Epitaphios (Ritsos)

"Epitaphios" (Greek: Επιτάφιος, "Epitaph") is a poem by Yiannis Ritsos published on 8 June 1936,[2] by the publisher of the Greek newspaper Rizospastis. As early as the previous month had been published by the same newspaper the first three songs (44 verses), out of a total of 20, under the title Moiroloi on 12 May 1936. The 10,000 copies that were published by the newspaper's publisher were almost sold out, a record number for these years. However, at that year, Ioannis Metaxas was declared a dictatory and the 250 remaining copies were burned at the Temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens,[3] along with other "subversive" books. The final form of the poem was published 20 years later, in 1956, which includes all 20 poems of the "Epitaphios", six more than the Rizospastis edition of 1936.

"Epitaphios"

by Giannis Ritsos
The poem inspired by this picture.[1]
Original title	Επιτάφιος
Written	1936 (1936)
First published in	Rizospastis
Country	Greece
Language	Greek
Series	Moiroloi
Form	Funeral Procession
Publication date	8 June 1936 (1936-06-08)
Lines	224 (1st ed.) 324 (2nd ed.)

This poem is one of the most famous poems of Yiannis Ritsos, as well as the poem that made him known to the public.

Inspiration

Ritsos read in the newspaper Rizospastis about the workers' mobilizations were culminated in the city of Thessaloniki on May 1936, with the great strike and demonstration of the tobacco workers, which was drowned in blood by the dictatorial government of Ioannis Metaxas, with a total of twelve dead workers, when he sees a harsh photograph, depicting a mother mourning over her dead child. This picture inspires him and as he says:

 I was locked in the attic of my house for two days and nights and I was writing, without eating and sleeping, on the third day, I couldn't stand it, I started to collapse...

He then delivers the first three poems to Euthyfronas Iliadis, who published them in Rizospastis.

Editions

The poem first appeared as a work of 44 verses in Rizospastis on 12 May 1936, with a dedication to the workers of Thessaloniki. Soon after, a fuller version of 224 verses appeared in first edition. The final text was published in a second edition in 1956 and runs to 324 verses divided into 20 parts or cantos, each with 16 verses in eight couplets, except for the last two, which run to 15 verses in nine couplets.[4]

References

1. efimeris.nlg.gr: Newspaper Rizospastis (10 May 1936), pg. 1: The original photograph.
2. (in Greek) YiannisRitsos.gr: Poetry Works of Yiannis Ritsos Epitaphios (1936), Athens, publisher Rizospastis.
3. The New York Times, Yannis Ritsos, a Greek Poet, 81; Wrote Verse Inspired by Politics (14 November 1990), New York.
4. The Irish Times, An anthem confined to home (18 June 1996), Dublin.