Athanasios Diakos

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ

Athanasios Diakos (born in Artotina, Phocis, on January 4, 1788 – Lamia, April 24, 1821) was one of the most important heroes of the Greek War of Independence of 1821, participating actively in the first year of the struggle for Greece’s independence, particularly in Central Greece. Although his exact origins are debated, his real name appears to have been Athanasios Grammatikos or Athanasios Massavetas, according to various sources. The word "Grammatikos" refers to someone who records tax records, and "Massavetas" may derive from the same Ottoman professional title. However, Athanasios Diakos chose the surname "Diakos," honoring his heritage.

In 1818, he was initiated into the Filiki Eteria, and in 1820, he took on the role of an armatolos in Livadia. In April 1821, in collaboration with other chieftains, he captured the fortress of Livadia, using it as a base to launch significant victorious battles in the area. One of these victories was the capture of the Alamana bridge. On April 23, 1821, he participated in a fierce battle against the forces of Omer Vrioni, where he was eventually captured by the Ottomans.

He was taken to Lamia, where he endured horrific torture, including impalement, and met a martyr’s death on April 24, 1821. His brutal execution and heroism had a profound impact on the national consciousness and became a symbol of the struggle for independence.

After his death, Athanasios Diakos was honored by the Greek Army with the rank of General, in recognition of his contribution to the Revolution and his heroic sacrifice.

The Early Years

In the middle of the 18th century, Athanasios Grammatikos, the ancestor of the hero Diakos, was born in Mousounitsa of Parnassida. It is said that when Grammatikos was old enough to carry weapons, he chose the life of a glorious armatolos and became a servant of Konstantaras, the renowned armatolos from Agia Eusthymia. When Konstantaras died, Grammatikos created his own group and assisted the Ottomans of Parnassida and Doryda, bringing along his brother, whose name has not been preserved. When his brother fell in a confrontation with the Ottomans, and most of his comrades scattered, the group disbanded, and Grammatikos, after receiving amnesty, spent the rest of his life peacefully in his homeland, where he died.

He left three sons: Mitros, Kostoulas, and Nikos, and a daughter, Stamona. Mitros and Kostoulas fought with the armatolos Vlachothanas and later allied with Androutsos, faithfully following him. Kostoulas died in 1796 during Androutsos' descent to the Peloponnese, while Mitros allied with Loukas Kalliakoudas and fell in 1802 at Kavrolimni. Nikos, the only surviving son of Grammatikos, followed the life of a shepherd and lived in Mousounitsa, where he married. From Nikos came two children: Mitros, who was an adopted son of Ioannis Massavetas, and Athanasios, the famous hero Diakos.

Diakos was born in Mousounitsa around 1792, although according to the historian Philimon, he was born in 1786. Vasileios Vosgos, who served Diakos as his right-hand man for many years, knew the hero's exact age and states that Diakos lived until the age of 33, thus confirming that he was born in 1788.

However, he chose the name "Diakos," honoring his position as a deacon in the church.

His origin from Artotina has been confirmed by many sources, such as the first biography of Athanasios Diakos, published in 1835, and the family status certificate issued in 1865 by the Municipality of Krokylio, to which Artotina belonged. Meanwhile, other sources, such as the historian Gouras and foreign researchers, mention Upper Mousounitsa as his possible birthplace, but the general consensus recognizes Artotina as his true homeland.

From a young age, Diakos showed a tendency towards religion, and at the age of 12, his mother sent him to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Artotina to receive religious education. At 17, he became a monk, and due to his dedication to the Christian faith and his particular personality, he was quickly promoted to deacon.

The folk tradition tells a story from the time of his monastic life when a Turkish Pasha visited the monastery of St. John the Baptist in Artotina with his troops. The Pasha, impressed by the appearance of the young monk, attempted to insult him and challenged him. This challenge led to a fight during which Diakos killed the Turk. From then on, he was forced to flee and take refuge in the mountains, adopting the role of a bandit.

