160.00€
A scarce and highly localized piece of Greek historical ephemera, published in Mytilene (Mytilini), Lesbos, in 1931, documenting the history of the island during the period of Ottoman rule.
This original softcover booklet, written in Greek, covers the history of Lesbos from the Ottoman conquest in 1462 through the island’s liberation in 1912 during the First Balkan War. It is particularly interesting as a locally produced historical publication from the interwar period, reflecting the strong interest in recording and preserving the history of Lesbos only a few decades after the end of Ottoman rule.
An important bibliographical point
The booklet contains 56 pages, and its final page, page 56, is headed “The Russians in Mytilene”, referring to the Russian fleet’s attempt to capture the harbour of Mytilini by bombarding the fortress. The account ends abruptly in the middle of a sentence.
This should not be interpreted as a defective or incomplete copy. A second part (Τεύχος Β΄ / Part B) was published separately in 1934 and continued the history, including the history of Mytilene during the 18th century. Thus, the apparently unfinished ending is a consequence of the division of the work into separately published parts, rather than evidence of missing pages from this copy.
Bibliographical details:
Authors: Φ. Δημου, Δ. Παροδιτη / F. Dimos, D. Paroditis
Title: Ιστορία της Τουρκοκρατουμένης Λέσβου 1462–1912
English: History of Ottoman-ruled Lesbos 1462–1912
Part: Τεύχος Α΄ (Part A)
Publisher: Παναγ. Τσιβίλης (Panag. Tsivirlis)
Place of publication: Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece
Date: 1931
Language: Greek
Format: Original paper wrappers / softcover booklet
Dimensions: approximately 17.5 cm × 12.5 cm
Extent: 56 pages
Related publication: Part B, published separately in 1934
Condition
Good vintage condition for an approximately 95-year-old locally printed booklet. The original front cover is present and retains an attractive, authentic age-toned patina. There is minor edge wear and slight tearing consistent with the fragile paper stock commonly used for small regional publications of the period. The binding remains intact.
Please examine the photographs carefully for the precise condition of the spine, rear cover, corners, edges, and internal pages.
Historical significance
This is an appealing item for collectors of Greek history, Lesbos and Mytilene, Ottoman Greece, the Aegean, Balkan history, local history, Greek bibliography, and interwar Greek printed ephemera. Its value lies particularly in its combination of a highly specific regional subject, early 20th-century date, local Mytilene provenance, and the fact that the work was issued in separate parts.
A particularly interesting aspect is the relatively short chronological distance between publication and the events described: the Ottoman period of Lesbos had ended only 19 years before this booklet was published, giving the work additional context as an interwar attempt to document the island’s recent historical past.
Please note: This listing is for Part A (Τεύχος Α΄), published in 1931, only. Part B was issued separately in 1934 and is not included unless explicitly shown in the photographs.
