Constantine N. Levidis (Greek:Κωνσταντίνος Λεβίδης; 1790,Constantinople – October 4, 1868,Athens) was a Greek scholar, writer, editor, and journalist. Noted for his attempt to turn theKingdom of Greece into aconstitutional monarchy.[citation needed]
Levidis was born inTatavla, Constantinople to theLevidis family, a nobleGreek family ofByzantine origins.[1] His father wasNikolaos A. Levidis, a man of letters, editor of many books and a prominent figure among the Greeks influenced by theAge 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 spokeAlbanian,Ancient Greek,English,French,German,Italian,Latin andTurkish with graceful fluency. He was passionate about history, literature and political sciences and graduated theUniversity of Vienna before 1821, along with classmateDimitri Kalergis. (Kalergis was later to become the prime mover in theGreek coup d'état of 1843, an insurrection which forcedOtto of Greece to grant a proper constitution. Resulting in theGreek Constitution of 1844).
It was also in Vienna were Levidis was initiated by Atanas Bogoridi[2] inFiliki Eteria, the revolutionary organisation. When theGreek War of Independence broke out, Constantine along with his brother Alexander traveled to theDanubian Principalities in order to volunteer to theSacred Band, the revolutionary Greek battalion inWallachia.[3] He fought under PrinceAlexander Ypsilantis and took part in theBattle of Drăgăşani (June 19, 1821).
After the formation of theFirst Hellenic Republic, Levidis became apublic servant, appointed by governorIoannis Kapodistrias to several important administrative committees and posts. In 1832, the Republic was succeeded by theKingdom of Greece, with the underage PrinceOtto of Bavaria as the firstKing of Greece. During his minority, Bavarian advisors were arrayed in a council of regency headed by CountJosef Ludwig von Armansperg.
During the regency of the Bavarian council, Levidis was Councillor 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 newspaperElpis orl'Esperance,(1836–1868) which he edited bilingually, first in Greek and German, later in Greek and French, with great ability till his death.TheNestor 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 CountJosef Ludwig von Armansperg and then under 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 theElpis 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 coffeehouseI 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.[4] Consequently, his press was confiscated the publication of theElpis was forcefully interrupted.
In 1843, Levidis actively participated and was one of the protagonists in theGreek coup d'état of 1843 over the adoption of a constitution, and in November he was first secretary and representative ofCrete and ofMessenia at the National Assembly of the same year. TheElpis resumed publication in 1844 right after the establishment of theconstitution.
In 1854, during theCrimean War theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and theSecond French Empire occupiedPiraeus to prevent Greece declaring war on theOttoman Empire. Greece was an ally of theRussian 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.[5] Because of his severe criticism, Levidis was briefly imprisoned by the French occupation forces.
A proponent of theEnglish Party, Levidis was a friend and political ally toPrince 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.[6]
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 an 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 theOttoman Empire.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
