Giannis Chondrogiannis
Giannis Chondrogiannis or Hondrogiannis (Greek: Γιάννης Χοντρογιάννης; 1761–1835) was a Greek revolutionary of the Greek War of Independence and a politician. He also worked as the bodyguard of Asimakis Zaimis, an influential Greek revolutionary and politican.
Giannis Chondrogiannis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1761 |
| Died | 1835 |
| Nationality | Greek |
| Occupation | Greek revolutionary leader |
Biography
The leading figures of the Greek War of Independence had scheduled the Greek Revolution for March 25; however, without them knowing it, on March 15, 1821, Chondrogiannis asked permission from the revolutionary Asimakis Zaimis to ambush Ottoman tax collector Seidis Laliotis, Greek banker Nikolaos Tampakopoulos, and his secretary Nikolaos Giannakopoulos at Chelonospilia, a place at the village Lykouria, near Kalavryta, in order to confiscate the money they were transferring to Tripolis.
The next day, Chondrogiannis and his six children attacked the Turkish delegation, but failed to capture or inflict harm on Seidis and Tampakopoulos, who escaped. Among the ones they managed to capture was Giannakopoulos, from whom they took some money belonging to Tampakopoulos; they handed the confiscated sum over to Zaimis, who used it to fund revolutionary causes.
Soon, the story circulated among the local Ottoman Turks who came to believe that the Revolution had started and subsequently begun fortifying themselves in the castles of Patras, Aigio and Kalavryta. Seeing that the Ottomans had initiated the fortification process, the Greeks started the Revolution earlier than they had originally planned.
After the Revolution, Giannakopoulos filed a lawsuit against Chondrogiannis demanding that he received a compensation as a victim of robbery. The court accepted the accusations. Although the money Chondrogiannis stole had been given to the leaders of the Revolution, and were managed exclusively by them, all of Chondrogiannis' property was confiscated; he was convicted of robbery and imprisoned at Bourtzi, Nafplion.
After the conviction of their father and the verdict pertaining to the confiscation of his property, Chondrogiannis' children resorted to crime so as to survive; although many appeals for pardon and amnesty were made by the Chondrogiannis family, the newly established Greek State eventually arrested and executed all six of them. Another man who had helped Chondrogiannis steal Tampakopoulos' money, Petiotis, was not prosecuted, despite his involvement.
References
- Istoria tis Ellinikis Epanastasis (Ιστορία της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης, "History of the Greek Revolution"), Spyridon Trikoupis, Nea Synora, A. A. Livani, Athens 1993 SET ISBN 978-960-236-370-6
- Peloponisii agonistes tou 1821, Nikitara apomnimonevmata (Πελοποννήσιοι αγωνιστές του 1821, Νικηταρά απομνημονεύματα, "Peloponnesian Revolutionary Leaders in 1821, Nikitaras' memoirs"), Fotakos, Vergina publishers, Athens 1996
- Fotakou apomnimonevmata (Φωτάκου απομνημονεύματα, Fotakou's memoirs), Vergina, 1996