Special Issue: Greek Independence |  |
- Special Issue: Greek Independence
- Art & the Greek Revolution
- Women Fighting for Freedom
- The Power of the Navy
- Walking the Land of Revolution
| Special Issue: Greek Independence Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:11 PM PDT
 This year marks the 190th anniversary since the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence (1821) that led to the establishment of the Modern Greek state. The revolt against the Ottomans broke out first in Moldavia, instigated by the secret society Philiki Etaeria, and by March 1821 had spread to many parts of mainland Greece, from the Peloponnese to Macedonia and the Aegean islands.  March 25 traditionally signifies the raising of the banner of the Revolution by Bishop Germanos of Patras in the historic monastery of Agia Lavra in Kalavryta – symbolic birthplace of the uprising – on one of the holiest days for Greek Orthodox Christians, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. [Photo 2: Painting by Theodoros Vryzakis, 1865]    |
| Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:11 PM PDT The Greek War of Independence came at an age characterized by the awakening of national consciousness and harsh struggles for self-determination. In this ideological context, the Greek revolt became a heroic symbol and a source of inspiration for the ardent Romanticism movement prevailing in European art.  The massacres at Chios and Psara, the exodus from Missolonghi, the revolutionaries and their sacrifice were depicted in European painting as incarnating the spirit of freedom and the struggle against oppression, blending them with the classical Ancient Greek ideals of virtue and bravery. Eugène Delacroix drew inspiration from the Greek revolution for two of his most celebrated paintings: Massacre at Chios, and Greece on the ruins of Missolonghi, that were to have a great impact on European public opinion of the time.  The theme of heroic sacrifice features in the Blowing Up of Arkadi Monastery by Ivan Aivasofsky, who also captured the largely celebrated Burning of the Turkish Flagship by Kanaris. Peter Von Hess was deeply impressed by the Greek cause, with the Sacred Band Fighting at Dragatsani being the most famous of his Greek paintings. Nicolas Gosse's The Battle of the Acropolis unites the spirit of the cause with Ancient ideals.  Greek painters inevitably participated in the artistic celebration of the Revolt. Theodoros Vryzakis was the most representative painter of the national cause: The Exodus from Missolonghi, the Blessing of The Flag at Agia Lavra and Greece Expressing Gratitude are his most celebrated works. The forefathers of Modern Greek painting Nikolaos Gyzis and Nikephoros Lytras were also inspired by the subject: The Destruction of Psara by the former and the Burning of the Turkish Flagship by the latter are well-known examples of Historical Greek painting.
The extensive National Gallery collection of historical paintings related to the Revolution and the War of Independence has found, since 2004, a most appropriate home.  Nafplion, the first capital of the newly founded Greek state, was chosen to host the "iconography" of the War.The Nafplion Gallery is housed in a neoclassical building in the centre of the historic city. The exhibition is divided in five sections that portray historical events, scenes and heroes of the Revolution, the hardships of fighters and civilians, their sacrifice and death, and works expressing the symbols and ideology of the new state. Daily life objects, weapons and war apparatus of the era are also displayed. [Photo1: Greece on the ruins of Missolonghi by Eugène Delacroix, 1968, Athens National Historical Museum Photo 2: Massacre at Chios by Eugène Delacroix, 1975, Paris Louvre Museum Photo 3: The Exodus from Missolonghi by Theodoros Vryzakis, 1855, Missolonghi Municipal Art Gallery Photo 4: Greece Expressing Gratitude by Theodoros Vryzakis, 1858]   |
| Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:12 PM PDT The contribution of women to the revolution was significant. From the pantheon of revolutionary heroes, Laskarina Bouboulina and Mando Mavrogenous are the emblematic figures of Greek women's struggle.  Bouboulina joined Philiki Etaeria, as its only female member. She bought arms and ammunitions at her own expense and brought them secretly to Spetses on her ships. She built the ship Agamemnon, one of the largest warships in the hands of Greek rebels and organized her own armed troops, composed of men from Spetses, using most of her fortune to provide for the sailors and soldiers under her command. Bouboulina was posthumously awarded the rank of Admiral by the Russian Navy, a singularly rare achievement for a 19th century woman.  Mando Mavrogenous -an aristocrat educated with the ideas of the Enlightenment- spent her entire family fortune for the cause and led the people of Mykonos island to successfully ward off the landing of an Ottoman fleet squadron in 1822. When the War of Independence was over, Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of Greece, bestowed on her the honorary title of Lieutenant-General and gave her a home in Nafplio in recognition of her contribution.   |
| Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:13 PM PDT  During the uprising, shipping contributed to its success and later became the backbone of the newly independent state's economy. At the beginning of the war, the Hellenic naval forces consisted of 300 well-armed merchant ships mainly from the islands of Hydra, Spetses and Psara.  Thanks to the crews' experience and the flexibility of the ships, they managed to obstruct the Ottoman fleet in the Aegean, despite the fact that they were not proper warships. Each island elected a vice-admiral and an admiral for each specific operation. Usually, an elected admiral came from a rich, prominent family, but the chief of each operation –which were local and small in scale- was considered as first among equals, a principle that was applied not only to the fleet of an island but to the structure of each ship.  The Ottoman fleet sustained grave damages by the use of a naval tactic, namely, the fire ships: a ship loaded with explosives was attached to enemy ships, set on fire and sunk with them, restricting thus, the movements of the Ottoman fleet. One such incident was the destruction of the Ottoman flagship of Chios Island in July 1822, by Konstantinos Kanaris. Financially, the ships' maintenance and the payment of their crews were sustained through trade and pirate activities, a practice that gradually came to an end with the creation of the modern Greek state. [Photo 2: Kanaris Burn Turkish Flagship By Ivan Aivazovsky, 1881 Photo 3: The Blowing up of the Turkish Flagship by Konstantinos Kanaris By Nikiforos Lytras, 1866-1870]   |
| Walking the Land of Revolution Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:13 PM PDT  If you want to travel into the past, walk the land where the Greek Revolution took place and feel the air of freedom, a trip to Arcadia Prefecture and its capital Tripoli in the centre of the Peloponnese is probably a top thing to do. The historic city of Tripoli undoubtedly has a special place in the hearts of Greeks for its role in the national struggle against Ottoman rule: its fall on September 23, 1821 marked the first important victory for Greeks.  Above the city, perched on the pine-covered Mainalo Mt, lies the curved out of rock seat of General Theodoros Kolokotronis from where he commanded the battle for the city's capture getting advantage of the panoramic view which this position offers to the Tripolis plateau. On Areos square – one of the biggest in Greece and in the Balkans - an equestrian statue of Kolokotronis in his famed helmet lords over the square.  In the heart of Arcadia, Tripoli can serve as a starting point for a wide range of exploration trips. Following a unique itinerary through the pine forest of Mt Mainalo, the visitor may reach the historic Libovisi, the homeland of Kolokotronis' family. The House of the family has recently been restored, serving as a museum.  The village of Dimitsana which fascinates with its sumptuous belfries and its wonderful stone-built houses is another interesting destination in the region. The water mills in Dimitsana were used, inter alia, to produce gun powder, fuelling Greece's independence war in 1821. Today, the picturesque village hosts an open-air hydraulics museum, which reproduces the activity of the old water mills. Nearby the Loussios gorge, clinging to the rocks are the monasteries of Philosophou and Prodormou.  Founded in 963 AD, Philosophou monastery served as a "secret school" during the Ottoman rule, to preserve the Greek language and Orthodox faith. Almost invisible, literally hanging from a rock, Prodromou monastery was used as a hospital during the Greek War of Independence.   |
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