The work of half a dozen scholars, which has appeared during the last twenty years, has brought about a veritable revolution in the way Solomos’ poetry (and in particular ‘The Cretan’) can be read. Their publications have enabled us at last to view Solomos’ work in its proper context and in its proper perspective.

The first and without doubt the most significant of these publications was the late Linos Politis’ edition of the autograph manuscripts (Solomos 1964), which literally made it possible for the first time for anyone to read what could not previously be deciphered except by a handful of dedicated and experienced palaeographers (foremost among whom was, of course, Politis himself). With the Autograph Works before us, we need no longer rely solely on Polylas’ (albeit inspired) choice of variants; instead, we can observe the mature poems in the very process of their growth, appreciating the whole variety of versions that Solomos considered using.