Lykourgos Logothetis Explained

Lykourgos Logothetis
Birth Date:10 February 1772
Death Date:25 March 1850
Birth Name:Georgios Paplomatas
Γεώργιος Παπλωματάς
Allegiance: Military-Political System of Samos
First Hellenic Republic
Death Place:Kingdom of Greece
Birth Place:Samos, Eyalet of the Archipelago, Ottoman Empire (now Greece)
Battles:
Native Name:Λυκούργος Λογοθέτης
Office:Governor-General of Samos
Termstart1:April 1821
Termend2:1833
Termend1:April 1828
Termstart2:July 1830
Predecessor1:Position established
Predecessor2:Ioannis Kolettis
Successor1:Ioannis Kolettis
Successor2:Position disestablished

Lykourgos Logothetis (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Λυκούργος Λογοθέτης, 10 February 1772 – 25 May 1850 (O.S.)), born Georgios Paplomatas, was a Samian who became the island's leader during the Greek War of Independence.

The son of a wealthy merchant, Logothetis received a good education at Constantinople and then served as an official in the Phanariote administration of Wallachia. His political career experienced great vicissitudes: he served as an elder in his home island, taking the side of the progressive-radical Karmanioloi ("Carmagnoles", named after the French Revolutionary song Carmagnole) and the reactionary Kallikantzaroi ("goblins") who represented mostly the traditional land-holding elites. Under Logothetis, the Karmanioloi ruled Samos from 1807 until the intervention of the Ottoman authorities in 1812, which restored the Kallikantzaroi to power and forced the Karmanioloi to flee the island. During this time of exile he became a member of the Filiki Etaireia, and assumed the conspirational name by which became better known.

On the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence he returned to Samos and was quickly elected the island's political and military leader, founding the "Military-Political System of Samos", which he led until 1833, with the exception of the period 1828–30, when Samos was administered as part of the nascent Greek state. Logothetis was head of the Greek forces during the unsuccessful campaign to Chios in 1822, which led to the massacre and destruction of the island and was heavily criticized for his actions.[1]

In 1833, through the intervention of the Great Powers, the island returned to Ottoman suzerainty as an autonomous principality, and Logothetis was forced to leave for the independent Kingdom of Greece. There he became involved in politics, and became a senator.

He died of heart failure on 25 May 1850.

Notes and References

  1. Cartledge . Yianni John Charles . 2020-02-06 . The Chios Massacre (1822) and early British Christian-humanitarianism . Historical Research . en . 93 . 259 . 52–72 . 10.1093/hisres/htz004 . 0950-3471.