# Hymn to Liberty

The "Hymn to Liberty", also known as the "Hymn to Freedom", is a Greek poem written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823 and set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros in 1828. It officially became the national anthem of Greece in 1864 and Cyprus in 1966. Consisting of 158 stanzas in total, it is the longest national anthem in the world by length of text.

## History

Dionysios Solomos wrote "Hymn to Liberty" in 1823 in Zakynthos, and one year later it was printed in Messolonghi. In October 1824 it was published in London by the Philhellenic Committee, and an Italian translation was published in the Messolonghi newspaper Ellinika Chronika at about the same time.
It was set to music in 1828 by the Corfiot operatic composer Nikolaos Mantzaros, who composed a choral versions, in 24 parts, and dedicated it to the first King of Greece, Otto. Otto awarded Mantzaros with the Silver Cross of the Order of the Redeemer as a token of appreciation, but during Otto's reign (1832–1862), an anthem based on God Save the King was used, with a text glorifying Otto.
After Otto's ouster in 1862, the "Hymn to Liberty" was adopted as the national and royal anthem of Greece in 1864. The "Hymn to Liberty" was also adopted as the national anthem of Cyprus by order of the Council of Ministers in 1966.

## Lyrics

Inspired by the Greek War of Independence, Solomos wrote the hymn to honour the struggle of Greeks for independence after centuries of Ottoman rule.
"Hymn to Liberty" recounts the misery of the Greeks under the Ottomans and their hope for freedom. He 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 following are the first 8 verses of the national anthem of Greece.
| Greek original | Roman Greek | IPA transcription |
| Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη Του σπαθιού την τρομερή, Σε γνωρίζω από την όψη, Που με βιά μετράει τη γη. Απ’ τα κόκκαλα βγαλμένη Των Ελλήνων τα ιερά, 𝄆 Και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη, Χαίρε, ω χαίρε, ελευθεριά! 𝄇 Εκεί μέσα εκατοικούσες πικραμένη, εντροπαλή, κι ένα στόμα ακαρτερούσες, «έλα πάλι», να σου πει. Άργειε να 'λθει εκείνη η μέρα, Και ήταν όλα σιωπηλά, 𝄆 γιατί τά 'σκιαζε η φοβέρα και τα πλάκωνε η σκλαβιά. 𝄇 Δυστυχής! Παρηγορία μόνη σου έμενε να λες περασμένα μεγαλεία και διηγώντας τα να κλαις. Και ακαρτέρει, και ακαρτέρει φιλελεύθερη λαλιά, 𝄆 ένα εκτύπαε τ’ άλλο χέρι από την απελπισιά. 𝄇 Κι έλεες: «πότε, α! πότε βγάνω το κεφάλι από τσ' ερμιές;» Και αποκρίνοντο από πάνω κλάψες, άλυσες, φωνές. Τότε εσήκωνες το βλέμμα μες στα κλάιματα θολό, 𝄆 και εις το ρούχο σου έσταζ’ αίμα, πλήθος αίμα Ελληνικό. 𝄇 | Se gnorízo apó tin kópsi Tou spathioú tin tromerí, Se gnorízo apó tin ópsi, Pou me viá metráei ti gi. Ap’ ta kókkala vgalméni Ton Hellínon ta hierá, 𝄆 Kai san próta andreioméni, Khaíre, o khaíre, eleftheriá! 