Spyridon Stais was born in 1859 in Kythera. In 1877 he finished the 1st Gymnasium of Athens and then studied at the University of Athens. He became a doctor of mathematics and worked as a teacher of mathematics in public high schools. Later, in 1892, he entered the field of politics.
Political Route
He was elected MP for Kythera with the party of Charilaos Trikoupis and after Georgios Theotokis. Later he was co-founder of the People's Party. He participated in the governments of the modern party of Georgios Theotokis as Minister of Education for three periods (May 1900 - November 1901, December 1903 - June 1904, June 1908 - July 1909). The educational work of Spyridon Stai was important. A number of bills that he proposed and passed (not all of them during his ministry) cannot be described as particularly reformist as Theotokis' party was hesitant and did not attempt any ruptures and conflicts with the dominant political situation of the time. However, Spyridon Stais went down in history as the founder of the trade schools in the early twentieth century. He also served as Minister without Portfolio (February - March 1921), Minister of the Interior (26 March 1921 - 2 March 1922), Minister of Food and Political Administrator of the General Administration of Thessaloniki (March - May 1922), Minister and General Administrator of Thessaloniki (May - August 1922). He was instrumental in drafting the bill establishing the Academy of Athens and was a member of the 1896 Olympic Games Committee. His work in Kythera was also important. He promoted the construction of didactic buildings, a commercial school and the Kythera Gymnasium. He donated part of his estate to the University of Athens, the well-known Stai bequest, to provide scholarships for Kythirian students, which is still in force today.
The Duel
Spyridon Stais was a brilliant politician, but there is one act that tarnished his personality and his political career. It is the custom of duels, which ceased at the beginning of the 20th century after a lot of blood was shed and to which several Greek politicians gave in. On 18 June 1904, Spyridon Stais, while he was a minister for a second term in the government of Georgios Theotokis, murdered the MP of Trikala, Alexandros Hadjipetrou. It all started with a verbal attack by Hatzipetrou on Stais, because he did not anoint his friend Melissinos as an anatomy professor. Stais responded harshly and eventually they led to a duel, despite the efforts of Prime Minister Georgios Theotokis to compromise. In the duel, Stais shot a shot. After the event, Stais resigned as minister.
The controversy with the Bishop of Kythera Efthymios Kavvatas
It is worth mentioning that in 1903 Spyridon Stais opposed the bishop of Kythera, Efthymios Kavvatas, whom he himself, as minister of ecclesiastical affairs, had previously enthroned in the Holy Metropolis of Kythera. This was preceded by disputes between the Kytherians and the bishop. Spyridon Stais died in 1932 in Athens and was buried in his birthplace, Kythera.
