Nikolaos Apostolidis

Nikolaos Apostolidis (Greek:Νικόλαος Αποστολίδης; 1856 - 1919), was a biologist, naturalist, professor, dean, author, and politician. He replaced Iraklis Mitsopoulos as the second director of the Zoological Museum of the University of Athens. He served as Dean of the Philosophical School, Rector of the University of Athens, and Minister of Economics. He popularized natural science and was one of the most prolific Greek naturalists of the 20th century. He studied countless species of animals.[1][2]

Nikolaos Apostolidis
Dean of the School of Philosophy (University of Athens)
In office
1901–1902
Preceded byPavlos Karolidis
Succeeded byMargaritis Evangelidis
Rector of the (University of Athens)
In office
1909–1910
Minister of Economics
In office
1916–1917
Personal details
Born1856 (1856)
Volos, Greece
Died1919(1919-00-00) (aged 62–63)
Athens, Greece
SpouseSophia Petrou Kiappe
ChildrenAlexandra
Christos
Iosif
ProfessionProfessor, Dean
Known forNaturalism in Greece
Zoological Labs (University of Athens)
Alma materUniversity of Athens
University of Geneva
Sorbonne University
Scientific career
FieldsNatural History
Zoology
Biology
InstitutionsUniversity of Athens

Nikolaos was born in Volos to the aristocratic family Apostolidis. He migrated to Athens to attend school and eventually studied at the University of Athens, University of Geneva, and the Sorbonne University. He completed his doctoral studies at the Sorbonne in the field of natural science under the supervision of Henri de Lacaze-Duthiers. He returned to Greece and became a high school teacher and professor at the University of Athens. He expanded the Laboratory of Zoology at the Zoological Museum which was part of the University of Athens and published several scientific papers on zoology while introducing systematic experimental zoology to Greece. He died in Athens in 1919.[3][4]

Biography

He was born in Volos in 1856 to the aristocratic family Apostolidis. He was the son of Christos Apostolidis and he had 3 brothers Pericles, Margaritis, and Aristides. Nikolaos eventually married Sophia Petrou Kiappe the great-granddaughter of German surgeon Heinrich Treiber. Treiber actively participated in the Greek War of Independence as a surgeon and was one of the doctors who fought for the life of the English poet Lord Byron. Treiber later became the private doctor of King Otto and one of the first medical professors at the University of Athens. He remained in Greece for the rest of his life. Sophia and Nikolaos had three children Alexandra, Christos and Iosif. Christos became a doctor.[5][6][7]

Nikolaos completed his primary education in Athens and studied Physics at the University of Athens. He continued his studies at the University of Geneva from 1877 – 1879 and eventually migrated to Paris where he studied zoology at the Sorbonne University with Henri de Lacaze-Duthiers. In 1881, he was awarded a doctorate degree and his thesis was entitled Anatomy and Embryology of Ophiurs. He returned to Greece one year later and became professor of zoology while also teaching natural history at the local high school. He continued his research on ophiurs in echinoderms.[5]

By September 1894, he was appointed full professor of zoology at the University of Athens, a position he held for 22 years; moreover, he was also director of the Zoological Museum and participated in countless international scientific conferences. By the academic year 1909-1910, he assumed the position of rector of the University of Athens, and six years later around 1916 and 1917, he served as Minister of Economics during the Interim Government of Spyridon Lambros after which he abandoned the post for health reasons. He did extensive research on agricultural zoology and published several scientific papers on zoology, he also introduced systematic experimental zoology to Greece. He significantly expanded the Zoological Museum at the University of Athens and oversaw the Laboratory of Zoology.[5][8]

Literary works

Books and Articles authored by Nikolaos Apostolidis
Date Title Title in English
1881 Anatomie et Dèveloppement des Ophiures Anatomy and Development of Brittle Stars
1883 La Pèche en Grèce In: Fauna Ichthyologique de Grèce Fishing in Greece. In: Ichthyological Fauna of Greece,
1892 Το βασίλειον των Ζώων The Animal Kingdom
1892 Οι Ιχθύες των Γλυκέων Υδάτων της Θεσσαλίας, The Freshwater Fishes of Thessaly
1894 Ανατομική και Εμβρυολογία των Σκωληκοειδών (vermetidae) Anatomy and Embryology of Vermetidae
1894 Τα θαλάσσια Ζώα και τα Επιθαλάσσια Εργαστήρια Sea Animals and Marine Laboratories
1896 Πουλολόγω Αναφερομένων Πτηνών, Birdwatcher of Listed Birds
1901 Φυσική και βιολογική Ιστορία των Ανωφελών Κωνώπων Natural and Biological History of Malaria-Carrying Mosquitoes[6]
1904 Τα Ωφέλιμα Πτηνά The Beneficial Birds
1907 Le Corail Grèc. In: La Grèce Maritime Greek Coral. In: Maritime Greece
1907 Όρια, Óροι και Διαιρέσεις των εν ταις Θαλάσσαις Διαιτωμένων Ζώων (Πρυτανικός Λόγος) Limits, Conditions and Divisions of the Animals Fed in the Seas (Rector's Speech)

References

  1. Staff Writers (28 October 2022). "Acting Deans". National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. Triandafillos Sklavenitis (November 27, 2022). "Apostolidis Nikolaos". Institute for Neohellenic Research. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  3. Staff Writers (November 27, 2022). "Nikolaos Apostolidis". Department of Biology. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. Savaidou 2010, pp. 54, 142, 153, 158 165, 176, 214, 232, 259, 285, 316, 416, 462–465, 467–470, 472–473.
  5. Savaidou 2010, pp. 416.
  6. Stefanidis 1952, pp. 23.
  7. Staff Writers (November 27, 2022). "The historical Apostolidis family of Volos". The Alumni of the German School in Athens. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  8. Tampakis 2014, pp. 232–233.

Bibliography

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