"Till when shall we lads live in the straits,
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How our forefathers rushed like beasts, For freedom, leaping into the fire. We too, brothers, let us for once seize our chariots and get out of bitter slavery.
Recalling the impulsively motivating verses of the visionary, pioneer of Greek enlightenment, King Feraios, we have gathered here today, at the Holy Church of Our Lady of Hodegetria, to celebrate and commemorate the anniversary of the National Regression of 1821.
The great Greek thinker and ardent revolutionary, with his "Thurion", shortly before the end of the 18th century, expressed, in an attempt to raise the morale and mobilize the ideals and values of the Greeks, but also of the other enslaved peoples in the Balkans, the great desire of the enslaved for the acquisition of the longed-for freedom.
We also celebrate, with religious reverence, the message of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and praise the beginning of the Salvation of man, our liberation from the bitter bondage of sin, and the fulfilment of the most promising promise that God gave to man.
The breath of freedom of the heroes of 1821 reaches us to this day.
The breath of freedom of the heroes of 1821 reaches us even today.
This breath, which like a flame was passed down through the centuries, and from ancient Greece reached the times of the Greek Revolution of '21, remaining unquenched and vital in every struggle of the nation in search of freedom.
The glorious pages of the Greek Revolution of '21 prove the unparalleled greatness of the struggle.
The glorious pages of the Greek Revolution of '21 prove the unparalleled greatness of the struggle.
They prove that in those years, the desire for "the beautiful, the rich, the rich, the inadequate and revered and holy" freedom, as Dionysios Solomos called it, was so strong and so authentic that it could lead to acts of self-sacrifice, to feats unimaginable.
Achievements, which rightly remain indelibly engraved in our collective memory.
It is no coincidence, moreover, that this struggle created a wave of philhellenism in Europe, with great personalities and intellectuals, such as Lord Byron, praising the Greek soul and supporting the revolution in practice.
"They never fail who die for a great cause", said the English poet very aptly.
It is no coincidence, too, that this struggle became the yeast for the subsequent wondrous struggles of Hellenism.
And if some, even today, wonder and ask...
How did the enslaved for 400 years subjugate an entire empire?
Why did so few manage to stand up and be crowned victorious?
What should we take as an example from the heroes of the 21st century?
Let them climb up to Alamana to get an answer from the lifeless body of Athanasios Diakos and his fellow fighters, who heroically fell in the battle at the bridge on the river Spercheos.
Let them pass by Kougi, to witness the heroic sacrifice of the Monk Samuel, when he lit the fuse inside the powder magazine, in the rockery of the church of Agia Paraskevi, in Souli.
Let them go down to Dervenakia to ask Theodore Kolokotronis, and hear the same fiery speech he uttered the day before the battle to inspire his fighters:
"Greeks, today we were born and today we will die for the salvation of our homeland and for our country".
And if they still have the strength and fortitude let them go to Psara and ask the few who managed to escape the massacre, when the Turks burned the island to the ground and massacred the rest of the population in revenge.
In the eyes of all of them they will see the bravery, the courage, the determination, the total dedication to the struggle, the total self-denial for the benefit of the common good, the good of the homeland, for the benefit of Panorian freedom.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Hellenes,
The foundation of the Society of Friends, led by Dimitrios Ypsilantis, in 1814 marked the beginning of the collective uprising of the Greeks. Members of the Society were initially scholars and students, economically prosperous Greeks of the diaspora, who were the yeast for the later total uprising of the Greeks.
After the banner of the Revolution was raised, the Greeks, with faith in the righteousness of their cause, achieved powerful and admirable blows to the Turkish forces.
The Ottoman regime felt threatened by the Revolution, which had now flared up. The oppressors, trying to suppress it and believing that in this way they would quench the flame in the souls of the Greeks, decided to carry out mass massacres. This conviction proved to be the greatest delusion.
The struggle of the Greeks had now taken root for good. The titanic victory of Androutsos at the Hani of Gravia and the burning of the Turkish flagship at Chios by Constantine Kanaris are two of the brilliant examples of bravery and unyielding struggle. Similarly at sea, Laskarina Bouboulina and together with Manto Mavrogenous highlighted the crucial role of women in the struggle.
