Athens, 10 December 2021

"Les Orientales" (The Orientals) by Victor Hugo at Parliament Library

A copy of Victor Hugo's poetry collection "Les Orientales" (The Orientals), published in Paris in 1838 by Eugène Renduel, was offered as a gift to the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Constantine Tassoulas, by the President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher, during their meeting yesterday at the Hellenic Parliament.

The President of the Hellenic Parliament presented the valuable artifact to the Library of Parliament, to enrich the Special Collections and also supplement Victor Hugo’s Complete Works.

The collection "Les Orientales", published in 1829 and republished seven times within a few months, echoing its special popularity, includes, among others, six (6) poems inspired by the Greek Revolution,  listed in order of appearance in the donated edition of 1838:  "Kanaris" of 1828, dedicated to the Greek admiral and  arsonist, a poem that led to the revival of European interest in K. Kanaris; “Les têtes du Sérail”, first published in 1826 in the French press, at the time of the heroic exodus of Messolonghi; poems of 1827 "Enthousiasme" and "Navarin", the latter citing verses from Aeschylus’ tragedy "The Persians" (Perses) as a frontispiece; the celebrated poem “L’Enfant”, containing references to the Chios massacre and the “blue-eyed" child’s dramatic response to the question of what he wants: "Je veux de la poudre et des balles" ("I want gunpowder and bullets"), and, finally, the "Lazzara", both composed in 1828.

Although the collection’s publication in 1829 came at a time when the settlement of the Greek question had already commenced, -thus ranking Hugo among the late Philhellenes-, his influence was undoubtedly decisive for the Greek cause.

 

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