January 21, 1830: Greek Independence hero Anastasios Karatasos passes away

Anastasios Karatasos

From Veria in Macedonia, Anastasios Karatasos (1764 – 21 January 1830) was a military commander during the Greek Revolution and one of the most important fighters of the revolution from Macedonia.

Karatasos was a Klepht operating in Macedonia in the late 18th century.

By the time of the Greek Revolution in 1821 and inspired by the leader of the revolution in Macedonia, Emmanouel Pappas, who had initiated a revolt in Chalkidiki in 1821, Karatasos was inspired to do the same.

In response to the continued sacking, looting and raiding of villages in western Macedonia by the Turk-Albanian hordes, Karatasos led a revolt, along with other Macedonian revolutionaries Zafeirakis Theodosiou and Angelos Gatsos, in the town of Naousa in 1822.

After liberating the town, Karatasos, his men defended the town against several Ottoman attempts to recapture it.

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Finally, after receiving thousands more re-enforcements, bringing their total number to 20,000, the Ottomans broke through and destroyed the town, massacred civilians, raped women and kidnapped children.

Karatasos managed to save himself and his family and by 1823 he was continuing to fight the Turks, first in Thessaly and then in Sterea Ellada and the Peloponnese.

In 1823, he trapped and destroyed a two thousand men corps of Janissaries in the Mpampa Bridge at Pineios.

Also in 1823 with the Klepht Aggelis Gatsos and their bands, they crossed Mount Olympus and he collaborated with Georgios Karaiskakis at Agrafa, and Mesologgi, while he fought at the Battle of Peta and performed guerilla operations in Thessaly.

Anastasios Karatasos - Wikidata
Anastasios Karatasos.

In his letters to the Revolutionary movement, he complained about the lack of supplies for his band, although he fought in numerous battles at Nafplio, Souli, Skiathos, Karystos, Trikeri, Messinia.

He performed operations together with Markos Botsaris, Giorgakis Olympios, Odysseas Androutsos, Manto Mavrogenous, Andreas Vokos Miaoulis, Ioannis Kolettis and others.

Anastasios Karatasos died at the age of 66 on January 21, 1830, at Nafpaktos where he was buried with honours.

His statue lies at the central square of Veroia, built by the sculptor Dimitrios Chatzis.

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