Evangelis Zappas was a
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
businessman and philanthropist. He is internationally known today as a founder of modern (albeit panhellenic -the
Zappas OlympicsThe Zappas Olympics were a series of athletic events held in Athens, Greece, in 1859, 1870 and 1875 and sponsored by the Greek businessman Evangelis Zappas. These games were the first revival of the ancient Olympic Games in the modern era...
- as opposed to the later international)
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
.
Zappas, during his youth, joined the
Greek struggle for independenceThe Greek War of Independence was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1829, with later assistance from several European powers, against the Ottoman Empire, who were assisted by their vassals, the Egyptian Khedivate and partly the Vilayet of...
(1821-1830), achieving the rank of Major and fighting in several significant battles. Following Greek Independence, he moved to
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, where he had a successful career as a businessman, becoming one of the richest men of that time in East Europe. In 1859 he sponsored the first Olympic Games since ancient times and the first modern international Olympic Games. These Games are also known as the Zappas
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
. Aside from being a major contributor to the Olympic revival, he is also known in Greece as a national benefactor, with the foundation of several institutions and schools and the landmark
ZappeionThe Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.-Constructing the Zappeion:...
.
Early years and Greek War of Independence
Evangelis Zappas was born of
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
ancestry in 1800 in the village of Labovo (in
Northern EpirusNorthern Epirus is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albanian state. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region...
, modern
Gjirokastër CountyThe County of Gjirokastër is one of the 12 counties of Albania. It consists of the districts Gjirokastër, Përmet, and Tepelenë and its capital is Gjirokastër. Its population includes a substantial Greek minority . To the southeast, Gjirokastër shares a border with Greece...
,
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
), when the region was sill under
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
rule.
Zappas did not received any education in his childhood and left his village at the age of 13 due to his enrolment as a mercenary in the
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
army of
Ali PashaAli Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, the "Lion of Yannina", was an Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Janina...
, the local ruler of Tepelena and then
IoanninaIoannina is a city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a metropolitan population of approximately 100,000, and lies at an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ioannina Prefecture and of Epirus, lying on the western side of lake Pamvotis...
. However, he soon became member of the Greek patriotic organization
Filiki EteriaThe Filiki Eteria, , was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Etairia members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local chieftains from Greece...
and joined his compatriots when the
Greek War of IndependenceThe Greek War of Independence was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1829, with later assistance from several European powers, against the Ottoman Empire, who were assisted by their vassals, the Egyptian Khedivate and partly the Vilayet of...
broke up (1821). During this period Zappas reached the rank of
MajorIn many European languages, the term Major is a military rank, implying seniority at one of usually various levels of rank. For example:*"General-Major" or "Major-General", denoting a senior ranking general officer....
in the revolutionary army and became a personal friend of the distinguished leader
Markos BotsarisMarkos Botsaris was a leader of the Souliotes and a hero of the War of Greek Independence.-Early life:Botsaris was born into one of the leading clans of the Souliotes, in Epirus. He was the second son of captain Kitsos Botsaris, who was murdered in Arta in 1809 by order of Ali Pasha...
. After Botsaris' death in 1823, he served under various military personalities of the independence struggle, such as
Dimitrios PanourgiasDimitrios Panourgias , a Greek military commander during the Greek War of Independence, was born Dimitrios Xiros in the village of Dremissa, Phocis.- Early life :...
,
Kitsos TzavelasKitsos Tzavelas was a Greek War of Independence fighter of Souliote origin and Prime Minister. Tzavelas was born in Souli, Epirus in 1800, the son of Fotos Tzavelas and grandson of Lambros Tzavelas both of whom were famous for their roles in the Souliot struggles against Ali Pasha, the Pasha of...
,
Michail SpyromiliosMichail Spyromilios , was a Greek soldier and politician.-Early life:He was born in Himara in modern southern Albania, then part of the Ottoman Empire. . In 1810 he went to Naples in Italy, where he remained until 1819, studying military theory and learning Latin and French...
and fought in several major battles. Characteristically, in order to convince him to surrender, pro-Ottoman bands held his mother hostage in an underground dungeon, while his home in Labovo was looted. It is said that Zappas was wounded five times during the conflicts.
