New-York tribune., 1875-12-25
TIE TRrE "MAID oF ATnENS.n

THE TRUE maid OE AInLNS.
PROOFS That THERESA MAORI WAS THE PERSON
BYRoNs LEITERs-IHE "BARREL STORY " UN-
TRUE.
70 the Edifor OF The Tribune.
SIR: TRIBUNE correspondent, writing
from vairanca calls question the generally received
opinion that Mrs Black who recently died at Athens
was the original "Maid OF Athens" to whom Byrons
poem addressed. He gives what he calls the well
authenticated facts" IN the case. Most travellers in
Greece have heard the version given by your correspond
ent but il is not difficult TO show that he has been mised
by one of the stories with which strangers often be-
guied IN the East Hardly any of the facts which he
gives will the test OF examination. Byron did not
arrive IN Athens in 1910, but in 1909, after his tour
through Albania where he had spent some time at the
court of Ali Pacha. The interview given be-
tween Lord Byron and courteous and gem
tlemanly Greek who spoke broken English, and who
gave the of Maori, acting as Consular Agent did
not take place, Mr.. Maori had been some time dead
The English ViceCOnsul at that time was Sgnor Spir
dion LogOtheu Csee HobhOuses Travels in Albania, vol
L. r. 291 also. DIR. Clnrkes Travels the East, Vol
vi, D. 2Gs). Mr.. Macr accordingly, was not driven
out Of Athens during the Greek Revolution. Byron
boarded with Theodore Macri, widow Of the former En-
gsh Vice-Consul, who gained livelihood by letting
apartments to travellers see Moore's Life of Byron vol
L. p. 3Os). Mrs. Maori had three daughters Theresa
Mariana, and katinka.
Your correspondent gives several reasons why the
poem could been addressed TO the eldest She
was only a child in her eleventh year when Byron
quilted Athens" "NO sensible person will sug-
gest that the poem was dedicated to her" The early
development in the East makes this not only
possible probable. ono of my most intimate friends
in Athens gentleman who has held the most response
bic positions under the Government, was betrothed
formally, with religious ceremonies, TO girl
only ~ years old. little girl who
sided in the family in which 1 did
ut Athens was married when only 13 years old. II fur
opt11 fI.ft1y
Of these young rs his letter to his friend Drury
dated May g. 1910. in which lie says 81 almost forgot
to tell yon that dying for love Of three Greek girls
at Athens sisters lived in the same house. Theresa,
Mariana and Katinka the Of these divintles
all OF them under 15." In another letter, dated May
s, 1870 and written TO Hodgson, he says:
An attachment to three Greek girls at Athens
etc. etc. form all that has distinguished
my progress since leaving Spain" II Byron could write
in this way Of them there is no difficulty IN su0sins
that poem cOud have been written 10 ono OF them
Moore in hs Life OF Byrou" says in note: 1t in
making love 10 OF these girls IL recoect right that
he had to an act of courtshp often praetced IN
that country namely, giving himself wound across the
breast with his dagger The young Athenlan by his own
dering 1t t tribute to her beauty but IN no degree
Again, your correspondent says: "Anoher name. not
hors and just a certainly G,oer ersog was addressed
the particular maiden Byron had in mind at the time OF
writing and the usual practice OF translatng II ne
has warrant" &c. IOur correspondent forges that
"zOe mOu" Is common expression OF endearmtnt ana
was so used i'm classic times See Juvenal VIZ 1875 IL
found in this in every collection OF the popular
OF modern Greece, IN connection with similar eH
pressions, "my light" "my SOU" "my love-" DC.
ANY one can satisfy himself this point by
referring the collections Of denote songs by AaslOes
or Angelides Byron himself gives in this sense IN his
list OF Greek phrases appended TO Childe Harold. fOui
correspondent after speaking ef ByTOn's "imperfect
lnowle ige Ol classical Creek says: Byron was TOO
much OF a Greek scholar and classical poet TO bunder
over the most conspicuous word in the entire poem"
lie claims that the poetic word meaning life" always
has the and not the omega THIS Il not correct
The ordinary form of the word in Homer, Hesiod, the
tragic poets and the later poets is generally zoe with
long o. Exceptional forms occur but they are rarely
found Generally the Ionic Greek and then the accent
varying poetic form to be violated. as he suggests
Neither s the name /Oe always pronounced Win
the accent on the first syllable.
One other point and am done Your correspondent
says the poem picked up together with other papers
left by Byron, and thrown into old barrel. These
"Byronic scraps" carried by the family TO Corfu,
and after Byron became famous the barrel was sub
jected rigid scrutiny and the poem in question found
Besides the intrinsic mprObabiity that family neelng
from Athens IN time of should carry with them "A
barrel Of old paper, that 10 one OF them knew
mad any value. and that 10 years after the
poem was written ut bears the date Athens,
lsI0) II should then have been found aud first
published IL is sufficient 60 say that find tie poem IN
the Baltimore edition OF his poems published IN 1914
Byron undoubtedly gave the poem TO tho world in con
uection with other poems written while in Greece. ii.
W williams in his " Travels in Greece" few years
Theresa the eldest daughter being the one 10 whom
the poem was addressed. IL may seem cruelty unklnd
10 bring hard dry history to take The romance out OF
poetry" correspondent suggests but IL is dOuDy
30 when statements are unsupported Dy tacts W. l. H.
Cornell UniverSilg Ithaca Dec. 10, 1870.