Hellenic American Center of the Arts

Δευτέρα 25 Ιανουαρίου 2021

Dimitrios Chalkokondylis (1423 - January 9, 1511)

Born in Athens, he was a Greek scholar and one of the pivotal figures in the revival of classical Greek literature in the West and a significant contributor to the intellectual Renaissance period.

In 1435, after his family were persecuted by the then rulers of Athens, the Florentine Dukes, he moved to the town of Mystra, Laconia in the Peloponnese. It was while there, he first studied philosophy.

By 1447 he had moved to the Italian peninsula. First, he went to Rome where he completed his studies and also learned Latin. 

Then, for 3 years starting in 1452, he was in Perugia where he taught the Greek language. In Rome, then in Padova in 1463 where he was made Professor, he translated many works and introduced to his students, the philosophical theories of Plato and Aristotle.

By the mid 1470’s, Chalkokondylis was Head of Greek Literature in Florence and later also went to Milan where he again taught Greek.

Throughout his years in Italy, he composed several orations calling for the liberation of the Greek people and Greece, from what he described as “the abominable, monstrous & impious barbarian Turks”.

He continued, calling on all Latins to aid the Greeks against the Ottomans, he identified this as their overdue debt. As he reminded the Latins of when they were oppressed by the Goths and how it was the Greeks who came to their aid in liberation, during the Gothic Wars (535-554).

He dies in Milan in 1511.
Hellenic Patriotism

January 15th, 1822 - The Republic of Haiti, becomes the 1st country to recognise the Independence of Greece.

Jean-Pierre Boyer, President of Haiti, following a Greek request for assistance, addressed a letter to Greeks in France, who had assembled themselves into a Committee which was seeking international support for the Greek Revolution.

Boyer expressed his support for the Greek Revolution and compared it to the struggle for independence in his own land. He apologized for being unable to support the Revolution in Greece financially, but he articulated his moral and political support for the revolution, notably by filling his letter with references to classical Greek history, demonstrating a detailed knowledge of this history and powerfully evoking the contemporary revolutionaries as the rightful heirs of their ancestors.

Hellenic Patriotism

Hellenic Patriotism // Petros Mavromichalis (1765 - January 17, 1848)

Petros Mavromichalis (1765 - January 17, 1848)

From Areopoli in the Mani Peninsula, descendant of a long line of fighters, he was the leader of the Maniots during the early 19th century and during the Greek Revolution of 1821.

After assuming control of Mani following his father’s death, he united the various warring factions, reorganising them under his command and as a result, controlled large areas of the southern Peloponnese. Due to Mani’s semi-autonomous status under Ottoman occupation, it became a stronghold of the klephts and other fighters.

At the outbreak of the Greek Revolution, he raised his war flag at Areopoli, effectively signalling the start of the Greek War of Independence. It was his troops that marched into Kalamata, liberating the city on March 23, 1821. He also led 500 Maniots into battle at the 1st Siege of Messolonghi in 1822.

From 1822 onwards, Petros mostly withdrew from active battle, but continued in his role as a mediator, leaving the leadership of his troops to his sons & brothers – 2 of whom Ioannis and Ilias – died in battle, as did a brother, Kyriakoulis.

By 1829, he was elected to the Greek Senate, it was here where he had his fatal clash with Ioannis Kapodistrias. After first endorsing Kapodistrias’ election as Greece’s 1st modern Head of State in 1828, Petros and the rest of the Mavromichalis family soon clashed with him.

Kapodistrias preferred Greece to be ruled as a united and centralised state, rejecting the clan mentality and regional ruling factions. The animosity between the Mavromichails family and Kapodistrias, led to conflict and resulted in the arrest of Petros and another brother Ioannis.

Things further escalated when Petros’ son Georgios and another brother Konstantinos, carried out an assassination of Ioannis Kapodistrias in 1831, on the steps of the Church of Saint Spyridon in Nafplio, changing the course of Greek history. Both would later be executed.

The act itself was condemned by Petros, who was released from prison in 1832 on orders of Augoustinos Kapdositrias, who had temporarily taken over as Head of State from his brother.

