Page 170 - Beholding Liberty!

IΙ.1.8
Paleon Patron Germanos
Memoranda about the Revolution of Greece, from 1820 to 1823 Athens: By the Printing House of Petros Mantzarakis, 1837
Library of the Hellenic Parliament
IN HIS MEMORANDA Paleon Patron Ger- manos describes vividly, as eye-witness, the upris- ing in Patras (21 March 1821), putting emphasis on the Turks surrounding Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos’ house, a rich merchant active in the area and one of the leading figures in the movement of the Greeks in the city. Indeed, as he points out, the Turks suspected
IΙ.1.9
Spyridon Trikoupis
that there were hidden weapons, and for this reason they set the surrounding houses on fire. At the same time, from the Fortress they opened fire against the Metropolis, spreading in the neighbourhoods. When the Greeks came out in the streets armed, the Turks fortified in the Fortress. The first Greek-Ottoman confrontation was already under way.
History of the Greek Revolution, vol. I
London: By the Red Lion Court Printing House of Taylor and Francis, 1853 Library of the Hellenic Parliament
GIVEN THAT PATRAS in that period was the seat of the consulates of England, France and Russia, the revolted Greeks in March 1821 issued a proclamation, which they addressed to the consuls of the foreign powers: «We, the Greek nation of the Christians, seeing that the Ottoman race holds us in contempt, and aims at our doom, sometimes in that way and sometimes in the other, we firmly decided either to all die or live free, and for this reason our hands hold weapons demanding our rights» (page 81). In the name of their ancient ancestors, they asked subsequently for the pro- tection and support of their righteous fight by the European powers.
170 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!