Did you hear about the general who wanted the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in his ministry? That’s just a glimpse into the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’s story. Here at Syntagma Square, we stand before a monument of profound significance. This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers who died during war.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was created between 1930 and 1932. Fokion Rok sculpted this moving war memorial. The decision to construct this monument came from General Theodoros Pangalos. He was a constitutional dictator at the time. Pangalos wanted it in front of the Old Royal Palace. He even advertised for design submissions in the Espera newspaper.
Architect Emmanuel Lazaridis’s study was approved. Initially, Lazaridis wanted the Army Ministry housed in the Old Palace. Eleftherios Venizelos decided Syntagma Square was a better location. He wanted it in the city center. It should be like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Lazaridis first worked with sculptor Thomas Thomopoulos. Thomopoulos proposed a Gigantomachy scene. An angel representing Greece would lovingly receive a dead soldier. The design was not built due to lack of funds. In 1930, Fokion Rok became the sculptor. He designed a gunner lying on the ground. Its calmness and simplicity were deemed appropriate.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was unveiled on March 25 1932. Prime Minister Andreas Michalakopoulos presided over the ceremony. Foreign delegations attended. A torch was brought from Agia Lavra monastery. It lit the eternal flame in the center of the cenotaph.
The Tomb’s style blends French urban and classical traditions. It is combined with Art Deco’s modern spirit. It includes symbolic references to Ancient Greece. The goal was to integrate the Tomb with Syntagma Square. It also had to complement the neoclassical Palace.
The Tomb is a large limestone wall shaped like the Greek letter pi. A sculpture sits at the wall’s center. Side staircases flank the sculpture. A rectangular raised grave is in the center. The stairs are decorative for observation during ceremonies.
The sculpture depicts a naked dead warrior. He lies on the ground. He holds a circular shield. He wears an Ancient Greek-style helmet. The body’s representation suggests he might arise any moment.
Phrases from Thucydides are inscribed to the sculpture’s left and right. To the left, it reads “There’s one empty bier made up for the unidentified fallen ones”. To the right, “The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men”. Above the main sculpture reads “To an unknown soldier”.
Battle names where many Greeks died are on the limestone walls. To the left are battles from the Balkan Wars and World War I. These include Elassona Sarantaporo and Kilkis-Lachanas. To the right are battles from the Russian Civil War and Greco-Turkish War. Cherson Sermikas and Afyonkarahisar are listed. World War II and later battles are also inscribed. Pindus Crete and Cyprus are among them.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands as a powerful symbol. It honors those whose sacrifice remains etched in history. The monument serves as a reminder of the countless unknown soldiers. Their stories are interwoven into Greece’s national identity.