[2] Born in 1848 in Selimpaşa on the Thracian shore of the Sea of Marmara, Gavriilidis was educated at the elite Great School of the Nation in Constantinople, later going on to study literature, philosophy and political science in Leipzig, sponsored by the wealthy diplomat and philanthropist Simon Sinas.

[3] Returning to Constantinople, he began writing articles with a political theme, and founded the short-lived journal Concord (Ομόνοια), which soon merged with Neologos (Νεολόγος [el]) in 1867.

Soon, however, he joined Kleanthis Triantafyllos (who had also had to leave Constantinople for political reasons) in founding the radical demoticist journal Rabagas (Ραμπαγάς); the first issue appeared in August 1878 and it ran until May 1889.

Its leading contributors included many of the New Athenian School, the 'Generation of 1880': Ioannis Polemis, Nikos Kampas [el], Georgios Souris [el]; Georgios Drossinis, who published his first verses there under the pen-name "Αράχνη" (Spider) before bringing out Spider Webs in 1880; and Kostis Palamas, who became a close personal friend of Gavriilidis (close enough for Gavriilidis to be best man at Palamas' 1887 wedding to Maria Valvis).

[c][1]: 114 "Gavriilidis was in his element and for 40 years poured out, in his laconic manner, articles on finance, feminism, farming, art, language, business, society, women's clothes, mixed education, the army, and politics.

After the disastrous Greco-Turkish War (1897), "politicians and army leaders alike were attacked by a most vociferous press which, possibly with the exception of Gavrilidis' Akropolis, paid scant regard to its responsibility as the Fourth Estate.