Greece and Cyprus are among the countries in the world that use similar national anthems.
The national anthem was adopted from the poem “Hymn to Liberty” or “Hymn to Freedom which was written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823.
The poem, which consists of 158 stanzas, was set to music by Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos Mantzaros in 1865 and is the longest national anthem in the world by length of text.
Solomos wrote the hymn to honour the struggle of Greeks for independence after centuries of being ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
“Hymn to Liberty” recounts the misery of the Greeks under the Ottomans and their hope for freedom.
The composer describes different events of the War, such as the execution of Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople, the reaction of the Great Powers, extensively the Siege of Tripolitsa and the Christian character of the struggle
The poem was officially adopted as the national anthem of Greece in 1865 and Cyprus in 1966.
Why similar anthems?
The simple answer to why the two countries use similar anthems is because they have a lot of things in common including ethnicity, heritage, language and religion.
Greece is located in southeastern Europe while Cyprus island is located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea but the latter’s geopolitics are aligned to Southeastern Europe.
Cyprus was admitted to the Europen Union on May 1, 2004.
Only the first two stanzas of the “Hymn to Liberty” poem constitute the national anthem of Greece and Cyprus.
Here are the lyrics of the “Hymn to Liberty” in the Greek Language:
Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη. Se gnoreezo apo tin
Του σπαθιού την τρομερή, kopseetou spathiou tin
Σε γνωρίζω από την όψη, tromeree,se gnorízo apo tin opsi,
Που με βιά μετράει τη γη. pou me via metrai ti gee.
Απ’ τα κόκκαλα βγαλμένη. Ap’ ta kokkala vgalmeni
Των Ελλήνων τα ιερά, ton Ellinon ta iera,
Και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη, Kai san prota andreiomeni,
Χαίρε, ω χαίρε, ελευθεριά! here, o here, eleftheria!
Translation of the Hymn to Liberty (Greek Anthem) in English:
Literal Translation of Hymn to Liberty:
I shall always recognize you
by the dreadful sword you hold,
as the Earth with searching vision
you survey with spirit bold.
From the Greeks of old whose dying
brought to life and spirit free,
now with ancient valor rising
Let us hail you, oh Liberty!
now with ancient valor rising
Let us hail you, oh Liberty!
