FACTOID # 19: Single guys should check out The Virgin Islands, where the women outnumber the men.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Theodoros Kolokotronis
Monument of Theodoros Kolokotronis in Athens.
Monument of Theodoros Kolokotronis in Athens.
Theodoros Kolokotronis
Theodoros Kolokotronis

Theodoros Kolokotronis (Greek: Θεόδωρος Κολοκοτρώνης, 3 April 1770 - 15 February 1843) was a Greek general in the Greek War of Independence against the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (744x822, 53 KB) monument of TheodorosKolokotronis in Athens, own photo, Gepsimos 15:00, 14 May 2006 (UTC) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Theodoros Kolokotronis ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (744x822, 53 KB) monument of TheodorosKolokotronis in Athens, own photo, Gepsimos 15:00, 14 May 2006 (UTC) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Theodoros Kolokotronis ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα - Athína) is the largest city and capital of Greece, located in the Attica periphery of central Greece. ... Image File history File links Theodoros_Kolokotronis. ... Image File history File links Theodoros_Kolokotronis. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... Battle of Chesma, by Ivan Aivazovsky. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Combatants Greek revolutionaries United Kingdom Kingdom of France Russian Empire Ottoman Empire Egyptian Khedivate Commanders Theodoros Kolokotronis Alexander Ypsilanti Georgios Karaiskakis Omer Vryonis Mahmud Dramali Pasha ReÅŸid Mehmed Pasha Ibrahim Pasha. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (İstanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish (official); spoken languages include Abkhazian, Adyghe, Albanian, Arabic, Aramaic, Armenian, Azerbaijani...

Contents

Family background

The Kolokotroneoi clan was a powerful and respected clan in Arcadia in the 18th century. Their legend of pride and insubordination is commemorated in a well-known folk song that survives from that time:


Ahorse they go to church,
Ahorse they kiss the icons,
Ahorse they receive communion
From the priest's hand.
Look up icon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


Early life

Kolokotronis was born at Ramavouni in Messenia, and grew up in Libovitsi in Arcadia. His father, Constantine Kolokotronis, took part in an armed rebellion which was supported by Catherine the Great of Russia, then was killed in an engagement along with two of his brothers George and Harry. Theodoros joined the ranks of a Peloponnesian guerrilla band, and by age fifteen was the leader ("kapetanios", which means captain) of his own group. He had a brief stint at sea as a corsair, then in 1805 he took service on a series of ships in the Russian fleet in the Russo-Turkish War. After 1810 served in a corps of Greek infantry in English service on Zakynthos, and was awarded the brevet rank of brigadier for his service against the French. Zakynthos is in the Ionian Islands, which were then a British protectorate after being bandied about between Venice, France and Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. Kolokotronis's service in the regular Russian and British forces, land and sea, would provide valuable insights to be used later in his career. Messenia (Greek: , in Modern Greek Messinia; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a prefecture in the Peloponnese, a region of Greece. ... Arcadia or Arkadía (Greek Αρκαδία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus. ... Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812 was one of many wars fought between Imperial Russia and Ottoman Empire. ... Zakynthos (Greek: Ζάκυνθος), the third largest of the Ionian Islands, covers an area of 410 square kilometers and its coastline is roughly 123 kilometers in length. ... The word brevet has several meanings: In the military, brevet refers to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to temporarily hold a higher rank, without a corresponding pay increase. ... Brigadier (IPA pronunciation: ) is a military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation. ... Zakynthos (Greek: Ζάκυνθος), the third largest of the Ionian Islands, covers an area of 410 square kilometers and its coastline is roughly 123 kilometers in length. ... The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: Ionioi Nisoi, Ιόνιοι Νήσοι; Ancient Greek: Ionioi Nesoi, Ιόνιοι Νήσοι) are a group of islands in Greece. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... Combatants Allies: Austrian Empire[1] Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Prussia[1] Russian Empire[2] Kingdom of Spain[3] Kingdom of Sweden United Kingdom[4] Ottoman Empire[5] French Empire Kingdom of Holland Kingdom of Italy Kingdom of Naples Duchy of Warsaw Kingdom of Bavaria[6] Kingdom of Saxony[7...


War of Independence

The Palamidi Castle at Nafplion.
The Palamidi Castle at Nafplion.

Image File history File links Kastro_larissa_Nauplio_fortress. ... Image File history File links Kastro_larissa_Nauplio_fortress. ...

