The
brig ''Aris'' ( el, Άρης, named after the god of war,
Ares), was one of the most distinguished Greek ships during the
Greek War of Independence and continued to serve in the
Greek Navy
The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of vari ...
until the early 20th century as a training ship.
History
The 350-ton ''Aris'' was constructed as a merchant vessel in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
in 1807. Upon the outbreak of the Greek Revolution in March 1821, her owner,
Anastasios Tsamados
Anastasios Tsamados ( el, Αναστάσιος Τσαμαδός; 1772Ασπρέας Γ. (1930), Μεγάλη ''Στρατιωτική και Ναυτική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια- Λεξικόν'': Έκδοση Μεγάλης Στρατιω ...
(1774-1825) from
Hydra, armed the ship with 16 12-pounder guns and joined the fleet of his home island. ''Aris'' participated in many of the early naval clashes with the
Ottoman Navy, but became famous after the action fought at
Navarino Navarino or Navarin may refer to:
Battle
* Battle of Navarino, 1827 naval battle off Navarino, Greece, now known as Pylos
Geography
* Navarino, Wisconsin, a town, United States
* Navarino (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community, Unit ...
on , which became known as the "Sortie of ''Aris''" (Έξοδος του Άρεως).
Sphacteria
At that time, a Greek garrison was quartered at the island at
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 (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 Kh ...
, tasked by the
Ottoman sultan to suppress the Greek revolt, needed to take the island in order to use the bay for his own purposes. ''Aris'', along with 5 other brigs, were anchored at Sphacteria when, on the morning of April 26, the combined Ottoman-Egyptian fleet arrived and started its attack on the island, bombarding the Greek positions and disembarking numerous troops. Most captains of the ships were on land, along with part of their crews, who were manning the island's cannons. The other ships sailed before the Ottoman fleet could seal off the bay, and after fighting off the Ottomans, were able to escape. The crew of ''Aris'' however still awaited their captain, who had been killed. Instead, Nikolaos Votsis, the captain of the ''Athena'', which had already sailed without him, and
Dimitrios Sachtouris, the commander of the Navarino fortress, came aboard, fleeing the advancing Egyptian soldiers. Votsis took over as captain, with Sachtouris as his first mate, and set sail. Also present on the ship was the Secretary of State,
Alexandros Mavrokordatos, who was sent to the
hold
Hold may refer to:
Physical spaces
* Hold (ship), interior cargo space
* Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane
* Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Ferm ...
for safety.
''Aris'' sailed through the midst of the Turco-Egyptian fleet, being attacked on all sides for several hours and facing in total 32 ships one after another, before reaching the open sea. Casualties among the crew were just two dead and six wounded.
After the Revolution
After the end of the War of Independence, the ship was bought by the Greek government for the new
Royal Hellenic Navy
The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of vari ...
and renamed ''Athena'' (Αθηνά). It reverted to its old name in 1879, and was in service, mainly as a training vessel for the
Hellenic Naval Academy
The Hellenic Naval Cadets Academy ( el, Σχολή Ναυτικών Δοκίμων, abbr. ΣΝΔ, lit. "School of Naval Cadets") is a military university and has the responsibility to educate and suitably train competent Naval Officers for the He ...
, until , when it was ceremonially sunk off
Salamis with full honours on the 100th anniversary of the Greek Revolution. The action, justified on the grounds of the expense involved in the ship's maintenance, caused much criticism at the time from those who favoured her retention as a naval monument. Today, only th
ship's figureheadis preserved, at the
National Historical Museum of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
.
References
Sources
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aris
1807 ships
Greek War of Independence naval ships of Greece
Brigs
Naval ships of Greece
Ships built in Venice
Maritime incidents in 1921