Category Archives: History

Monastery of the Holy Forty Martyrs

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Today, June 4, is the celebration of Pentecost, an important holiday in the Christian religion and a great feast in the Orthodox Church. It is celebrated fifty days after Easter and gets its name from that number (pente / πέντε). It commemorates the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in Jerusalem, after which they were able to speak in tongues.

This morning my cousins took me to church services to one of the most important Byzantine monasteries in Lakonia, the Monastery of the Holy 40 Martyrs (Ιερα Μονη Αγιων Τεσσαρακοντα Μαρτυρων). The monastery takes its name from The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. They were Roman soldiers who, in the year 320, were killed for not renouncing their Christian faith.1 Located by the village of Chrysafa, about 5 miles from Sparta, the Monastery is near the top of a mountain, surrounded by fields and olive trees. The original monastery was in a natural cave, initially founded in 1305 and situated northeast of its present location. It was moved to its present location in the 17th century.

Over time, stone buildings were constructed and the complex grew to meet the needs of an increasing number of monks and priests.

The Metropolis of Sparta designates the interior frescoes as “a miracle of Byzantine painting reaching the limits of high art.1” Painted against stone, their colors have remained vibrant throughout the centuries. Tiny windows filter the light to make the interior ethereal.

During the Ottoman dominion of Greece, the sultan issued a decree which granted the Monastery special privileges and kept it from Muslim desecration. Also, the Monastery possessed a document, Achtanames (testament) of Mohammed, which granted the clergy freedom to practice the Orthodox religion, exempted them from taxes and military duty, and ordered the Muslims to shield them from those who would do harm.2 It was an extraordinary document which ensured the preservation of the Monastery and the protection of its monks and priests.

The importance of the Orthodox Church in Greece cannot be understated. It is not simply a religion, but is a significant source of Greek identity–especially during periods of foreign occupation. Through thousands of years, it has been a driving force in preserving Greek culture, language and history. Its libraries hold manuscript codices and documents of historical value. It operates schools and seminaries, and provides social services such as hospitals, orphanages, and charitable organizations.

The Church played a pivotal role in the Greek Revolution of 1821. It fostered patriotism and unity among the citizens, as well as providing them moral support and spiritual guidance. Priests not only encouraged the fight for liberation, but also fought side-by-side with revolutionaries. Monasteries and churches became hospitals or military headquarters, and sources of income to meet the needs of the armies.

To understand Greeks, we must understand their country’s ties to the Church, its significance in the history of the country, and its role in the everyday lives of its people.

1Orthodox Wiki
2Source of historical information: Metropolis of Sparta and Momenvasia

In The Box…

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At the bottom of a wooden trunk, beneath piles of dusty documents, lay long-forgotten papers unlocking the history of the Konstantarogiannis family of Toriza, Lakonia. Countless years ago, the trunk was procured by an unknown ancestor and placed in the family home. It was a handy repository for documents, certificates, and military papers. But for dozens of years, its cluttered contents remained untouched, unexplored and unexamined.

As a young lad, George Konstas worked the potato fields of Taygetos with his father, Pericles. While they planted and plowed, Pericles told George of their family—its origins, its people, its struggles.

Pericles Konstantarogiannis working his potato fields in the Taygetos mountains.

George heard the story of four brothers named Theodoros, Stamatakis, Kyriakos, and Pangiotis who, after Ibrahim’s invasion of the Peloponnese, left their mountain village of Manari, Gortynias, Arkadia and settled in equally mountainous Toriza, 10 kilometers from Xirokampi. Panagiotis was George’s forefather.

Pericles told George of ancestors who supported the 1770 Orloff Revolt, part of Russian Empress Catherine the Great’s failed “Greek Plan” and precursor to the Greek War of Independence. “My father knew these stories, but he never told me that we had documents explaining the family roots,” George related. “He probably hid the documents from previous family members. And sometimes my father confused the events because he had heard the stories handed down from his parents and relatives.”

George was taught by others, as well. “In the evenings, the older people told stories,” he recalled. “We had no electricity, no television, no entertainment, so they talked and I listened. But I thought these were myths, not true facts.”

Despite his skepticism, George was fascinated by his family’s history. As an adult, he began to record all the tales heard during his lifetime. As he wrote, his interest escalated into a passion to preserve what he had been told. He knew that if he did not do so, the history of his family would be forever lost.

When George’s daughter chose to marry in Toriza in 2007, the extended family returned to their village. Coming from America and Canada, they gathered at their childhood home which by then had been willed to them by their parents.

Konstantarogiannis (Konstas) siblings in front of the "old" family home, 2007

Konstantarogiannis (Konstas) siblings in front of the “old” family home, 2007

The siblings deliberated its disposition. Nobody wanted to sell it, but taxes needed to be paid and other matters settled. George decided to buy his brothers’ shares and he became the sole owner. As people wandered through its rooms, taking items for keepsakes, the wooden trunk was rediscovered. Opening its lid, George found a jumbled mix of papers, many stained and dirty. Too overwhelmed to examine them there, George packed and took the contents to his house in Virginia.

