Aristides Damalas (Greek: AÏ Î¹ÏƒÏ„ÎµÃδης Î"αμαλάς,
alternative spellings Aristidis or Aristide; 15 January 1855 â€" 18
August 1889), known in France by the stage name Jacques Damala, was a
Greek military officer-turned-actor, who is mostly remembered as being
husband to Sarah Bernhardt for a number of years. Damala's
characterization by modern researchers is far from positive. His
handsomeness was as notable as his insolence and Don Juan quality.
Writer Fredy Germanos describes him as an opportunistic and hedonistic
person, whose marriage to the great diva would inevitably intensify
and maximize his vices, namely, his vanity and obsession with women,
alcohol, and drugs.Damala was born at Piraeus, Greece on 15 January
1855 to an aristocratic family. He was the second of three children to
Ambrosios (Ambrouzis) Damalas (2 June 1808 â€" 29 July 1869), a
wealthy shipping magnate, who later served as mayor of Ermoupoli and
Piraeus and his wife, Calliope Ralli (6 June 1829 â€" 14 February
1891), whose father, Loukas Rallis, had also once served as mayor of
Piraeus and Ermoupolis, Syros (he had also came up with the name
"Ermoupoli") and was a member of the Executive Committee which
attempted the liberation of Chios in 1827, during the Greek War of
Independence. The other two children of Ambrouzis and Calliope were a
son, Paul (Pavlos) Damalas (17 July 1853 â€" 25 December 1925) and a
daughter, Eirini (ca 1857 â€" ?). The family later moved to Marseille,
France, where they spent several years, until they relocated to
Ermoupoli, Syros, after Ambrosios was appointed mayor there. The
family later returned to Marseille and eventually to Piraeus.After
finishing school in Piraeus, Damala spent four years abroad, mainly in
England and France, where he pursued diplomatic studies. During his
time abroad, he became acquainted with representatives of high
society, as well as representatives of the theatre world, since he had
the dream of excelling as an actor one day. He returned to Greece in
1878 and recruited in the army. He was later trained in the Page Corps
in Russia but eventually decided to drop his studies there and return
to Paris.By the early 1880s, he had earned a post as a military
attaché to the Greek Diplomatic Corps. He quickly acquired a
reputation of being "the handsomest man in Europe", as well as the
nickname "Diplomat Apollo" by his friends and the assumption of being
the most dangerous man in Paris, among the several husbands who feared
their wives would fall victim to his charms and be seduced by the
young diplomat. Damala was indeed considered as the epitome of
handsomeness of his time, and many women of the high society of Paris
were infatuated with him. He rapidly earned the reputation of being a
merciless heartbreaker and womanizer of the high circles. Besides his
passion for women, he was also said to enjoy the company of young men,
as well. His affair with the wife of a Parisian banker, Paul
Meisonnier, had ruined the woman's reputation to the extent of forcing
her to leave France. It was also rumoured that he had driven two women
to divorce and one to suicide. One of his documented affairs was with
the young daughter of a Vaucluse magistrate who had left her parents
and home to follow Damala to Paris, where he deserted her when their
illegitimate child was born. The young girl was never heard from
again; she is presumed to have committed suicide. Following these
scandals, Damala was reassigned to Russia.
alternative spellings Aristidis or Aristide; 15 January 1855 â€" 18
August 1889), known in France by the stage name Jacques Damala, was a
Greek military officer-turned-actor, who is mostly remembered as being
husband to Sarah Bernhardt for a number of years. Damala's
characterization by modern researchers is far from positive. His
handsomeness was as notable as his insolence and Don Juan quality.
Writer Fredy Germanos describes him as an opportunistic and hedonistic
person, whose marriage to the great diva would inevitably intensify
and maximize his vices, namely, his vanity and obsession with women,
alcohol, and drugs.Damala was born at Piraeus, Greece on 15 January
1855 to an aristocratic family. He was the second of three children to
Ambrosios (Ambrouzis) Damalas (2 June 1808 â€" 29 July 1869), a
wealthy shipping magnate, who later served as mayor of Ermoupoli and
Piraeus and his wife, Calliope Ralli (6 June 1829 â€" 14 February
1891), whose father, Loukas Rallis, had also once served as mayor of
Piraeus and Ermoupolis, Syros (he had also came up with the name
"Ermoupoli") and was a member of the Executive Committee which
attempted the liberation of Chios in 1827, during the Greek War of
Independence. The other two children of Ambrouzis and Calliope were a
son, Paul (Pavlos) Damalas (17 July 1853 â€" 25 December 1925) and a
daughter, Eirini (ca 1857 â€" ?). The family later moved to Marseille,
France, where they spent several years, until they relocated to
Ermoupoli, Syros, after Ambrosios was appointed mayor there. The
family later returned to Marseille and eventually to Piraeus.After
finishing school in Piraeus, Damala spent four years abroad, mainly in
England and France, where he pursued diplomatic studies. During his
time abroad, he became acquainted with representatives of high
society, as well as representatives of the theatre world, since he had
the dream of excelling as an actor one day. He returned to Greece in
1878 and recruited in the army. He was later trained in the Page Corps
in Russia but eventually decided to drop his studies there and return
to Paris.By the early 1880s, he had earned a post as a military
attaché to the Greek Diplomatic Corps. He quickly acquired a
reputation of being "the handsomest man in Europe", as well as the
nickname "Diplomat Apollo" by his friends and the assumption of being
the most dangerous man in Paris, among the several husbands who feared
their wives would fall victim to his charms and be seduced by the
young diplomat. Damala was indeed considered as the epitome of
handsomeness of his time, and many women of the high society of Paris
were infatuated with him. He rapidly earned the reputation of being a
merciless heartbreaker and womanizer of the high circles. Besides his
passion for women, he was also said to enjoy the company of young men,
as well. His affair with the wife of a Parisian banker, Paul
Meisonnier, had ruined the woman's reputation to the extent of forcing
her to leave France. It was also rumoured that he had driven two women
to divorce and one to suicide. One of his documented affairs was with
the young daughter of a Vaucluse magistrate who had left her parents
and home to follow Damala to Paris, where he deserted her when their
illegitimate child was born. The young girl was never heard from
again; she is presumed to have committed suicide. Following these
scandals, Damala was reassigned to Russia.
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