We will always be moved by those heroic women, who in Messolonghi, when the martyr's end was predestined, after the long siege by the Turks, undaunted and brave, supported their children and husbands and did not hesitate to drag the dance of Zalongos to escape disgrace from the oppressor.
Undeniably, the Greek Revolution changed the old political scene in Europe and turned the sun of freedom around, illuminating Greece. Shortly afterwards, the independent Greek State was founded, which owes its existence to the unforgettable fighters of the '21.
The fiery air of the Greek Revolution reached from the chariots' dens to the also enslaved Cyprus, which for centuries had suffered under the Turkish yoke.
In the hearts of the Cypriots the desire for liberation flared up in the same way, but they were far from the core of revolutionary action. This did not prevent them from lending a helping hand to the brotherly Greek people. The secret mobilization of the Cypriots to aid the Greek Revolution was perceived by the Turkish authorities and was paid for with a heavy load of blood.
Dozens of clergymen and laymen, with the approval of the High Gate, were condemned to death. Among them were Metropolitan Meletios of Kition, Chrysanthos of Pafos, Laurentios of Kyrenia and first of all Archbishop Kyprianos.
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The heroic martyr Archbishop Cyprian is said to have replied to the poem by our poet Vassilis Michaelides, shortly before he was hanged.
Despite the massacres, the unfavourable conditions and the resistance of the Turks, the Cypriots managed to strengthen the Revolution.
Hundreds of Cypriots fought with vigour and self-denial alongside the Greek revolutionaries on the bloody battlefields.
The sacrifice of the Cypriot volunteers and of all the other ethno martyrs of '21 was the fuse that lit the fuse and gave birth to the next struggles of the nation.
The epic struggle of EOKA of 55-59, which we will celebrate in a few days, is the most prominent example.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Hellenes,
National history recognizes as a winner not only the one who won a struggle, but also the one who did not give up and fought to the end, knowing that the odds and expectations were not on his side.
The fighters of 21 and the Macedonian gladiators taught us this in the best way.
It was taught to us by the men of the 8th Division in the Battle of Elias - Kalamas and by the brave men of the 5th Infantry Regiment in the epic battles of Hill 731.
It was taught to us later by the immortal fighters of EOKA, who, guided by the same desire for freedom and the embrace of the most loving mother - Greece, looked death in the face and climbed the mountains. Along with them and those who found the courage and strength to resist in the betrayed summer of 1974, during the brutal Turkish invasion.
The example of all of them illuminates the path on which we are obliged to walk, renewing our vow to fight until the final vindication of our long-suffering island.
With their unrelenting struggle and unimaginable sacrifice, they bequeathed us an inexhaustible ark of values and ideals. The legacy they have left us constitutes for us a sacred lesson in philanthropy, democracy and militancy on the path of service and duty.
The current situation of occupation and partition of our homeland leaves us no room for compromise and concessions. We have a duty to act with dedication, determination and consistency, with the ultimate goal of breaking the deadlock, resuming the talks and in a process of meaningful and sincere dialogue to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem, on the basis of the agreed framework and the relevant UN resolutions.
This is what our country deserves and this is what we are fighting for.
For a viable and workable solution that unites our country and our people and guarantees human rights for all its legitimate inhabitants, away from occupying troops, invasive rights and foreign guarantees.
The self-denial and self-sacrifice of the fighters of the Greek Revolution of 21, the one that led to the formation of our National Home, as well as the words of General Makriyannis calling for unity and solidarity are the beacon that illuminates our steps in the struggle for the liberation and reunification of our country.
Because as Makriyannis very eloquently writes in his memoirs. Therefore, we all worked together, and we should all guard it together. When many are fighting and burning, then they should say "we". We are in "we" and not in "I."
With these words, which are a timeless message of unity, we renew our promise that no matter how many years pass, we will fight until the sun of freedom and justice rises on our long-suffering land.
The sacrifice of all the heroes of Hellenism is our eternal guide on the difficult road of liberation and return.
Long live the Nation of Greeks!!
Long live the 25th of March!!!
Long live April 1!!!
(MH)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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