Vassilis Rotas (1889–1977) was a Greek politician, author and translator of Shakespeare's dramas from English into Greek.[1]

Biography

He was born in Chiliomodi on the Peloponnese in 1889 and studied literature at the University of Athens and drama at the Athens Conservatoire.[2] Following this, he established the Popular Theatre of Athens in 1932 and during the 1930s, he translated some theater plays of William Shakespeare into Greek.[3]

After Nazi Germany occupied Greece in World War II, he joined the National Liberation Front (EAM)[2] and established the Theater of the Mountains.[4] Following this, he toured the country with theater plays[2] together with members of the United Panhellenic Organization of Youth (EPON), the youth wing of the EAM.[5] He was the author of the hymn of the EAM to a melody of the Russian Katyusha.[2] He was the Director of Culture in the Political Committee of National Liberation (PEEA), the political resistance movement against Nazi Germany.[2] Following the end of World War II, he was again involved in the translations of the works of Shakespeare.[3] Rotas and Voula Damianakou published the magazine Laikos Logos between 1966 and 1967.[6] He died in 1977.[7]

Legacy

He was an important figure in the development of the Greek language, preferring the Demotic over the Katharevousa.[8] Demotic became the official Greek language in 1976.[9] He is also the translator of the complete works of Shakespeare from English into Greek, often using words and terms seldom used in casual Greek, both the Kathaverousa and Demotic language.[8]

Personal life

He married his childhood friend Katerina Giannakopoulou and had three children, one of them the prominent Greek composer and theatrical contributor Nikiforos Rotas.[10][11] Later Vassilis was the partner of Velou Damianakou, who also was a member of the Greek resistance against Nazi Germany.[12] Damianakou assisted him in several of the Shakespeare translations.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Saraphē, Marion; Eve, Martin (1990). Background to Contemporary Greece. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-85036-393-7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rotas, Vasilis (1889-1977)". www.gedenkorte-europa.eu. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  3. 1 2 3 Holland, Peter (2005). Shakespeare Survey: An Annual Survey of Shakespeare Studies and Production. Cambridge University Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-0-521-85074-2.
  4. ↑ Diamantopoulou, Lilia (2016). "Illustrierte Klassiker ,,Die spannendsten Geschichten der Weltliteratur" - in der griechischen Version". Historische Sozialkunde Geschichte - Fachdidaktik - Politische Bildung. 2/2016: 28–29.
  5. ↑ Myrsiades, Linda S. (1991). "Resistance Theater and the Germany Occupation". Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora. 17 (2): 12.
  6. ↑ Calotychos, Vangelis (2012-04-19). Manolis Anagnostakis: Poetry and Politics, Silence and Agency in Post-War Greece. Lexington Books. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-61147-466-4.
  7. ↑ Holland, Peter (2005), p.219
  8. 1 2 Holland, Peter (2005), p.213
  9. ↑ "Demotic Greek language". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  10. ↑ "Ρώτας Βασίλης: Τρυφερός Λόγιος Πολυπράγμων". ΠΕΡΙΓΡΑΦΗΣ. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  11. ↑ "Πέθανε ο συνθέτης και μελετητής Νικηφόρος Ρώτας". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). 2004-11-18. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  12. ↑ Guardian Staff (1999-02-21). "Global plot that lured Kurds' hero into trap". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
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