“You threw a stone with a slingshot
God stated to her: “Stand.”
And miraculously it appeared,
the island of Kasos”. (1)
These verses vividly define the rocky and barren reduction of Kasos, which compelled its inhabitants, since historical instances, to show to the ocean and delivery.
The “nautical intuition” of the Kasians, goes again to the depths of the centuries, it appears innate of their DNA.
Kasos is first recorded as a naval energy, by Homer, with the participation of its ships within the Greek fleet campaigning towards Troy, along with different islands of the Dodecanese (Karpathos, Nisyros, Kos, and many others.).
Its geographical place, the closest island of the Dodecanese to Crete and the southernmost of them, connects its historic course each with Megalonisos and with the remainder of the Dodecanese.
The presence of Minoan Crete on the island is evidenced by cultural findings in lots of locations, equivalent to e.g. in Khelatro, within the Hellinokamara cave and elsewhere.
Together with the opposite Dodecanese, it passes every so often beneath the rule of Telchines, Achaeans, Dorians, Ioannina knights, Venetians and different conquerors.
In its centuries-long course, Kasos progressively developed as a naval energy, with its service provider fleet continuously rising and evolving. The Cassiot shipwrecks search and discover increasingly delivery routes, reaching so far as Odessa, Marseilles, Trieste, Syria, N. Africa and usually each a part of the Mediterranean.
In 1523 AD the Dodecanese move beneath Ottoman rule. This enslavement is a stage within the additional historic course of the island. The Ottoman interval is a milestone for the historical past of Kasos, because it ends within the painful occupation of the island by the Turks, the “Fall” and the Holocaust on July 7, 1824.
In abstract we will point out the next:
- The Cassiotian ship homeowners, pre-revolutionary, convert their industrial ships into warships and lead the Nation’s battle for liberation. They settle for the messages of Philiki Etairia, many develop into its members and combat with braveness and self-sacrifice towards the enemy. Kasiotka ships rating notable successes towards the Ottoman fleet primarily in Syria, Egypt and elsewhere. The contribution of the Kasians in supporting the battle of the Cretan brothers is essential. Cassian ships raise the blockade imposed by the Ottomans on Crete, repel enemy assaults, provide its fighters with munitions, meals, and many others.
Captain Theodoros Kantarizis, pioneer of the Kassia battle and ardent defender of Crete, deserves a particular point out, who was killed on the island of Theodoros within the prefecture of Chania, in April 1822, within the battles after a profitable repulse of a Turkish assault.
- v The Sultan’s order to Mohammed Ali of Egypt, is to get rid of from the map this island, which helps Crete and is an impediment to his strategic plan, to suppress the Revolution.
Hussain Pasha’s efforts to assault Kaso, which is defending itself, in Could 1824 had been futile and unsuccessful.
We remind and notice the continual appeals of the Kasians to the Central Administration, for assist:
“Within the identify of God, have mercy on us and the inhabitants of Kasos…”, they wrote. However inside strife and civil strife didn’t enable any assist to be despatched to distant Kasos.
The betrayal of Zacharias (an outdated servant in a Kasiot home), offers the Turkish-Egyptians and Turkalvanians the chance to land within the unguarded space of Antiperatos on June 7, 1824, to trample the island and switch it right into a Holocaust.
The heroism and self-sacrifice of the Kasian fighters isn’t sufficient, within the face of the superior forces of the Ottomans, who come to the island by the lots of, burning and looting every part of their path.
Instance of Heroism: Captain Markos Malliarakis, defending within the space of Laga, killed many enemies. He’s captured and brought prisoner earlier than Hussein, the place he breaks the chains that bind him and kills three of his Turkish captors, earlier than falling lifeless from enemy fireplace.
- The implications of “Patimo” are tragic. 1000’s of girls and youngsters are captured, transported and offered within the slave markets of the East. The remnants of the Cassian fleet fall into the arms of the Turks and plenty of Cassian sailors are compelled to function crews on enemy ships. The few survivors fled after being hunted to close by islands of the Dodecanese, in Crete, however primarily within the Cyclades (Naxos, Amorgos, Milos, Syros, Paros, and many others.). After 1829 they start to return to the island once more and reorganize – nonetheless beneath the Ottoman yoke – as a naval drive.
- The event of Kasian delivery within the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is leaps and bounds. The “steam” slowly transforms the ships into steamers and the island’s shipowners develop into “shipowners”, whose developments cause them to a “new subject of lampron glory”. Primarily based in Ermoupolis of Syros, essential delivery corporations of Cassian shipowners are creating, equivalent to e.g. of: Rethymno and Kouloukounti, Pneumatiko, Mavroleon and many others.