Many of the documents were in almost irreparable condition: torn, water stained, faded, moldy. As he sorted through them, George found a wallet. Folded inside was a disintegrated envelope inscribed with the words, OLD DOCUMENTS BEFORE 1819. He was astounded when he extracted yellowed, crinkled papers dated 1800, 1812, 1819 and 1833. And one dated 1741!

This document dated 27 December 1741 reveals the names of the four brothers– Theodorakis, Panagiotis, Stamatakis, and Kyriakos–who received an inheritance from their father and split up their fortune. They were from Manari and came to Toriza. This is the exact story George’s father described. It was not a myth; it was true.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
1741 27 December Ntoriza (Doriza)
Today we decided the four brothers, Panagiotis and Theodoris and Kyriakis and
Stamatakis, that from today we have split the houses of our father and Kyriakis and
Stamatakis took our father’s old house and Panagiotis and Theodoris took our father’s
new house the two of them and truly split with my brother Panagioti that house and he
gave me for my half, grosia twenty-one (ie 21) and so the aforementioned Panagiotis is
the owner to do as he pleases and I, Theodoris will be a stranger and estranged, also to
designate the bottom floors of the house just as the old house has so to the new house
over here; where we split, all the brothers, down the middle. And for the certified truth
we gave our word onto the signatures of these trusted witnesses.
I, Mustafaspaïs (Mustafa-Sipahi was a feudal cavalryman), was present and witnessed
it
Giannis Papadakis witnessed everything above
Liakos Arvanitakis witnessed it
Giorgiakis Sgoupis witnessed it
Anagnostes (Church reader) Sgoupis I was present and witnessed it
Anagnostes (Church reader) of Gianni Sgoupis witnessed it (the writer of this document)
Giorgiakis Sgoupis I was present and witnessed it
Liakos Stathakis I was present and witnessed it

Above each image is a description of the documents from the early 1800’s:

1800 September – Lease agreement signed at Mystra for the Koumpari Monastery lands:

1812 December 22 – exhaustive dowry list of Georgina Stilimina for her adopted daughter/grandaughter, Maria:

1819 January 15 – An agreement between the villagers of Paleopanagia and the Turk-Albanians from Boliana in the mountains to direct water for irrigation purposes to the village:

1833 – A decree asking citizens to register their lands and how they came to own them from the newly formed government after independence:

“When I found these documents, I took the stories from the relatives and put them in order. There was so much information. Much of the writing we could not translate because it was in the old Greek language not used today,” George said. I asked if the 1741 document gave the surname of the four brothers. He explained, “They had no last name, so they were known as Anagnostos which means uneducated. Turks did not allow Christian or family names. During those times, people took names from prophets of the Bible, kings and queens, or ancient Greek heroes. And children went to the churches to learn Greek secretly.”

Also in the trunk was an amazing discovery—two documents, from 1751, written in Ottoman script!

First document and its translation:

Second document and its translation:

Translation of Ottoman script requires an expert. Although George had Turkish friends, they could not read the writing. In a unique coincidence, George knew of a man who worked as a translator for the Turkish government. George sent him the documents, and with great interest, the translator called George to ask how he had obtained them. After the documents were converted from Ottoman to modern Turkish, a teacher in Istanbul translated them from modern Turkish into English.

“Those documents and the true stories helped me to make the tree of my family,” George stated.

As he conducted further research in the areas of Paleopanagia and Xirokampi, George discovered the current day surnames of the four brothers:

  • Theodoros’ descendants: Laspitis from Riviotissa, Sparta
  • Stamatakis’ descendants: Nastakos from Paleopanagia
  • Kyriakos’ descendants: Kyriakakos from Xirokampi
  • Panagiotis’ descendants: Konstantarogiannis from Paleopanagia

George’s lifetime of work is now preserved in two books: The first is the history of the family from 1650-1821, and the second is from 1821 to present day. The books are written in his own handwriting, in Greek. With the help of his daughter, they will be translated into English. “I wrote these for my grandchildren, my daughters, and my family in the U.S. There are people we have not yet met, but they too will be able to learn the roots of the family,” George explained. Digital copies have already been sent to family members. 

I had the privilege of meeting George on November 19 at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, Virginia, where I was invited to give a presentation. He brought his books and we reviewed them, page by page. I was completely absorbed in learning of his stories and how he has preserved his family’s history. I remain both awed and thrilled with the meticulous and detailed work he has done. His work brings recognition and honor to his ancestors, especially to his parents, Pericles and Christophile, and his grandparents, Konstantinos and Amalia.

George understood the urgency in making sure the original documents were in a safe place where they would be accessible and preserved for future generations. I am so very pleased that he gave the originals and copies of his books to the Sparta office of the General State Archives of Greece. They are now safely stored and available for researchers to learn the origins of Konstantarogiannis and the other families descended from the four brothers, as well as to have access to rare documents from pre-independent Greece.

