180.00€
A rare and highly collectible signed first edition of Οι Νικημένοι (The Defeated) by Elias Venezis, published in 1954 by the historic Greek publishing house Estia Publishing House.
This important collection of 20 short stories is a defining work of the Greek “Generation of the ’30s,” showcasing Venezis’ deeply humanistic and lyrical prose.
Publication Details
Title: Οι Νικημένοι (The Defeated)
Author: Elias Venezis
Publisher: Kollaros-Estia Publishing House
Year: 1954 (First Edition)
Language: Greek
Pages: 173
Size: 21 cm x 14 cm
Binding: Original softcover with dust jacket
Cover Art: Illustration by Spyros Vassiliou
About the Work
The Defeated is a powerful series of short narratives—“chronicles and impressions” drawn from journeys and lived experience—centered on individuals marked by loss, displacement, and historical burden.
Through a subtle, atmospheric style, Venezis portrays:
Refugees and uprooted lives
Ordinary people shaped by fate and hardship
A melancholic, introspective world imbued with quiet tragedy
His prose balances poetic sensitivity with documentary realism, transforming personal and collective trauma into enduring literary memory.
Copy-Specific Features (Provenance)
Signed and inscribed copy
Dedicated to Georgios Spyropoulos, physician at the General State Hospital of Piraeus Queen Frederica
Includes two original prescription sheets from the hospital with printed letterhead
This unique association adds an extra historical and collectible dimension, linking the book to post-war Greek medical and social history.
Condition
Very good vintage condition. Please refer to photos for detailed condition.)
Literary Significance
Elias Venezis (1904–1973)is among the most important Greek prose writers of the 20th century. His works—such as Number 31328 and Aeolian Land—are landmarks of modern Greek literature.
Central figure of the Generation of the 1930s
Combines historical testimony with profound humanism
His writing preserves the memory of displacement and survival in the modern Greek experience
This edition is particularly desirable due to:
First edition status (1954)
Original dust jacket
Author’s signature and inscription
Documented provenance with ephemera
