Anastasios Tsamados ( el, Αναστάσιος Τσαμαδός; 1772Ασπρέας Γ. (1930), Μεγάλη ''Στρατιωτική και Ναυτική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια- Λεξικόν'': Έκδοση Μεγάλης Στρατιωτικής και Ναυτικής Εγκυκλοπαίδειας. Αθήνα. σ. 395 or 1774Δρανδάκης Παύλος. (1934) Μεγάλη Ελληνική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια (τομ. 23, σ. 404) (rea
online
– 1825) was a Greek admiral 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 ...

. He was the famous captain of the brig ''

Aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...

'' and an admiral who led a naval squadron under

Andreas Miaoulis Andreas Vokos, better known by his nickname Miaoulis ( el, Ανδρέας Βώκος Μιαούλης; 1765 – 24 June 1835), was a Greek revolutionary, admiral, and politician who commanded Greek naval forces during the Greek War of Indepe ...

. Anastasios Tsamados was the first to rush to the Greek island of

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

and attack the naval warships of the

Kapudan Pasha The Kapudan Pasha ( ota, قپودان پاشا, modern Turkish: ), was the Grand Admiral of the navy of the Ottoman Empire. He was also known as the ( ota, قپودان دریا, links=no, modern: , "Captain of the Sea"). Typically, he was based ...

during the

massacre of Chios The Chios massacre (in el, Η σφαγή της Χίου, ) was a catastrophe that resulted to the death, enslavement, and refuging of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman Empire, Ottoman troop ...

. He also fought in the naval battle of Patras (1822) and died heroically during the famous

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 ...

Biography

Anastasios Tsamados was born on the island 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 ...

in 1772 or 1774. Anastasios Tsamados came from the

Arvanite Arvanites (; Arvanitika: , or , ; Greek: , ) are a bilingual population group in Greece of Albanian origin. They traditionally speak Arvanitika, an Albanian language variety, along with Greek. Their ancestors were first recorded as settlers ...

community of Hydra, His family migrated from

Kranidi Kranidi ( el, , Katharevousa: ) is a town and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ermionida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal u ...

around 1750. Upon the outbreak of the

Greek Revolution 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 ...

in March 1821, he armed his ship

with 16 12-pounder guns and joined the fleet of his home island. He took part in many battles and operations of the Greek Revolution and soon became a famous captain. In April 1825, he went to Neokastron and consulted with the

Minister of War 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 ...

Anagnostaras Anagnostaras ( el, Αναγνωσταράς; 1760 in Poliani – May 8, 1825 in Sphacteria) was a Greek revolutionary, a leading member of the Filiki Etaireia, and later a general and War Minister of the Greek War of Independence. Anagnostaras i ...

to help the fight against Ibrahim Pasha. In this last

fell Anastasios Tsamados while fighting the powerful army of Ibrahim Pasha. Anastasios Tsamados courage, inter alios, inspired

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's epic adventure novel

The Archipelago on Fire ''The Archipelago on Fire'' (french: L’Archipel en feu, 1884) is an adventure novel written by Jules Verne, taking place during the Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek R ...

(french:

L'Archipel en feu ''The Archipelago on Fire'' (french: L’Archipel en feu, 1884) is an adventure novel written by Jules Verne, taking place during the Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek R ...

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

Battle of Sphacteria

At the start of the

, a Greek garrison was quartered at the island of

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 ...

, which controlled the entrance of the excellent natural harbour of the Bay of

Pylos Pylos (, ; el, Πύλος), historically also known as Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is th ...

(Navarino).

Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt Ibrahim Pasha ( tr, Kavalalı İbrahim Paşa; ar, إبراهيم باشا ''Ibrāhīm Bāshā''; 1789 – 10 November 1848) was an Ottoman Albanian general in the Egyptian army and the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, the Wāli and unrecognised ...

, tasked by the

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

to suppress the Greek revolt, needed to take the island in order to use the bay for his own purposes. In May 1825, Ibrahim Pasha and a powerful army and navy of more than fifteen hundred Egyptians landed on the island of

only to be met with resistance by Anastasios Tsamados and his gallant band of sailors and soldiers. Shot in the leg, admiral Tsamados continued fighting on his knees until he was killed. When the tragic event was known, the sailors and soldiers regained Tsamados' brig ''

'', on board which Alexandros Mavrocordatos had already taken refuge. The remaining Greek freedom fighters, with head the vice-governor Nikolaos Votsis, dared to be absolutely bold and sailed through a Turkish fleet of thirty-four ships. For four hours, they were bombarded and casualties entailed two dead along with eight wounded.Smith and Felton, p. 641. ootnote"In May, 1825, Ibrahim Pacha attacked Palaeo-Castro and the little island of Sphacteria, with a powerful fleet and army. Mavrocordatos had rushed to their defence. He threw himself with his suite into the island, which was at the moment held by a brave young Hydriote captain named Tsamados, and a small body of soldiers and sailors. Fifteen hundred Arabs landed on the island, but met with a desperate resistance from Tsamados and his gallant band. Tsamados was shot in the leg, but continued fighting on his knees until he was knocked down and killed. When this was known, the sailors, regaining their brig, on board which Mavrocordatos had already taken refuge, ran out through the Turkish fleet of thirty-four ships of war, and, having been exposed for more than four hours to their fire, escaped with riddled sails and rigging shot away, with two men killed and eight wounded. The surrender of Navarino followed; and not long after, the whole Morea, except the unconquerable Manotes, lay at the mercy of Ibrahim." This scene has been depicted in the painting of

Konstantinos Volanakis Konstantinos Volanakis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Βολανάκης; 1837 - 29 June 1907) was a Greek painter who became known as the "father of Greek seascape painting". Biography Volanakis was born at Heraklion on Crete, to parents wh ...

"the exodus of Ares".

References

Sources

* * * Smith, William and Felton, Cornelius Conway. ''A History of Greece: From the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest, with Supplementary Chapters on the History of Literature and Art''. Hickling, Swan, and Brown, 1855. * ''Histoire picturale de la guerre de l'indépendance héllenique.'' Geneva. Editions d'art Boissonas et Paris: Librairie Jean Budy & Cie., 1926. his work is a facsimile of the celebrated series of paintings commissioned by General Makryjannis sometime during the 1830s from the painter Panayotis Zographos. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsamados, Anastasios 1774 births 1825 deaths Greek admirals People from Hydra (island) Greek military leaders of the Greek War of Independence Greek military personnel killed in action Arvanites