George’s passion is both infectious and inspiring. He helped me recognize that we have only a sliver of our ancestors’ stories, and that we must not give up the search. We never know what we will find, or where we will stumble upon new information that will help us understand those who came before us. Somewhere, there may be a trunk in your family.

I am deeply grateful to both George and his daughter, Christophile, for giving permission to publish this story. And especially, I give a huge thank you to George who drove two hours from his home to meet me that day at St. Katherine’s. Somehow, he just knew we needed to connect, and that his story needed to be shared!

Remembering the Fallen in Mystras, October 10-11, 1944

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The horrors of the Axis occupation of Greece (1941-1945) are beyond the comprehension, and understanding, of those who did not experience it. Military and political factors divided both country and family. The execution of thousands is a well-documented fact, and the loss of these individuals has forever changed the lives of their families.

This post is not to debate history and politics, but to remember the men and women who were executed in Mystras on October 10-11, 1944. These are not just names, but members of our families. One of them is my cousin, Panagiotis Grigoris Kostakos, of Agios Ioannis.

Panagiotis Grigorios Kostakos, circa 1942

Panagiotis’ granddaughter, Panorea, sent me an article, The Battle of Mystra, October 10-11, 1944, which describes in detail the horrific events of that day. The Greek version can be accessed here, and the English translation here. Following is a brief synopsis of this article and the names of the casualties. Twenty four of twenty-eight young men executed were from my village of Agios Ioannis. An additional thirty-seven civilian men and women from villages surrounding Mystras were killed. May their memories be eternal.

The civil battle of Mystra occurred about 40 days after the withdrawal of the Nazi troops from Laconia. During World War II, Right and Left political parties developed in Greece, with radically different perspectives regarding the Italian-German occupation.

Right wing Security Battalion guards (Τάγματα Ασφαλείας, TA) arose in the spring and summer of 1944 against left wing EAM/ELAS guerillas. Conflicts between these parties had already begun in the summer of 1943, and escalated after Italy pulled out of Greece in September 1943. In most prefectures of the Peloponnese, the TA and EAM had limited interactions until after the Nazi withdrawal one year later in October 1944. But this was not the case in Lakonia, where EAM set up prisoner camps for”reactionary” individuals in Arna, Geraki, Georgitsi, Kremasti, Socha, Barsinikos, Tripi and the Monastery of Giatrissa (Mani).

Between January and August 1944, dozens of battles took place between ELAS and TA at various locations in Lakonia. The homes of ELAS and TA members were looted and burned by opposing forces, and reprisals taken against their families. When the Germans departed on September 3, 1944, the 800-man TA of Sparta moved to the castle of Mystras. Hundreds of local civilians who feared for their lives followed them.

An ELAS attack on Mystras, using light weapons, began the morning of October 10. Thirty ELAS fighters were killed. The next day, ELAS fired cannons onto the castle and mortars into the city, causing many civilian casualities. The TA called for a truce on the afternoon of October 11. An agreement was reached with the following terms:

  • The TA was to hand over the weapons in the morning of the next day (October 12),
  • Thirty TA leaders, military and civilian, were to remain in the Mystras Castle under guard until judged for their actions by representatives of the Greek government,
  • All other officers and soldiers of the TA, as well as civilians, were to be released to return to their homes. No executions of battalion officers or civilians were to be committed.

The representatives of ELAS refused to draw up a document of the agreement, instead giving “the word of their military honor.” The next day, the TA’s delivered their weapons to ELAS but no men were released. Instead, they were marched to the “Bezestini,” an arena in Mystras. Along the route, riots broke out and people were killed.

Meanwhile, a platoon of TAs was stationed at Prophet Ilias in the Taygetos. When they were notified that the TA agreed to surrender their weapons, they descended from their outpost to Mystra. Their march was interrupted by ELAS guerrillas, who persuaded them to hand over their weapons to them, instead of going down to Mystra. After doing so, the ELAS forces tied them up and led them back to prison in Xerovouna, where the TA were locked up in a small farmhouse. Then, taking one by one ostensibly for interrogation, ELAS tortured and executed them all.

