Odysseas Androutsos

Odysseas Androutsos, painting by Kostis Desyllas, 1870

Odysseas Androutsos ( Greek Οδυσσέας Ανδρούτσος , also Odysseus Androutsos , * 1788 in Vathy , Ithaca ; † June 5, 1825 in Athens ) is considered a long-time controversial hero of the Greek Revolution , especially for the liberation of the country from Ottoman rule fought.

origin

Odysseas Androutsos' family came from the village of Livanates in Fthiotida in Central Greece . His father Andreas Androutsos was already an Armatole , a rebel against Ottoman rule. His friend Admiral Lambros Katsonis was the godfather of Odysseas. He grew up in Preveza . After the death of his father in 1806 Ali Pasha Tepelena brought him to his court. Androutsos began a military career in his service. Androutsos served Ali Pasha as armatole. In 1818, however, he joined the Filiki Eteria , which campaigned for Greece's independence from the Ottoman Empire .

Greek liberation struggle

When the liberation struggles broke out, Androutsos was near Patras . He called on the residents of Galaxidi to stand up.

In May 1821, Omar Vryonis , the commander of the Ottoman army , broke the resistance of the Greeks in the battle of Alamana , killed Androutsos' friend Athanasios Diakos and advanced south to the Peloponnese with about 9,000 men to put down the uprising. Odysseas Androutsos took a defensive position in a seraglio near Gravia with a group of about 120 men, supported by Panourgias and Diovouniotis and their people . Vryonis attacked the position, but was repulsed in a losing battle with over 300 dead. Eventually he had to call in reinforcements and artillery, but the Greeks escaped before they were deployed. Androutsos allegedly lost only six men in the battle.

At the end of 1821 he was appointed by the other commanders as supreme commander of the Greek armed forces in Roumeli .

Decline and execution

Bust of Odysseas Androutsos in Athens , Pedio Areos

Androutsos' fame did not last long. As early as the spring of 1822, his political opponent Ioannis Kolettis accused him of cooperating with the enemy and removed him from his command. However, he continued his strategy, which also included contacts with Vryonis and other Ottoman leaders, until 1824. In 1825 he was arrested by the insurgent government. The new commander, Giannis Gouras, previously Androutsos' deputy as commander, had him murdered on June 5, 1825. At night four men entered the Acropolis in Athens , where he was being held, and killed him. They threw his body off a nearby rock to pretend that he had died trying to escape. A guard who witnessed the murder revealed the truth to a prosecutor many years later; it was not until 1898 that his statement was published.

After his death, the role of Androutsos remained controversial. While some believed that he had betrayed his country, others rejected this and asked why he should first have valiantly defended his country and then betrayed it. The reason for the charge of high treason may have been that Androutsos was feared by most politicians.

Web links

Commons : Odysseas Androutsos  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Leader 1821 - 1833 (English) ( Flash ; 153 kB)