Career in Wallachia
After the end of the War of Independence (1831), he immigrated to
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
(in modern
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
). For a short term period Zappas was a
practical doctorA physician — also known as medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor — practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury...
, but soon after he decided to devote himself to the field of business During the next two decades he made a fortune in real estate and farming, possessing vast amounts of land in Romania. In the 1850s, Zappas, was considered as one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in East Europe, while managing his financial empire from his estate in
IalomiţaIon Roată is a commune located in Ialomiţa County, Romania....
region in
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and living on the outskirts of
BraşovBraşov is a city in Romania and the capital of Braşov County, with a population of 284,596, according to the 2002 census, is the 8th largest Romanian city....
.
Revival of the Olympic Games
Meanwhile, sporadic references to the restoration of the ancient Olympic Games were made by various personalities of that era, inspired by a certain degree of
romanticismRomanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution...
. In 1835, romantic poet
Panagiotis SoutsosPanagiotis Soutsos , was a Greek poet of the romantic school, born in Constantinople . He was an admirer of the ancient Greek tradition, while he used an archaic language in his works...
proposed the revival of the Games in the newly forrmed
Greek stateThe Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
, as part of the revival of the ancient Greek tradition. Moreover, in 1852, archeologist
Ernst CurtiusYou may be looking for Ernst Robert Curtius .Ernst Curtius was a German archaeologist and historian.-Biography:...
during a romantic lecture stated that the Olympic events would be revived.
Zappas inspired by these initiatives, intended to revive this ancient tradition with his own efforts and costs. In early 1856, he sent a letter through diplomatic channels to
King OttoOtto, 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 the...
of
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
, magnanimously offering to fund the entire project of the Olympic revival, providing also cash prizes to the victors. However, this initiative was not without opposition. There was a wide believe by specific Greek politicians that athletic games were just a throwback to archaic times, unsuited to the modern era. Characteristically, Greek foreign minister and head of the conservative anti-athletic lobby in Athens, Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, suggested an industrial and agricultural exposition instead of an athletic event. For months there was no official answer from the Greek side. In July 1856, an article in the Greek press by Panagiotis Soutsos, that made Zappas' proposal widely known to the public, triggered a series of events. Otto finally, agreed with the purpose of organizing competitions at four-year intervals, on the occasion of industrial and agricultural expositions, and allowed the realization of athletic events with Zappas' full sponsorship. Following, Zappas offered the necessary funds to the Greek government in order to establish an Olympic Trust Fund.
On November 15, 1859 the first modern revival of the athletic Olympic Games took place in Athens. This first Olympic Games was held in a city square in central
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
. These athletic contests could be termed as the first Olympic Games of the present tradition, but it was far from being a worldwide festival. Moreover, they had a national character, since the participants were exclusively of Greek ethnicity both from the Greek state and diaspora. The athletes competed in a variety of disciples, similar to that of the ancient Olympic games:
runningRunning is a means for an animal to move on foot. It is defined in sporting terms as a gait in which at some point all feet are off the ground at the same time. This is in contrast to walking, where one foot is always in contact with the ground, the legs are kept mostly straight and the center of...
,
discusThe discus throw is an event in track and field competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc — called a discus — in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
,
javelin throwingThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 meters in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon.- Rules and Competitions :...
,
wrestlingWrestling is an ancient martial art that uses grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, generally between two people, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
,
jumpingJumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory...
and
pole climbingPole climbing may be defined as ascending a pole which one can grip with the hands. The related activity of Mast climbing describes ascending an object similar to a pole, but having a larger diameter which excludes gripping with the hands...
.
Zappas left a fortune in a legacy for future Olympiads to be held at the Panathenian stadium. He died in 1865. His immense fortune was used for the construction of permanent facilities in Athens, as well as for the continuation of the Olympiad.