Another version of the story suggests that during a wedding in Artotina, where the tradition of shooting was prevalent, a stray bullet killed the son of Kontoyannena from the neighboring village of Kostaritsa. Although it was not certain that Diakos was involved, the murder was attributed to him, and he was forced to hide from the Turkish authorities.

Later, during the celebration of the Assumption, Diakos was arrested along with a friend of his, Kafetzos. They were taken to Ferat-effendi, the governor of Lidori, who imprisoned them. Diakos managed to escape with Kafetzos, and they took refuge in the mountains, where they found shelter in the hideout of the well-known bandit of Dorida, Cham Kalogeros.

These early years of Athanasios Diakos' life illustrate his strong connection to resistance against Turkish rule, which laid the foundation for his participation in the Greek Revolution of 1821.

Bandit and Armatolos

At the beginning of his career, Athanasios Diakos joined the band of bandits from Roumeli, under the leadership of various captains. He distinguished himself in many clashes with the Ottomans, proving his courage and determination. One of the most significant moments of his action occurred when Captain Cham Kalogeros, during a skirmish, was severely wounded in the leg. Had Diakos not intervened to defend him and take him to the safe location of Grammeni Oxyas, Cham Kalogeros would have fallen into the hands of the Turks. At that moment, Cham Kalogeros declared before the bandits that if he were to die, Diakos would have to take over the leadership.

After this adventure, the bandits were forced to split into smaller groups or "boulouki" due to the intense pressure from the Ottomans, who were constantly chasing them. Diakos' boulouki, along with Goula and Skaltsodimos, became one of the most famous groups, operating in various regions of Roumeli. During this period, Diakos learned that his father and brother Apostolos had been murdered by the Ottomans after being captured and tortured in the prison of Patratsikio (Ypati). Diakos swore to avenge this loss, and from that moment on, the Turkish detachments sent to chase the bandits were unable to withstand his fury.

Moreover, the bandits captured the daughter of Babalis, the local Turkish chief of Dorida, and took her to their hideout in Karya, demanding the armatolik of the region in exchange for her freedom. Through this, they succeeded in acquiring the armatolik, strengthening their position against the Turks.

At the same time, Ali Pasha, who was developing plans for independence from the Ottoman Empire, summoned the captains of the bandits and armatolos to Ioannina to inform them of his political intentions. Among the invited was Skaltsodimos, who represented the armatolos of Lidori. However, Skaltsodimos sent Diakos in his place, who distinguished himself with his leadership abilities. During this period, Diakos served as an armatolos in Ali Pasha's army for two years, alongside Odysseas Androutsos.

When Odysseas Androutsos took command of a unit of armatolos in Livadia, Diakos served as his right-hand man for a year. In the following years, just before the 1821 Revolution, Diakos formed his own group of bandits, strengthening his involvement in preparing for the Revolution. Like other captains of bandits and armatolos, Diakos became a member of the Filiki Eteria, recognizing the importance of revolutionary action against the Turks.

Revolution

Soon after the outbreak of hostilities, Diakos and a local captain and friend, Vasilis Bouzgos, led a detachment of fighters to Livadia with the aim of capturing it. On April 1, 1821, after three days of fierce house-to-house fighting, the burning of Mir Aga’s house (including the harem), and the capture of the fortress, the city fell to the Greeks. Livadia, now free, raised the Greek flag on April 4 at the castle and the Hora location.

The Battle of Alamana

On the morning of April 23, the Turks launched simultaneous attacks across the entire Greek front. Panourgias and Dyo-Vouniotis were forced to retreat before the superior forces of Omer Vryonis, causing the main bulk of the Ottomans under Kiose Mehmet to attack Diakos at Alamana.

Diakos refused to flee and save himself, as his fellow fighters had urged him. Like another "Leonidas," he stayed with only 48 men and fought to the last. During the battle, his sword broke, and an enemy bullet wounded him in the right shoulder and the arm holding his pistol. Five Turkish Albanians charged his trench and captured him alive.

The battle’s outcome, which cost the lives of 200 Greeks and 500 Ottomans, was written the following day. Diakos was transferred to Lamia in chains, with his wounds open and bleeding.

