Plot

The master of ceremonies enters the church, and asks all those who should not be present at the miracle which is about to follow to leave - meaning those taking catechism, women, children and those not pure in body and soul. Strong, clear-headed men remain; the master of ceremonies gives them communion, leads them into a state of ecstasy and then announces that Christ has been in the tomb for three days, waiting in vain for someone to mourn him.

In a vision, the congregation sees what is happening in the house where the disciples have gathered: Mary Magdalene is raving about the resurrection, with the wounds of the Crucified on her body. Peter, James, Thomas and Philip arrive in a panic, their faith shaken. Matthew, Christ's Mother and John follow. In the midst of dirges and lamentation, they decided to go together and mourn at Christ's tomb.

Mary then arrives and announces the Resurrection has taken place; each one of them feels the presence of Christ in a different way, in visions and hallucinations, until He appears, shows each disciple his future and is assumed into heaven. The vision of the faithful fades away, the secret church service comes to an end and the master of ceremonies asks the men not to reveal what has happened.

Writing history

A first version of the tragedy was probably written in late 1915. Kazantzakis reworked the text at Kifissia in 1921. The work is dedicated to Elisabeth Alexander Lange. An excerpt from it appeared in Alexandrini Techni (Alexandria), year II, issue 6 (May 1928) 219-233

Greek editions

  • N. Kazantzakis, Christos, Athens: Stochastis 1928
  • N. Kazantzakis, Theatro II. Tragodies me vizantina themata. Christos, Ioulianos o Paravatis, Nikiforos Fokas, Konstantinos Paleologos, edited by E. C. Kasdaglis Athens: Difros 1956
  • N. Kazantzakis, Theatro II. Tragodies me vizantina themata. Christos, Ioulianos o Paravatis, Nikiforos Fokas, Konstantinos Paleologos, Athens: Eleni Kazantzakis 1964 - 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, Christo, translated into Spanish with a prologue by Miguel Castillio Didier, Santiago (Chile): Centro de Estudios Bizantinos y Neohelénicos 1996. Santiago (Chile): Cuarto Propio 1997

Radio

  • Christos, radio broadcast by the Cyprus Radio Foundation (RIK), 1986