Theodoros Kolokotronis (L), Georgios Karaiskakis (R) The Greek Revolution of 1821 gave birth to figures who forever marked the history of the modern Greek nation. Among its leading protagonists were Theodoros Kolokotronis and Georgios Karaiskakis, two generals who, with their courage, intelligence and determination, contributed decisively to the fight for freedom from four centuries of Ottoman occupation and slavery. However, fate was cruel to them not only while they were alive, but also after their death. Their remains were haphazardly moved, interfered with and also desecrated, actions that create a painful historical paradox: that the people who fought for the freedom of the homeland and who endured unimaginable suffering while alive were also not able to find peace even in their graves.
Theodoros Kolokotronis, the legendary “Old Man of the Morea,” died in 1843 in Athens. He was initially buried there, but almost a century later, in 1930, it was decided to transfer his skeletal remains to Tripoli, the heart of the Peloponnese where he had commanded some of the most brilliant military victories against the Ottomans during the revolution. The transfer took place with honors and in the presence of political and military authorities as a sign of respect for the great fighter. However, the story did not end there.
In 1942, during the German-Italian occupation of Greece, an incident occurred that horrified the inhabitants of Tripoli. Italian soldiers hunted down and destroyed the monument where Kolokotronis' bones were kept and, according to testimonies, they took some of them away and scattered and kicked the rest around the area. This act was considered a deep insult to one of the nation's most important heroes. The city's residents gathered together and carefully collected as many bones as they could find and set them back in the monument, which today stands at the base of the general's equestrian statue in Areos Square in Tripoli, Arcadia.
The posthumous journey of Georgios Karaiskakis went through a similar ordeal. The fearless military commander was mortally wounded in 1827 at Faliro and buried on the island of Salamis. Despite his desire to be buried there, in 1835 the Greek state decided to exhume and transfer his remains to a monument in Faliro, near the place where he fell fighting. This government initiative received negative reactions from the residents of Salamis, who considered his grave part of their historical heritage.
The Greek state embarked on a second transfer of Karaiskakis' remains. In the 1960s, during construction work in the Neo Faliro area and around the current Karaiskakis Stadium, the burial monument was hurriedly and haphazardly removed. The hero's bones were placed in unmarked boxes and transported to various municipal warehouses. Some testimonies indicate that part of the bones may have been lost during the work and some accidentally mixed up with other bones in the various warehouses where the boxes were sent for safekeeping. This debacle with Karaiskaki's bones still causes sadness and concern today in Greece.
These stories do not diminish the glory of the two fighters. On the contrary, they illuminate a lesser-known side of history, reminding us that collective memory and respect for people who fought for freedom should not be taken for granted. Kolokotronis and Karaiskakis remain symbols of courage and self-sacrifice, regardless of the ordeals their remains have experienced.
Perhaps the most important message out of all this is the need for constant respect for historical heritage. The heroes of the Greek Revolution do not belong only to the past; they are a living part of the identity and memory of the Greek people. And that is why, even after two centuries, honoring them remains a duty owed by all Greeks.
Theodoros Kolokotronis, the legendary “Old Man of the Morea,” died in 1843 in Athens. He was initially buried there, but almost a century later, in 1930, it was decided to transfer his skeletal remains to Tripoli, the heart of the Peloponnese where he had commanded some of the most brilliant military victories against the Ottomans during the revolution. The transfer took place with honors and in the presence of political and military authorities as a sign of respect for the great fighter. However, the story did not end there.
In 1942, during the German-Italian occupation of Greece, an incident occurred that horrified the inhabitants of Tripoli. Italian soldiers hunted down and destroyed the monument where Kolokotronis' bones were kept and, according to testimonies, they took some of them away and scattered and kicked the rest around the area. This act was considered a deep insult to one of the nation's most important heroes. The city's residents gathered together and carefully collected as many bones as they could find and set them back in the monument, which today stands at the base of the general's equestrian statue in Areos Square in Tripoli, Arcadia.
The posthumous journey of Georgios Karaiskakis went through a similar ordeal. The fearless military commander was mortally wounded in 1827 at Faliro and buried on the island of Salamis. Despite his desire to be buried there, in 1835 the Greek state decided to exhume and transfer his remains to a monument in Faliro, near the place where he fell fighting. This government initiative received negative reactions from the residents of Salamis, who considered his grave part of their historical heritage.
The Greek state embarked on a second transfer of Karaiskakis' remains. In the 1960s, during construction work in the Neo Faliro area and around the current Karaiskakis Stadium, the burial monument was hurriedly and haphazardly removed. The hero's bones were placed in unmarked boxes and transported to various municipal warehouses. Some testimonies indicate that part of the bones may have been lost during the work and some accidentally mixed up with other bones in the various warehouses where the boxes were sent for safekeeping. This debacle with Karaiskaki's bones still causes sadness and concern today in Greece.
These stories do not diminish the glory of the two fighters. On the contrary, they illuminate a lesser-known side of history, reminding us that collective memory and respect for people who fought for freedom should not be taken for granted. Kolokotronis and Karaiskakis remain symbols of courage and self-sacrifice, regardless of the ordeals their remains have experienced.
Perhaps the most important message out of all this is the need for constant respect for historical heritage. The heroes of the Greek Revolution do not belong only to the past; they are a living part of the identity and memory of the Greek people. And that is why, even after two centuries, honoring them remains a duty owed by all Greeks.
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