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Columns of Olympian Zeus, Athens, 1870

1883-1884. Triumphant entry into Athens and the cities of Asia Minor

Α national hero with super powers

“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’ to have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.“

Steve Jobs

Panagis is already in Athens. The shows of strength he carries out suffocately fill the few theaters of the city. Everyone is talking about him. Coutalianos is undoubtedly the hero of these days.

June 10, 1884
In the theater of APOLLO, the wrestler Omer (possibly Turkish) challenges anyone who wishes to come and face him.  A musical orchestra will accompany the wrestling match.
June 5, 1884
Coutalianos wishes to fight in the Panathenaic/ Kalimarmaro stadium and not in a theater, because the managers of the matches are profiting at the expense of the spectators by announcing lies. With such methods, they organize matches and once the tickets are sold they cancel the matches and disappear.
The Panathenaic Stadium in a photo from 1907
May 27, 1884
Coutalianos performed a show of strength to the packed crowd
 Theater of Olympia.

At the junction of Kalamiotou and Evangelistria streets, between the churches of Agia Irini and Panagia Romvi, was the fountain of Kalamiotou. Morosini and the return of the Athenians to the city built this after the destruction of Athens. It is said that a rich Christian, originally from Kalamos, settled in Athens and around 1698 built his residence and in front of it a fountain, which later became known as the Kalamiotou fountain. At the time when Coutalianos had visited Athens, opposite this fountain there was a photography studio. In this studio, the athlete took various commemorative photos, holding his various weights.

Fountain of Kalamiotou.
The neighborhood around the fountain.
The building opposite the fountain. There is a possibility that the photography studio where Coutalianos took his pictures was housed in this old building.
Coutalianos is photographed sitting on the champion’s throne. His famous cannons can be seen at his feet. (Athlitismos, July 8, 1935)
The three cannons are fired at the same time while the athlete is holding them. We got the photo from “Pireorama”, a website about the history of the city of Piraeus.
July 2, 1884
Panagis will perform at the “Paradisos” theater. The proceeds of the collections will be allocated to support the Chatzikostas Orphanage. Immediately after, he will leave to go first to Aigio and then to Patras, where he will give a series of performances.
June 7, 1884
“….I came to Greece to live with honor. I want to leave my bones in my homeland….”
Apr. 27, 1886
We are citing this particular article because it appears that the athlete baptized the daughter of photographer Martimianakis two years later (in 1886), giving her the name “Heraklia”
July 8, 1884
“Aristophanes” , May 23, 1884. Cartoon of Greek Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis (1832-1896) imitating Coutalianos, playing with a large iron ball with his feet.
Coutalianos thanks the residents of Nafplio for the warm welcome they gave him.
June 10, 1884
PARADISOS THEATER: Coutalianos will perform accompanied by his son Antonios.
APOLLON THEATER: the Turkish wrestler Omer challenges Panagis to fight. If Coutalianos does not respond, then the Turkish athlete will fight with two other Greek athletes
“Akropolis” May 19, 1884. Announcement of Coutalianos’ performance at the Olympia Theater. The program of exercises he will perform is detailed.
The entrance of the Paradisos theater, in old Athens. (A black arrow marks it)
June 15, 1884
Coutalianos gives performances at Paradisos theater for charity.
May 18, 1884
The newspapers praise Coutalianos. His upcoming performance at the Olympia Theater is advertised.
June 18, 1884
Coutalianos at the Paradisos Theater for another performance. The theater program includes a puppet show, with human-sized puppets that move with a strange mechanism.
May 19, 1884
Since yesterday, Athens has hosted the direct descendant of the hero Herakles. Coutalianos is here and is preparing to give his performance at the Olympia Theater. It is also said that this show will be the only one he will give in the capital of Greece. (Note: The managers of the show falsely advertised that the athlete would give a one-off performance in order to sell out the tickets. The athlete who was unaware of this fraud at the expense of his spectators got angry and avoided working with this gang of mobsters again.)
Photo of the area of ​​the columns of Olympian Zeus (1873). In the center, you can see the gate of Andrian and on the right the columns of Olympian Zeus. The long narrow large building seen in the lower left is the theater of Olympia, which no longer exists. A cafe was housed in the building with the large tiled roof opposite the theater. When Coutalianos performed the shows in the theater of Olympia, many people climbed up on that tiled roof and tried to enjoy the spectacle, without paying a ticket.
May 21, 1884
The arrival of “New Hercules” P. Coutalianos in Athens is expected. People are excited and tickets for the upcoming show are sold out.
July 21, 1884