The shipyards and the Neoreion of Syros are main the way in which within the new period of Greek delivery, having as homeowners the Kasiotes Minas Diakakis from 1925 to 1950 and Minas Rethymni from 1950 to 1968. The Kasio fleet progressively expands and “globalizes” with the delivery corporations of being progressively transferred to Piraeus, London and New York. Nearly all ships of Cassian shipowners are served by crews from Kasos.
- The distinguished Cassiotian poet D. I. Antoniou, was by occupation a Captain of the service provider navy and on the bridges of the ships he served for about 40 years, lots of his poems had been impressed.
- Emmanuel G. Kouloukountis, patriarch of Kassia shipbuilding with pioneering concepts and visions, is impressed and takes the lead within the provide by Greek shipowners, after the top of the Second World Struggle, of “Libertys” ships, which contribute to the spectacular growth of Greek delivery.
- It’s value mentioning the essential contribution of Cassian staff to the opening of the Suez Canal. They start to immigrate to Egypt from 1859 and develop essential settlements within the neighboring cities: Port Mentioned, Suez, Ismailia, Port Fouat, but in addition in Alexandria and Cairo.
- Emmanuel Hatzidakis, ranging from Kasos with the ship “Hellas”, after a protracted and adventurous journey, arrived in 1877 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Lastly, in 1878, he settled in Argentina, grew to become the grasp of a warship, managed the port of Buenos Aires and was surrounded by particular honors.
- The primary navigator to cross the Panama Canal in 1914 was the Kasiotian captain Nikitas Mavrakis.
- The Ottoman rule within the Dodecanese ends in 1911 and the islands know new conquerors.
The Italian occupation is the reason for new struggles, for the coveted “integration into the Nationwide physique”. The Cassio shipowners are as soon as once more the primary financiers of organizations preventing to throw off the Italian yoke in
overseas. We particularly point out the undivided monetary help of the Dodecanese youth of America by: Manolis Kouloukountis, Antonis Pappadakis, Nikolaos Mavris, (who served as the primary Commander-in-Chief of the Dodecanese after the Integration) and different outstanding Cassios.
- The households: Yannaga, Hatzilia, Markou, Nikolaou, Lentaki, Vidiadis, Sitina, Koutlakis, Zaharis and others even have a notable shipbuilding presence.
- The incorporation of the Dodecanese into Greece on March 31, 1947, is the start line for the reconstruction and new starting of Kasos, within the fashionable period.
The reconstruction that befell within the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties has at the moment given technique to new calls for.
The characterization of Kasos as a “Heroic Island”, by the Nationwide Delegation in 2018, is a primary justification for the struggles and timeless contribution of the Kasians to the Nation.
It’s true that we Kasiotes think about that our island has suffered a form of “historic injustice” and it’s because the deal with the simple contribution of Hydra, Spetses and Psara to the revolution has virtually disappeared the contribution of Kasos to the Nationwide battle. Each historians and the Greek state noticed it on the sidelines – maybe additionally due to its geographical location – though it “alone” and Psara grew to become a holocaust and had been actually occupied by the Ottomans.
At present, 200 years after “Patimo”, the brand new calls for, i.e. the important and elementary wants of the island, are universally identified. The state should have interaction in these and assist in numerous methods the folks of our uninhabited island, who’re struggling for ECONOMIC and CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT with respect for its Historical past, Custom and Pure Atmosphere.
This growth and demographic discount is one of the best assure for the Nationwide existence within the delicate space of the Southeast Aegean, each within the present circumstances and sooner or later. It’s the solely appropriate technique within the advanced geopolitical developments of the interval we’re going via.
We hope that the Greek State will correctly and virtually exhibit its curiosity in Kasos, with a way of duty in direction of its Historical past (2).
Notes
- In some publications the lyrics of the introduction are attributed to Alexandros Soutsos, whereas in others to Panagiotis Synodinos.
- Current underwater finds of archaeological curiosity within the seabed round Kasos, additional strengthen its historic place.
Bibliography
- Parliament of the Greeks: A Quick Historical past of the Dodecanese, 1997.
- Emm. G. Protopsaltis: The contribution of Kasos to the Revolution of 1821, Athens 1950.
- Ok.N. Fragoulis: Cassou’s Scrapbook, En Port-Mentioned 1921.
- Dodecanese Cultural Basis “Kleoboulos of Lindios”: The Holy Holocaust of Kasos, Athens 1994.
- Tryphonos E. Evaggelidou – M Michaelidou – Noirou: Historical past of Kasos Island, Athens, 1935.
#years #Patimos #Holocaust #Kasos
