Anagnostaras ( el, Αναγνωσταράς; 1760 in Poliani – May 8, 1825 in

Sphacteria Sphacteria ( el, Σφακτηρία - ''Sfaktiria'') also known as Sphagia (Σφαγία) is a small island at the entrance to the bay of Pylos in the Peloponnese, Greece. It was the site of three battles: *the 425 BC Battle of Sphacteria in the ...

) was a Greek revolutionary, a leading member of the

Filiki Etaireia Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends ( el, Φιλικὴ Ἑταιρεία ''or'' ) was a secret organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek state. (''retr ...

, and later a general and

War Minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

of the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

. Anagnostaras is a

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

, he was born as Christos Papageorgiou ( el, Χρήστος Παπαγεωργίου) and signed as Anagnostis Papageorgiou ( el, Αναγνώστης Παπαγεωργίου).
Filimon, I. (1834), p. 185: ''Note (a)''.

Early years

Anagnostaras was born in 1760 at the village of Poliani in

Messenia Messenia or Messinia ( ; el, Μεσσηνία ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a ...

; his family originated from the Leontari area of

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

. Great Military and Naval Encyclopedia (1929), vol. 2, p. 130. In Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792, he appeared in the Ionian Islands, together with

Christoforos Perraivos Christoforos Perraivos ( el, Χριστόφορος Περραιβός) was a Greek officer of the Greek War of Independence, member of the Filiki Eteria and author. In non-Greek sources his name is usually found as ''Per(r)evo(s).'' Biography P ...

and Tzanetos Grigorakis, to serve with the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

under the commands of the Greek-Russian general Emmanouil Papadopoulos. In 1803 he moved to the island

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...

and starting his military service in the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

until 1813, when he demobilized and moved to

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

to ask his arrears of salary.

Activity for the Filiki Etaireia

At Odessa in 1817, he was initiated into the

Nikolaos Skoufas Nikolaos Skoufas ( el, Νικόλαος Σκουφάς; 1779 – July 31, 1818) was a founding member of the Filiki Eteria ("Society of Friends"), a Greek conspiratorial organization against the Ottoman Empire. (''retrieved from University of C ...

, became a "priest" and in March 1817 he was sent to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

to meet

Athanasios Tsakalov Athanasios Tsakalov ( el, Αθανάσιος Τσακάλωφ) was a member of the Filiki Eteria ("Society of Friends"), a Greek patriotic organization against Ottoman rule. (''retrieved from University of California Library'') Biography Tsakalov ...

, who sent him to the islands of

Hydra Hydra generally refers to: * Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology * ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to: Astronomy * Hydra (constel ...

and

Spetses Spetses ( el, Σπέτσες, grc, Πιτυούσσα "Pityussa", Arvanitika: Πετσε̱) is an upscale affluent island in Attica, Greece. It is included as one of the Saronic Islands. Until 1948, it was part of the old prefecture of Argolis ...

to search for "neophyte" members. Later in the same year went to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, were he found

Papaflessas Grigorios Dimitrios Dikaios-Flessas (; 1788 – 25 May 1825), popularly known as Papaflessas () was a Greek priest and government official who became one of the most influential figures during the Greek War of Independence. The prefix () in th ...

and initiated him on 21 June 1818, then returned to Zakynthos and initiated

Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis ( el, Θεόδωρος Κολοκοτρώνης; 3 April 1770 – 4 February 1843) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. Kolokotronis's g ...

on 1 December 1818. Later he was sent to the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

to continue his activity, in which paradoxically he used a

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

to sing poems of

Rigas Feraios Rigas Feraios ( el, Ρήγας Φεραίος , sometimes ''Rhegas Pheraeos''; rup, Riga Fereu) or Velestinlis (Βελεστινλής , also transliterated ''Velestinles''); 1757 – 24 June 1798), born as Antonios Rigas Velestinlis ( el ...

and songs of

Klepht Klephts (; Greek κλέφτης, ''kléftis'', pl. κλέφτες, ''kléftes'', which means "thieves" and perhaps originally meant just "brigand": "Other Greeks, taking to the mountains, became unofficial, self-appointed armatoles and were know ...

s. The result of his tour was to be elected to the higher grade of "Apostle".

