▁send ▁his ▁children ▁to ▁pr estig ious ▁schools . ▁When ▁On ass is ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁Evangel ical ▁Greek ▁School ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 , ▁he ▁spoke ▁four ▁languages : ▁Greek ▁( his ▁native ▁language ), ▁Turkish , ▁Spanish , ▁and ▁English . ▁ ▁S my r na ▁was ▁briefly ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁Greece ▁( 1 9 1 9 – 1 9 2 2 ) ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁Al lied ▁victory ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁but ▁then ▁S my r na ▁was ▁re - t aken ▁by ▁Turkey ▁during ▁the ▁Gre co - T urk ish ▁War ▁( 1 9 1 9 – 2 2 ). ▁The ▁On ass is ▁family ' s ▁substantial ▁property ▁hold ings ▁were ▁lost , ▁causing ▁them ▁to ▁become ▁refuge es ▁fle eing ▁to ▁Greece ▁after ▁the ▁Great ▁Fire ▁of ▁S my r na ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁On ass is ▁lost ▁three ▁un cles , ▁an ▁a unt , ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁Ch rys ost om os ▁Kon ial id is ▁and ▁their ▁daughter , ▁who ▁were ▁burn ed ▁to ▁death ▁in ▁a ▁church ▁in ▁Th y ati ra ▁where ▁ 5 0 0 ▁Christians ▁were ▁seeking ▁shelter ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁Fire ▁of ▁S my r na . ▁ ▁Argentina ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 7 ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁On ass is ▁arrived ▁in ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁Argentina , ▁by ▁N ansen ▁pass port , ▁and ▁got