13 Facts About Manto Mavrogenous

Manto Mavrogenous was a Greek princess and heroine of the Greek War of Independence.

Manto Mavrogenous was born in Trieste, then in the Habsburg monarchy, now part of Italy.

Manto Mavrogenous was daughter of the merchant and member of the Filiki Eteria, Nikolaos Mavrogenis and his wife, Zacharati Chatzi Bati.

Manto Mavrogenous studied ancient Greek philosophy and history at a college in Trieste, and spoke French, Italian and Turkish fluently.

Manto Mavrogenous equipped, manned and "privateered" at her own expense, two ships with which she pursued the pirates who attacked Mykonos and other islands of Cyclades.

Manto Mavrogenous equipped 150 men to campaign in the Peloponnese and sent forces and financial support to Samos, when the island was threatened by the Turks.

Later, Mavrogenous sent another corps of fifty men to Peloponnese, who took part in the Siege of Tripolitsa and the fall of the town to the Greek rebels.

Manto Mavrogenous later put together a fleet of six ships and an infantry consisting of sixteen companies, with fifty men each, and took part in the battle in Karystos in 1822, and funded a campaign to Chios, but she did not prevent it from the massacre.

Manto Mavrogenous's men participated in several other battles like those of Pelion, Phthiotis and Livadeia.

Manto Mavrogenous led enlightenment expeditions in Europe and addressed an appeal to the women of Paris, to side up with the Greeks.

Manto Mavrogenous moved to Nafplio in 1823, in order to be in the core of the struggle, leaving her family as she was despised even by her mother because of her choices.

That sword is said to come from the times of Constantine the Great and Manto Mavrogenous gave it to Kapodistrias.

Manto Mavrogenous moved to Paros in 1840, where some of her relatives resided, and lived and died in a house that is still privately owned.