The Fascinating Story of the Real-Life Alexis Zorbas

 From The Greek Reporter:

Zorba the Greek, the story of Alexis Zorbas, is one of the most memorable films in the history of the genre, and the Nikos Kazantzakis book on which it is based is one of the best works of modern Greek literature. Yet, it is not widely known that Zorbas was a real person and not a fictional character. Nor is it known that the real person had never set foot on Crete and was not actually named Alexis. When Nikos Kazantzakis met Giorgos Zorbas on Mount Athos in 1915, the man impressed the writer so much that he befriended him, and he was later inspired to write a novel based on his carefree personality and lust for life. (Read more.)