Panos Koronaios ( el, Πάνος Κορωναίος) was a

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

officer who reached the rank of lieutenant general, and a prominent military leader in the overthrow of King

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 ...

in 1862 and in the Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869. He was born 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 (" ...

in 1809, to a family that hailed from

Kythira Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an Greek islands, island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Io ...

and the

Mani Peninsula The Mani Peninsula ( el, Μάνη, Mánē), also long known by its medieval name Maina or Maïna (Μαΐνη), is a geographical and cultural region in Southern Greece that is home to the Maniots (Mανιάτες, ''Maniátes'' in Greek), who cla ...

. Following the outbreak 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 ...

in 1821, his family left the Ottoman capital and settled in

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

. At the age of 17, Koronaios left Corfu and joined the small regular army of the Greek rebels. Under the command of Colonel Rodios, he fought in the failed

Chios expedition The Chios expedition (Greek: Εκστρατεία της Χίου) was an unsuccessful attempt of the regular Greek army and irregular military units for the recapture of Chios island during the final stages of the Greek War of Independence. Chi ...

of 1827–28. When the

Hellenic Military Academy The Hellenic Army Academy ( el, Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων), commonly known as the Evelpidon, is a military academy. It is the Officer cadet school of the Greek Army and the oldest third-level educational institution in G ...

was established in 1828, he entered as one of the first students, and was commissioned the first Greek artillery officer with the rank of adjutant. Due to his opposition to the authoritarian rule of King Otto, he was sent away from Athens to serve in

Nafplion 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 ...

. There he was one of the chief leaders of the unsuccessful Nauplian Revolution in February 1862, and later one of the chief drivers of Otto's ouster in October 1862. He was a representative during the , and during the subsequent Interregnum period, he emerged as one of the leading military figures, particularly due to his influence on the artillery. During the bloody clashes of June 1863 between the "Mountain" and "Plain" factions, Koronaios, who had sided with the former, was named head of the Athens National Guard and

Minister of Military Affairs 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 s ...

, and led his forces to victory after three days of fighting. When the Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869 broke out, he left Greece and joined the Cretan rebels, remaining on the island for about two years. After his return, he entered politics, being successively elected as a Member of Parliament for

Attica Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Se ...

in 1869, and Kythira in 1877 (replacing the deceased MP D. Raptakis), 1879, and 1887. In 1880, during the near-war with the Ottoman Empire, he was promoted to lieutenant general, and then retired from active duty. He died at Athens in 1899.

References

{{Greek War of Independence 1809 births 1899 deaths 19th-century Greek military personnel Greek people of the Greek War of Independence Greek revolutionaries Hellenic Army lieutenant generals Ministers of Military Affairs of Greece History of Greece (1832–1862) History of Greece (1863–1909) Greek MPs 1862–1864 Greek MPs 1869–1871 Greek MPs 1875–1879 Greek MPs 1879–1881 Greek MPs 1887–1890 Constantinopolitan Greeks People from Corfu Military personnel from Istanbul Politicians from Istanbul