Christophorus Plato Castanis ( el, Χριστόφορος Πλάτων Καστανής; 1814–1866; also known as Christophoros Castanis or Castanes and Christoforos Kastanis or Kastanes) was an

Ottoman Greek Ottoman Greeks ( el, Ρωμιοί; tr, Osmanlı Rumları) were ethnic Greeks who lived in the Ottoman Empire (1299–1922), much of which is in modern Turkey. Ottoman Greeks were Greek Orthodox Christians who belonged to the Rum Millet (''Millet ...

academic, author and

classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

. Castanis was born at Livadia,

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 ...

on 1 April 1814 and lived much of his life in the United States.Christophorus Plato Castanis
, AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) History ("Built with love by the Brother Knights in Tenafly, NJ"). Note: Livadia is a northern suburb of the town of Chios
see the section on Vrontados here.
/ref> He published an autobiography titled ''The Greek Exile'' in 1851, which told of his survival of the

Chios massacre 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 troops, during the G ...

, his time in

Ottoman slavery Slavery in the Ottoman Empire was a lawful institution and a significant part of the Ottoman Empire's economy and traditional society. The main sources of slaves were wars and politically organized enslavement expeditions in the Caucasus, Easte ...

, and his emigration to America.

Personal life

Castanis was born to a wealthy Chiot family, and was one of eight siblings.Castanis, ''The Greek Exile'', 21. He was privately educated and one of his tutors was a member of the

Filiki Eteria 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 Empire, Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek ...

. In 1822, during the

, Castanis was captured and sold into slavery, where he was forcibly converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. According to his autobiography, Castanis made an escape and was reunited with his mother. They eventually fled on a

Cephalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It i ...

n ship and met with American relief agents at

Nafplio Nafplio ( ell, Ναύπλιο) is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece and it is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important touristic destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the ...

. American

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

and

Philhellene Philhellenism ("the love of Greek culture") was an intellectual movement prominent mostly at the turn of the 19th century. It contributed to the sentiments that led Europeans such as Lord Byron and Charles Nicolas Fabvier to advocate for Greek i ...

Samuel Gridley Howe Samuel Gridley Howe (November 10, 1801 – January 9, 1876) was an American physician, abolitionist, and advocate of education for the blind. He organized and was the first director of the Perkins Institution. In 1824 he had gone to Greece to ...

sponsored his migration to the US, along with

Garafilia Mohalbi Garafilia Mohalbi(y) (; 1817 – March 17, 1830) was a Greek slave that was rescued by an American merchant and sent to live with his family in Boston, Massachusetts. Born to a prominent family on the island of Psara, her parents were killed in 18 ...

and

John Celivergos Zachos John Celivergos Zachos ( el, Ιωάννης Καλίβεργος Ζάχος; December 20, 1820 – March 20, 1898) was a Greek-American physician, literary scholar, elocutionist, author, lecturer, inventor, and educational pioneer. He was an ea ...

.George J. Leber, ''The History of the Order of AHEPA (The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association), 1922–1972: Including the Greeks in the New World, and Immigration to the United States'' (Washington, DC: The Order of AHEPA, 1972), 49. A PDF file of the book is availabl
here
According to Castanis, around forty Greek orphans emigrated to the United States in similar circumstances during this period. Some modern scholars, including

Gonda Van Steen Gonda Aline Hector Van Steen (born 8 April 1964 in Aalst, Belgium) is a Belgian-American classical scholar and linguist, who specialises in ancient and modern Greek language and literature. Since 2018, she has been Koraes Professor of Modern Gree ...

and Foteini Tomai, verify this, although question the nature of their 'orphan' status. Castanis married American Rutha H. Clark in

Worcester, MA Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in New England after Bo ...

on 22 October 1844. Castanis died in the US in 1866.

Career

Castanis arrived in New York City in 1831, and attended

Mount Pleasant Classical Institute Mount Pleasant Classical Institute, was a boarding school for boys in Amherst, Massachusetts. It operated for five years from 1827 to 1832, and served ages 4–16. It was founded by Amherst College graduates Chauncey Colton D. D. and Francis Fel ...

. He also attended

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

and

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

. In 1839 Castanis held a speaking tour, where he delivered lectures on

Greek 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 ...

. Many of his written works also dealt with Greek Independence. For example, Washington, DC's '' The Republic'' newspaper reported on his 1849 book, ''Oriental Amusing, Instructive, and Moral Literary Dialogues: Comprising the Love and Disappointment of a Turk of Rank in the City of Washington'', claiming it "…is made the vehicle, in a conversational form, of conveying the expression of the author’s

republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

sympathies in behalf of Greece and Turkey, as well as of discussing some

philological Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as the ...

questions, intended to prove that modern Greeks pronounce their language as the ancients did."

Other Greek American Slaves

George Colvocoresses George Musalas "Colvos" Colvocoresses (October 22, 1816 – June 3, 1872) was a Greek-American United States Navy, Navy officer who commanded the during the American Civil War. From 1838 up until 1842, he took part in the United States Exploring ...

Joseph Stephanini Joseph Stephanini ( el, Ιωσήφ Στεφανίνις; 1803–?) was an Ottoman Greek author and runaway slave. He migrated to the United States. He wrote ''The Personal Narrative of the Sufferings of J. Stephanini'' pleading to the American pe ...

* Halet Logotheti

Published works

* Christophorus Plato Castanis, "Caroussis: An Authentic Sketch of the Massacre at Scio", '' The Knickerbocker; or, New-York Monthly Magazine'', Vol. XVII(1), New York, January 1841, 69–70
See in Google books
* Christophorus Plato Castanis, ''An Essay on the Ancient and Modern Greek Languages: Containing Remarks on the Accents, Pronunciation and Versification of the Greek Languages, with Historical Notices, Etc. To which is Added Extracts from Modern Greek Authors; Christopoulos on Versification; an Oration Delivered Before the New York Legislature; and a Guide to Acquire a Knowledge of the Modern Greek'', Allen, Morrill & Wardwell, Andover, Massachusetts, 1844
See in Google books
* Christophorus Plato Castanis, ''Interpretations of the Attributes of the Principal Fabulous Deities: With an Essay on the History of Mythology'', William Hyde, Portland, Oregon, 1844
See in Google books
* Christophorus Plato Castanis, ''A Love Tale: The Jewish Maiden of Scio's Citadel; or, The Eastern Star, and the Albanian Chief'', Philergomathia, 1845
See in Google books
* Christophorus Plato Castanis, ''Oriental Amusing, Instructive, and Moral Literary Dialogues: Comprising the Love and Disappointment of a Turk of Rank in the City of Washington'', John Putnam, Boston, 1849–1850
See in Google books
* Christophorus Plato Castanis, ''The Greek Exile; or, A Narrative of the Captivity and Escape of Christophorus Plato Castanis, During the Massacre on the Island of Scio, by the Turks, Together with Various Adventures in Greece and America'', Lippincott, Grambo, & Co., Philadelphia, 1851
See in Google books
* Christophorus Plato Castanis, ''The Greek Boy and the Sunday-School: Comprising ceremonies of the Greek church, mode of baptism, communion, picture-worship, etc.'', William S. Martien, Philadelphia, 1852
See in Worldcat

References

Writers from Chios Greek emigrants to the United States Greek classical scholars Former slaves Greek slaves from the Ottoman Empire People who wrote slave narratives 19th-century Greek Americans {{DEFAULTSORT:Castanis, Christophorus 1814 births 1866 deaths

Personal life

Career

Other Greek American Slaves

See Also

Published works

References