History

A Fusion of Venetian and Cretan Civilization

The natural landscape of Crete and the character of its citizens, with the cultural traits included, immediately affected the Venetians who moved into the island. Already from the ends of the 13th century A.C. there are reports of cultural intermarriages of Greeks and Venetians. The tightening of relationships became more profound from the middle of the 16th century. At this point, religious differences are normalized, a financial equilibrium between Cretans and foreigners takes place within the main towns, and the metropolitan Venetia turns its eye to the indigenous population concerning political matters, due to the rise of a Turkish peril on the horizon. The long-term peaceful cohabitation results in a productive cultural dialogue, which in turn yields a common cultural expression, the Italian-Cretan. Crete, as a carrier of the byzantine tradition in the 16th century, ‘absorbed’ the cultural elements most familiar to it, recreated, used and finally passed them on, within its unique ‘Cretan’ manner. The connective link of the Cretan urban society to the regenerating urban society of Venice was the Greek language. Apart from the charm which characterizes the Greek language by itself, it was also used as a tool for knowledge acquirement and typified some level of education; the very Venetians of Crete in the 16th century were speaking only Greek, or at least a form of Greek enriched with Italian which were anointed with Greek elements. In many reports by Venetian dignitaries, the linguistic assimilation is obvious, as well as the religious erosion of the Venetian families. Jacob Foscarini reports that the old Venetians “have completely forgotten the Italian language, and since there is no possibility to have a religious service according to the Latin dogma, on any village on the island, as they remain on it they are forced to baptize their children, to be wedded, and bury their dead according to the orthodox dogma and the Greek customs. And they are the Venierides, Barbarigoi, Morozinides, Bonoi, Foskarinides; families Greek in all things…”. In 1584, Giulio Garzoni ascertains that Venetians on Crete could be characterized as Greeks. In the Council of 1610 30 Venetians take place along with 70 Cretans. Venetians, according to all indications and written reports considered Crete as their home, Greek as their language and clearly Cretan their customs. At the same time, a large population of Cretans was gathered in Venice, after the occupation of the old city of Konstantinoupole, where they passed on their knowledge, businesses and their passions. They were feeling safe under Venice and the Christian state, protective authorities and able to battle against the Turkish Empire. On the highest level of this society were the noble Venetians and feudal lords (Nobili Veneti, Feudati). In documents they are called “noble lords and brilliant masters”. The noble ones were catholic, colonizers or descendants of colonizers and had full political rights. The nobility titles were hereditary. In the first centuries of the Venetian dominion, the noblemen occupied the largest feuds. From the 16th century and beyond, the feudal system starts to decay. Aristocrats of a second level were the Cretan noblemen (Nobili Cretensi). The Cretan nobility title was assigned after the Doges order, as a retribution for military, political or monetary services. This nobility (Nobilitas Cretensis), although lower than the Venetian nobility and only of a local value, was bestowed to many descendants of the old Greek aristocracy, the “Lord-Romans”, who according to a historical tradition, were descending from the “twelve young lords” of the Byzantium.
“The heritage of the fusion between Cretans and Venetians, recorded within the multiply involved Cretan Land, a land giving us many thousands of years before the first European civilization, the first scribe in Europe, we owe to guard, to preserve, as all the other prior and future times and eras, for it is the past of the island, the past of ours, it is Us. It is a great heritage, material and spiritual, which needs to be placed as it is worth; in the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, a place for which some actions have already taken place”.

(Anastasia Tzigkounaki, archaeologist and deputy Director of the 28th Ephorate of Pre-historic and Classical Antiquities. In a day Conference themed “Venetian Monuments in Space and Time”.
The Heroines of Cretan Literature who inspired us
In the spirit of this financial and spiritual development during the Venetian Dominion, the Cretan Literature bloomed as well: the peaceful cohabitation and contact with the spiritually and culturally advanreceld people of the Venetians, resulted in the cultivation of education and Literature and the production of noteworthy literary works. The spotlight for academic and cultural life was in the “Academies”, founded by scholars from the social classes of city people or noblemen. The members of Academies would organize congregations where their poems would be recited or theatrical plays were presented. The writers, whose works are still preserved, were coming from upsaper classes, were fairly educated and kept track of all literary progress. The most popular works surviving this era are: “Erotókritos”, “Erophéle”, “Panórea” and “Fiorentino and Dolchétta”. These works are played even today at theatre and their lyrics are sung by Cretan musicians in every corner of Crete.

