Panagiotis Nikousios ( el, Παναγιώτης Νικούσιος; 1613 – 2 October 1673) was a

Phanariote 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 ...

Greek physician and the first Christian

Grand Dragoman The Dragoman of the Sublime Porte ( Ottoman Turkish: ; el, �έγαςδιερμηνέας της Υψηλής Πύλης), Dragoman of the Imperial Council (''tercümân-ı dîvân-ı hümâyûn''), or simply Grand or Chief Dragoman (''tercümân ...

(chief interpreter) of the Ottoman Porte, holding the office from to his death in 1673. Nikousios was very well educated, having received instruction by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

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 gone on to attend the Patriarchal Academy in

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 (" ...

and the

University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...

, where he studied medicine. On his return, he became personal physician to

Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmed Pasha Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmed Pasha ( ota, كپرولى زاده فاضل احمد پاشا, tr, Köprülü Fazıl Ahmet Paşa; ; 1635 – 3 November 1676) was an Ottoman nobleman and statesman, who was a member of the renowned Köprülü family ...

, and when the latter became

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

in 1661, he appointed Nikousios as the first Grand Dragoman. He played an important role in the negotiations that ended the long Siege of Candia in 1669, and amassed a great library with many valuable manuscripts. His appointment as Grand Dragoman marks the start of the Phanariotes' rise to high political offices in the Ottoman government.

Sources

* 1613 births 1673 deaths 17th-century Greek people Phanariotes University of Padua alumni Dragomans of the Porte 17th-century Greek physicians Greek translators 17th-century physicians from the Ottoman Empire People of the Ottoman–Venetian Wars 17th-century translators 17th-century Greek politicians Diplomats from Istanbul Physicians from Istanbul {{Ottoman-bio-stub