Michael Soutzos (, ,
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 ( ...
, 1778 or 1784 –
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 ...
, 12 June 1864), was a member of the
Soutzos family
The House of Drakos Family, Drakos-Soutzos or Soutsos ( el, Σούτσου, ro, Suțu or ) is a Greeks, Greek Phanariotes, Phanariote family originally from Chios, which grew into prominence and power in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) duri ...
of
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots ( el, Φαναριώτες, ro, Fanarioți, tr, Fenerliler) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumeni ...
, he was the grandson of
Michael Drakos Soutzos; he was in turn a
Prince of Moldavia, between 12 June 1819 and 29 March 1821. He was initiated into
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 rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek state. (''ret ...
, he supported the Greek revolution in Moldavia and Wallachia and after the creation of the
Greek state
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, he served as ambassador of the country abroad.
Biography
He was born in
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
in 1778 or according to other sources in 1784.
[Spyridon M. Theotokis, Αλληλογραφία Ι. Α. Καποδίστρια-Ι. Γ. Εϋνάρδου 1826–1831, Βιβλιοπωλείον Ι. Ν. Σιδέρη, Athens, 1929, p. 458.][Agapitos S. Agapitos, Οι Ένδοξοι Έλληνες του 1821, ή Οι Πρωταγωνισταί της Ελλάδος, Τυπογραφείον Α. Σ. Αγαπητού, Patras, 1877, p. 150.]
(Greek) His parents were the Phanariot Grigorios Soutzos and Sevasti Tedeskou.
[ During his adolescence he lived in the court of his grandfather Michael Drakos Soutzos, who was ]ruler of Wallachia
This is a list of princes of Wallachia, from the first mention of a medieval polity situated between the Southern Carpathians and the Danube until the union with Moldavia in 1859, which led to the creation of Romania.
Notes
Dynastic rule is hard ...
and later, he served as secretary to the Grand Dragoman of the Sublime Porte, Ioannis Karatzas, whose daughter, Roxanne, he married in 1812. In the same year, thanks to his knowledge of languages and the favor of his father in law, he was appointed to the position of the Grand Dragoman.[Οι κατά την κηδείαν..., 1864, pp. 6–7.]
In 1819[ he was placed by the sultan as ]ruler of Moldavia
This is a list of monarchs of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathian Mountains, Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia, it united with Wallachia, the ot ...
, position he held until 1821. He also had a position in the council of Sultan Mahmud II
Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839.
His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...
and he was one of the consultants that in 1820 supported the suppression of the rebellion of Ali Pasha. In November 1820 he was initiated into the Filiki Eteria by Iakovos Rizos Neroulos.[
In January 1821, he finalized his collaboration with ]Alexander Ypsilantis
Alexandros Ypsilantis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης, Aléxandros Ypsilántis, ; ro, Alexandru Ipsilanti; russian: Александр Константинович Ипсиланти, Aleksandr Konstantinovich Ipsilanti; 12 Dece ...
and with the invasion of Ypsilantis in Moldova on 22 February, Michael Soutzos-Vodas raised the guard in command of the rebels and paid substantial amounts of money for the needs of the army.[ When after a short time, the movement in Moldova-Wallachia began to ebb, Soutzos forced under the pressure from the boyars, who declared him as downfallen by the time he had help the rebels and had repudiated Ottoman domination, to leave his position in Iași. At first, he moved at Skouleni and then (31 March 1821) in Chișinău of Russian Empire. During the same period the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople excommunicated him and Ypsilantis.
Thereafter, he tried to escape to Switzerland through ]Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...
but there he was arrested and was imprisoned for almost four years.[ After his release, he fled first to Italy and then to Switzerland. There, he was hosted in ]Geneva
, neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier
, website = https://www.geneve.ch/
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
by the Swiss Philhellene Jean-Gabriel Eynard
Jean-Gabriel Eynard (born in Lyon on 28 December 1775 – died in Geneva on 5 February 1863) was a Swiss banker and huge benefactor of the Greek cause.
Biography
Jean-Gabriel Eynard although belonging to a family who had settled in Switzerland ...
. During his stay in Europe, he arranged for the collection and distribution of money in favor of the Greek War of Independence and he was in contact with the "Committee of Zakynthos" of Dionysios Romas. Before the undertaking of the governance of Greece by Ioannis Kapodistrias
Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias (10 or 11 February 1776 – 9 October 1831), sometimes anglicized as John Capodistrias ( el, Κόμης Ιωάννης Αντώνιος Καποδίστριας, Komis Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias; russian: ...
, Soutzos was one of the possible candidates to occupy this position.
During Kapodistrias governance, he was appointed as representative of Greece to France, following the recommendation of Eynard. Later, he was appointed by Otto of Greece
Otto (, ; 1 June 181526 July 1867) was a Bavarian prince who ruled as King of Greece from the establishment of the monarchy on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed on 23 October 1862.
The second son of King Ludw ...
as Greek ambassador in France, Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, Sweden and Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
. In 1839 he moved permanently in Athens and he served until 1840 as Member of the Council of the State while he was one of the first settlers of the old Athenian neighborhood Vathi or Vatheia.Ελευθεροτυπία: Από Βάθης στο ρέμα της Σταδίου.
(Greek)
He died on 12 June 1864 in 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 ...
. From his marriage to Roxanne (Loxandra) Karatza, he had three children, Gregorios Soutzos (famous painter of the time), Ioannis Soutzos and Maria Soutzou.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soutzos, Michael
1864 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Politicians from Istanbul
Rulers of Moldavia
Dragomans of the Porte
Michael
Members of the Filiki Eteria
Moldavian people of the Greek War of Independence
People excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church
Constantinopolitan Greeks
Diplomats from Istanbul