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ON LORD BYRON
Articles on Greece by AURELIA 
It seems to be the destiny of many poets to die young and unfortunately this was Lord Byron's fate. He died in 1824 at age 36 in Messolonghi, Greece, where he came to fight in the Greek War of Independence. Unlike other poets and mere mortals, however, Lord Byron achieved immortality because of his poetry, his life as a hero, and his relentless quest for liberty and freedom.
Although he lived most of his life in England, he was well-travelled and was considered one of the first great pan-Europeans. In his day, he was as famous as Wellington, Nelson, and Napolean. A man ahead of his time, he believed actions should not oppress nations and that people should be free. He thought about joining revolutions in Italy, South America, and North America, but decided upon Greece where he became a military leader and sacrificed his life during the Greek War of Independence. The British Lord Lyton, a direct descendant of Lord Byron through Byron's daughter and a great-great-great-grandson of the poet, was asked during a recent conference why he thought the poet has such universal appeal. He replied, 'In Greece, the concept of the hero is important and Lord Byron captures this. His poetry has cultural and social dimensions. He has been to the Acropolis and seen great sights and he shares this with us. Through his poetry and his life, he takes us to the Acropolis.'
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