Mikelis Avlichos

Mihail G. "Mikelis" Avlichos (Greek: Μιχαήλ Γ. (Μικέλης) Άβλιχος; March 18, 1844 – November 28, 1917) was a Greek poet and scholar.

Biography

He was born in Lixouri, Kefalonia. He remained in Lixouri until his graduation from the Petritsio high school and then completed his philosophical and philological education in Bern, Switzerland and other centres of Europe.

In his early years he was influenced by the radicals Andreas Laskaratos and Andreas Momferatos and during his teenage years was already associated with them. While in Bern, he met the Russian anarchists Mikhail Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin and he adopted their philosophies.

His poetry follows the Heptanisian tradition and he was the last to write in this style. His reasoning was revolutionary and he opposed the social order he lived in.

As the poet Kostis Palamas wrote in his obituary, "He was negative to the current social structure and he hated militarism and war".

In his poetry referred to political or social affairs, treating them satirically or ironically. He is characterized as an atheist, a theoretical anarchist and a radical.

In 1887, after ten years of study abroad, he moved to Corfu due to health reasons and at the age of 34, he returned to Lixouri, where he lived until his death.

His poems where published posthumously and many of them became songs.

Sources

• Antidogma Νο. 2 (magazine), Nafplio, 2006.
• James Sotros, The Greek Speaking Anarchist and Revolutionary Movement (1830-1940) - Writings for a History, in: No Gods-No Masters, December 2004