Markos Botsaris

Markos Botsaris, oil painting, National Historical Museum Athens.

Markos Botsaris (Greek: Μάρκος Μπότσαρης, Albanian: Marko Boçari, c. 1788 - 21 August 1823) was an Albanian klepht leader who played an important role in the War of Greek Independence.

Born in the region of Souli in Greece, he was the second son of Kitsos Botsaris who was murdered in Arta in 1809 by order of Ali Pasha. They came from the village of Dragani (today Ambelia) near Paramythia and according to Botsaris' family tradition their clan descended from soldiers of Albania's National Hero Skanderbeg. In 1803, after the capture of Souli by Ali Pasha, Botsaris with the remnants of the Souliotes, crossed over to the Ionian Islands, where he ultimately took service in a French regiment.

In 1814, he joined the Greek patriotic society known as the Filiki Eteria, and in 1820, with other Souliots, made common cause with the Greeks against the Ottoman Empire. On the outbreak of the Greek revolt, he distinguished himself by his courage, tenacity and skill as a partisan leader in the fighting in western Hellas, and was conspicuous in the defence of Missolonghi during the first siege (1822-1823). On the night of August 21, 1823 he led the celebrated attack at Karpenisi of 350 Souliots on 4000 Albanians who formed the vanguard of the army with which Mustai Pasha was advancing to reinforce the besiegers. Botsaris managed to take Mustai Pasha as a prisoner during the raid but he was shot in the head while leaving the encampment.

Many Philhellenes visiting Greece admired Botsaris' courage and numerous poets wrote poems about him. American poet Fitzgreene Halleck wrote a poem entitled Marco Bozzaris [1], Juste Olivier also wrote an award-winning poem for him, in 1825. His memory is still celebrated in popular ballads in Greece. Markos's brother Kostas Botsaris (Constantine), who fought at Karpenisi and completed the victory, lived to become a general and senator in the Greek kingdom. He died at Athens on the 13 November 1853. Markos's son, Dimitrios Botsaris, born in 1813, was three times minister of war during the reigns of Otto of Greece and George I of Greece. He died at Athens on 17 August 1870.

His daughter Katerina "Rosa" Botsaris was in the service of Queen Amalia of Greece. She was an admired young woman at European courts beauty of whom was immortalised by painter Joseph Stieler in 1841. The painting was part of the collection Schönheitengalerie commissioned by Ludwig I of Bavaria. The woman depicted in the painting posing in the attire named the "Amalia dress" is often mistaken for Queen Amalia herself. A Damask rose species bred in 1856 was named Rosa Botsaris after her.

Photo Gallery

• 
  An oil painting on canvas of the Greek leader Markos Botsaris - (by Jean-Léon Gérôme - 1874)
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  Tomb of "Markos Botsaris", created by French sculptor David d'Angers Messolonghi, Aitoloakarnania, Greece
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  The death of Markos Botsaris. Painting by Ludovico Lipparini, Civico Museo Sartorio, Trieste, Italy

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• Botsaris, 180 Years from the Greek Revolution