Kostas Kyriatzis was a person that harmonically embodied a rare composition virtues from the highest spectrum. This primarily intellectual man, mild and with great courtesy, was accompanied by an unyielding activism, unwavering determination, and absolute consistency with his beliefs.
Kostas Kyriatzis was a descendant of the intellectual pioneer and hero of the Greek Revolution, Rigas Ferreos, whose real name was Antonis Kyriatzis. Rigas had no children, but he had a brother, Anagnostis Kyriatzis, who was a deputy for Thessalomagnesia in the first Greek National Assembly of Astros in 1822. Anagnostis and his son, Dimitris, who played a leading role in the September 3, 1843 Revolution, which resulted in the passage of the first Greek constitution, were the ancestors of Kostas Kyriatzis.
He was born in Athens on July 28, 1920, to Dimitrios and Despoina Kyriatzis (née Nikopolou).
Kostas Kyriatzis was co-owner and publisher of the oldest democratic newspaper in Greece, Ethnos, which was first published in 1913. In 1938, at the age of 18, he took over the management of the newspaper when its founder, Spyros Nikopolou, passed away without children. His mother, Despoina Kyriatzis, was Spyros Nikopolou's sister.
During the German occupation, he participated in the resistance and was honored for his actions with the Medal of National Resistance.
Kyriatzis was not limited to publishing duties. When the newspaper resumed publication after the Germans withdrew in November 1944, he covered both civil wars as a war correspondent. He later reported on international events, such as the Anglo-French invasion of Suez in 1957 (he was the only Western journalist at the time to interview Egyptian President Nasser, which was considered such a success that it was republished in the international press), the introduction of apartheid in South Africa with particularly critical comments, and exclusive interviews with heads of state and figures such as Tito.
During the dictatorship, he had the courage, despite martial law and censorship, to write against it in the newspaper. The Ethnos campaign, which became a symbol against the dictatorship, lasted for 6 months. A notable feature was the column “If I Were a Dictator,” which served as a referendum by the people against the dictatorship. Additionally, a front-page publication with a striking headline in large letters, "Let Democracy Be Born," featured the biography of Eleftherios Venizelos.
Following an assassination attempt on Makarios by Georgkatzis, he seized the opportunity to strike at the dictatorship by interviewing imprisoned former political leaders, culminating in an interview with G. Zigdis, which concluded that the dictatorship was incapable of solving the Cyprus issue and a government of national unity was needed.
Before the newspaper could be published that afternoon, he was arrested at his home, taken to the Security Police, and ended up in a military tribunal. Hours later, I. Zigdis, political editor of Ethnos G. Kapsis, his brother Achilleas, cousin and co-publisher K. Nikopolou, and the newspaper's director K. Oikonomidis were arrested.
He underwent a military trial, was sentenced to four years in prison, and imposed a crippling fine. The newspaper was shut down, resulting in financial ruin.
After the dictatorship, he became the President of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), a position equivalent to the Minister of Tourism, as there was no Ministry of Tourism at that time. His tenure was considered particularly successful, allowing him to remain president for eight years, setting a record for presidential tenure since the establishment of EOT. He argued that tourism is the "passport to peace among nations" and worked tirelessly towards this goal. His work was internationally recognized with his election as President of the "International Tourism Organization" and the "Working Group for Tourism" of the EU.
As President of EOT, he pioneered a policy of cooperation with countries worldwide, including agreements with the then Soviet Union (an opening to communist countries), Syria, Thailand, Israel, and more. His agreement with Israel was a first step toward Greece recognizing Israel as a state, which had not yet occurred.
Kostas Kyriatzis was a tireless scholar of history, particularly Byzantine history. He wrote 13 historical novels and was honored for his literary work with two Academy awards, a national award, and the Italian La Sponta. His books achieved great publishing success, having sold over 200,000 copies in Greece, and their translations enjoyed similar success.
His aim was to revive the generally lesser-known history of Byzantium, with absolute respect for history, yet written in a way that historical figures would come to life, touch readers, and be brought closer to the modern audience. By reading these novels, the reader doesn't just learn; they live the history, and this is why they achieved great publishing success.
For his contributions as a journalist and writer, he was honored with medals from Italy, Hungary, Egypt, Syria, Yugoslavia, and all four Patriarchates.
He passed away on September 21, 1991.
In order to honor his memory and promote his ideas and ideals, his wife, journalist and foreign correspondent Artemis Kyriatzis, and his son, economist and professor Nikos Kyriatzis, established the "International Kostas Kyriatzis Center" in 1992. The center has established international honorary awards, among the most prestigious in Greece, given to international figures who have contributed to promoting humanitarian values. It also awards financial prizes to Greek journalists and carries out social and scientific work, sponsoring charitable institutions such as the Paralympics and Very Special Arts Hellas, organizing and funding scientific conferences (such as the first international conference on "Terrorism Why" in 1992, in collaboration with Sorbonne University – Assas Pantheon), with participation from renowned professors abroad.
Novels by K. Kyriatzis in chronological order of publication:
Constantinos Paleologos
Theofano
Vasilios Voulgaroktonos
Heraclius
Constantine the Great
Mother of Mani
Romanos IV Diogenes
Trilogy
1176-1212
Agnes the Frank
The Fourh Crusade
Henry of Aino
Trilogy of the Catalan Company, the Palaiologos, and the Frankish Duchy of Athens
Roger de Flor
Berenger de Rockfort
Walter de Brienne
English 
Ελληνικά