Outbreak

Kolokotronis returned to the mainland just prior to the outbreak of the war (officially, 25 March 1821) and formed a confederation of irregular Moreot klepht bands. These he tried to train and organize into something resembling a modern army. In May, he was named archistrategos or commanding general. He was already 50 years old by this time, a fact which contributed to his sobriquet O Geros tou Morea or "The Old Man of the Morea," whereby Morea was another name describing the Peloponnese. Kolokotronis first action was the defense of Valtetsi, the village near Tripoli where his army was mustering. March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... The coronation banquet for George IV 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Klephts (Greek κλέφτης, pl. ... The term strategos (plural strategoi; Greek στρατηγός) is used in Greek to mean general. In the hellenistic and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor. ... The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus (Greek: Πελοπόννησος Peloponnesos; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a large peninsula in southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth. ... Valtetsi (Βαλτέτσι) is a municipality in Arcadia, Greece. ... Tripoli (Greek, Modern: Τρίπολη, Ancient/Katharevousa: -s; see also List of traditional Greek place names), older form and Latin: Tripolis, rarely Tripolitsa, Tripolitza and Tripolizza is a city in the central part of the Peloponnesos, Greece, and the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the province of Mantineia which is...


Nafplion

He next commanded Greek troops in the siege of the coastal town of Nafplio. He took the port, and the Turkish garrison in the town's twin citadels was running low on supplies, but the disorganized Greek provisional government at Argos, just to the north, could not complete negotiations for its surrender before a large Ottoman force began marching southward to crush the rebels. Panicked, government officials abandoned Argos and began evacuations by sea at Nafplio. Only an under-strength battalion under Demetrios Ypsilantis remained to hold Kastro Larissa, the fortress of Argos. Náfplio (Ναύπλιο; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a town on the Peloponnese in Greece. ... Demetrius Ypsilanti, sometimes spelled Ypsilantis, (1793 - January 3, 1832), second son of Prince Constantine, distinguished himself as a Russian officer in the campaign of 1814, and in the spring of 1821 went to the Morea, where the war of Greek independence had just broken out. ...


Kolokotronis the Liberator

Kolokotronis gathered the klephts together to march to the relief of Ypsilantis. This was quite a feat in itself, considering the near-collapse of the government and the notoriously quarrelsome nature of the klephtic bands. Even the troublesome Souliots lent a hand. The Ottoman army from the north commanded by Mahmud Dramali Pasha, after taking Corinth, had marched to the plain of Argos. The castle of Kastro Larissa was an excellent position, commanding the whole plain. To leave such a stronghold straddling Turkish supply lines was far too dangerous. Dramali would have to reduce the fortress before moving on. Scaling the cliffs, breaching the castle's stout walls, and overcoming its resolute defenders would be no easy task. The Breathtaking Colossal Mountains of Souli The Souliots (Σουλιώτες (Souliotes) and Σούλι (Souli) and anciently as Selloi) are the inhabitants of the mountains of Mourgas in Epirus in northwestern Greece, the villagers of the Τετραχώρι (Τetrahori) or Four Villages, who made themselves famous in the 19th century by their resistance to the Ottoman... 19th century portrait of Mahmud Pasha Mahmud Pasha, called Dramalı (Greek: , Drama ca. ... Corinth, or Korinth (Greek: Κόρινθος, Kórinthos; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city-state, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ...

Equestrian statue of Kolokotronis in the Nafplio town square.

Yet, there was one weakness Dramali was unaware of: this citadel, unlike the famous Acropolis in Athens, had no spring and consequently fresh water had to be supplied from cisterns. Unfortunately for the Greeks, it was July and no rains were falling to fill the cisterns. Ypsilantis bluffed the Turks as long as he could, but towards the end of the month had to sneak his men out in the middle of the night. Dramali's men plundered the castle the next day, and he was now free to march them toward the coast to resupply. (The Greeks had pursued a scorched earth policy, and the large Ottoman force was eating through its food supplies rather quickly). Ypsilantis defense had bought Kolokotronis and the klephts valuable time. Image File history File links Kolokotronis_statue. ... Image File history File links Kolokotronis_statue. ... The equestrian Marcus Aurelius on Capitoline Hill displayed uninterruptedly for eighteen centuries was the prototype of Renaissance equestrian sculptures An equestrian sculpture (from the Latin equus meaning horse) is a statue of a mounted rider. ... Acropolis of Athens from the south-west with the Propylaea and the Temple of Nike (left centre) and the theatre of Herodes Atticus (below left) Acropolis (Gr. ... // Getting water out of a cistern A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, box, from Greek kistê, basket) is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. ... A scorched earth policy is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. ...


