CAPTAIN MICHALIS

From father to son Cretans spend hatred for the Turk, the unbeliever who enslaved the Balkans after the fall of Constantinople: about four centuries of anger, which is passed in riots and massacres started and restarted without respite. 1821 marked to their neighbors in mainland Greece starting point for the conquest of independence. When, then, will come and their turn?

"One spring, a time of renewal, the question is more than ever vibrating nerves and do not need much to get fired Crete. Pasha and the metropolitan, Turkish and Christian leader respectively, trying to prevent the fire. Therefore, shortly before Easter 1889, awarded to Nourimpei call a meeting Captain Michael, to ask it to put knowledge to his brother the Manousakas, who wanted to ridicule, to put an ass into the mosque . But the Nourimpeis, wanting to coaxing his guest, shouting beautiful Witch of Emine, to sing in his honor: this will be the spark from which will break one of the most violent episodes of the struggle against the Turks, held of the epic characters of this fiery and tumultuous novel, which is one of the masterpieces of Greek literature. "
 (From the French version Nikos Kazantzaki, La liberté ou la mort, Plon, Paris 1956.)