Coutalianos is already in Patras and giving performances
May 22, 1884
Hymnical description of Coutalianos’ great performance at the Olympia Theater in Athens.
June 24, 1884
Coutalianos stopped his cooperation with the managers who were deceiving the viewers. Now he gives his performances at Paradisos Theater.
June 24, 1884
The proceeds of Coutalianos’ performance will be allocated to support prisoners in “Cockla Prisons”.
Coutalianos who came to Athens by sailboat from the city of Volos, was accompanied by his childhood friend Efstathios Karavangelis. We learend that his friend left and returned back to Volos, where he lives with his family.
May 25, 1884
Description of Coutalianos’ second performance at the Olympia Theater.
June 26, 1884
It is announced that Coutalianos will give three performances in Piraeus. Then he will go to Patras.
June 26, 1884
The poem addressed by the scholar M.M. Papas to Coutalianos, when the latter returned after many years of wandering to his island, Coutali (turkish: Ekinlik ada).
The Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis calls Coutalianos to his office to congratulate him in person.
May 27, 1884
 
Coutalianos went to the photography studio located opposite the Kalamiotou fountain in order to be photographed.
May 28, 1884
Enthusiastic description of Koutalianos’ performance at the Olympia Theater. Wild clashes between police and spectators for a place inside the theater.
Athens of the 19th century. This is roughly how the city was when the super athlete Coutalianos visited it.
July 29, 1884
 The athlete returns from Patras to Athens.
Sept. 2, 1884
Reference is made to the high demand for tickets to Coutalianos’ performances.
Μay 20, 1884
The arrival of Coutalianos in Faliro and the upcoming performance he will give at the “Olympia” theater are announced.
June 25, 1884. Comment on the athlete’s wonderful performance.
May 22, 1884
Commentary on the crowd at Coutalianos’ performance
Μay 22, 1884
Commentary on the performance of Coutalianos
Μay 22, 1884
Commentary on the performance of Coutalianos
July 12, 1883
Coutalianos tours the cities of Asia Minor. From Kydonias (present-day Ayvalik), he arrives in Smyrna (present-day Izmir).
Οct.31, 1954
We cite the above article, even if it is not chronologically related to the era we are examining (1884), because it mentions that a certain location in the city of Kydonia (Aivali) was called “The Mantra of Coutalianos”. It is obvious that that neighborhood took its name from the performances that Coutalianos gave at that particular spot, when he happened to pass by there during his tour.
Μay 15, 1955
(Τhe mantra of Coutalianos) Another source states that in Kydonias (Aivali) there was a district that bore the name of the wrestler Coutalianos, precisely because at that point Coutalianos had performed demonstrations of strength.
The facade of the Kydonias Gymnasium as photographed in 1919. Kydonias (Aivali) was an area inhabited entirely by Greeks. The street that runs through this neighborhood was called “Gymnasium Street” (Rue de Gymnase). Thousands of Greeks attended this school.
Sept. 10, 1883
Coutalianos tours the cities of Asia Minor.
Febr. 12, 1883
Brief biographical notes about Koutalianos
June 20, 1884
July 1, 1884
The name of Coutalianos is now used in the modern Greek language as a simile, a metaphor or a synonym for strength. In the above publication, it demonstrates that someone is so strong – like Koutalianos – and therefore capable of “raising” many debts.
Aug. 19, 1884
The name of Coutalianos is now used in the modern Greek language as a simile, a metaphor or a synonym for strength.
June 25, 1884
Coutalianos gives a performance whose proceeds will support the Orphanidou Orphanage
June 14, 1884
June 2, 1884
June 27, 1884
June 23, 1884
May 26, 1884
June 22, 1884
Μay 19, 1884
July 12, 1884
June 14 and 17, 1884
June 24, 1884
May 24, 1884
June 10, 1884
Μay 25, 1884
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June 23, 1884
June 14, 1884
June 27, 1884
June 17, 1884
May 4, 1884
Μay 3, 1884
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Μay 26,1884
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June 10, 1884
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Aug.4, 1884
This particular article refers to the inauguration of a church in Athens, specifically the church of Agios Isidoros. It writes that a large crowd is expected to attend, even though it was not announced that Koutalianos would be present. We quote this particular article to demonstrate that Coutalianos was the most famous person in Greek society at that time and it was understandable that wherever he appeared, many people surrounded him to admire him. Coutalianos was the absolute celebrity in 1884 in Athens. Below are photos of the temple mentioned in the article.
Μay 29, 1884
June 3/11, 1884
Οct.19, 1889 (Reference to the performances given by Coutalianos in the city of Dardanelles (Çanakkale) in 1883 )
Indicative map of Coutalianos movements during the period 1883-1884
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