The names of the twenty-eight young men executed:

  • Panagiotis Bogeas – Παναγιώτης Μπογέας, Lieutenant
  • Nikolaos Soumakis – Νικόλαος Σουμάκης, Sargeant Major
  • Panagiotis Andriopoulos – Παναγιώτης Ανδριόπουλος
  • Apostolos Argyropoulos – Απποστολος Αργυρόπουλος
  • Theodoros Voulgaris – Θεόδωρος Βούλγαρης
  • Ioannis Voulgaris – Ιωάννης Βούλγαρης
  • Dimitrios Gerontakos – Δημήτριος Γεροντάκος
  • Theofilos Gerontakos – Θεόφιλος Γεροντάκος
  • Dimitrios Dimakos – Δημήτριος Δημάκος
  • Dimitios Theodorou – Δημήτριος Θεοδώρου
  • Panagiotis Zavakos – Παναγιώτης Ζαβάκος
  • Ioannis Kalogerogiannis – Ιωάννης Καλογερόγιαννης
  • Ilias Kourtalis – Ηλίας Κούρταλης
  • Ioannis Koufos – Ιωάννης Κουφός
  • Panagiotis Kostakos – Παναγιώτης Κωστάκος
  • Georgios Lerikos – Γεώργιος Λερίκος
  • Alexandros Manousakis – Αλέξανδρος Μανουσάκης
  • Konstantinos Markoglou – Κωνσταντίνος Μάρκογλου
  • Antonios Mytilinaios – Αντώνιος Μυτιληναίος
  • Leonidas Mytilinaios – Λεωνίδας Μυτιληναίος
  • Grigorios Nikolopoulos – Γρηγόριος Νικολόπουλος
  • Konstantinos Papaioannou – Κων/νος ΠαπαΙωάννου
  • Ilias Roumeliotis – Ηλίας Ρουμελιώτης
  • Athanasios Sigalos – Αθανάσιος Σιγαλός
  • Harilaos Silaios – Χαρίλαος Σιλαίος
  • Anastasios Stamatopoulos – Αναστάσιος Σταματόπουλος
  • Panagiotis Sotirakos – Παναγιώτης Σωτηράκος
  • Theodoros Taktikos – Θεόδωρος Τακτικός
Photo of some of the 28 victims before they were thrown into a mass grave.
The photo was taken by an ELAS guerrilla. From the article, Battle of Mystras.

These civilian women and men were also executed in Mystras:

  • Eleni Agekkakou – Ελένη Αγγελάκου
  • Vasiliki Leloudou – Βασιλική Λελούδου
  • Athina Sigalou – Αθηνά Σιγαλού
  • Maria Sotirakou – Μαρία Σωτηράκου
  • Vasiliki Florou – Βασιλική Φλώρου
  • Panagiota Florou – Παναγιώτα Φλώρου
  • Alexandros Drivakos – Αλέξανδρος Δριβάκος, Lieutenant
  • Stavros Spanopoulos – Σταύρος Σπανόπουλος, Lieutenant
  • Efstratios Voulgaris – Ευστράτιος Βούλγαρης, Sargeant
  • Evaggelos Pololos – Ευάγγελος Πολολός, Sargeant
  • Aggelos Aggelakos – Άγγελος Αγγελάκος
  • Georgios Varvitsiotis – Γεώργιος Βαρβιτσιώτης
  • Anastasios Vlachos – Αναστάσιος Βλάχος
  • Dimitrios Vorvis –  Δημήτριος Βορβής
  • Ioannis Voulgaris – Ιωάννης Βούλγαρης
  • Theofilos Gerontakos – Θεόφιλος Γεροντάκος
  • Nikolaos Goutos – Νικόλαος Γούτος
  • Aristeidis Kakaletris – Αριστείδης Κακαλέτρης
  • Panagiotis Kakaletris – Παναγιώτης Κακαλέτρης
  • Efstratios Kapetaneas – Ευστράτιος Καπετανέας
  • Christos Kardasis – Χρήστος Καρδάσης
  • Konstantinos Kastanis – Κωνσταντίνος Καστανής
  • Nikon Kastanis – Νίκων Καστανής
  • Georgios Kouveliotis – Γεώργιος Κουβελιώτης
  • Panagiotis Koufakos – Παναγιώτης Κουφάκος
  • Spyridon Lamprinos – Σπυρίδων Λαμπρινός
  • Panagiotis Manousos – Παναγιώτης Μανούσος
  • Spyridon Mountzouros – Σπυρίδων Μουντζουρός
  • Panagiotis Bougadis – Παναγιώτης Μπουγάδης
  • Nikolaos Sotiropoulos – Νικόλαος Σωτηρόπουλος
  • Georgios Floros – Γεώργιος Φλώρος
  • Christos Floros – Χρήστος Φλώρος
  • Athanasios Fratzis – Αθανάσιος Φρατζής
  • Nikolaos Charalambakos – Νικόλαος Χαραλαμπάκος
  • Athanasios Charisis – Αθανάσιος Χαρίσης
  • Panagiotis Christakakos – Παναγιώτης Χριστακάκος
  • Georgios Chouseas – Γεώργιος Χουσέας

The names of those killed in various wars are memorialized on War Memorials found in every Greek village. We, too, can remember and honor them.

War Memorial in Agios Ioannis, Sparta. The names of many killed in the Battle of Mystras are inscribed here.

1699 Venetian Document of Agios Ioannis

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From the 12th to 18th centuries, the Venetians controlled a large empire which included parts of Greece. As the Ottomans expanded their conquests in the 14th century, it was inevitable that conflicts between the two empires would arise in the eastern Mediterranean. Indeed,  seven wars, the first in beginning in 1463 and the seventh ending in 1718, erupted. Greece was caught in the crosshairs and endured a series of conquests from these two powers.

