INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

THE CULTURAL INFLUENCE OF DEMETRIOS VIKELAS
1ST PRESIDENT OF THE IOC IN 19TH CENTURY EUROPE
Mr Petros LINARDOS (GRE)
Demetrios Vikelas’ European progress and his constructive
association with Western spirit and culture began at a very young age.
This was the time when he made his first appearance in the world of
literature and the letters with his translation of Racine's tragedy
"Esther" from French in proper ancient-style 15-syllabe verse of
course. The play was performed on the scene of the Evangelidis
School in Ermoupolis, on the island of Syros, one of the great centres
of Hellenism, where the man, who would become, after half a century
approximately, the first President of the International Olympic
Committee, was a student. He was only 15 at the time Emmanuel
Roidis, the famous society analyst and the author of "Pope Jean" was
one of his fellow students.
Vikelas had shown from a very early age his strong inclination for
the letters and foreign languages. His translation of "Esther" was
noticed by his music professor, the Swiss Julius Ening and it was he
who organized the stage performance that opened for Vikelas the door
to Europe, beyond the borders of Greece.
His first literary recognition came from a comment in a local
newspaper:
"At last the performance was held. It was a resounding success.
This was something totally unknown and unfamiliar in Syros.
Teaching drama in a school".
Later, however, Vikelas would consider his translation of Racine's
work as clumsy, this from a man who would become a great translator
in Greek of the writings of distinguished European authors and those o
Greek writers in foreign countries, in addition to his own personal
work.
With the help of his mother Smaragda, he withdrew from
circulation all the leaflets that had been printed care of the School
Principal Evangelidis at the Melistagous printing house in Syros.
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