Hymn to Liberty

Dionysios Solomos wrote "Hymn to Liberty" in 1823 in Zakynthos, and one year later it was printed in Messolonghi. In October 1824 it was published in London by the Philhellenic Committee, and an Italian translation was published in the Messolonghi newspaper Ellinika Chronika at about the same time. == Lyrics ==

Inspired by the Greek War of Independence, Solomos wrote the hymn to honour the struggle of Greeks for independence after centuries of Ottoman rule. "Hymn to Liberty" recounts the misery of the Greeks under the Ottomans and their hope for freedom. He describes different events of the War, such as the execution of Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople, the reaction of the Great Powers, extensively the Siege of Tripolitsa and the Christian character of the struggle. The following are the first eight verses of the "Hymn to Liberty," from the first edition of 1825. == Uses ==

An adapted version was used during the short-lived Cretan State as the Cretan Anthem. The "Hymn to Liberty" had been the Greek royal anthem between 1864 and 1924, and again between 1935 and 1973; in both cases, it was discontinued as a royal anthem due to the abolition of the monarchy itself. "Hymn to Liberty" has been the national anthem of Cyprus since 1966. == Notes ==