To his dismay, Dramali found himself cut off from his supply fleet, which had intended to land at Nafplio but was successfully blockaded by the Greek fleet under Admiral Andreas Miaoulis. Dramali reluctantly decided upon a retreat toward Corinth through the Dervenaki Pass, through which he had just come unmolested. This was exactly what Kolokotronis had been hoping for. In August 1822 his quicker-moving guerrilla forces trapped the Turks in the pass and annihilated them. A devastated Sultan Mahmud II in Constantinople was forced to turn to Muhammad Ali, ruler of the nominally Ottoman pashaluk of Egypt for help. A blockade is any effort to prevent supplies, troops, information or aid from reaching an opposing force. ... Andreas Vokos (or Bokos) Miaoulis (1768 - June 24, 1835), Greek admiral and politician, was born in Negropont. ... Dervenakia (the correct form is in the plural) is a small hamlet in the prefecture of Corinth, in the NE Peloponnesus (southern Greece); the name is derived from the Turkish word derven, meaning a mountain pass. ... The stylized signature of Mahmud II was written in an expressive calligraphy. ... Map of Constantinople. ... This article is about the viceroy of Egypt. ... Vilâyet (also eyalet or pashaluk) was the Turkish name for the provinces of the Ottoman Empire. ...


The Greeks resumed the siege against the fortresses at Nafplio, which fell in December. Kolokotronis is said to have ridden his horse up the steep slopes of Kastro Palamidi to celebrate his victory there; a statue in the town square commemorates the event. He is attired in something resembling the costume of a hussar topped with a plumed Corinthian helmet, which he was fond of wearing, and which foreign Philhellenes were even fonder of seeing him in. (While he seems to have enjoyed dressing like a Western European cavalryman cum Ancient Greek hoplite, he is also frequently depicted wearing the more traditional fustanella and other Greek accoutrements). View from Palamidi, Nafplion The castle of Palamidi lies on a high hill (216m. ... Polish (Winged) Hussar Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok, Polish: Husaria) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ... Bronze Corinthian Helmet The Corinthian helmet (Ancient Greek κόρυς κορινθίη, Modern κάσκα κορινθιακή) was a type of bronze helmet which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. ... Philhellenism (the love of Greek culture) was the intellectual fashion at the turn of the 19th century that led Europeans like Lord Byron to lend their support for the Greek movement towards independence from the Ottoman Empire. ... Hoplites depicted on an Attic vase dated to 510-500 BC The Hoplite was a heavy infantryman that was the central focus of warfare in Ancient Greece. ... Greek Foustanelles. ...

The weapons and armour of General Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770-1843).
The weapons and armour of General Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770-1843).

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (545x957, 57 KB) The weapons and Armour of the General Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770-1843). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (545x957, 57 KB) The weapons and Armour of the General Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770-1843). ... A weapon is a tool used to kill or incapacitate a person or animal, or destroy a military target. ...

Parliamentary crisis

Later in the same year Kolokotrinis's political enemies in the Greek provisional government, led by Petrobey Mavromichalis had him imprisoned in the Palamidi with Dimitris Plapoutas in the same jail, but he was released when an Egyptian army under the command of Ibrahim Pasha invaded the Morea. Petros Mavromichalis (1765-1848) (in Greek Πέτρος Μαυρομιχάλης) also known as Petrobey (Πετρομπέης), was the leader of the Maniot people during the first half of... Dimitris Koliopoulos Plapoutas was a Greek General who fought during the Greek War of Independence against the rule of the Ottoman Empire. ... Ibrahim Pasha (Arabic: ابراهيم باشا) ‎ (1789 – 10 November 1848), a 19th century general of Egypt. ...


Ibrahim's campaign

Ibrahim was fresh from fighting the Wahhabi rebels in Arabia, and so was used to fighting guerrillas. His troops were armed with the most modern equipment and trained by European experts. The sultan had promised his father the island of Crete as an appanage for young Ibrahim if he could crush the rebels. With his eye on the prize, he burned his way through the Peloponnese, gaining much territory but little sympathy from Western European public opinion, which in the long run proved disastrous for the Turks. Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... For the famous World War II battle, see: Battle of Crete For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... The system of appanage has greatly influenced the territorial construction of France and explains the flag of many provinces of France. ... Public Opinion is a book on media and democracy by Walter Lippmann. ...