1680 Map of the Mediterranean; source: Wikimedia Commons

The Venetians ruled from 1685-1715, between the first period of Ottoman occupation (1580-1685) and the second (1715-1821). The  successful military strategies of General Francesco Morosini brought the Peloponnese and other areas of Greece under Venetian domination. The Peloponnese, known then as the Kingdom of Morea, was divided into four districts (Messenia, Achaia, Lakonia, Romania now the region of Corinth) and within them were twenty-six territories. The entire Peloponnese in 1700 had only fifteen towns/cities with 1,000 or more inhabitants[1] and among these was Mystras.

 While reading historian Evangelia Balta’s informative essay, Venetians and Ottomans in the Southeast Peloponnese, 15th-18th century[2], I came across an interesting paragraph referencing Mystras: ”In the Venetian archives there are lists of inhabitants of the wider region of Mystras, who were conscripted in 1698 to work on the fortification works at the Isthmus of Corinth. These lists mention the number of persons that each village in the districts of Mystras, Elous and Chrysapha should provide for the corvee[3]. In the event of someone escaping, the elders of the village were obliged to pay six reals.[4]”

Historical essays on the Peloponnese during its period of Venetian rule often cite documents held at the Venetian Archives. Balta explains the importance of this repository: “ If we have an idea of the settlement pattern and the population of the Peloponnese prior to the Greek War of Independence, we owe this to the published Venetian registers of the late seventeenth century.”[5]

Therefore, I was very excited to learn about the research trip to the Venetian Archives recently undertaken by researcher Nick Santas. He will be speaking about this experience at the 2nd International Greek Ancestry Conference to be held next weekend, January 29-30. Nick describes his session:  The Kingdom of Morea Archives collection covers the period of the second Venetian conquest of the Peloponnese (1685-1715). It has been the subject of historical research in the past, but has had very limited genealogical examination. During this session, Nick aims to share his findings with you, help you familiarise yourself with the practical steps when accessing the archives, and give you a taste of what is available.

I was thrilled when Nick sent me the following Venetian Archive document from my village of Agios Ioannis, Sparta (Ayiannis). He also (thankfully) provided a translation. I am extremely grateful for Nick’s thoughtfulness in sending me this document, and for his generous expenditure of time in making the translations, first into modern Greek, then into English.

These historical records bring the past into the present and provide us with invaluable facts about the past. Every one brings us one step closer to understanding our history and our ancestors’ lives.

1699 Document, Agios Ioannis Sparta, page 1
1699 Document, Agios Ioannis Sparta, page 2

TRANSLATION: Village of Ai Yiannis

On May 16, 1699 in Mistras, appeared Mr. Demetrios Priest and Rector of the church of Virgin Mary located in this village (Ai Yiannis), who under oath made known the standing dedications.

First, a yard around the said church, where the Christians are buried, dedicated in years gone by without a document (σκρίττον from the Italian scritto) which no one can recollect

Nearby, there is a place dedicated in years gone by, without a letter. The house (on this land) was built and dedicated to the church by Ioannikios, approximately (ιντζίρκα from the Iltalian incirca) 10 years ago

An orchard lying in the said village with 20 Mulberry trees, 18 fig trees, 12 pomegranates, 20 wild trees with their vines, 6 metritikion in size from Panagiotis Stamatopoulos, approximately 9 years ago with a letter made on 6 January 1690

Near the above church, there is a salad garden, one metritikion (μετρητίκιον) in size dedicated in years gone by without a document, not knowing how many years

A house with a floor, lying inside the said village dedicated by Giorgos Chatzakis a (religious) convert, with a will made on 28 February 1692 for his memorial service (δια μνημόσυνον)

An orchard near the above house lying with 13 mulberry trees, 10 vines and land of 2 metritikion dedicated from the said late Chatzakis with a will

20 Mulberries lying at the [….] of the same village dedicated by the above convert in the same will

One field lying at Sikaraki (Συκαράκι) near St. Nicholas 20 metritikia, dedicated without a document approximately 10 years ago by Maria Pragamaditza, convert

Another field lying at ‘Xerokampi’ (Ξεροκάμπι) three metritikia dedicated by Nikolos Kavilos kai Panagiotis Psicharis by letter written on 10 August 1692

4 olive trees lying near the said church dedicated from Ioannis  Boukouris 5 years now, without a letter

2 mulberries lying at ‘Alambei’ (Αλάμπεη) dedicated from the late Anthousa by will made on 30 October 1696

Another 2 mulberries lying near the above ones dedicated from the above Rector for the salvation of his soul with a document

An orchard lying near the above Rectors’ with 25 mulberries, one pomegranate, 6 vines and 6 metritikia land, dedicated from the late Stathoula Kofinidou without a document approximately 50 years ago

