11 The 1821 Revolution

History of Zante

When the Philiki Etairia, or the Society of Friends was formed to help free Greece from foreign rule, the people of Zakynthos were eager to cooperate and to give any help they could. Etairia representatives Pangalos, and later Aristidis Papas, came to the island and enrolled active members, founding the so-called Zakynthos Fighting Committee. The far-reaching activities of this committee earned it the name of the Ministry of the Exterior of Revolutionary Greece. President of the committee was Dionyssios Romas, and its members included Konstantinos Dragonas, Panayiotis Stephanou, Anastassios Flambouriaris, N.Kolivas and Frangiskos Karvelas. They took their oath of allegiance in the little church of Aghios Georgios on the Psfloma hill above the town on the way to the castle, in the presence of the Epirote priest Anthimos Argiropoulos.

The church of Aghios Georgios of the Philikon saw the swearing-in not only of local Zakynthians, but also of freedom fighters from elsewhere. Among them were such renowned men as Koiokotronis, Nikitaras, Plapoutas, Grfvas, Zacharias, Photomaras, Martelaos, Dimadis, Gouzelis, Dalostros, the Petimezades and others.

When the Greek revolution was openly declared, the people of Zakynthos swelled with fresh hopes of liberation. Thousands of them went to the Peloponnese to fight by the side of their fellow Greeks, even though the English had strictly forbidden any assistance whatsoever to the insurgents. The Zakynthos Fighting Committee achieved miracles. It provided asylum on the island for many refugees and sent money and men to support the cause. Men from Zakynthos took part in the battles of Tripoli,
Neokastro, Lala, Peta and others, and especially at Missolonghi, where Zakynthos ships frequently broke through the blockade and took food and ammunition to the besieged.