F:. Pythagoras

(Athens 1848 – 1941)

He studied at the Law School of the University of Athens and received his doctorate in 1872. He was appointed a clerk at the National Bank of Greece where he worked for 5 years. From 1877 to 1895 he practised as a lawyer. He was involved in ecclesiastical matters and political science. He was a councillor of the Municipality of Athens for four years (1879-83). From 1881 he was continuously elected as a member of parliament for Attica. In 1895 he was elected Minister of the Navy, in 1903 Minister of Justice and in 1908 Minister of the Interior under the government of G. In 1908, he was elected in 1908 in the government of Theotokis. He also became twice President of the Parliament in 1906 and 1907-8. In 1906 he set up a committee to investigate archival material in the warehouses of the Parliament and found records of exceptional rarity, such as the Manuscript of the Oath of Office of Otto, the Constitutions of 1844 and 1864. In 1921 he became chairman of the committee of the Third National Assembly for the drafting of the Constitution. An exuberant personality, creative, efficient and original, especially in legislative work. He also left a body of writings in studies, memoirs and articles. He wrote articles in many Athenian newspapers. He bequeathed his large library to Phil. His large library, of which he was a founding member, was a great asset to the Parnassus Society, of which he was a founding member. He was honoured by the Greek state with the Order of the Order of the Saviour in 1921 and with decorations of foreign orders.