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'{{Infobox military memorial | name = Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | native_name = Μνημείο του Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη | native_name_lang = el | body = [[Greece]] | image = Tomb_of_Unknown_at_Syntagma_Square.jpg | caption = The Tomb in Athens | commemorates = Greeks who died in war | use_dates = <!-- (Do not use if preceding parameter "commemorates" used) --> | established = | unveiled = {{start date|1932|03|25}} | coordinates = {{coord|37|58|31|N|23|44|11|E||display=inline}} | location = [[Syntagma Square]], [[Athens]] | nearest_town = | designer = Emmanuel Lazaridis | total_burials = | unknowns = | commemorated = | by_country = | by_war = | inscription = | embedded = | source = }} The '''Tomb of the Unknown Soldier''' ({{lang-gr|Μνημείο του Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη |translit=Mnimío tou Agnóstou Stratióti}}) is a [[war memorial]] located in [[Syntagma Square]] in [[Athens]], in front of the [[Old Royal Palace]]. It is a [[cenotaph]] dedicated to the [[Hellenic Armed Forces|Greek soldier]]s killed during [[List_of_wars_involving_Greece#Modern_Greece|war]]. It was sculpted between 1930-32 by sculptor [[Fokion Rok]]. The tomb is guarded by the [[Evzones]] of the [[Presidential Guard (Greece)|Presidential Guard]]. ==Construction== The decision to build a monument was taken by dictator [[Theodoros Pangalos (general)|Theodoros Pangalos]]. In his capacity as Army Minister, an advertisement was placed in the ''Espera'' newspaper, requesting a "submission for a study of the construction of a tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in front of the [[Old Royal Palace]], suitable for this purpose". On 9 October 1926, the Army Ministry approved and granted by majority the study made by architect Emmanuel Lazaridis. The location of the monument at the Old Palace was suggested both by the architect himself and by Pangalos, who wish for the Army Ministry to be housed in the building. However in 1929, after fervent reaction and continuous meetings, [[Eleftherios Venizelos]], setting aside his disagreements with Pangalos, decided that the best location would be the original one in Syntagma Square, reasoning that the Monument ought to be in the city centre, much like the [[Arc de Triomphe]] in Paris. [[File:Inauguration of the Unknown Soldier, Athens 1932.jpeg|thumb|left|Inauguration, 1932, with a presence of a Turkish delegation]] The construction committee had given all responsibility for the construction to Lazaridis. Initially, he had worked with sculptor Thomas Thomopoulos who had proposed as a central sculpture a representation of the [[Gigantomachy]] with an angel (representing Greece) lovingly receiving the dead soldier. Despite Lazaridis initially agreeing to this design, Thomopoulos's sculpture was never built due to lack of funds. In 1930, Lazaridis instead assigned [[Fokion Rok]] as sculptor with a unanimous decision of the construction committee. The committee then approved a new proposal for the sculpture, a gunner lying on the ground. This design was deemed appropriate owing to its calmness and simplicity. For the construction, a large-scale excavation and levelling of terrain took place. The Tomb was unveiled on 25 March 1932 by then Prime Minister [[Andreas Michalakopoulos]], with the participation of many foreign delegations, followed by a parade of the monument guard. At the same time, a torch was brought from the monastery of [[Agia Lavra]] to light the [[eternal flame]] in the centre of the cenotaph. ==Style and inscriptions== [[File:Άποψη Μνημείου Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη στο Σύνταγμα.jpg|thumb|right|General view]] The Tomb is in the French urban and classical tradition, combined with the modern spirit of [[Art Deco]] and with symbolic references to [[Ancient Greece]]. The main issue was the integration of the Tomb with Syntagma Square and with the [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] Palace and the contribution to the redevelopment of the square. The Tomb is a large-scale Π-shaped retaining wall of limestone. The sculpture is at the centre of the wall. To the left and to the right there are two side staircases while in the centre there is a rectangular raised grave. The stairs of the monuments are purely decorative, as the steps are for observation during ceremonies. The sculpture represents the naked male figure of a dead warrior lying on the ground. He holds a circular shield in his left hand and wears an Ancient Greek-style helmet. The representation of the body