The Ottomans offered him to kneel and cooperate with them. Diakos proudly refused: "I was born a Greek, and I wish to die a Greek," he replied.

Omer Vryonis, of Greek descent, did not want to kill him since he knew him well from the court of Ali Pasha and respected his abilities. However, Halil Bey, a prominent Turk from Lamia, insisted and persuaded Kiose Mehmet, Vryonis's superior, that Diakos should be severely punished for killing many Turks.

The punishment imposed on him was death by impalement, and it was carried out that same day. Before he died, Diakos shouted a self-composed quatrain:

"Look at the time that fate chose to take me, now that the branches bloom and the earth gives grass."

The martyrdom of Diakos deeply affected and simultaneously strengthened the revolutionaries, despite the defeat and destruction at Alamana. It showed that the 1821 Revolution was not a mere uprising but a decisive struggle to throw off the Ottoman yoke. The two pashas, despite their victory on the battlefield, did not achieve their objectives. The delay at Alamana gave Odysseas Androutsos the necessary time to organize resistance at the Gravia inn on May 8, 1821, and avenge the sacrifice of Diakos and his comrades.

His life and martyrdom became a subject of admiration for Europeans and inspired popular folklore.

The memory of Athanasios Diakos has passed into historical and folkloric tradition, highlighting his significance as a national hero. His figure has been a source of inspiration for numerous artists and writers in Greece and abroad. The image of Diakos, with dominant scenes from the Battle of Alamana and his capture, became a subject for many artistic creations, both folk and fine art. The first known depiction of him was made by E. Dimitris in 1841, capturing the hero's image in a way that would define later artistic traditions. The Ionian painter Dimitrios Tsokos also painted a portrait of Diakos in 1861, commissioned by the Greek government. These two portraits served as the basis for numerous reproductions, such as lithographs and woodcuts, which circulated in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The historical scene of the Battle of Alamana, painted by Dimitrios Zografos between 1836 and 1839 according to the instructions of Ioannis Makrygiannis, marked one of the key milestones in depicting Diakos' heroism. This painting served as the foundation for the colored lithographs of Alexandros Isaia, which were etched in Italy in 1839. Additionally, Diakos appears in priestly attire in the painting by Peter Hess titled "Diakos Leads the Derveniotes into Battle," which is displayed at the National Historical Museum, as well as in the painting by Nikolaos Vryzakis, "Greece Gathering Her Children" (1858), housed at the National Gallery.

Art in the 20th century did not fail to capture the figure of Diakos, with the work of Theofilos Hatzimichail portraying the hero as a mythical, timeless figure. Fotis Kontoglou also depicted Diakos in a unique form that resembled a Byzantine Christ or John the Baptist, imbuing him with symbolic movement that referenced religion, freedom, and the homeland. This mural is located in the Athens City Hall. Diakos is also depicted in shadow theatre, with figures created by Karagiozis performers such as Spyros Kouzaros, Vassilaros (Vasilis Andrikopoulos), and Eugenios Spatharis.

The figure of Athanasios Diakos also emerged in other forms of folk art. During the interwar period, artists such as Sotiris Christidis and Neros created engravings depicting the hero. During the Occupation, the Ministry of Education invited well-known engravers to produce works featuring the heroes of 1821 to decorate schools of the era. Among those depicted was Athanasios Diakos, and this tradition continued after the war. In 1945, the woodcut by Loukia Maggiorou, titled "May Day, the Altar of Freedom," was published in the newspaper "Rigas," enriching the folk image of Diakos.

The symbolic and timeless significance of Athanasios Diakos continues to be highlighted through works of art, such as medals, stamps, coins, weapons, and folk utensils, solidifying his heroic image as a symbol of Greek independence and the immortal legacy of 1821.

Folk muse, through our popular poetry as well as notable poets like Ioannis Zampelios, Aristotelis Valeritis, Kostis Palamas, and others, was inspired by the heroic and simultaneously martyr-like figure of the "Fighter for Freedom."