19 Facts About Gonos Yotas

Georgios Yiotas, best known as Gonos Yiotas, was a Slavophone Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle.

Gonos Yotas is revered as a hero in the Pella region of Greece and ranks among the most notable participants of the struggle.

Gonos Yotas mainly operated around the Giannitsa Lake and cooperated with other well respected revolutionaries such as Stergios Daoutis, Alexandros Mazarakis, Ioannis Demestichas, and Tellos Agras.

Gonos Yotas was born in the village of Plugar in 1880, a village near Giannitsa.

Gonos Yotas Yiotas had been involved with the IMRO in the band of his cousin, Apostol Petkov from 1900 to 1904, with whom he participated in the Ilinden Uprising and experienced several skirmishes against Ottoman troops.

The altercation occurred when three armed Komitadjis had entered the church where Gonos Yotas Yiotas was attending Sunday liturgy and demanded that the priest be replaced with one loyal to the Exarchate.

Gonos Yotas had been armed, and following a heated exchange, the Komitadjis agreed to leave.

Gonos Yotas was primarily active in the area of Giannitsa.

Gonos Yotas initially acted as a guide in the marshes of Lake Giannitsa where his diligence built him a reputation.

Gonos Yotas's presence proved irreplaceable due his knowledge of the landscape and local populations, as some Makedonomachoi were native to other parts of Greece.

Gonos Yotas Yiotas was instrumental in returning 6 villages from the Bulgarian Exarchate to the allegiance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and had encountered several clashes with the band of his cousin, Apostol Petkov.

Gonos Yotas continued to operate around the swamps of Lake Giannitsa, but a friend of former ally Apostolis Matopoulos by the name of Dr Antonakis collaborated with the new regime and surrendered Gonos' weapons cache in the swamp for personal gain.

Gonos Yotas issued a complaint about the betrayal to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs but it was to no avail.

Gonos Yotas took time away from his revolutionary lifestyle and went to Athens but would return to Macedonia in 1909 following a resurge in Bulgarian attacks on Greek villages.

In November 1909, Gonos Yotas recorded 86 kills, 21 in skirmishes and 65 in ambushes.

In 1911, rumours had spread that Gonos Yotas Yiotas was angered by the actions of his former ally Apostolis Matopoulos and Dr Antonakis and their collaboration with the Young Turks.

Gonos Yotas is honoured as a hero of the Macedonian Struggle.

Gonos Yotas is mentioned in the "Secrets of the Swamp" by the renowned Penelope Delta.

Gonos Yotas's surviving descendants live in Greece and some migrated to the USA.