ARETOÚSA
The poem “Erotókritos” by Vincenzos Kornaros describes the love between princess Aretoúsa, daughter of the king of Athens, and Erotókritos, the adopted son of the king; a love socially forbidden. The king discovers this love and banishes Erotókrito in exile and at the sea. Nonetheless, Erotókritos, after years returns powerful and unrecognizable to the kingdom, and runs to the king’s help at the face of war. He, as a handsome and courageous lad, finally succeeds to unite with Aretoúsa. This long narrative poem extends in ten thousand lyrics, structured in almost 15 syllables each. The deep lyricism, the lively language, the power of description, the rough profiling of heroes and excellent picturing of psychological states, as well as the climax in dramatic conflicts within the intense element of naturalism, ascribe the work with a characteristic epic composition of great inspiration. The first edition of “Erotókritos” took place in Venice in the 17th century. Since then, it was widely propagated and was favored so much by people, that even until some years ago, folk singers (Lyra and violin players) knew by heart-from an oral tradition- big parts of the poem, which they used to recite in big festivals and friendly meetings.

PANÓREA
“Panórea” is a pastoral drama by George Hortátsis combined by almost 2.500 rhyming Iambic lyrics of 15 syllables.  Panórea is written under the idiom of Western Crete. Here, two couples of shepherds are the main characters: Géparis loves Panórea and Aléxis loves Athoúsa, however the two shepherd girls do not deign their love and wish to live freely, hunting in mountains and forests. Old- Giannoúlis, father of Panórea and old-Froséne, mother of Géparis, characters mostly comic, try in vain to form the unyielding character of the girls. In the end, the two shepherd boys shall turn to goddess Afrodéte, and her son Éros strikes the two girls with his arrows, thus giving a happy ending. Hortátsis combines the real pastoral life of Crete with ancient Greek mythology. Slightly after the writing of Panórea, Hortátsis fulfills his tragedy “Erophéle”, influenced by Giraldi’s tragedy “Orbecche”.

EROPHÉLE
“Erophéle” was composed around 1595 (since it is referred to the plague epidemic which struck Crete between 1592 and 1595) and was first published in Venice in 1637. It is written in rhyming 15-syllable lyrics except from the Chorus songs, which are written in 11-syllables, and its story takes place in Egypt. The play is prologued by Death himself, who refers to his dominion and the vanity of glory and the material gods; however the first Chorus song ends with a praise to the almighty power of Love (Éros). The daughter of Filógonos, Erophéle, secretly marries a young army man, Panáretos. Filógonos decides to marry her with an Eastern  king, his opponent, in order to create a friendship between them. Thus, he turns to Panáretos for help so he could persuade her to accept this marriage. This dramatic antinomy leads to the revelation of the couple’s relationships. Filógonos executes Panáreto and sends his daughter his head, heart and hands, offering these as a wedding gift. Erophéle commits suicide and the girls of her court (as the “chorus” in ancient Greek tragedy) kill the inhuman father.

DOLCHÉTTA
In the 17th century is where the Cretan comedy “The forgotten fiancée” belongs, also referred as “Fiorentino and Dolchétta” based on a known fairytale. The Sultan of Cairo is sick and the sole cure for him is to anoint him with the blood of a prince. His pirates snatch prince Fiorentino and shut him into a tower. The daughter of the king however falls in love with him and helps him escape. The Sultan, in anger curses Fiorentino, wishing him to forget Dolchétta when his mother kisses him, and to remember her again when his mother slaps him. When the prince returns to his palace, he falls asleep and his mother gives him a kiss, so when he wakes up has no memory of Dolchétta anymore. Careless, he goes to hunting with two friends of his, and they come across Dolchétta; they try to seduce her by offering her money. She takes the money but does not yield. Thus, they report her to the king demanding the money back. It is there that Dolchétta reveals the whole story and her father’s curse. The mother slaps Fiorentino, he remembers again, and all ends well.

The common elements of Greek ancient tragedies and comedies with Cretan Drama works are obvious in all the above plays. The powerful female characters that star in the Greek living and are pictured in Arts, represent the “Mother”, the “Lover” and the “Fighter”, and are also imprinted into the Greek soul.