Emmanuil Xanthos Emmanuil Xanthos ( el, Εμμανουήλ Ξάνθος; 1772 – November 28, 1852) was a Greeks, Greek merchant. He was one of the founders of the Filiki Eteria ("Society of Friends"), a Greece, Greek conspiratorial organization which opposed t ...

gave to Anagnostaras the code number 108 for correspondence with the other members of society. He was the first initiated Apostle of the Etaireia, after him were initiated

Yiannis Pharmakis Yiannis Pharmakis or Ioannis Farmakis ( el, Ιωάννης Φαρμάκης) (1772–1821), born in Vlasti, Macedonia (Greece), was a Greek revolutionary leader of the Greek War of Independence, active in Wallachia and Moldavia. Initially a co ...

and Elias Chrysospathis.

Service in the Greek War of Independence

When the

began in March 1821, Anagnostaras was present at the Liberation of Kalamata on 23 March 1821, when Greek irregular revolutionary forces took control of the city after the surrender of the Ottoman garrison, without fighting, as a

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

under the command of

Petrobey Mavromichalis Petros Mavromichalis (; 1765–1848), also known as Petrobey ( ), was a Greek general, politician and the leader of the Maniot people during the first half of the 19th century. His family had a long history of revolts against the Ottoman Empi ...

. On 30 September 1821, along with

Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis Kyriakoulis Petrou Mavromichalis (, 1850–1916) was a Greek politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who briefly served as the 30th Prime Minister of Greece. Mavromichalis was born in Athens in 1850 into the renowned Mavromichalis ...

and Panagiotis Giatrakos, he signed an agreement to confirm the position of the

Peloponnesian Senate The Senate of the entire People of the Peloponnese provinces ( el, Γερουσία όλου του Δήμου των επαρχιών της Πελοποννήσου), commonly known as the Peloponnesian Senate (), was a provisional regime that ...

's members, and they came to rupture with

Alexandros Ypsilantis Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...

, who eventually retreated. Anagnostaras was promoted to

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

and became member of the War Commission. In March 1822, Anagnostaras along with Panagiotis Kefalas and Giatrakos' family supported

Georgios Kountouriotis Georgios Kountouriotis ( el, Γεώργιος Κουντουριώτης) (1782 – 13 March 1858) was a Greek ship-owner and politician who served as prime minister from March to October 1848. Life He was born in 1782 on the Saronic island of ...

to form a new government at Myloi. In May 1822, after the reshuffles of

Second National Assembly at Astros The Second National Assembly at Astros ( el, Βʹ Εθνοσυνέλευση στο Άστρος) was the second Greek National Assembly, a national representative body of the Greeks who had rebelled against the Ottoman Empire. It convened at As ...

, he became War Minister of the provisional Greek Government. He fought in the

Battle of Valtetsi The Battle of Valtetsi was fought on 24 May (Old Style and New Style dates, N.S.), 1821 in Valtetsi (village), Valtetsi between the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman army and Greeks, Greek revolutionaries. Background The Greek War of Independence offici ...

(May 12, 1821), the

Siege of Tripolitsa The siege of Tripolitsa or fall of Tripolitsa ( el, Άλωση της Τριπολιτσάς, Álosi tis Tripolitsás, ), also known as the Tripolitsa massacre ( tr, Tripoliçe katliamı), was an early victory of the revolutionary Greek forces ...

(September 1821), the

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

(December 1821 – January 1822) and many other battles until 8 May 1825 when he was killed in the

Battle of Sphacteria The Battle of Sphacteria was a land battle of the Peloponnesian War, fought in 425 BC between Athens and Sparta. Following the Battle of Pylos and subsequent peace negotiations, which failed, a number of Spartans were stranded on the island of S ...

. The History of the Greek People (1971), vol. 12, p. 382.

References

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Anagnostaras 1760 births 1825 deaths Greek military leaders of the Greek War of Independence Greek military personnel killed in action Greek generals Members of the Filiki Eteria Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece Imperial Russian Army personnel People from Messenia People from the Peloponnese