Leo Allatius

Leo Allatius was a 17th Century vampirologist, considered the first modern author to write about vampires. Melton, J. G. (1999). The Vampire Book. 2 ed. p.8-9
== Biography ==
Leo was born on the island of Sanjak of Sakiz in the Ottoman Empire (modern Chios, Greece) in 1586. He moved to Rome at the age of 14 to attend the Greek College. Once he finished his studies, he returned to Sanjak of Sakiz to work as the assistant of Bishop Marco Giustiniani, before later returning to Rome to study medicine and rhetoric. Once these studies were complete, he worked for many years in the Vatican Library, becoming its Keeper in 1661. He is noted as having been very passionate about the unification of Greek and Roman churches. 
In 1645, he completed his De Graecorum hodie quirundam opinationibus, which, amongst other things, contained a description of the vrykolakas, an undecomposed corpse possessed by a demon, and the methods used by the Greek Orthodox Church to discern and dispel them. He also noted in this work that he believed in vampires due to them being reported in his homeland. This work helped popularise the connection between vampires and Greece. 
== Works ==
* De Graecorum hodie quirundam opinationibus, a work discussing the beliefs of the Greek people. 
== Further Reading ==
* The Vampire: His Kith and Kin, Summers, M.
== References ==
Category:The Vampire Book
Category:Authors