Plot

At the Monastery of the Vrigin Mary of the Atlantic, don Alonso proposes to the Abbot and Father Juan that he undertake a voyage to a distant land in search of gold; to that end, he is looking for a map that the Pope donated to the monastery.

At that very moment, a traveller arrives. The stranger seeks absolution from his sins. He carries with him a golden apple with Europe, Asia and Africa engraved upon it, speaks enigmatically of maps and unknown lands and claims that God has chosen him to "bear Christ across the waves". Suspicious of him, Alonso accuses the man of poisoning a relative of his who was a sailor and stealing a map of an exotic island. The stranger denies the charges and goes off to pray.

Shortly afterwards, Alonso meets him and challenges him to a duel over the map. The stranger -who is none other than Columbus - burns the map and persuades his opponent to accompany him on the journey. He later confesses to the Abbot that God has chosen him to find the new land, and that any crimes he committed were done for the glory of God. The Abbot is shaken by his satanical arrogance, but accompanies him to the palace of Queen Isabella in Granada.

Following a strange dream of gold and exotic islands, the queen grants Columbus an audience. During their meeting, each recognises in the other figures they have dreamt of. Isabella agrees to fund the voyage and gives Columbus her cross.

The voyage turns out to be arduous. After 69 days at sea and a mutiny by the crew, Columbus is exhausted. The mutineers are chained in the hold, but the remaining crew are showing signs of turning rebellious once more.

The ship is then caught up in a whirlpool; as everyone else panics, Colombus babbles in prophetic ecstasy, swearing that in a few hours they will reach dry land and that he will release the mutineers. In a vision, two angels approach him and show him images of the islands he will discover and of the fate in store for him: everyone will betray him and persecute him. Columbus decides to press on nonetheless. The vision ends and a short while after they set foot in the new world.

Writing history

Moved by the "Don Quixote of the seas", Kazantzakis visited Columbus' tomb in Seville during his first journey to Spain in 1926. Some years later, in 1941, he accepted a commission to write a fictional biography of the explorer, which was published anonymously in Kathimerini newspaper. He started work on the tragedy in Antibes in 1949, under the initial title The Golden Apple, and reworked it in 1954, in line with suggestions from Prevelakis.

Greek editions

  • N. Kazantzakis, Theatro III. Tragodies me diafora themata. Capodistrias, Christoforos Colomvos, Sodoma ke Gomorra, Voudas, edited by E. C. Kasdaglis, Athens: Difros 1956
  • N. Kazantzakis, Theatro III. Tragodies me diafora themata. Capodistrias, Christoforos Colomvos, Sodoma ke Gomorra, Voudas, Athens: Eleni Kazantzakis 1971 - and subsequent editions; the one published in 1998, edited by Patroklos Stavrou, is a reprint of the 1956 edition.
  • Apo to piitiko ergo tou N. Kazantzaki, with a prologue by Manolis Karellis. Introduction, selection and notes by Stylianos Alexiou, illustrations by N. Chatzikyriakos-Gikas, Heraklion, Crete: Municipality of Crete 1977 - an anthology of excerpts.

Foreign editions & translations

  • Nikos Kazantzakis, Christóbal Colón. Tragedia en cuatro actos, translated into Spanish by Miguel Castillio Didier, Buenos Aires: Carlos Lohlé 1966. Caracas: Miguel Angel Garcia 1982. Caracas: Greek Embassy 1988. Santiago (Chile): Universidad de Chille, Athos Pérgamos 1997
  • Nikos Kazantzakis, Christóbal Colón. Tragedia en cuatro actos, translated into Spanish by Miguel Castillio Didier, in the volume Obras Selectas. Novelas - Teatro - Viajes, I, Barcelona: Planeta 1968
  • Nikos Kazantzakis, Three Plays. Christopher Columbus, Melissa, Kouros, translated into English by Athena Giannakas-Dallas, New York: Simon and Schuster 1969
  • Nikos Kazantzakis, Christopher Colombus. A Play, translated into English by Athena Giannakas-Dallas, Kentfield California: Allen Press 1972
  • Nikos Kazandzakis, De gouden appel, translated into Dutch by M. Blijstra-van der Meulen, Amsterdam: De Beuk 1972
  • Nikos Kazantzakis, Théâtre. Melissa, Kouros, Christoph Colomb, translated into French by Liliane Princet - Nikos Athanassiou, Paris: Plon 1974
  • Nikos Kazantzakis, Christóbal Colón, translated into Spanish by Solomon Pratt, Mexico: Produccion Editorial Dante 1985

Performances & adaptations

  • Christóbal Colón, performed at the Teatro Santa Rosa, Tucuman, Argentina, 1966. Translated by Miguel Castillio Didier.
  • Christóbal Colón, peformed at the Teatro del Globo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1967. Translated by Miguel Castillio Didier.
  • Greek Popular Theatre, 1975. Directed by Alexis Solomos, stage design by S. Vassiliou, music by Mikis Theodorakis. Cast: Manos Katrakis, Vyron Pallis, Anna Makraki and others. (also on tour in Greece).
  • Greek Popular Theatre, pre-festival performances at the Herod Atticus Theatre, 1980. Directed by Takis Mouzenidis, music by Mikis Theodorakis. Cast: Manos Katrakis, Anna Makraki, Christos Kalavrouzos, Thodoros Exarchos, Anna Yerali and others.
  • Théâtre du Sens, performances in France and Spain, 1992
  • Serres Municipal Regional Theatre, 1992. Cast: Nikforos Naneris, Kyriaki Malama and others.
  • Spanish adaptation performed at the Morgner in 1997
  • Performance in New York in 1998 or 1999

Radio

  • Broadcast by Suisse Romande RSR 2 (France), 1984. Cast: Michel Groberty, René Habib, André Neury and others.

Television

  • Christophe Colombe, Antenne 2 (France) 1975. Translated and adapted by Pierre Cavassilas, music by Mikis Theodorakis. Cast: Victor Garivier, Brigitte Fossey, Roland Monod, Jean de Coninck

Music

  • Mikis Theodorakis, Christoforos Colomvos, stage music, 1975
  • Rodolfo Arízaga, Música para Cristóbal Colón (de Nikos Kazantzakis), Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires, (undated)