CHRISTOFOROS PERRAIVOS: A forgotten fighter of the National Rebirth
CHRISTOFOROS PERRAIVOS
A forgotten fighter of the National Rebirth
Christoforos Perraivos, one of the most important figures in the struggle for national rebirth, is also the only link that connects the pre-revolutionary period of Rigas Velestinlis with that of the Filiki Eteria and the revolutionary struggle.
He was born in 1773 as Hadzivasiliou, in Paleo Pori, Thessaly, however he preferred to change it to the name of the region from which he came (Perraivia).
In 1793 he went to Bucharest, where he studied at the Greek school there (Academy of Saint Sava) and was taught Greek, which was the language of commerce at that time, as well as classical literature, philosophy, elements of the Enlightenment and the tradition of Byzantium. In Bucharest he met Rigas, who magnetized him with his personality and ignited his soul, with his thoughts, for the liberation of his enslaved compatriots, but also of the other peoples of the Bloody Peninsula.
In 1796, Perraivos went to Vienna to continue his studies in medicine. He was already one of Rigas' most trusted companions. In this capacity, he accompanied him to Trieste, from where they would initially go to Venice with the help of the French Consul there, Bresset, so that Rigas could meet Napoleon and ask for his help in liberating the enslaved Greeks and then to Greece.
In Trieste (December 1797), after betrayal, Rigas is arrested, but he covers for Perraivos, who is simply interrogated and released. With the cover of Bresse (who granted him French citizenship) he departs for Corfu. There he serves in the French army and then in the Russian army, after the occupation (1799) of the Ionian Islands by a Russian-Ottoman fleet, removing them from French rule.
In Corfu he meets the wise professor Idromenos, who becomes his assistant in teaching Greek letters. Deeply influenced by the Vision of Rigas, however, he frequently travels to Europe and comes into contact with other Greeks, with the aim of liberating the Nation. At the same time, he writes the "History of Soulio and Parga" and publishes it with the help of Greek expatriates in Paris (1803), a work with which he becomes known in Europe.
In 1816, the English, who were now the rulers of the Ionian Islands, expelled him and he left for Odessa and Moscow. There, burning with the desire for freedom, he sent a letter to the Tsar of Russia, asking for his help in the liberation of Greece. The following year, he was approached by the Filiki Etaireia and initiated into the organization, with Nikolaos Skoufas as his main catechist.
Skoufas inspires him, overturns his hesitations and convinces him, telling him "No more dreams of foreign aid, the Great Ones laugh at us and do not even care about our freedom, we will win it with our own strength, fighting and winning, and even if our strength is few, small, we will go hand in hand, hand in hand with the other peoples who have the same needs and the same desires as us." From this point on, Perraivos will give his whole being to the cause of freedom.
The first mission he received from the Friendly Society was to reconcile and unite the families of Mani who were in acute conflict. Only with unity was it possible to create a significant military force for the benefit of the planned Revolution. With his flexibility, agility, persuasion and fiery vision, Perraivos managed to enlist the leaders of Mani and convince them that it was not time for petty political and personal interests, but for the great event of a general uprising. In this effort, he invoked, among other things, the consent and support of the Patriarch and, with half-hearted words, hinted that Tsar Alexander himself was behind the uprising. He had the same success with other important personalities in Laconia and Messinia, who in turn spread the arguments, but also the faith and enthusiasm of Perreivos, throughout the Peloponnese. Departing, around mid-1820, for Ismailio in Bessarabia, he was convinced of the absolute success of his mission, Mani was ready for the revolution.
In Ismailio, in October 1820, the historic meeting was held, during which the decision was made for the uprising of the People. There, Perraivos received the order to take over the Epirus sector with the title "Commander-in-Chief of the Epirus Army". Departing to take up his duties, he passed through the islands (Hydra, Spetses, etc.) and Moria, where he conveyed his impressions of the current situation to the Authority of the Friendly Society. He arrived in Epirus in March 1821.
There, in order to impose himself on the spirited and unruly lads of Soulio, he showed another face than the one everyone knew, the face of the warrior. He found the Souliotes siding with Ali - Pasha, although the return to their homeland from the Ionian Islands was made with the help of Ali's opponent, Hursit - Pasha. This ''choice of camp'' was judged by the leaders of the Friendly Society to be beneficial to the revolution and should be reinforced, so as to wear down the Sultan's forces. Thus Perraivos opened a correspondence with Ali - Pasha.
However, some leaders of the Souliotes saw their struggle only in local terms and not in national terms. Perraivos made an effort to convince them that if Ali won the war, he would then turn against them, as he had done in the past. However, even when he convinced them of the big picture of the situation, the disagreement of some chieftains appeared on operational issues, such as the planning for the occupation of the Parga-Preveza region or the corresponding one of Arta.
When after some time Ali ceased to offer resistance, Khursit turned against the Souliotes, in order to annihilate any resistance and
now free to turn against the rebellious Greeks of Roumeli and the Morea. Before using the force of arms, Hursit made tempting offers to the Souliotes, but the moral stature of Perreivos prevented any capitulation agreement. Thus began a bloody war for both sides. The development of the operations showed the absolute superiority of Hursit's forces and led the Souliotes to the path of negotiations and ultimately capitulation on heavy terms. They left Souli, again, for the Ionian Islands, with their families, their belongings and their chariots, where they arrived at the end of 1822. There the English, who had been dominant since 1814, isolated Perraivos, who nevertheless managed to escape to Messolonghi, in January 1823.
He then took part in the National Assembly of Astros (29 March - 18 April 1823), where the warlords invited him to take over the Ministry of War. He accepted without hesitation and devised a plan for the occupation of Tempi and then Larissa, so that the rebellious regions of Southern Greece could be secured from Ottoman troops.
The campaign, while it began with great hopes for decisive results, did not come to fruition. Perraivos led his units to Trikkeri in July 1823. There, it was planned to join with the units of the chieftains of Olympus and, under his leadership, to carry out operations. Unfortunately, the chieftain Karatasos deserted, concluding a separate peace treaty with Kioutachis-Pasha, resulting in the entire venture failing. From that point on, Perraivos took part in all the battles of Roumeli, mainly with the Souliotes and Panourgias, until the liberation.
After the establishment of the Hellenic Kingdom, he was appointed colonel in the Royal Phalanx, while on 18 March of 1844 Otto awarded him the rank of lieutenant general. He died of old age, on May 5, 1863, at the age of 90.
His contribution was also significant with the writings he left us. In addition to the aforementioned “History of Soulio and Parga”, he wrote in 1839, a two-volume work entitled “War Memoirs” and in 1860, the “Biography of the King of Thessaly”. In simple and plain language, he recounted, in a different role now, the struggles he participated in for the Holy Faith of Christ and the freedom of the Fatherland, with the aim of leaving as a legacy valuable historical lessons.
Christoforos Perraivos, through his life and struggles, emerged as an enthusiastic patriot, an inspired politician, a spiritual guide, a man of action and of the pen, having embraced the desire for freedom.
Municipality of Alevizos
Member of the Board of Directors/ELISME