I + 15 : Pirates of the Aegean

Turkish Sailors surrender to the Greek Privateer Katsionis - Painting from his Crimean Villa

Greek folklore is full of tales of heroic sea battles during the war of independence. The Ottoman annales though talk of a "pirate infested Aegean" which needs to be cleansed. Their language is not far away from news articles about Somali pirates today. Both sides engaged in summary executions and torture. It was a gruesome chapter in Turkish - Greek history.

Entrance to the heavily fortified Port of Marseille - all Ports in the Western Wed were Forts

Greek piracy is closely linked to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Until the 17th century, the Ottoman used piracy to put Venice, the Spanish Empire and the Pope on the back foot. The strategy forced the Christians into the defensive - they could rarely go on offense. The success of the Ottoman policy is still visible today. Ports in Spain, France, Italy and Dalmatia are heavily fortified. Ports which were once on the Ottoman side of the border are not. The Ottoman's Pirate-in-Chief, Barbarossa, has a monument in Istanbul next to the Turkish Navy Museum. The 1.0 - 1.5 million Europeans he enslaved are forgotten.

Admiral Barbarossa, the Ottoman's Super Pirate, victorious at the Battle of Prevezza 1538. Only in 1571, at Lepanto, did the Holy Alliance have enough ressources to beat the Turks

Naval supremacy is an expensive policy though. Barbarossa's piracy only worked because it was embedded in Ottoman naval policy. With a Turkish fleet looming behind the horizon, the European powers could not afford to focus on piracy. With the re-routing of global trade around Africa, the Ottoman lost a significant amount of tax revenue though. Also, the perpetual wars with Persia to the East, Russia to the North and Portugal in the Indian Ocean, emptied the Sultan's war chest. His navy had to shrink.

Tsarina Catherine's Greek Plan with a New Greece (red) and New Bulgaria (blue) both Vassal States to the powerful Russian Empire (early 1780s)

When power vacuums emerge, someone takes notice. Russian Tsarina Catherine the Great did. In her quest to acquire an ice free port, she conquered the northern shores of the Black Sea. Odessa and Sebastopol were her creations. To support her land campaign and disrupt Ottoman logistics, she sent a fleet around Europe to the Mediterranean. The Turkish Sultan was surprised, the Ottoman fleet went up in flames in Chios (1770) and the Cyclades became for five year a Russian colony. Catharina's strategy was successful. The Aegean blockade cut the Ottoman Empire off its supplies and taxes from the Levant and Egypt. The Sultan had to sue for peace.

This Drawing by Captain Köllnberger of the Custom House in Piraeus in 1837 gives a good Idea of the Nature of Greek Shipping at the time.

The Greek though paid the price for Catharina's grand scheme. For centuries, they were the Ottoman's marine merchants, sailors and fishermen. Now the Russian Navy confiscated their cargo and ruined their business. How do you feed your family if everything you own is taken away? The Russians, always quick to spot an opportunity, encouraged the Greeks to side with them and "recover" the money from the Turks. Greek piracy must have started slowly but start it did. With the Russian fleet providing cover, the Greek corsairs could "develop" their corsair activities almost unpunished. The Ottoman were not amused.

Greek Activities during the Russian - Ottoman War 1768 - 1774 are in Blue

Once the Russians signed the peace agreement with the Sultan though, the Greeks were alone and at the mercy of the Sultan. Their revenge was swift and brutal: summary execution and enslavemend of any family involved. The Peloponnese suffered. It would be the same again in 1791. The memories of these atrocities - the Peloponnese lost 1/4 of its people - triggered the rebellion of 1822 which led to the Greek War of Independence.

In this context, the story of Lambros Katsionis is interesting. He joined the Russian Fleet in 1768 as an infantry man and fought with great bravery. The Russians found him useful and brought him to Russia in 1774. In the next Russian-Ottoman war (1787 - 1792) he bought a 20 cannon brig in Trieste (where did he have the money from?) which he quickly turned to use.. He was a rather successful corsair and became incredibly wealthy. The Russian made him Colonel. At the peak of his power, he defeated a Turkish squadron of 14 war ships around Mykonos. By then, his little flotilla had grown to 27 boats. He disrupted the Aegean Sea more successfully than the Russian fleet did 15 years earlier.

Young Colonel Lambros Katsionis in his Russian Dress Uniform

But he run out of luck in 1791. The Russians, having achieved their goals, signed another peace deal with the Ottoman. He now had to fight on his own against the Ottoman. In a first battle near Lesbos, he lost half of his ships. The other half in Porto Kagio, his base at the bottom of the Peloponnese. The Ottoman Fleet returned in 1792 victorious to Istanbul with 18 of Katsionis' ships and 600 pirates taken prisoners of war. Could not find out about their fate but am reasonably sure they all paid with their lifes. Colonel Katsionis though escaped and lived the rest of his life in his own luxurious palace on the Crimea.

Katsionis used small, manoeverable vessels to attack much larger ships - this Painting though depicts the French Confiance attacking the much larger English East-Indiaman Kent

There are many similar stories. Greek pirates formed the country's first Navy in the War of Independence (1822 - 1830). Many island like Spetses, Hydra or Kasos partipated. Piracy and fighting for freedom were indistinguishable. Privateers like Ioannis Varvakis, Lambros Katsionis or Mitromaris are Greek heros today. The people of Spetses celebrate their victory over the Ottoman fleet in 1822 every year with a big mock-up battle.

Places with Naval Activities During the War of Independence 1822 - 1830

Tonight we are going to stay in Porto Kagio, where Colonel Katsonis made his last stand. He may have had a chance against the Turkish Ships but the Ottomans simultaneously attacked from land as well. After two days, his ships run out of ammunition and had to surrender. The Ottoman forces destroyed the place. But now there are private homes inside the former castle which give you a good idea how it must have looked like 200 years ago. We visited Porto Kagio in 2017.

The Remains of the Former Venetian Town and later

Pirate Den of Porto Kagio were rebuilt as Residences

View on the Porto Kagio Bay from the Old Town from 2017 - The Carpe Diem V, our boat, was anchored next to the new Harbor - as we are today