𝄇 Ekeí mésa ekatoikoúses pikraméni entropalí, ki héna stóma akarteroúses, «éla páli», na sou pei. Árgeie ná ’lthei ekeíni hi méra, Kai ítan hóla siopilá, 𝄆 giatí tá ’skiaze hi phovéra kai ta plákone hi sklaviá. 𝄇 Dystykhís! Parigoría móni sou émene na les perasména megaleía kai diigóntas ta na klais. Kai akartérei, kai akartérei phileléftheri laliá, 𝄆 héna ektýpae t’ állo khéri apó tín apelpisiá. 𝄇 Ki élees: «póte, á! póte vgáno to kepháli apó ts’ ermiés;» Kai apokrínonto apó páno klápses, hályses, phonés. Tóte esíkones to vlémma mes sta kláimata tholó, 𝄆 kai eis to roúkho sou éstaz’ haíma, plíthos haíma Hellinikó. 𝄇 | [s̠e̞‿ɣno̞.ˈɾi.z̠o̞‿a̠.ˈpo̞ tiŋ‿ˈɡo̞p̚.s̠i |] [tu s̠pa̠θ.ˈçu tin‿dɾo̞.me̞.ˈɾi |] [s̠e̞‿ɣno̞.ˈɾi.z̠o̞‿a̠.ˈpo̞ tin ˈo̞p̚.s̠i |] [pu me̞ ˈvja̠ me̞.ˈtɾa̠i̯ ti ˈʝi ‖] [a̠p ta̠ ˈko̞.ka̠.la̠‿vɣa̠l.ˈme̞.ni |] [to̞n e̞.ˈli.no̞n‿da̠‿i̯.e̞.ˈɾa̠ |] 𝄆 [ˈce̞ s̠a̠m‿ˈbɾo̞.ta̠ a̠n̪ð.ɾjo̞.ˈme̞.ni |] [ˈçe̞.ɾe̞‿o̞ ˈçe̞.ɾe̞ | e̞.le̞f.θe̞ɾ.ˈja̠ ‖] 𝄇 [e̞.ˈci ˈme̞.s̠a̠‿e̞.ka̠.ti.ˈku.s̠e̞s̠ |] [pi.kɾa̠.ˈme̞.ni‿e̞n.tɾo̞.pa̠.ˈli |] [ˈc‿e̞.na̠ ˈs̠to̞.m‿a̠.ka̠ɾ.te̞.ˈɾu.s̠e̞s̠ |] [ˈe̞.la̠ ˈpa̠.li | na̠ s̠u pi ‖] [ˈa̠ɾ.ʝe̞ ˈna̠l̪.θ(i)‿e̞.ˈci.n‿i ˈme̞.ɾa̠ |] [ˈce̞‿i.ta̠n ˈo̞.la̠ s̠jo̞.pi.ˈla̠ |] 𝄆 [ʝa̠.ˈti ta̠ ˈs̠cja̠.z̠e̞‿i fo̞.ˈve̞.ɾa̠ |] [ce̞ ta̠ ˈpla̠.ko̞.ne̞‿i s̠kla̠v.ˈja̠ ‖] 𝄇 [ðis̠.ti.ˈçis̠ pa̠.ɾi.ɣo̞.ˈɾi.a̠ |] [ˈmo̞.ni ˈs̠u‿e̞.me̞.ne̞ na̠ le̞s̠ |] [pe̞.ɾa̠.ˈz̠me̞.na̠ me̞.ɣa̠.ˈli.a̠ |] [ce̞ ði.ˈɣo̞n.ta̠s̠ ta̠ na̠ kle̞s̠ ‖] [c‿a̠.ka̠ɾ.ˈte̞.ɾi c‿a̠.ka̠ɾ.ˈte̞.ɾi |] [fi.le̞.ˈle̞f.θe̞.ɾi la̠.ˈlja̠ |] 𝄆 [ˈe̞.na̠‿e̞k.ˈti.pa̠e̯ ˈt‿a̠.lo̞ ˈçe̞.ɾi |] [a̠.ˈpo̞ tin a̠.pe̞l.pi.ˈs̠ja̠ ‖] 𝄇 [ˈc‿e̞.le̞s̠ ˈpo̞.te̞‿a̠ ˈpo̞.te̞‿ˈvɣa̠.no̞ |] [to̞ ce̞.ˈfa̠.li‿a̠.ˈpo̞ ts̠‿e̞ɾ.ˈmje̞s̠ |] [c‿a̠.po̞.ˈkɾi.no̞n.to̞‿a̠.ˈpo̞ ˈpa̠.no̞ |] [ˈkla̠p̚.s̠e̞s̠ ˈa̠.li.s̠e̞s̠ | fo̞.ˈne̞s̠ ‖] [ˈto̞.t‿e̞.ˈs̠i.ko̞.ne̞s̠ to̞ ˈvle̞.ma̠ |] [me̞s̠ s̠ta̠ ˈkla̠j.ma̠.ta̠ ˈθo̞.lo̞ |] 𝄆 [c(e̞)‿is̠ to̞ ˈru.xo̞ ˈsu‿e̞s̠.ta̠z̠ ˈe̞.ma̠ |] [ˈpli.θo̞s̠ ˈe̞.ma̠(‿)e̞.li.ni.ˈko̞ ‖] 𝄇 |

## Uses

An adapted version was used during the short-lived Cretan State as the Cretan Anthem. The "Hymn to Liberty" had been the Greek royal anthem since 1864.
"Hymn to Liberty" has been the national anthem of Cyprus since 1966.
"Hymn to Liberty" has been performed at every closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, to pay tribute to Greece as the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Most renditions performed during the closing ceremonies are instrumental. Until the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, the Greek anthem was sung for three times during the Sydney, Athens (as Greece was the host country), and Vancouver.
The version commonly played by military bands is an arrangement composed by Lieutenant Colonel Margaritis Kastellis (1907–1979), former director of the Greek Music Corps.