Petros Mavromichalis dies in 1848 and was buried with the honours of a serving Lieutenant General of the Greek Army.
Hellenic Patriotism
 

Moscho Tzavella (1750 - 1804) Hellenic Patriotism

Moscho Tzavella (1750 - 1804)

From Souli in Epirus, she was a fighter and a heroine in the late 18th century, during the years preceding the Greek Revolution of 1821.

Her husband Lambros Tzavellas, was the Captain of the Souliotes. After he was killed in 1792, she assumed the leadership and took over his responsibilities.

This culminated in a battle against the Turk-Albanians in Epirus later in 1792, where she commanded 400 Souliotes many of them women, against thousands of Turk-Albanians. Resulting in a decisive defeat of the Ottoman force, suffering 2000-3000 casualties.

Dying in 1804, many Greek folk songs and historical anecdotes have been written about Moscho Tzavella throughout the years.

Her grandson, Kyriakos “Kitsos” Tzavelas, would also be a Greek fighter during the Greek War of Independence, he was later a General in the Greek Army and was also Prime Minister of Greece.
Hellenic Patriotism

Hellenic Patriotism // Dionysios Vourvachis (1787 - January 1827)

Dionysios Vourvachis (1787 - January 1827)

Born on the island of Kefalonia, he was a fighter during the Greek War of Independence.

As his father Sotirios was friends with the French military leader Napoleon, Dionysios was sent to France to complete his higher education and taken under his wing. While there, he was admitted into the prestigious Saint-Cyr French Military Academy, graduating in 1805.

For the next decade, Dionysios fought in the French Army and was involved in the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), fighting all over Europe, reaching the rank of Colonel.

By late 1825 he was back in Greece and eager to fight the Ottomans. Landing in Elefsina, with his own money he financed his own 1000 strong armed force.

Dionysios and his force fought through Attica, their intended goal was to relieve the garrison stationed at the Acropolis.

But at the Battle of Kamatero north of Athens in early 1827, Dionysios Vourvachis’ unit succumbed to an Ottoman attack, he was captured and he was beheaded. His death was a significant prize for the Ottomans, with his severed head sent to the Sultan as a gift.

His son Charles, who was 11 years old when his father died, grew up in France and would go on to be a Major-General in the French Army. In 1862, following the exile of the Bavarian Otto, he was offered and declined the vacant throne of Greece.

Hellenic Patriotism

HEROES/HISTORICAL FIGURES // Domna Visvizi (1783 - 1850)

Domna Visvizi (1783 - 1850)

From the town of Ainos in Eastern Thrace, she was a sailor and naval hero during the Greek War of Independence.

At the onset of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the Visvizi family, which consisted of Domna, her husband Antonis and their 5 children, sold all their belongings and equipped their family owned ship, the Kalomoira, with cannon, sailors and fighters.

Their ship participated in battles off Lesvos and Samos. Following the death of her husband Antonis off Evia in 1822, Domna took command of the vessel and continued to take part in naval operations, engaging in blockades and other battles and skirmishes in the Aegean.

By late 1824, Domna continues to assist in the Revolution but was by now, out of any money and running low on food & other supplies for her family and crew. Unable to garner any assistance, Domna is forced to concede the ship to the state.

By the end of the Revolution she is penniless, destitute, has lost a child through starvation and has no home to go back to. Having to resort to accepting charity for her and her children, while living on Mykonos and later Syros.

Domna Visvizi, lost her husband, her ship, her wealth, her youth, her children and everything she and her family owned in Eastern Thrace for Greek freedom. She dies in poverty in Piraeus in 1850.
Hellenic Patriotism

Love Letters To Greece

EMBCA's “The Hellenic Revolution and its Effects on the American Abolitionist Movement ”

Dear Friends and Colleagues –

Join us for EMBCA's “The Hellenic Revolution and its Effects on the American Abolitionist Movement ” Panel Discussion Webinar on Sunday, February 21 at 2 P.M. EST (11 A.M. PST, 9 P.M. Athens EEST). The panel for this unique event will be introduced and moderated by Lou Katsos, EMBCA's President/Founder and who will be part of the panel. The distinguished panel, in formation, will include Author/Poet Nicholas Alexiou, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Hellenic American Project at Queens College, Author/Historian/Poet/Editor/Activist Dan Georgakas the Director of the Greek American Studies Project at the Center for Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies at Queens College, and Author/Historian/Activist Herb Boyd, Professor of the Black Studies Program at the City College of New York, CUNY.     