From Zappas Olympics to Coubertin's international Olympic Games
The time Zappas died, and wholly due to the incompetence of the Greek government at the time it was necessary to refurbish the Panathenian stadium a second time in readiness for the Athens 1896 Olympic Games. After a period of ligitation over Zappas' bequests, his cousin
Konstantinos ZappasKonstantinos Zappas was a Greek entrepreneur and national benefactor. Together with his cousin Evangelis Zappas he played an essential role for the revival of the Olympic Games....
continued and expanded his endowments as well as the efforts for the continuation of the Olympic concept.At 1870 the new stadium, with a spectator capacity of 30,000, was ready to host the second Olympiad. The Olympic Games of 1870, apart from being the first modern international Olympic Games to be hosted in a stadium was better attended and hosted more events and athletes, it was much better organized in general. Additionally, the first modern Olympic building was built to support the contests (and hosted the fencing events of 1896), as well as an industrial exhibition that anti-athletic members of the Greek government had forced upon the concept of the Games. This building located near the city's National Garden was entirely funded by Zappas' legacy and the
ZappeionThe Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.-Constructing the Zappeion:...
was named after him. The Zappeion, officially opened on October 20, 1888.
Dr
William Penny BrookesDr. William Penny Brookes was an English physician, magistrate, botanist, who founded the Wenlock Olympian Society in 1860, organised annual "Olympian Games" in the small town of Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. Prior to the foundation of the Wenlock Olympian Society Dr Brookes organised an...
, from the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, further developed the modern Olympic movement by adopting events from the 1859 Olympic Games into the programme of the Wenlock Olympian Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin from
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, was in turn inspired by Dr Brookes, and went on to found the
International Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on 23 June 1894. Its membership consists of the 205 National Olympic Committees....
in 1894.
Philanthropy
Apart from his Olympic revival efforts, Evangelis Zappas and the executor of his legacy (his cousin Konstantinos Zappas), made several philanthropic donations for the foundation of schools, libraries and other similar institutions all over the Ottoman-occupied world, and notably their birthplace,
EpirusEpirus is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe, currently divided between the periphery of Epirus in Greece and the prefectures of Gjirokastër, Vlorë, Berat, and Korçë in southern Albania.-Name & Etymology:...
. Greek schools were founded and expanded in several villages and towns (Labovo, Lekli, Nivani, Dhrovian,
FiliatesFiliates ) is a town and a municipality in Thesprotia, Greece. It is located in the northernmost part of the prefecture, bordering western Ioannina Prefecture and southern Albania. It has a land area of 495.727 km² and a population of 8,288 . Its village population was 2,246 and the municipal...
, Delvina,
PermetPërmet is a town in Albania, capital of Përmet District. The population is 19,800. It is flanked by river Vjosa, which runs along the mountain chain Trebeshine-Dhembel-Nemercke, between Trebeshine and Dhembel, and through the Kelcyra gorge....
). In
ConstantinopleConstantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
(also known as
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
), education facilities were also founded, that included nursery, primary and secondary schools, known as the Zappeion Institute. Moreover, a large amount of money was deposited in the
National Bank of GreeceThe National Bank of Greece is the oldest and largest commercial bank in Greece and heads the strongest financial group in the country. It boasts a dynamic profile internationally, particularly in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean...
, to provide scholarships for Greek agricultural students in order to conduct postgraduate studies in Western Europe.
Personality and resting place
Evangelis Zappas, was often described as a solitary and eccentric personality, who had no children. On the other hand he was a man of vision, determination and a patriot, who was well aware of the magnitude of his acts. Zappas' wish was to be initially buried in Rumania, where he lived most of his life. But after four years his body was to be exhumed and reinterred at the school's courtyard of his home place Labovo, while his head was to be enshrined beneath his memorial statue outside the Zappeion. Baron
Pierre de CoubertinPierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French pedagogue and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and considered father of the modern Olympic Games.-Biography:...
made a similar guesture by having his heart buried at
OlympiaOlympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
.
External links