25 March 1821 - Heroes Fight Like Greeks - Happy Independence Day!

No doubt the Greeks  wanted their freedom from the very beginning of the Ottoman rule, but in the 18th century the idea of a free Greece grew into an organised plan. With Russian help a revolt started in 1770, which failed. Inspired by the French revolution and the heroic poems (thourios) of Rigas Feraios, the Greeks did not give up, and the secret society Philiki Eteria ("Friendly Union") was founded in 1814 in Odessa , Russia by Nikolaos Skoufas, Emmanuel Xanthos and Antonios Tsakalof. Weapons and funds were collected, and help was sent from Greeks in exile as well as other countries on the Balkan and the Mediterranean sea.

The revolution started when Alexander Ypsilantis invaded Jassy and declared Greece a free country. In the Peloponnese the Archbishop of Patras Paleon Patron Germanos led the uprising in 23 March 1821 The Greek army of the Peloponese was led by Theodoros Kolokotronis. Other famous Greek leaders of the revoloution were Georgios Karaiskakis, Athanassios Diakos, Odysseas Androutsos, Grigorios Dikaios or Papaflessas, while in the seas, Konstantinos Kanaris, Laskarina Bouboulina and Andreas Miaoulis fought the Turkish fleat.

 

The Greeks may have got certain aid from abroad, but they had to fight on their own. The Turks got help from Egypt and the whole of the Peloponnese was captured by the Egyptian army by 1826. The year after a republic was proclaimed, and Ioannis Kapodistrias was declared as the first governor of Greece. The same year European countries decided to help Greece and after failed negotiations with Turkey, Britain, France and Russia sent naval forces to Greece. Turkey was forced to accept peace, and the so called London Protocol declared the independence of Greece in 1830.Many parts of Greece were soon given back to the Ottoman empire, though, and several parts of Greece were not free until the beginning of the 20th century. The Greek uprising gained international sympathy for Greece and drew the attention of the  three great powers: France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Years of negotiation led to these three nations’ sending their own navies to Greece to intervene.

 

Lord Byron  saw Greece as the home of classical art and literature, and thus held it in high regard for its legacy. Byron's present-day world showed him a country occupied by a foreign power and in need of assistance. Combining his reverence for the classical world with his passion for human freedom and individuality, Byron felt compelled to offer what aid he could to the Greeks in their struggle against the Ottoman Turks. At first, Byron primarily provided monetary support; however, this would not prove a strong enough response for the adventurous  Byron. He made plans to join the Greek navy and lead men into battle. Unfortunately for the poet and would-be freedom fighter, Byron became ill and died of an infection before he could engage the enemy personally.

The Isles of Greece (1788-1824)

by Lord Byron

The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece!
Where burning Sappho loved and sung,
Where grew the arts of war and peace,
Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung!
Eternal summer gilds them yet,
But all, except their sun, is set...

The mountains look on Marathon--
And Marathon looks on the sea;
And musing there an hour alone,
I dreamed that Greece might still be free;
For standing on the Persians' grave,
I could not deem myself a slave.

A king sat on the rocky brow
Which looks o'er sea-born Salamis;
And ships, by thousands, lay below,
And men in nations--all were his!
He counted them at break of day--
And when the sun set, where were they?

And where are they? And where art thou?
My country? On thy voiceless shore
The heroic lay is tuneless now--
The heroic bosom beats no more!
And must thy lyre, so long divine,
Degenerate into hands like mine?

'Tis something, in the dearth of fame,
Though linked among a fettered race,
To feel at least a patriot's shame,
Even as I sing, suffuse my face;
For what is left the poet here?
For Greeks a blush--for Greece a tear....

Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!
Our virgins dance beneath the shade--
I see their glorious black eyes shine;
But gazing on each glowing maid,
My own the burning teardrop laves,
To think such breasts must suckle slaves.

Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep;
There, swanlike, let me sing and die:
A land of slaves shall ne'er be mine--
Dash down yon cup of Samian wine!

As Sir Winston Churchill said during WW2 : "Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"

Comments

[Constantinos T]

Awesome tribute to our heroes! Xronia Polla!

[Sophia]

Η Ελλάδα ποτέ δεν πεθαίνει, δεν τη σκιάζει φοβέρα καμμιά!

[Olga P]

Χρόνια Πολλά, Αναστασία μου. Και σ'ευχαριστώ που μας κάνεις τόσο περήφανους που είμαστε Ελληνες!

[Alexia M]

Great tribute!

[Christina]

Financially Greece has been through some hard times recently. But it has proved to be a great country because it's always reborn from its ashes. Xronia Polla!

[Lakis Ioannou]

Greece has given the world many lessons of courage and bravery throughout the long history of a small nation which did not hesitate to fight the huge Ottoman Empire in order to be free. Greece has also given the world lessons of democracy and freedom. May our heroes rest in peace and spread their light and endevors to the younger generation.

[Lakis Ioannou]

By the way! Saranta Pallikaria is my favourite song! Loved the video!

[Karolina]

As my favorite writer, Nikos Kazantzakis said: " A person needs a little madness or else they never dare cut the rope and be free." Long Live our Heroes!

[Andreas]

Really loved rereading the great poem by Byron. It is during our darkest moments that us Greeks must focus to see the light.

[Yiota]

Here's what David Blair,a British reorter, wrote on The Telegraph a month ago:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/9107647/Greece-sinks-to-its-knees.html

Unfortunately, Mr David Blair does not know that Greece NEVER sinks to its knees! He obviously doesn't know that Greece is reborn through difficulties!Great Tribute! Long Live Greece and may our great heroes guide us forever.

[Anastasia]

I think we owe a lot to this madness!
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

[Stefania]

Beautiful tribute to all those who gave their lives to liberate Greece. Loved the videos!

[Custom Essay Writing]

@Stefania I agree with you and I like video too.