Its themes are love, honour, friendship and courage. It is written in the Cretan dialect of the Greek language. A particular type of rhyming used in the traditional mantinades was also the one used in Erotokritos.
The name 'Erotokritos' is the name of the main character of the poem. It means 'the one that has been tortured by love'. The poem is constituted by 10.000 verses, divided in five parts. Initially, the story appears to take place in Ancient Athens. But the poet has added characters, facts and places from the Middle Ages and his own time.
The plot is twisting around the love of Erotokritos and Aretousa, the daughter of the King of Athens. Erotokritos was the son of Pezostratos, adviser of the King. Being from an inferior social class to the princess, any relation between them was impossible.
Therefore Erotokritos disguises himself and starts singing erotic songs under her window in the evenings. And slowly the princess falls in love with the unknown singer.
At some time Erotokritos is forced, together with his friend Polidoros, to kill ten of the Kings bodyguards who have been sent to arrest him. He then flees to the city of Egripos, where, in vain alas, he tries to forget his love.
When the unknown singer stops singing under her window, Aretousa, discovers that she loves him. And during a visit at the house of Pezostratos, the father of Erotokritos, she discovers the identity of her secret admirer and falls in deep sadness.
In an attempt to entertain his daughter, the King organises fights of joust. Erotokritos participates, wins the fight and takes the prize for his victory by the hands of his beloved princess. Taking courage from his victory, he dares to ask her father, King Iraklis to give him Aretousa in marriage. The king, however, gets furious, exiles Erotokritos and orders his daughter to marry the successor to the throne of Byzantium. Aretousa refuses, where after the king confines her in a dark, humid dungeon, where she remains for years, suffering many hardships.
After a number of years, the king of Vlahias declares war on Athens and invades with his army. But Erotokritos after drinking a magic liquid that changes his appearance, comes to help his homeland. While fighting he happens to save the life of the old King.
Finally, the war is concluded in a duel between Erotokritos and the nephew of the King of Vlahias. Erotokritos overcomes but gets seriously wounded. He is brought to the royal palace, where he stays until he is cured.
The King wants to express his gratitude and offers to adopt him and assign to him half of his kingdom. But Erotokritos however refuses. Instead he ask the king to release Aretousa and allow him to marry her. At first the princess refuses to be married to a stranger, but then Erotokritos reveals his real identity. The marriage takes place and the young couple inherits the throne of Athens
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