Loukis Laras

L O U K I S L A RA S REMJNI S CENCES OF A CHZOTE MER CHANT D URI NG THE W AR OF I ND EPEND ENCE BY D B I K EL A . S TR ANS L ATED FROM THE GREEK B Y ENNAD I J. G U S 31 0 1113 0 11 M A A C MI L L N C O . 1 8 8 1 PREFA E C . THE translation into English of a modern e e e e e e so Gr k tal is a lit rary nt rprise unusual, not t o e e de ed ee say unpr c nt , that it s ms to for o e e not for o o call s m xplanation , if ap l gy. L oukis Laras appe are d for the first time as a s e rial in that exce lle nt Athenian p eriodi h Hai fa h f 1 8 t e d t o . cal , , uring e e arly part 7 9 The popularity t o which it rapidly attained rendere d ne cessary its publication in a s epa e e an d e o d d o e d rat volum , a s c n e iti n is alr a y o e d o e not o e d ann unc , a c mplim nt ft n pai to a book issued within the restricted limits of Greece. The e of th o e e e e m rits e work, h w v r, w r not long in b eing recognised by a wider circle of i v P REFA C E. — readers those Greek scholars in the we st of Europ e who have give n th e ir sp ecial atte n ti on to the Me diaeval and Ne ohelle nic epochs of Gree k literature . h th T e distinguish e d H elle nist, e Marquis e e de - H e e d t d ! u ux Saint ilair , publish las e o ye ar, in Paris, a Fr nch translati n , which ’ ed o of . Bik elas s o so elicit , in fav ur M w rk, high an opinion from th os e who had occasion t o e on L oukis comm nt it, that Laras has bee n include d in the official list of books t o e the o e and be plac d in p pular librari s, to be e the awarde d as priz s in French Lycée s . A German translation soon followe d it is he of e e e t work William Wagn r, whos pr mature death has since le ft in the ranks of H ellenic scholars a gap n ot readily t o be filled up . In Italy and in De nmark translations have — also appeare d in the latte r country from. the pen of Profe ssor J e an Pio an d the author has had more than on e application r o e fo translations in the r languag s . F vii P R E A C E . S o rapid an d so unusual a succ e ss of a w d t o work ritte n in an i iom which , say the e d n o e the l ast, fin s plac in curriculum of e e d e o d e e ee g n ral stu i s, w ul , in its lf, hav b n a s ufficie nt warranty for this translation. o e o e the o L oukis But, m r v r, both riginal of Laras pass ed the b e st part of his life and e de d d d an d our o n his ays in Englan , auth r himself b e cam e kn own in Lond on as a man of e and e on of busin ss at first , lat r as a man l etters also. Bikelas W e to e e M . , hil sacrificing H rm s, h o o er of o e e t o t e pr m t c mm rc , was faithful the god unde r his no le ss glorious attribute f o of e . o o o protect r l arning F ll wing up , in e e d o and e this r sp ct, a family tra iti n , b ing o e d e e d e he oo de pr mpt by h r itary tal nt , s n ma e oe an d o e o of a b ginning in p try, a c ll cti n his e arlier verse s was printe d in 1 8 6 2 in London . Te n years late r an other instalm e nt of occa sional e e e d e d pi c s was issu at Ath ns, inclu ing translations into m od ern Greek of the Sixth viii P REFA C E. o of th d e the e e e o f B ok e O yss y, Gard n Sc n ’ oe e Faust an d o o de G th s , a hum r us tira , ” “ e e ntitle d The Gree ks of Old. This latt r p oem was translat ed into German by A . ’ ’ ’ Ellissen (Magazi ne f ur aze aes ’ A uslanaes . , vol lxv ) But this innate tende ncy towards p oetic pursuits in n o way impeded the developm ent f o more s olid scholarly qualities . In issuing a Gre e k translation of M . ' ’ ‘ Egger s e ssay 0 72 flze L anguage and Nazzon ’ alzf o Me Modem G reeks o do y f (L n n , Bik elas set o o o t o the M . f rth his pini ns as vexe d and still unsolve d qu estion of style and d egree of purity to be aimed at in the writte n An d 1 8 1 language of tod ay. in 7 he pub lishe d a lecture on M e diaeval and Rece nt Greek Literature which he had delivere d at the e e e o H ll nic Coll ge in L ndon . To the pursuit of such re s e arche s he n ow applied himself with incre asing p erseve ranc e ; and e e h two y ars lat r, while still in t e prim e R EFA E P C . ix f e h e e e d — for o lif , was nabl happily Greek — ” literature n o le ss than for hims elf to realis e d re an d o his esi ultimate aim in this dire cti n . A do e e o i he had ban ning comm rc , fr m wh ch d erive d such b e nefits of indep ende nce an d c omfort as can alon e re nder that vocation e t o m en of e e he re attractiv high r cultur , e d ee e and e de d turn to Gr c , has sinc vote e e e t o e e hims lf xclusiv ly lit ratur . In 1 8 7 4 h e publish e d a sh ort but ve ry re markable e ssay on the political status of th e Gre eks of Byzantium an d th eir influ e nce on d ae e o e e . o m i val cultur in Eur p This w rk, the sub st ance of which was first d elivere d in three l e cture s to the Gree k Syllogos at Mar e e ed o de e e s ill s , attract c nsi rabl att ntion both the o e in France an d Ge rmany. In f rm r country it was at onc e translate d by M. e e r d Z es 0 7 6 65 an Mo en A e Emil L g an ( y g , ’ ' Etude fizsi erz ue o e e and g ; Paris, Mais nn uv ) , in i 8 7 8 a German translation app e are d from the e n o f e o e me t p Prof ss r Wagn r, which R F P E A C E. with high praise from Professor F . Hirsch ' ’ ’ ’ in the M fl/zezlangm am aer fizsferzlvefzen ' l zli eraz‘zer the But most important, thus far, and for h e e Englishmen perhaps t e most int r sting, od of our are e pr uction author, his m trical f f ’ translations o several o Shakesp eare s plays . In this he has displaye d consummate skill in ersification e e and of v , gr at r source maste ry e e languag , a most intimat acquaintance with the e of the e d and intricaci s gr at ramatist, a th orough appreciation of the b eautie s and e e d t o e e subtl ti s of his i iom, which a Gr k translator often presents difficultie s almost “ ” “ ” o and e e o e e . o e insup rabl R m Juli t, Oth ll , “ ” and King Le ar were published at Athe ns o do o e an d (L n n, Williams and N rgat ), a “ ” o d e o e sec n volum , c ntaining Haml t and “ ” e o ed Macb th, is ann unc .

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