For the truthfulness of the above He signs with his own hand

Demetrios Priest and Rector of the said village

TRANSLATION: Greek

Χωρίον Αγιάννης

1699 μηνί μαϊου 16 μιστρά ανεφάνη ο παπα κυρ δημήτριος και Οικονόμος ευφημέριος της Εκκλησίας της Κυρίας Θεοτόκου κυμένης στο χωρίον το αυτό, ο οποίος μεθόρκου φανερώνι τα στεκούμενα, οπού τινα αφιερωμένα από το καθένα, πρώτον
Ένα προαύλιον εν τω γύρο τη αυτή εκκλησία, οπού θάπτωνται οι Χριστιανοί αφιερομένος ο αυτός τόπος έκπαλαι χωρίς σκρίττον που δεν θυμούνται.
Εκεί σιμά ευρίσκετον εις την εκκλησίαν ένας τόπος αφιερωμένος από τον καιρόν των παλλαιών χωρίς γράμμα και ήτον ο αυτός τόπος μόνον τη αυτή. το δε σπήτι το έκτισεν και το αφιέρωσεν ει την εκκλησία κάποιος Ιωαννίκιος τρέχουν χρόνοι δέκα ιντζίρκα –
Ένα περιβόλι κύμενον στο αυτό χωρίον με μουραίς 20 – συκαίς 18 – ροδαίς – 12 – δένδρα άγρια μετά κληματά των – 20 – μετριτικιών γή – 6 – αφιερομένον από τον παναγιότην σταματόπουλον όντας χρόνοι εννία ιντζίρκα με γράμμα γεννομένον 1690 εν μηνί 6 Ιαννουαρίου.
Σιμά εις την άνωθεν εκκλησία ευρίσκεται ένας κήπος σαλατικών μετριτικιού ενός αφιερωμένον έκπαλαι χωρίς σκρίττον δεν ιξεύροντας πόσοι χρόνοι να είναι
Ένα σπήτι πατομένον κύμενον μέσα στο αυτό χωρίον αφιερωμένον από τον Γιώργον Χατχάκη νεοφώτιστος με διαθήκη γεναμένη 1692 εν μηνί 28 φευρουαρίου δια μνημοσυνον του όντας το άνωθε σπήτι με την αυλήν του
Ένα περιβόλι σιμά στο άνωθε σπήτι κύμενον με μουραις 13, κλίματα -10- και γη μετριτικιών δύο αφιερωμένης από τον άνωθε ποτέ Χατζάκη νεοφώτιστον με διαθήκη μοδηρική εις τον άνωθεν χρόνον και καιρόν
Μουραίς – 20 – κύμενες στο μακελίον του αυτού χωρίου αφιερωμένες από τον άνωθεν νεοφώτιστον εις την αυτήν διαθήκην.
Ένα κομάτι χωράφι κύμενον στου σικαράκη σιμά στο άγιον νικόλαον μετριτικιών – 20 – αφιερωμένον χωρίς σκρίττον χρόνοι δέκα περασμένοι ιντζίρκα από την μαρίαν πραγαμαδίτζα νεοφώτιστον.
Ακόμη ένα κομάτι χωράφι κύμενον στο ξεροκάμπι, μετριτικίων τριών αφιερομένον από τον νικολόν καβίλον και Παναγιώτη ψυχάρην με γράμμα γεναμένον εν τους 1692 εν μηνί αυγούστου – 10 –
Ελαίς 4 – κύμενες κοντά εν την αυτήν εκλησίαν αφιερωμέναις από τον ιωάννη μπουκούρι όντας τόρα χρόνοι πέντε χωρίς γράμμα.
Μουραίς – 2 – κύμενες στου αλάμπεη αφιερωμέναις από την ποτέ γυναίκα ανθούση με διαθήκη γενάμενη εν τη τριάντα του οκτοβρίου 1696 i.v.
Έτερες μουραίς δύο κύμεναις σιμά εις ταις άνωθε αφιερωμέναις από τον άνωθε Οικονόμο δια ψυχηκή του σωτηρία το άνωθεν χρόνον και μηνί με σκρίτον και χειρογράφοντου.
Ένα περιβόλι κύμενον σιμά στου άνωθεν οικονόμου με μουραίς – 25 – ροδιά μια, κλίματα – 6 με γη μετριτικιών – 6 – αφιερομένα από την ποτέ σταθούλα Κοφινιδού με δίχως σκρίττον λεγοντας μας πως είναι τόρα χρόνοι πενήντα ιντζίρκα εκπαλαι και ούτως ει βεβαιώσιν της αληθίας ιδία τη χειρί μεθόρκου υπογράφεται
Δημήτριος Ιερεύς και Οικονόμος του αυτού χωρίου βεβαιώνω τα

__________

[1] As documented by the Grimani Census taken in 1700. The Venetians appointed Giacomo Corner as the governor-general of the Morea. He  commissioned Francesco Grimani to undertake the census.