As mentioned in previous EMBCA panel discussions this discussion will be a further elaboration on Lou Katsos and Prof. Alexiou's lecture conducted at Queens College’s Rosenthal Library on April 15, 2019, and widely hailed. It was organized by EMBCA, Prof. Nicholas Alexiou's The Hellenic American Project /Queens College Sociology Department and the Black History Month Committee of Queens College. In the program relating to the Hellenic Revolution of 1821 Lou and Nicholas made the main presentations on the “Contributions of African Americans in the Hellenic Revolution of 1821, and Early American Philhellenes Ushering the Abolition and Suffrage Movements” a topic on the Revolution rarely (if ever) discussed. This particular panel will focus in more depth on the American Abolitionist Movement as influenced by the Hellenic Revolution for Black History Month in February.

American Philhellenism by 1821 when the Hellenic Revolution broke out, although derived from European origins became more than just a philosophical intellectual movement. It caught America by storm and referred to as the Greek Fever/ Greek Fire historically in the U.S.. It was influenced and inspired in part by America's contact with the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States but also from their missionary and commercial interests that led to its first military conflicts abroad relating to the Barbary Wars, America's first wars. Americans also knew the Hellenes as slaves in the East, and also as fellow warriors in America's first battle and victory on foreign soil in the Battle of Derma (1805). U.S. Marines and the Greek mercenaries who supported them inspired the U.S. Marines' Hymn  line " To the shores of Tripoli..". When the Hellenic Revolution broke out, and through the effort of many throughout the United States, Greek Committees were formed rapidly to support the effort financially and in some cases Americans went to Greece to fight. They included for example George Jarvis, a New Yorker (known as "Kapetan Zervos"), Captain Jonathan P. Miller, of Vermont, (who adopted Loukas Miltiades Miller the first American of Hellenic origin to be elected to the U.S. Congress), Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe who became the Chief Surgeon of the Hellenic Navy, George Wilson of Providence, Rhode Island, James Williams, an African American from Baltimore who joined the Greek Navy forces and fought died and is buried in Argos, Greece and others. Many who fought in Greece and others who were members of the Greek Committees became and were serious abolitionists in America and significant opponents of American slavery and which included Samuel Gridley Howe (one of the Secret Six), Jonathan Miller among many. We will explore some of them in this discussion as well as Hellenes who came into the U.S. in some cases as orphans of the Revolution, such as John Zachos, who themselves became American abolitionists and fought in the U.S. Civil War.. We hope this panel discussion and conversation contributes to a wave of research and continuing discussions on this very important but not often, if ever, discussed topic.  

This event and others we have had, and are being planned are part of EMBCA’s American Hellenic Revolution of 1821 Bicentennial Committee series of events focusing not only on the Revolution but also importantly on the American, Diaspora and International aspects and influences of the Revolution for its 200 Year Anniversary.

UPCOMING EMBCA EVENTS

January 31 - “Hellenic Orphans Taken Abroad from 1821 through the 1960’s” Panel Discussion Webinar

February 21 - "The Hellenic Revolution and its Effect on the American Abolitionist Movement" Panel Discussion Webinar 

February 28 - "Virtual Reality Training for High Risk Engagements From the Hellenic Revolution to Today’s Evolution" Panel Discussion Webinar 

March 7 -  "The Legacy of the Hellenic Diaspora in the Hellenic Revolution of 1821" Panel Discussion Webinar

March 14 - "The Hellenic Revolution and its Effects on the American Women's Suffrage Movement" Panel Discussion Webinar

March 28 - "Hellenic Energy Independence Forum - Part 2" Panel Discussion Webinar

April 11 - "The Effects of the Hellenic Revolution on Medicine, Health & Wellness in Greece, America, and Europe" Panel Discussion Webinar

https://embca.com/event/hellenic-revolution-and-its-effect-on-the-american-abolitionist-movement-panel-discussion/?event_date=2021-02-21&fbclid=IwAR1pfU54M3UtglShL8wHtH9SD--1v_PmbZb6hqkOg54T42EY2PZzweX2T9o

Love Letters To Greece