Nikos Kazantzakis remains the most translated Greek author in history, a figure whose intellectual output spanned novels, travel literature, philosophical essays, and verse drama. Born in Heraklion in 1883, he navigated a life of extensive international travel and political engagement, consistently challenging traditional literary forms while grappling with the existential tensions of the twentieth century.
Academic Foundations and Philosophical Influences
Kazantzakis studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens from 1902 to 1906, completing a doctoral thesis on Friedrich Nietzsche. In 1907, he moved to Paris to study philosophy at the Sorbonne, where he encountered the work of Henri Bergson. This period crystallized his interest in intuition and rationalism, elements that permeated his early publications, including his 1906 narrative Serpent and Lily and the 1909 existential play Comedy.
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Following his move to Berlin in the early 1920s, Kazantzakis developed an interest in communism, though his commitment remained complex and fleeting. He later served his country as Minister without Portfolio between 1945 and 1946. His international outlook was furthered by his role as head of the UNESCO Bureau of Translations in 1946, an organization dedicated to fostering cultural exchange through literary dissemination.
Literary Legacy and Recognition
His bibliography includes influential works such as The Saviors of God, The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, and his celebrated 1946 novel Zorba the Greek. Other significant contributions include Christ Recrucified, Captain Michalis, and The Last Temptation of Christ. Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, he received the Greek State Literary Awards in 1956.
Final Years in Freiburg
While suffering from leukemia, Kazantzakis embarked on a final journey to China and Japan in 1957. Illness, complicated by an infection, necessitated his transport to Freiburg im Breisgau, West Germany. He died there on 26 October 1957. He was returned to his birthplace, and his remains are buried at the Martinengo Bastion in the Fortifications of Heraklion.
Fast facts
- Born: 1883, Heraklion
- Died: 1957, Freiburg im Breisgau
- Education: University of Paris, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Political Position: Minister without portfolio of Greece (1945-1946)
- Award: Greek State Literary Awards (1956)
- Burial Site: Fortifications of Heraklion
- Languages Known: French, German, Latin, Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Ancient Greek
Questions readers ask
What is inscribed on the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis?
His epitaph reads, I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.
Did Nikos Kazantzakis ever win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
No, although he was nominated nine times during his career.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Saviors of God
- Notable work: The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel
- Notable work: Zorba the Greek
- Notable work: Christ Recrucified