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Reactions to the Revolutionary Movement of Rigas and to the Activities ofPoulios Markou Pouliou (1798)

• Πατρινέλης, Χρίστος Γ.

The brothers Pouliou are well known as publishers of Greek books in Vienna, as editors of the first Greek newspaper, and also as the printers of Rigas' revolutionary pamphlets. Yet, nothing was known about the activities of the elder, Poulios Markou Pouliou, during the crucial years 1797-1800. Now, a private letter, written by a certain Lazarou at Zemun, Serbia, on March 31, 1798, and addressed to his brother at Siatista, Greece, sheds some light on Poulios' movements at that time. In particular, in 1797 and early 1798 Poulios visited Jassy, Bucharest, Constantinople, Thessaloniki, and towns of Western Macedonia, where he sold «dirty books», according to Lazarou. Actually, they were mainly political treatises propagating the ideas of the French Revolution, though there were also several other books of daring erotic literature. No doubt, both kinds of books reflected the political and literary preferences of Rigas and his followers. Beside Poulios, other members of Rigas' circle (such as Ioannis Tourountzias, Constantine Doukas et al.) are described by Lazarou as «malignant people», worthy «of being impaled or hanged». The edition of Lazarou's letter is followed by an extensive commentary

• Languages and Literature

• Λογοτεχνία