[5] As a pupil he wrote his first poetry collection, named Σκιαί του Άδου ("Shadows of Hades"), which consisted of three short stories,[1] and exhibited obvious borrowings from Dante's Inferno and Homer's Odyssey.

[4] While living in Athens he changed several jobs: initially worked as a typographer, copy editor and author in an encyclopedia, secretary for the periodical Η Εβδομάς ("The Week") and then ticket inspector in the national railway.

[1] In 1890 he composed a long narrative poem named Ο καλόγηρος της Κλεισούρας του Μεσσολογγίου ("The monk of Kleisoura of Missolonghi") and the next year his work Αγροτικά ("Pastorals") was awarded in a poetry contest.

In 1893 he wrote his last collection Ο τραγουδιστής του χωριού και της στάνης ("The singer of the Village and the Fold") which was also praised at a poetry contest.

[4] In present days, an annual festival takes place every summer at Athens, the Krystalleia, named after Kostas Krystallis, which offers performances of contemporary Greek and classical music.