Georgios Gennadios
Encyclopedia
Georgios Gennadios was a Greek
man of letters who helped considerably in the foundation of some of the first educational establishments of modern Greece. He is considered among the most important personalities of the Greek Enlightenment (Diafotismos) and is often referred to as the “Teacher of the Nation” .
region of Epirus
, or according to another view in 1786 in Selymbria in Thrace
, where his Epirotan parents went to live for a period. He started his studies in his home village in Doliana and possibly also in Monodendri
. He continued his studies in the schools of Ioannina
and subsequently in Bucharest
(Wallachia
). In 1804 he began to study philology
at the University of Leipzig
under Wilhelm Ernst Weber. He returned to Bucharest upon completion of his studies in 1814.
At 1815 he became an assistant to Neophytos Doukas
, then at the Princely Academy of Bucharest. In 1817-1820 he went to Odessa
, following an invitation by the city’s Greek community and by Ioannis Kapodistrias
, then Russia's foreign minister, where he helped to found and direct the Greek School of Commerce. In 1820 he returned to Bucharest following an invitation by Prince Alexandros Soutzos
of Wallachia
and taught in the city’s schools. That year he also became a member of the Filiki Eteria
organization. Following the defeat of Alexandros Ypsilantis in 1821 he went to Odessa
and from there to Dresden
. He returned to Greece in 1826 to take part in the Greek War of Independence
.
Following the establishment of the independent Greek state, Gennadios was appointed by Ioannis Kapodistrias
, now Governor of Greece, together with Georgios Konstantas and Ioannis Benthylos to compile an official grammar of the Greek language. He founded the Central School of Aegina
, later transferred to Athens
. In 1832, he was appointed first director of the National Library of Greece
in Athens. He founded the Philekpaideutike Etaireía (Φιλεκπαιδευτική Εταιρεία, "Society of the Friends of Education"), taught at the Arsakeion School
in Athens and briefly taught history at the University of Athens. He also founded the Archaeological Society of Athens and initiated the numismatic collection eventually housed at the Numismatic Museum of Athens
. Among his students were Constantine Paparrigopoulos and Alexandros Rizos Rangavis.
In 1854, during the Crimean War
, he led a revolutionary committee for the liberation of Epirus, his homeland, but died the same year during a cholera
epidemic. Gennadios’ statue was placed in front of the National Library of Greece
following the construction of Theophil Hansen's neoclassical building to house the collections of the library in 1903.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
man of letters who helped considerably in the foundation of some of the first educational establishments of modern Greece. He is considered among the most important personalities of the Greek Enlightenment (Diafotismos) and is often referred to as the “Teacher of the Nation” .
Life
Gennadios was born in 1784 in Doliana, a village in the ZagoriZagori
Zagori , is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some 1,000 square kilometres and contains 45 villages known as Zagoria , and is in the shape of an upturned equilateral...
region of Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
, or according to another view in 1786 in Selymbria in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
, where his Epirotan parents went to live for a period. He started his studies in his home village in Doliana and possibly also in Monodendri
Monodendri
Monodendri may refer to:*Monodendri, Ioannina, a village in Zagori in Ioannina Prefecture, Greece*Monodendri, Achaea, part of the municipality of Vrachneika in Achaea Prefecture, Greece...
. He continued his studies in the schools of Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
and subsequently in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
). In 1804 he began to study philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
under Wilhelm Ernst Weber. He returned to Bucharest upon completion of his studies in 1814.
At 1815 he became an assistant to Neophytos Doukas
Neophytos Doukas
Neophytos Doukas was a Greek priest and scholar, author of a large number of books and translations from ancient Greek works, and one of the most important personalities of modern Greek Enlightenment during the Ottoman occupation of Greece...
, then at the Princely Academy of Bucharest. In 1817-1820 he went to Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, following an invitation by the city’s Greek community and by Ioannis Kapodistrias
Ioannis Kapodistrias
Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias |Academy of Athens]] Critical Observations about the 6th-Grade History Textbook"): "3.2.7. Σελ. 40: Δεν αναφέρεται ότι ο Καποδίστριας ήταν Κερκυραίος ευγενής." "...δύο ιστορικούς της Aκαδημίας κ.κ...
, then Russia's foreign minister, where he helped to found and direct the Greek School of Commerce. In 1820 he returned to Bucharest following an invitation by Prince Alexandros Soutzos
Alexandros Soutzos
Alexandros Soutzos was a Phanariote Greek who ruled as Prince of Moldavia Alexandros Soutzos was a Phanariote Greek who ruled as Prince of Moldavia Alexandros Soutzos was a Phanariote Greek who ruled as Prince of Moldavia (July 10, 1801 – October 1, 1802 and Prince of Wallachia (July 2, 1802 –...
of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and taught in the city’s schools. That year he also became a member of the Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...
organization. Following the defeat of Alexandros Ypsilantis in 1821 he went to Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
and from there to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. He returned to Greece in 1826 to take part in the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
.
Following the establishment of the independent Greek state, Gennadios was appointed by Ioannis Kapodistrias
Ioannis Kapodistrias
Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias |Academy of Athens]] Critical Observations about the 6th-Grade History Textbook"): "3.2.7. Σελ. 40: Δεν αναφέρεται ότι ο Καποδίστριας ήταν Κερκυραίος ευγενής." "...δύο ιστορικούς της Aκαδημίας κ.κ...
, now Governor of Greece, together with Georgios Konstantas and Ioannis Benthylos to compile an official grammar of the Greek language. He founded the Central School of Aegina
Aegina
Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of Aeacus, who was born in and ruled the island. During ancient times, Aegina was a rival to Athens, the great sea power of the era.-Municipality:The municipality...
, later transferred to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. In 1832, he was appointed first director of the National Library of Greece
National Library of Greece
The National Library of Greece is situated near the center of city of Athens. It was designed by the Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, as part of his famous Trilogy of neo-classical buildings including the Academy of Athens and the original building of the Athens...
in Athens. He founded the Philekpaideutike Etaireía (Φιλεκπαιδευτική Εταιρεία, "Society of the Friends of Education"), taught at the Arsakeion School
Arsakeio
Arsakeion , or Arsákeio, is the name of a group of co-educational independent schools in Greece, administered by the Philekpaideytikē Etaireía , a non-profit organization...
in Athens and briefly taught history at the University of Athens. He also founded the Archaeological Society of Athens and initiated the numismatic collection eventually housed at the Numismatic Museum of Athens
Numismatic Museum of Athens
The Numismatic Museum in Athens is one of the most important museums of Greece and houses one of the greatest collections of coins, ancient and modern, in the world...
. Among his students were Constantine Paparrigopoulos and Alexandros Rizos Rangavis.
In 1854, during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, he led a revolutionary committee for the liberation of Epirus, his homeland, but died the same year during a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic. Gennadios’ statue was placed in front of the National Library of Greece
National Library of Greece
The National Library of Greece is situated near the center of city of Athens. It was designed by the Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, as part of his famous Trilogy of neo-classical buildings including the Academy of Athens and the original building of the Athens...
following the construction of Theophil Hansen's neoclassical building to house the collections of the library in 1903.
Works
- Grammar of the ancient Greek language, (Γραμματική της αρχαίας Ελληνικής γλώσσης, 1832).
- Edited Σύνοψις της Ιεράς Ιστορίας (1835) and Κατήχησις ή Ορθόδοξος διδασκαλία της Ανατολικής Εκκλησίας (1835).