Did you know that by word count, Greece holds the record for the longest national anthem in the world. Known as the "Hymn to Liberty," this work consists of 158 stanzas. However, public ceremonies and official events only ever perform the first two stanzas.
The original text is a monumental poem inspired by the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman rule. It describes the immense struggles, sacrifices, and desire for freedom that defined the revolution. Today, the anthem stands as a powerful symbol of national unity and cultural identity.
The anthem has an intriguing origin story featuring a twenty-five-year-old poet and an Italian-trained composer. Beyond its vast length, the hymn possesses several unique distinctions in global politics and international sports.
The Authorship of the Anthem
In May 1823, a twenty-five-year-old poet named Dionysios Solomos wrote the poem on the island of Zakynthos. Solomos had studied law and literature in Italy and originally wrote poetry in Italian. Encouraged by the politician Spyridon Trikoupis, he decided to write in Greek to give the revolution its poetic voice.
Solomos composed the verses in Katharevousa, a formal version of the Greek language that combined ancient vocabulary with spoken grammar. The poem recounts key battles and tragic moments of the independence struggle, including the execution of Patriarch Gregory V. Published in 1824, the written poem quickly brought Solomos widespread fame across Europe.
In the late 1820s, composer Nikolaos Mantzaros set the massive poem to music. Mantzaros initially arranged all 158 stanzas as a choral cantata for a four-voice male choir and piano. The musical composition drew on European classical styles while incorporating local folk melodies.
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It became very popular in the Ionian Islands before gaining state recognition. In 1844, Mantzaros submitted an early musical version to King Otto of Greece. King Otto granted awards to both Solomos and Mantzaros, but he chose not to establish it as the official state anthem at that time.
The path to official adoption opened after the Ionian Islands unified with Greece in 1864. In 1865, King George I heard the work played by the Corfu Philharmonic Society and officially declared it the national anthem. His royal decree mandated that the anthem be performed across all naval formations of the Royal Navy.
The anthem holds the rare distinction of being officially shared by two sovereign nations. In 1966, the Republic of Cyprus formally adopted the "Hymn to Liberty" as its national anthem as well. This shared adoption highlights the deep cultural and ethnic connections between Greece and Cyprus.
Played at Olympic Game Closing Ceremony
Even though the original text runs 158 stanzas, standard ceremonies feature only the first two stanzas set to a lively march tempo. The full printed sheet music was published for the first time in London in 1873 in a limited edition of just twenty-seven copies. If performed in its entirety, the complete text would easily exhaust any audience or choir.
The "Hymn to Liberty" is played at every modern Olympic Games ceremony. During the closing ceremony, the anthem honors Greece as the historic birthplace of the ancient Olympics. It is also performed whenever a Greek athlete wins a gold medal in international competitions.
Famous British author Rudyard Kipling wrote an English translation of the anthem in 1918. Today, February 9 is celebrated as International Greek Language Day in honor of Solomos, who died on that date in 1857. His epic poem remains a lasting global monument to freedom and national pride.
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