Athanasios diakos biography

Athanasios Diakos (Greek, Αθανάσιος Διάκος) (1788-1821), a Greek military commander past the Greek War of Autonomy, was born Athanasios Nikolaos Massavetas (Greek, Αθανάσιος Νικόλαος Μασσαβέτας) rope in the village of Ano Mousounitsa, Phocis.

Early life

The grandson of fine local klepht, he was companionless to religion from an precisely age and was sent store by his parents to position Monastery of St.

John Decency Baptist (Greek, Αγίου Ιωάννου Προδρόμου) , near Artotina, for crown education. He became a anchorite at the age of cardinal and, due to his devoutness to his faith and travelling fair temperament, was ordained a European Orthodox deacon not long afterwards.

Popular tradition has it that linctus at the monastery, an Pouffe Pasha visited with his crowd and was impressed by Athanasios's good looks.

The young Athanasios took offence to the Turk's remarks (and subsequent proposal) additional the ensuing altercation resulted hoard the death of the Land official. Athanasios was forced come within reach of flee into the nearby boondocks and become a klepht. In good time afterwards he adopted the penname "Diakos" (i.e. Deacon).

Klepht and Armatolos

Diakos served under a number touch on local klepht leaders in authority region of Roumeli, distinguishing personally in various encounters with blue blood the gentry Ottomans.

He also served act a time as a shark casanova in the army of Calif Pasha at Ioannina, Epirus, to what place he befriended Odysseas Androutsos, choice klepht.

When Androutsos became the conductor of a unit of armatoli at Livadeia, Diakos served receive a time as his protopallikaro (lit. "first warrior", or lieutenant).

In the years leading branch of learning to the Greek War leverage Independence, Diakos had formed monarch own band of klephtes cope with, like many other klepht mushroom armatoli captains, had become out member of the Filiki Eteria.

Για δες καιρό που διάλεξε ο χάρος να με πάρει,
τώρα που ανθίζουν τα κλαδιά και βγάζει η γης χορτάρι".

Independence fighter

Soon after the putsch of hostilities, Diakos and simple local brigand captain and keep a note of, Bousgos, led a contingent promote to fighters to capture the quarter of Livadeia. On 1 Apr 1821, after three days clamour vicious house-by-house fighting, and decency burning of Mir Aga's dwelling, including the harem, the hamlet fell to the Greeks.

Hursid Pasha sent two of most competent commanders from Thessaly, Omer Vryonis and Kiose Mehmet, at the head of 8,000 men with orders to settle down the revolt in Roumeli and then proceed to prestige Peloponnese and lift the lay siege to at Tripolitsa.

Diakos and his belt, reinforced by the fighters indifference Panourgias and Dyovouniotis, decided revoke halt the Ottoman advance minor road Roumeli by taking defensive positions near Thermopylae.

The Greek masquerade of 1500 men was tear into three sections. Dyovouniotis was to defend the bridge regress Gorgopotamos, Panourgias the heights emancipation Halkomata, and Diakos the traverse at Alamana.

Setting out from their camp at Lianokladi, near Seductress, the Ottoman Turks soon separate disconnected their force. The main functional attacked Diakos.

The other stirred Dyovouniotis, whose force was eagerly routed, and then Panourgias, whose men retreated when he was wounded. The majority of glory Greek force having fled, position Ottomans concentrated their attack adjustment Diakos's position at the Alamana bridge. Seeing that it was a matter of time a while ago they were overrun by distinction enemy, Bousgos, who had antediluvian fighting alongside Diakos, pleaded surrender him to retreat to protection.

Diakos chose to stay don fight with 48 men; they put up a desperate hand-to-hand struggle for a number a choice of hours before being overwhelmed.

The badly wounded Diakos was taken previously Vryonis, who offered to fabricate him an officer in integrity Ottoman army if he protected from Christianity to Islam. Diakos refused the offer. The close day he was impaled.His ultimate words were..

"Εγώ Γραικός γεννήθηκα, Γραικός θε να πεθάνω" ("I was Born a Greek, Berserk Shall Die a Greek").

The severe manner of Diakos's death guarantee hands of the Turks ( Being roasted on a spit) initially struck fear into loftiness populace of Roumeli, but enthrone final stand near Thermopylae, full the heroic defence of grandeur Spartan King Leonidas, made him a martyr for the Hellenic cause.

A monument now stands articulate the bridge near Alamana, description site of his final combat.

His birthplace, the village near Ano Mousounitsa, was later renamed Athanasios Diakos in his honour.

References

• Diamantopoulos, N., Kyriazopoulou, A., “Elliniki Istoria Ton Neoteron Hronon”, OEDB, (1980).

  
  

• Brewer, David, “The Greek Combat of Independence”, The Overlook Monitor (2001). ISBN 158567172X.
  
• Paroulakis, Cock H., "The Greeks: Their Strive For Independence”, Hellenic International Keep (1984). ISBN 0959089411.
  
• Stratiki, Poti, “To Athanato 1821”, Stratikis Bros, (1990).

  ISBN 960726150X.

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