KLEPHTS and ARMATOLES Petralia Evelina Ziamparas Byron Bistika Demi
Αρματολοί (Armatoli):
The word first appeared during the 15th century during Venetian times. It is derived from a medieval loan from Latin arma ('weapon'). According to an older hypothesis, the development of the word may have been influenced by a conflation with the similar-sounding αμαρτωλός ('sinner'), which may have been associated with the topic of armed bands through phrases such as "αμαρτωλοί/αρματολοί και κλέφτες" (meaning 'sinners and thieves', but also 'armatoli and klephts').
Ottoman period: ď‚ž
The armatoli were organized based on a feudal system under which military/police units maintained their duties in exchange for titles of land. When the Ottomans conquered the plains of Greece (along with a myriad of islands), they did not disband or remove the armatoloi. In fact, the Ottomans established treaties with the armatoloi in order for them to maintain their military/police functions.
The armatoli were mostly concentrated in Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus and Acarnania. In the Peloponnesus, armatolismos did not develop in the same manner as it did in Roumeli and Epirus. In the Peloponnesus. If in certain regions, the institution of armatolismos was not implemented, the territories were divided into armatolikia or protakta . These territories extended from Axios river to Ambracian Gulf and up to the Corinthian gulf . Captains would often have authority over these territories via inheritance/succession. A single captain was at first forced to submit his authority to the pasha who controlled the periphery. Later, all Καπετάνιοι (kapetanioi) were forced to submit to Dervedji pasha.
ď‚ž
During the 18th century, there were around seventeen armatolikia. Ten of them were located in Thessaly and the eastern regions of Central Greece, four of them in Epirus, Acarnania , and Aetolia, and three in Macedonia. Every captain had his palikaria. Among these palikaria, the best recognized leader, secretary, and sometimes successor of the kapetanio was deemed . Protopalikaro. The palikaria would train with their weapons on a daily basis.
Weapons:
The main weapon the palikaria utilized was the kariofili .Marksmanship was the proverbial hallmark that defined the palikaria. They were also capable in the art of ambushing and mobility. The palikaria were resilient toward thirst, hunger and even the painful difficulties in their encounters with the klephts.
ď‚ž
For the Ottomans, it became progressively more difficult for them to distinguish the armatoli from the klephts. Both groups began to establish relations with one another under a common ethnic rubric. This collaboration was also based on mutual sentiments against foreign conquerors. Since both groups were armed and possessed military experience, they helped Greeks become better warriors before the advent of the Greek Revolution of 1821.
The first recorded appearance of collaborations between armatoli and klephts goes back to 1585 during the wars fought between the Venetians and the Ottomans. During this time, Theodoros Grivas incited an insurrection in Αcarnania and Epirus with armatoli Poulios Drakos and Malamos from Epirus. The Sublime Port continued to have trust in armed groups such as the armatoli up until 1684. During that year, the bodyguards of the Port, the armatoli, became carriers of ethnic-oriented ideas. Prominent armatoli from the 17th century were Soumilas (Σουμίλας), Meintanis (Μεϊντάνης), Livinis (Λιβίνης), Kourmas (Κούρμας), the Balaorites (Βαλαωρίτες), etc. Though these individuals engaged in failed rebellions, their attempts became an inspiration for future armatoli to follow.
Famous Armatoli
Odysseas Androutsos
1. 2.
Athanasios Diakos
3.
Giorgakis Olympios
4.
Georgios Karaiskakis
Klephts:
Klephts which means "thief" - and maybe originally meant just "brigand”) were highwaymen that turned selfappointed armatoloi, anti-Ottoman insurgents, and warlike mountain-folk who lived in the countryside when Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire. They were the descendants of Greeks who retreated into the mountains during the fifteenth century in order to avoid Ottoman oppression.They carried on a continuous war against Ottoman rule and remained active as brigands until the nineteenth century.
Klephts under Ottoman rule were generally men who were fleeing vendettas or taxes, debts and reprisals fr om Ottoman officials. They raided travelers and isolated settlements and lived in the rugged mountains and back country. Most klephtic bands participated in some form in the Greek War of Independence. During the Greek War of Independence, the klephts, along with the armatoloi, formed the nucleus of the Greek fighting forces, and played a prominent part throughout its duration. Yanni Makriyannis referred to the "klephtes and armatoloi" as the "yeast of liberty".
Origins:
The only territories that did not fall under Ottoman rule were the mountain ranges (populated by Greeks and inaccessible to the Ottoman Turks), as well as a handful of islands and coastal possessions under the control of Venice. This situation lasted until at least 1821 and this period of time in Greece is known as the "Turkocracy."Ottoman lands were divided up into pashaliks, also called eyalets; in the case of the lands that form modern Greece, these were Morea and Roumelia. Pashaliks were further sub-divided into sanjaks which were often divided into feudal chifliks (farms).
Any surviving Greek troops, whether regular Byzantine forces, localmilitia, or mercenaries had either to join the Ottoman army as janissaries, serve in the private army of a local Ottoman notable, or fend for themselves.
Many Greeks wishing to preserve their Greek identity, Orthodox Christian religion, and independence chose the difficult but liberated life of a bandit. These bandit groups soon found their ranks swelled with impoverished and/or adventurous peasants, societal outcasts, and escaped criminals.
Klephtopolemos
The term klephtopolemos was used to name the strategies/tactics that both the klephts and armatoli utilized. These tactics are used today for unconventional military campaigns by small guerrilla groups. The armatoli would conduct campaigns during nighttime. This strategy was known as "going out to pagana”. The armatoli would usually do this when the klephts were coming out of their dens.
The armatoli would defend themselves in improvised forts against the guerrilla tactics utilized by the klephts. A general offensive campaign by the armatoli was known as giourousi . During one of these campaigns, the armatoli would make effective use of swords and warcries.
Famous Klephts:
Athanasios Diakos
Geórgios Karaïskákis
Markos Botsaris
Nikitas Stamatelopoulos
Dimitrios Makris
Odysseas Androutsos
Theodoros Kolokotronis
Antonis Katsantonis
Sources: www.wikipedia.org