Evangelos Zappas
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Evangelis Zappas (1800–1865), aka Evangelos Zappas, was a wealthy Greek patriot[1], philanthropist, and founder of the modern international Olympic Games[2].
[edit] Early life
Evangelis Zappas was born of Greek ancestry[3][4][5][6][7][8] in 1800 in the Greek[9] village of Labovë, in Northern Epirus near Tepelenë, in the Ottoman Empire (now part of the Gjirokastër region of southern Albania). Zappas initially fought as a mercenary soldier in the Ottoman army of Ali Pasha[10], he later joined his countrymen[11] in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Turks. During this period Zappas became a Major[12] in the army and became a close personal friend of the distinguished leader Markos Botsaris[13]. In 1831 he emigrated to the border of Wallachia and Moldavia (now part of Romania and Moldova).
In 1856, he wrote to King Otto of Greece offering 400 shares in the steamship company so that the dividends could be used to establish the Olympic Games, the Olympiad, and to provide prizes to the Olympian victors. In 1859, he succeeded in reviving the Olympic Games in a city square in Athens, Greece. Zappas died before the next Games that he had sponsored, but due to his bequeathing a large part of his fortune for the continued revival of the Olympic Games, they were held again in 1870, and 1875 at the Panathenian stadium in Athens. [14]
Zappas had funded the refurbishment of the Panathenian stadium and the building of the first modern, purpose-built, Olympic building called the Zappeion. The head of Zappas is buried beneath his memorial outside the Zappeion in Athens which is located opposite the Panathenian stadium. Baron Pierre de Coubertin made a similar gesture by having his heart buried at Olympia.
Evangelis Zappas re-established the Olympic Games for the first time since they were held in ancient Greece and these foundations were used by Baron Pierre de Coubertin and the International Olympic Committee (founded in 1894). Competitors attended the Olympic Games from both Greece and the Ottoman Empire making them international from 1859.[15][16]
The Olympic Games, sponsored by Zappas, were held in the Panathenian stadium in 1870 and 1875. The stadium was later used for the Olympic Games held in 1896, 1906, and 2004. The Zappeion was used as the Olympic Press Center during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
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[edit] References
- ^ Johnson, Michael – Rendell, Matt – Rogge, Jacques (2004). The Olympics: Athens to Athens 1896-2004. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 11. ISBN 0297843826. "Zappas. a wealthy Greek patriot, founded the first Panhellenic Games"
- ^ Landry, Fernand – Landry, Marc – Yerlès, Magdeleine (1991). Sport: The Third Millennium : International Symposium. Presses Université Laval. p. 108. ISBN 2763772676. "Zappas the real founder of the modern Games was aging and ailing, ready to pass the torch to a successor"
- ^ Hill, Christopher R. (1992). Olympic Politics. Manchester University Press ND. p. 15. ISBN 0719037921. "Greece owed the Games of 1859 and 1870 to Evangelios Zappas, a rich merchant of Greek origin living in Romania."
- ^ Gerlach, Larry R. (2004). The Winter Olympics: From Chamonix to Salt Lake. University of Utah Press. p. 37. ISBN 0874807786. "Zappas, born to a Greek family in 1800 in Albania, had no schooling."
- ^ Landry, Fernand – Landry, Marc – Yerlès, Magdeleine (1991). Sport: The Third Millennium : International Symposium. Presses Université Laval. p. 103. ISBN 2763772676. "Evangelis Zappas was an unschooled Greek, born in 1800 in a small village now part of Albania"
- ^ Brownell, Susan (2008). The 1904 Anthropology Days and Olympic Games: Sport, Race, and American Imperialism. Nebraska Press. p. 36. ISBN 0803210981. "The wealthy Greek merchant who funded the Olympiad, Evangelis Zappas, had intended to revive the ancient Olympic Games"
- ^ Decker, Wolfgang (2006). Festschrift für Wolfgang Decker zum 65. Geburtstag. University of Michigan: Weidmann. p. 273. ISBN 3615003268. "E. Zappas, a Greek bom in Albania but liv- ing in Romania, founded modern Greek Olympics that were held in 1859, 1870, 1875 and 1888"
- ^ Chandler, Nicola – Murray, Peter (2008). Olympic World. Murray Books. p. 36. ISBN 098031318X. "Interest was reignited in the 19th century by a wealthy Greek called Evangelos Zappas who sponsored the first modern international Olympic Games in 1859."
- ^ Gerlach, Larry R. (2004). The Winter Olympics: From Chamonix to Salt Lake. University of Utah Press. p. 25. ISBN 0874807786. "After a humble beginning in a Greek village in Albania, Zappas had become one of the richest men in eastern Europe."
- ^ Matthews, George R. (1904). America's First Olympics: The St. Louis Games of 1904. University of Missouri Press. p. 45. ISBN 0826215882. "Zappas began a military career as a mercenary soldier in the Ottoman Turk army of All Pasha, later joining his countrymen in the Greek War of Independence. During the conflict Zappas became the aide-de-camp and close personal friend of the renowned Markos Botsaris."
- ^ Matthews, George R. (1904). America's First Olympics: The St. Louis Games of 1904. University of Missouri Press. p. 45. ISBN 0826215882. "Zappas began a military career as a mercenary soldier in the Ottoman Turk army of All Pasha, later joining his countrymen in the Greek War of Independence. During the conflict Zappas became the aide-de-camp and close personal friend of the renowned Markos Botsaris."
- ^ Hill, Christopher R. (1992). Olympic Politics. Manchester University Press ND. p. 16. ISBN 0719037921. "He..became a Major in the army and had been involved in Greek liberation movements"
- ^ Matthews, George R. (1904). America's First Olympics: The St. Louis Games of 1904. University of Missouri Press. p. 45. ISBN 0826215882. "Zappas began a military career as a mercenary soldier in the Ottoman Turk army of All Pasha, later joining his countrymen in the Greek War of Independence. During the conflict Zappas became the aide-de-camp and close personal friend of the renowned Markos Botsaris."
- ^ Young, David C. (1996). The Modern Olympics - A Struggle for Revival. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-5374-5.
- ^ Young, David C. (1996). The Modern Olympics - A Struggle for Revival. The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-5374-5.
- ^ Dimitri Iatridi, Grigori Ksirogianni, Georgio Andreaki, Konstantino Zappa, Iaonni Joachimidi, Panagioti Samartzi, and Georgio Tsiami. "Επιτροπή Ολυμπίων και Κληροδοτημάτων, Ζάππειο 1888-1988". Economic Ministry of the Olympic Committee and Legacy at the Zappeion Megaro, 1998.