gives the impression that the Unknown Soldier is ready to arise at any moment. To the left and right of the sculpture are phrases from the works of [[Thucydides]]. To the left, "{{lang|el|ΜΙΑ ΚΛΙΝΗ ΚΕΝΗ ΦΕΡΕΤΑΙ ΕΣΤΡΩΜΕΝΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΦΑΝΩΝ}}" ("There's one empty bier made up for the unidentified [fallen] ones"); to the right, "{{lang|el|ΑΝΔΡΩΝ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΩΝ ΠΑΣΑ ΓΗ ΤΑΦΟΣ}}" ("The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men"). Both are quotes from ''[[History of the Peloponnesian War]]''. Over the main sculpture in smaller writing, one reads "{{lang|el|ΕΙΣ ΑΦΑΝΗ ΣΤΡΑΤΙΩΤΗ}}" ("To an unknown soldier"). The names of battles where many Greek lives were lost in recent history are written into the limestone walls around the sculpture. [[File:Evzones marching, Athens, Greece.jpg|thumb|right|Side view, showing the steps with inscribed locations]] To the left of the monument, descending by the steps, are inscribed the names of battle locations of the [[First Balkan War|First]] and [[Second Balkan War]] and the [[Greece during World War I|World War I]]: [[Elassona]], [[Battle of Sarantaporo|Sarantaporo]], Lazarades, Porta Pass, [[Katerini]], [[Battle of Sorovich|Sorovich]], [[Battle of Yenidje|Yenidje]], [[Thessaloniki]], [[Arnissa|Ostrovon]] and [[Capture of Korytsa|Korytsa]], Pesta, Gribovo, [[Battle of Pente Pigadia|Pente Pigadia]], [[Preveza]], [[Aetorrachi, Elis|Aetorrachi]], Manoliassa, [[Battle of Bizani|Bizani]], Driskos, [[Battle of Kilkis–Lachanas|Kilkis–Lachanas]], [[Belasica|Belles]], [[Battle of Kresna Gorge|Kresna-Tsoumagia]], Petsovo, [[Nevrokop|Nevrokopi]], [[Banitsa (ruins)|Banitsa]], Machomea, Golobilo, Sborsko, [[Preslap]], [[Crna River (Vardar)|Erigon]], Ravine, [[Bitola|Monastiri]], [[Battle of Skra-di-Legen|Skra]], [[Struma (river)|Strymon]], [[Battle of Doiran|Doiran]], [[Belasica|Belles]], Grankorone and [[Kožuf|Tzena]]. To the right of the monument, descending by the steps, are inscribed the names of battle locations of the [[Russian Civil War]] and [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]]: [[Kherson|Cherson]], Sermikas, [[Odessa|Odissos]], Sevastoupolis, [[Erdek|Artaki]], [[Aydın|Aidinio]], [[Bursa|Proussa]], [[Alaşehir|Philadelphia]], Toumlou Bunar, [[Kütahya|Koutacheia]], [[Eskişehir|Dorilaion]], [[Afyonkarahisar]], [[Battle of Sakarya|Sangarios]] and Kale-Groto. To the left and right of the figure of the dead soldier are the names of battle locations of [[Military history of Greece during World War II|World War II]] and later engagements in which Greeks died: [[Battle of Pindus|Pindus]], [[Battle of Morava–Ivan|Morova]], [[Korçë|Korytsa]], [[Battle of Elaia–Kalamas|Kalamas]], Tomoros, [[Battle of Trebeshina|Trebeshina]], [[Himara|Cheimarra]], [[Gjirokastër|Argyrokastron]], [[Battle of Hill 731|(Hill) 731]], Boubesi, [[Kalpaki]], [[Battle of Kleisoura Pass|Kleisoura]], [[Përmet|Premeti]], [[Ostrovitsa]], [[Pogradec]], [[Fort Roupel|Roupel]], Perithori, [[Battle of Crete|Crete]], [[Second Battle of El Alamein|El Alamein]], [[Battle of Rimini (1944)|Rimini]], [[Rubicon|Roubikonas]], [[Dodecanese campaign|Dodecanese]], [[Korean War|Korea]] and [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Cyprus]]. ==Gallery== <gallery> File:Guard Duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Syntagma Square, Athens, Greece.jpg|Guard duty by a man of the [[Hellenic Gendarmerie]] in 1956 File:Decorative shield, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Boat, Athens, Greece.jpg|Decorative shield File:This shot, and the two previous ones, were taken in Athens at midday on one of the hottest days I've ever experienced. Dressed in very heavy uniforms these guards stand motionless for four or five (84572779).jpg|Battle locations are inscribed on the monument File:A@a syntagma athens greece - panoramio (4).jpg|Changing of the guard File:Two Evzones Tomb Unknown Soldier Athens Greece.jpg|Changing guard </gallery> ==References== * {{cite book|author=Giōrgos Stathakopoulos|title=Στης Βουλής τα πέριξ : το Μνημείο του Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη και ο Εθνικός Κήπος|language=el|year=2009|publisher=Hellenic Parliament Foundation|ISBN=9789606757235}} ==External links== {{commonscat|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens}} *[http://www.geetha.mil.gr/media/21noe/agnostos-stratiotis.pdf Tomb of the Unknown Soldier] (in Greek) {{Landmarks in Athens}} [[Category:Tombs of Unknown Soldiers]] [[Category:Monuments and memorials in Greece]] [[Category:Landmarks in Athens]] [[Category:1932 establishments in Greece]]'