35 Facts About Odysseas Androutsos

Odysseas Androutsos was a Greek armatolos in eastern continental Greece and a prominent figure of the Greek War of Independence.

Odysseas Androutsos joined the court of his father's old friend, the Ottoman Albanian ruler Ali Pasha of the increasingly independent Pashalik of Yanina, became one of his commanders and was appointed armatolos of Livadeia in 1816.

Odysseas Androutsos joined the Greek War of Independence in 1821, and he was distinguished as a commander in the Battle of Gravia Inn in May 1821.

In 1824 Odysseas Androutsos did not take sides in the Greek civil war.

Odysseas Androutsos's father was Andreas Verousis, an Arvanite and klepht from Livanates, in Phthiotis prefecture, who sought to become armatolos of Livadeia and later cooperated with Ali pasha, became again a klepht and finally joined Lambros Katsonis as a privateer in the Greek insurrection of 1770.

Odysseas Androutsos was raised by his mother Akrivi Tsarlampa, a native of Preveza.

Odysseas Androutsos's godparents were Maria Sofianou, Katsonis's wife, and Ioannis Zavos, a notable of Ithaca, who gave him a name that relates to the reappropriation of antiquity by Orthodox Christians in the context of the modern Greek Enlightenment.

Odysseas Androutsos did not get to know his father, who was captured in 1792 and committed to an Ottoman jail, where he died.

Odysseas Androutsos was raised by his mother's family of wealthy notables from Preveza, who moved in Lefkada and Ithaki.

Odysseas Androutsos is recorded to have taken part and displayed his military qualities in Ali's campaign against Berat, Gjirokaster and the Christians of Kardhiq.

Odysseas Androutsos was among Ali's closest military personnel, who became members of his personal guard.

Odysseas Androutsos was influenced by Ali Pasha's political attitudes and behavior: as such Odysseas Androutsos became later particularly notorious for his brutality, suspiciousness and personal ambition.

Odysseas Androutsos was found in antagonism with Ali's men, as such Ali had ordered his execution but was saved after intervention by Alexis Noutsos.

Odysseas Androutsos condemned their betrayal of Ali Pasha and after negotiations they all signed an agreement, which stipulated that in the upcoming revolt in Greece they would not send their troops against the rebels, but revolt in favor of Ali Pasha.

In March 1821 Odysseas Androutsos went to western Continental Greece, where he tried to organise local chieftains, notables and Albanian agas against the Sultan and made a failed attempt to force the region's armatoloi to revolt by attacking Ottomans in Tatarna of Evritania.

Odysseas Androutsos lost six men in the battle and earned the title of Commander in Chief of the Greek forces in Central Greece.

Odysseas Androutsos sought to establish his power base in Attica and Euboea and sent his bands to the region in 1822.

Odysseas Androutsos's plan failed because the Greek Government did not provide him with the war supplies that he had requested.

Palaskas was to relieve him of the military command and Noutsos was to take over the taxation apparatus, but Odysseas Androutsos had both men killed.

Odysseas Androutsos made himself general-in-chief of Attica, and sent his men to plunder the wealthy villages of the region.

In late 1822 Odysseas Androutsos contacted the Ottomans and offered to sign a secret agreement under which he would recognize their authority if they gave him a hereditary title of armatoliki.

Odysseas Androutsos explained his position in a letter to the Ottoman government in November 1822, where he presented the Greek revolt not as a national revolution, but as the result of social grievances which could be resolved if he was to be appointed to the right position.

Odysseas Androutsos's energy was consumed by the exigencies of the internal strife among the faction of the Greek administration however he retained his high profile as a warrior and his strong influence among the peasants.

Odysseas Androutsos joined forces with the Ottoman army to defend the villages around Livadia.

Odysseas Androutsos was not given a trial due to the belief that his democratic character could turn the people against the government.

Once he was imprisoned, Odysseas Androutsos was tortured and ultimately executed.

Odysseas Androutsos's execution took place on 5 June 1825 and was carried out by Ioannis Mamouris and two others.

Odysseas Androutsos' body was thrown from the Acropolis and was buried at its base on the north side.

Odysseas Androutsos was buried in the First Cemetery of Athens, where he remained for just over a century.

Roessel says that through his connection with Trelawny, the traitor Odysseas Androutsos became in England a hero of the Greek War of Independence.

Many klephts, such as Odysseas Androutsos, fought only when it suited them.

Odysseas Androutsos has been held up as a symbol of innate Greek values and freedom, in particular by the Greek left wing in times of political repression.

Poems dedicated to Odysseas Androutsos have been written by various Greek poets: Georgios Zalokostas, Spyros Zampelios, Parashos, Kostis Palamas, Georgios Stratigis and Zacharias Papantoniou.

In Nikos Engonopoulos Bolivar, a Greek poem Odysseas Androutsos is the main protagonist together with southern-Central American revolutionary, Simon Bolivar.

The soccer team of the town of Gravia, Odysseas Androutsos FC is named after him, as is the cultural association of his ancestral village of Livanates.