preserved ancient theaters.
Aliki Vougiouklaki (Greek: Αλίκη Βουγιουκλάκη; July 20, 1934 - July 23, 1996) was a Greek actress. She is considered as one of the most popular (she was known in press as the national star of Greece) and successful actresses of Greek cinema. She appeared in 42 movies, mostly musicals and a wide variety of television programs, theatre and stage productions.
Thanasis Vegos
Thanasis Veggos, or Vengos, (Greek: Θανάσης Βέγγος; pronounced: Thanássis Véngos; 29 May 1927 – 3 May 2011) was a Greek actor and director born in Neo Faliro, Piraeus. He performed in more than 120 films, predominantly comedies in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. His famous comedic catchphrase was "Καλέ µου άνθρωπε" ("My good man").
Katina Paxinou
Katina Paxinou(December 17, 1900 – February 22, 1973) was a Greek film and theatre actress and an academy award winner for her role as "Pilar" in the 1943 film "For Whom The Bell Tolls" winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture.
Manos Katrakis
Manos Katrakis(August 14, 1908 – September 2, 1984) was a Greek actor of theater and film.He acted in his first movie To Lavaro tou '21 in 1928. He later performed in the National Theatre from 1931 but his best role was in "Journey to Kythira" of the famous Greek director Theo Agelopoulos, shortly before his death.
Tzeni Karezi
Tzeni Karezi (Greek: Τζένη Καρέζη, January 12, 1932 – July 27, 1992) was a Greek film and theatre actress. She was considered one of the most popular and successful actresses of the cinema of Greece. She was considered the greatest "rival" of the other major Greek star Aliki Vougiouklaki in terms of popularity and success, although actually the two were close friends and they followed the same paths in life, while they had the same end as both were attacked by cancer.
Dinos Iliopoulos
Dinos Iliopoulos (Alexandria June 12, 1915- Athens, June 4,2001) was a Greek actor who was considered one of the leading representatives of the Greek theater and film in general. He was one of the noblest men that ever passed by the world of the art. Shone and stood out from the finesse and spontaneous simplicity of interpretation. He worked with the actors of the Greek stage, large and small, and was widely beloved and respected.
Alekos Alexandrakis
Alekos Alexandrakis (Greek: Αλέκος Αλεξανδράκης, born in Athens, 27 November 1928, died 8 November 2005) was a famous Greek actor. He was known for his theatrical work as well as work in film and television. Alexandrakis starred in more than 60 films, including Stella with the late Melina Mercouri in 1955, Laterna ftoheia kai filotimo (1955), Mia trelli... trelli oikogeneia (1965) and Oi Kyries tis avlis (1966). He also directed two films in the early 1960s. Famous Lifeless Greek Popular SingersGiorgos Zambetas - Vicky Moscholiou - Stelios Kazantzidis - Grigoris Bithikotsis - Sotiria Bellou
Giorgos Zambetas
Giorgos Zampetas (Greek: Γιώργος Ζαμπέτας, sometimes romanized as George Zambetas) was a well-known bouzouki musician. He was born on January 25, 1925 in Athens but his origins are from Kythnos. He died on March 10, 1992 in Athens. Greek music composer with many hits, singer and one of the greatest bouzouki artists of all time he won his first prize as a 7 year old first grader, playing his first song in a school competition.
Vicky Moscholiou
Vicky Moscholiou (Greek: Βίκυ Μοσχολιού, 23 May 1943 – 16 August 2005), born in Metaxourgeio in Athens, was a Greek singer. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked Moscholiou the 13th top-certified female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960).
Stelios Kazantzidis
Stylianos (Stelios) Kazantzidis(August 29, 1931 – September 14, 2001) (Greek: Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης) was a prominent Greek singer. A leading singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's foremost composers as Vassilis Tsitsanis, Akis Panou and Mikis Theodorakis having enormous success. He was the beloved of Greek emigrants and in Israel, he was a musical icon. Many of his songs were translated into Hebrew and performed by the country's leading singers. Kazantzidis died of a brain tumor on September 14, 2001. His death was an emotional event for Greece, as attested to by the many obituaries in appreciation of his life and work.
Grigoris Bithikotsis
Grigoris Bithikotsis (Greek Γρηγόρης Μπιθικώτσης; December 11, 1922 - April 7, 2005) was a popular Greek folk singer/songwriter with a career spanning five decades. He became interested in music at an early age, and acquired a bouzouki as soon as he was able. He met composer Mikis Theodorakis in 1959 and the two collaborated producing folk songs. Bithikotsis composed over 80 songs, including: Stu Belami to ouzeri and Toy Votanikou o magas. He possessed a rich singing voice with which he performed his own compositions and those of Theodorakis, who frequently chose his friend Grigoris to perform his masterpieces. The two contributed greatly to the then-emerging laika style of Greek music.
Sotiria Bellou
Sotiria Bellou (Greek: Σωτηρία Μπέλλου; August 22, 1921 – August 27, 1997) was a famous Greek singer and performer of the Greek rebetiko style of music. She was one of the most famous rebetisas of all, mentioned in many music guides, and a contributor to the 1984 British Documentary entitled Music of the Outsiders. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked Bellou the 22nd top-certified female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960).
physician of antiquity after Hippocrates and the last one from all prominent physicians of Greek-Roman world. He was a follower of Aesculapius from Pergamon with extensive anatomical and surgical knowledge, who traveled and taught throughout the Roman Empire, until he moved to Rome and became the private physician of Marcus Aurelius.
El Greco was born on Crete, which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice, and the centre of Post-Byzantine art. He trained and became a master within that tradition before travelling at age 26 to Venice, as other Greek artists had done. In 1570 he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop and executed a series of works. During his stay in Italy, El Greco enriched his style with elements of Mannerism and of the Venetian Renaissance. In 1577, he moved to Toledo, Spain, where he lived and worked until his death. In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best-known paintings.
Dimitri Mitropoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος) (1 March 1896 – 2 November 1960), was a Greek conductor, pianist, and composer. He received international fame, in the classical music world, both as a major conducter and composer of the 20th century.
Abandoning business, he dedicated himself to literature and history and published numerous novels, short stories and essays, which earned him a distinguished reputation. Because of his reputation and the fact that he lived in Paris, he was chosen to represent Greece in a congress called by Pierre de Coubertin in June 1894, which decided to re-establish the Olympic Games and to organise them in Athens in 1896, designating Vikelas to preside over the organisation committee.
Actors of the Theatre of Ancient Greece:Eleni Papadaki - Chr. Nezer - Emilios Veakis - Marika Kotopouli -Katina Paxinou - Cybele Andrianou - Karolos Koun - Dimitris Rontiris.
The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between 550 and 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was institutionalized as part of a festival called the Dionysia, which honored the god Dionysus. Tragedy (late 6th century BC), comedy (486 BC), and the satyr play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there. Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies and allies in order to promote a common cultural identity. Western theatre originated in Athens and its drama has had a significant and sustained impact on Western culture as a whole. This vibrant theatrical tradition of centuries is still cultivated in Greece especially during the summer months in the well-preserved ancient theaters.
Famous Lifeless Greek Actors
Aliki Vougiouklaki - Thanasis Vegos - Katina Paxinou - Manos Katrakis - Jenny Karezi - Dinos Eliopoulos
Famous Lifeless Greek Popular SingersGiorgos Zambetas - Vicky Moscholiou - Stelios Kazantzidis - Grigoris Bithikotsis - Sotiria Bellou