[2] Balta, Evangelia. Venetians and Ottomans in the Southeast Peloponnese, 15th-18th century  

[3] Unpaid labor (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord; labor exacted in lieu of taxes by public authorities especially for highway construction or repair. Source: Merriam-Webster online dictionary.

[4] Silver coins of Spanish origin in the 1500s; their value was based on free market values of gold and silver. Tezcan, Baki. “The Ottoman Monetary Crisis of 1585 Revisited,” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, Vol. 52, No. 3 (2009), pp. 460-504 (45 pages); accessed from JSTOR on January 23, 2022.

[5] Balta, Evangelia. Venetians and Ottomans in the Southeast Peloponnese, 15th-18th century, p. 270 

Lakonian Emigration

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This summer in Areopoli, Mani, I visited the one-of-a-kind Adouloti Mani bookstore. The owner, Georgios Dimakogiannis, is also a publisher and his store is a treasure for anyone seeking information about the southern Peloponnese and Mani in particular.

In his magazine, Adouloti Mani – Laconia Odos, Issue 3, 2019, was an article about emigration from Lakonia in the early 1900’s. That was the experience of all four of my Spartan grandparents, and I wanted very much to read the story. I tackled the translation using a dictionary and online translators. It is by no means exact and it is somewhat redacted, but it certainly illuminated for me the realities of their experience. I scanned the original article and it can be accessed here. If you read Greek, you may prefer to read that untouched version which also has additional photos.


Lakonian Emigration
by Donald-George McPhail  (author, researcher, historian)
published in Adouloti Mani – Laconia Odos, Issue 3, 2019

From 1896 to 1921, more than 400,000 inhabitants emigrated from Greece. The legend of America as the “land of promise” and as a refuge for emigrants around the world  undoubtedly permeated Laconia. The years of misery that plagued the predominantly rural population—agricultural disasters, government mismanagement, uncertainty and insecurity, frequent military drafts, and grief over the loss of the war in Thessaly–caused thousands of Greeks to board foreign ships and emigrate. They left haunted by poverty, with the sorrows of their homeland in their hearts, and trusted that things will change in the New World. They believed that in this way they would pay off their homes, marry off  their sisters, and help their parents, their families, and their villages. They hoped that in a few years they would return rich, honored and equipped for a better life.

Emigration was also due to the fact that the demand for labor was greater in America and the wages paid were much higher than in the immigrant’s home country. The Greeks who immigrated to overseas countries had no qualifications other than physical fitness. They were illiterate, naive and innocent deprived people who had no awareness of their power, nor of course their rights.

Greek Immigration to the USA

  1. First Immigration: 1873-1899; 15,000
  2. The Great Wave: 1900-1917; 450,000
  3. The Last Exodus: 1918-1924; 70,000
  4. The Era of Restrictions: 1925-1946; 30,000


Preparation for Departure

The trials of the poor and destitute migrants, who cared little for amenities they had never tasted, began long before the trip. Most were unaware of the great difficulties that awaited them in the New World, which hundreds of immigration brokers presented as the Promised Land.  The trip required a lot of money, and the loan agents were looking for security. So, among the emigrants  were many small farmers with mortgaged land.  Even for the very poor and the landless, there was a way. They were bound by employment contracts and so they paid off their fares, as slaves literally, by working in the railways or mines.

Usually the departures of the ocean liners, especially the Greek ones, were festive. The decks were packed by immigrants who waved their handkerchiefs to those who led them, along with the curious crowds who thronged the pier. The band of the municipality played, the ship’s whistles blew, and flags decorated the ship and pier. Last greetings were exchanged with those poor immigrants who had left their hometown and had lived for a few hours in Gythio and Kalamata.

Before 1907, the Greek transatlantic wave to America was overseen by foreign steamer companies until the establishment of the first Greek passenger line. The ports of departure were Piraeus and Patras. Subsequent Greek ocean liners were generally poor, small, slow-moving, and badly traveled trips without even the minimum comforts of a boat.

Life on Board

Judging by the horrible living conditions during the journey on the ships, especially those from 1907 to 1937, immigrants were considered as “cargo.” The third-class steerage areas beneath the main deck were packed with rows of iron or wooden double beds. Passengers were literally on top of each other in desperately narrow spaces. From the very first day, the crowds, the exuding fumes of vomit, the smell of passenger bodies and the lack of elementary cleanliness caused the atmosphere to be suffocating.

The bunks were filled with straw or seaweed. There were no chairs, stools, or  tables. Luggage, clothes, utensils and all belongings had to somehow fit  between the narrow beds. Separation of women passengers was impossible. In their quest for isolation, women hung clothes around their beds to create a rudimentary curtain. The women had the opportunity to dress before eating breakfast and leaving their compartments. They could not arrive late or there would be no food available. Usually, they were not as harassed by their male passengers as by the crew men.

