Alexander Negris (1805 - 1860/80; el, Ἀλέξανδρος Νέγρης) was a military colonel, author, philologist, and professor. He participated in the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted ...

with other members of his family; indeed, he was a member of the

phanariots Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots ( el, Φαναριώτες, ro, Fanarioți, tr, Fenerliler) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumeni ...

family's Negris and Ypsilanti. He was the first lecturer of Modern Greek at Harvard University and set the framework for

Evangelinos Apostolides Sophocles Evangelinos Apostolides Sophocles ( el, Ευαγγελινός Αποστολίδης Σοφοκλής; March8, 1807December17, 1883) was a professor of classics and Modern Greek at Harvard University, and lexicographer. He was born in Tsangara ...

. He was a Greek language philologist and linguist and wrote countless books in Greek for the education of the English-speaking world. Negris was a member of different organizations all over the world and honorary member of the Archaeological Society of Athens. The Ypsilanti township in Michigan is named after his uncle

Demetrios Ypsilantis Demetrios Ypsilantis (alternatively spelled Demetrius Ypsilanti; el, Δημήτριος Υψηλάντης, ; ro, Dumitru Ipsilanti; 1793August 16, 1832) was a Greek army officer who served in both the Hellenic Army and the Imperial Russian A ...

History

Alexander was born in Constantinople. The family was part of the Faneri district of Constantinople. His father was Alexander and his mother was Eleni. His grandfather was

Constantine Ypsilantis Constantine Ypsilantis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Υψηλάντης ''Konstantinos Ypsilantis''; ro, Constantin Ipsilanti; 1760 – 24 June 1816), was the son of Alexander Ypsilantis, a key member of an important Phanariote family, G ...

. His uncles were

Alexander Ypsilantis Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...

and

. Alexander became a member of the

Filiki Eteria Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends ( el, Φιλικὴ Ἑταιρεία ''or'' ) was a secret organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek state. (''retr ...

. They were one of the most important family alliances of the

. He briefly visited Russia. When Alexander was sixteen the

broke out and he was an active participant. He was the General Secretary for Western Greece. Towards the end of the 1820s he was dispatched to the United States. His cousin

Konstantinos Negris Konstantinos Negris (1804 - 1880; el, Κωνσταντίνος Νέγρης) was an author, mathematician, physicist, and professor. He fought in the Greek War of Independence. Konstantinos was a member of the prominent Phanariots family Negr ...

was sent to study in France by

Alexandros Mavrokordatos Alexandros Mavrokordatos ( el, Αλέξανδρος Μαυροκορδάτος; 11 February 179118 August 1865) was a Greek statesman, diplomat, politician and member of the Mavrocordatos family of Phanariotes. Biography In 1812, Mavrokordatos w ...

. While Alexander was in the United States he lectured at Harvard University and began to publish books. By 1829, he traveled to Edinburgh Scotland. He published more books in Scotland. In 1838, he met Eliza Sweet in London. They got married and lived in Scotland. He eventually became a professor at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. In 1839, he lived at 13 Clyde Street in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Scotland. In 1846, they also lived at Saint Georg Square in the same city. He traveled back and forth to Greece. By 1852, he cowrote a church book with Alexandrou Sturza. The book was in Greek and Russian.

Literary

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Negris Alexander Greek people of the Greek War of Independence 1805 births 19th-century Greek educators Writers from Istanbul Constantinopolitan Greeks Greek emigrants to the United States 19th-century Greek Americans 19th-century Greek writers 19th-century Greek American writers Ypsilantis family Phanariotes Academics from Istanbul Military personnel from Istanbul Year of death uncertain