The island of Sphacteria and Navarino had already fallen into Ibrahim's hands, and to make matters worse for Kolokotronis, he still had to be on guard against the machinations of Petrobey Mavromichalis even as he was bracing himself against the new threat. Kolokotronis used guerrilla tactics to wear Ibrahim's forces down; but given his limited resources, was unable to prevent the widespread destruction that Ibrahim left in his wake. Still, in 1823, in recognition of his military acumen and many services to the Greek cause, he was appointed commander-in-chief of Greek forces in the Peloponnese. Sphacteria is a small island at the entrance to the bay of Pylos in the Peloponnese, Greece. ... Pylos (Greek Πύλος), formerly Navarino, is the name of a bay and a town on the west coast of the Peloponnese, in the district of Messenia in southern Greece. ...


Postbellum activities

After the war Kolokotronis became a supporter of Count I.A. Kapodistrias and a proponent of alliance with Russia. When the count was assassinated 8 October 1831, Kolokotronis created his own administration in support of Prince Otto of Bavaria as a king of Greece. However, later he opposed the Bavarian-dominated regency during his rule. He was charged with treason and on 7 June 1834 sentenced to death; but he was pardoned in 1835. Theodoros Kolokotronis died in 1843 in Athens. Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776-1831). ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (282nd in leap years). ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A Youthful Portrait of King Otto of Greece King Otto of Greece, (Greek: Όθων, Βασιλεύς της Ελλάδος) also Prince of Bavaria (June 1, 1815 - July 26, 1867) was made the first modern king of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the... The geographic region and Free State of Bavaria (German:  ), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Regent, from the Latin, a person selected to administer a state because the ruler is a minor or is not present or debilitated. ... Traitor redirects here. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... Year 1834 (MDCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα - Athína) is the largest city and capital of Greece, located in the Attica periphery of central Greece. ...


Epilogue

In the twilight of his life, Kolokotronis had learned to write in order to complete his memoirs, which have been a perennial favorite in Greece and have been several times translated into English and other languages. Kolokotronis's famed helmet, along with the rest of his arms and armor, may today be seen in the National History Museum of Greece in Athens. In addition to the Nafplio statue mentioned earlier, there is another to be seen in Athens, in the forecourt of the Old Parliament building on Stadiou Street, near Syntagma Square. As a literary genre, a memoir (from the Latin memoria, meaning memory) forms a subclass of autobiography, although it is an older form of writing. ... The Parliament in session, at the end of the 19th century The Old Parliament building (Greek: , Palaia Voulē) at Stadiou Street in Athens, housed the Greek parliament between 1875 and 1932. ... Stadiou Street (Greek: Οδός Σταδíου) is Athens major street linking the Omonoia and Syntagma Squares. ... Syntagma Square (Πλατεία Συντάγματος, Constitution Square), is located in central Athens, Greece. ...


Further reading

  • Brewer, David L. The Greek War of Independence: The Struggle for Freedom from ottoman Oppression and the Birth of the Modern Greek Nation. Woodstock & New York, Overlook Press: 2001.
  • Kolokotronis, Theodoros. Memoirs from the Greek War of Independence, 1821–1833 Argonaut Publishers: 1969.
  • Kolokotronis, Theodoros (translated by Elizabeth M. Edmonds). The Old Man of the Morea: An Autobiography. Reprint. Boston, Holy Cross Orthodox Press: 1984.

  Results from FactBites:
 
Theodoros Kolokotronis - Phantis (1225 words)
Theodoros joined the ranks of a Peloponnesian guerrilla band, and by age fifteen was the leader ("kapetanios") of his own group.
Kolokotronis returned to the mainland just prior to the outbreak of the war (officially, March 25, 1821) and formed a confederation of irregular Moreas klepht bands.
Kolokotronis is said to have ridden his horse up the steep slopes of Kastro Palamidi to celebrate his victory there; a statue in the town square commemorates the event.
Theodoros Kolokotronis (1522 words)
Kolokotronis first action was the defense of Valetsi, the village near Tripoli where his army was mustering.
Theodoros Kolokotronis son was Ioannis Kolokotronis known as "Gennaios" (the brave) Kolokotronis (gr.
Kolokotronis and the Agioi Apostoloi Church of Kalamata, 5000 Drachmae, 1997
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.