Upon boarding, each passenger was given a spoon, a fork and a tin cup. When breakfast was announced, everyone crowded into an open area as there was no dedicated dining room except for a space with a few tables and benches where women and children would usually sit. The men had to go through the serving area and then find some place to eat, or go out on the windswept open deck.

For ventilation, the law provided for two small “windshields” for every fifty passengers. These “windshields” ended up on the main deck, which was usually a short distance from the surface of the sea, causing third-class passengers to be sprayed with frozen ocean water.

Baths were taken on open decks between seats and compartments.  Showers were in small iron “cabins” and the water was seawater. Needless to say, passengers rarely used them. They were used for washing dishes and clothes, without soap or towels and with cold salty water.

The ticket issuing agencies described the food as healthy and nutritious.  In reality, however, it was so poorly cooked that many found it inedible. The only exception to the whole trip was the last meal before arrival, a supper that could smell like delicacies such as fried potatoes.  The farewell dinner dinner was intended to give pleasure to the next day’s arrival and inspection by the health authorities.

Various states had been slow to adopt provisions for the proper transport of passengers, resulting in steamboat companies exploiting the unfortunate immigrants. An American law stipulated that each passenger could have no less than 2.83 cubic meters. Two children under eight years were counted for one passenger. If this space was not available, the ship’s master had to pay a $50 fine per passenger, but there was never any control by authorities and no relevant fines were imposed.

Arrival

When the ship anchored in America, a fleet of small boats encircled the ocean liner. Men from the Immigration and the Public Health Services boarded the ship and quickly passed through the first and second class cabins, giving a cursory inspection of the passengers in those seats. They then went down to the “fragrant” compartments where the third-class passengers were to examine each traveler. This was the most time-consuming part of their job. When the Public Health people reboarded their boat to go to other vessels, the ship raised the anchor and  slowly headed to the port of New York Harbor, traveling through the fumes of the tugboat towing it.

Upon  arrival, the immigrants’ day was just beginning. After an endless wait on the ship for the checks to be completed, they began to finally descend the staircase of the ship, loaded with their luggage. So overloaded, they headed to the Aliens Service boats waiting for them to take them to the famous Ellis Island known to the Greek immigrants as “Castigari” (from Castle Garden).

Ellis Island

Ellis Island, off Manhattan, was the main hub for immigrants arriving in America from the late 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. There, immigrants were put to the final test, undergoing medical examinations to approve their entry into the United States.  There was tight control for medical conditions that were contagious. Most passed the check and then forgot the hassles of traveling. But if someone was ill or unbalanced he was obliged to return to the port and surrender to the steamship company for repatriation. These unfortunates were sent back to their homeland at company expense, a fact which made steamship companies careful when selecting passengers.

When stringent requirements for trachoma and other contagious diseases were understood, health authorities in Greece examined travelers and checked for trachoma because eye disease would prevent entrance into America. Ophthalmologists in Greece were stationed in Ageranos, Mani and elsewhere in Laconia where prospective immigrants went to make sure they had no contagious conditions or, if they did, to make them well.

Dispersion

The immigrants, after endless suffering, were finally admitted onto the new Promised Land where other adventures began for them. Most newcomers, at least in the early years, stayed in New York and New Jersey. There were small hotels and small shops owned by Greeks, who welcomed them when they were unloaded from the boats that brought them to the south of Manhattan from the Ellis Island. The city was expensive and most had less than thirty dollars in their pockets, so they were in a hurry to continue their journey.

The Greeks who progressed in America were mostly employed in textiles, heavy industry, coal mines and railroads. They often worked for twelve hours and lived in unhealthy homes, cramped in small rooms. Life for Greeks working in the mines and on the railroads was especially difficult. They lived in tents or wooden huts and their diet was very poor. The savage exploitation of underage children, who worked as “blackboots” [the shoeshine business operated by  compatriots] prompted the intervention of American and Greek consular officers.

I don’t think there is a Lakonian that doesn’t have a relative, even a remote one, in America. At the beginning of the previous century, thousands with the hope for a better tomorrow left for the distant continent.

On the Internet, the Ellis Island archives are available, the small island in New York in which all immigrants were registered. While researching for immigrants to America, I worked with this website and found information about Ligerian residents who immigrated to America between 1892 and 1924. For those who don’t know, Ligereas (Λυγερέας) is the smallest local district of the municipality of Gythio and is my wife’s village. I found details of the Ligerian immigrants where their disembarkation was recorded at Ellis Island, a few hours before they were “sucked” into the new land. I found over 190 residents in 32 arrivals reports which contained valuable information that even today’s descendants did not know.

[END OF ARTICLE]

Photo Credits:  All photos are from Mr. McPhail’s original article.
Note:  Mr. McPhail is half Scot, half Greek and he married a Greek lady from Mani. He never went back to England he raised his family ​in Greece. His full name in Greek is written as Ντόναλντ-Γεώργιος Μακφαίηλ. (Many thanks to Marina Haramis for this information)