Ionian Islands, 21st May,1864, Unification with Greece; Ο ΒΡΑΧΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΚΥΜΑ. Corfu Celebrates Enosis; Ο Εφτανήσιος μετά την ένωσην

It happens that I am re-reading "Slaves in their Chains" by Konstantinos Theotokis (1922), translated into English by J.M.Q. Davies.

In Chapter 3, the heavily indebted Corfiot Count Alexandros Ophiomachos Philaretos is nursing his grievances, "and this made him nostalgic for the British protectorate which as a young man he had known in all its glory. 'In those days, we shabby-genteel noblemen still counted, even if were up to our ears in debt! A letter from my father would set a whole village trembling in those days. Things were a thousand times better! And yet some demon possessed us to expel the British - those refined and courteous people, a government like that! Serves us right now, under Greece. Serves us damn well right! And yet we were already in decline by then, with the cost of living soaring and the liberals curtailing all our privileges...A curse upon them!' "

It is hardly necessary to point out that the Count's views are not those of the author, Theotokis.

Η Ένωση των Επτανήσων

153 years since Enosis, 21 May, 1864

 Ο βράχος και το κύμα, ΑΡΙΣΤΟΤΕΛΗΣ ΒΑΛΑΩΡΙΤΗΣ

Video, with Greek text

On the British Protectorate, from The Ionian Islands and Epirus, A Cultural History

Attitudes Before and After Unification

Images from the past:

Ο Εφτανήσιος μετά την ένωσην

Πως κάνουμε να ζούμε δεν ηξέρω!
οι δασμοί μας έγδαραν το πετσί μας.

Όπου το βλέμμα ρίψω, όπου το φέρω,
βλέπω στενοχώρια στην ύπαρξή μας

Την μητριά κυβέρνηση υποφέρω,
που εκεί κοντά μας έπιε την πνοή μας.

Μα αποζητώ και το κεφάλι δέρω,
όπου έδιωξα την πρώτη μητρική μας.

Εκείν' ήτανε μάνα αγαπημένη,
εκείνη μητρικά μας εκυβέρνα.

Μα τούτη τώρα είν' Τούρκα διψασμένη,
που κάνει με το αίμα μας ταβέρνα.

Μας απελπίζει ώστε να λέμε τώρα,
Ανάθεμα, ανάθεμα την ώρα.

Α.Λασκαράτος


Finally, a comment on Laskaratos' poem ("The Seven-Islander After Union") from  The Ionian Islands and Epirus, A Cultural History