Levidi's Role
in the Liberation

ANCIENT TIMES

Zeus had a son by Kailisto called Arcas from whom the name Arcadia was derived
Also the Arcadians originated from another son of Zeus called Pelasgus

The mountains of LEVIDI had the mythological Pan roaming and tendering after his sheep whilst playing his magical flute It is told that he could cause Panic to any invading enermy.The word panic is derived from the name Pan

During the Trojan Wars the Arcadians were given 60 ships by the Athenians, since they had no navy.They manned these ships with 6000 men and joined the expeditions.

During the Persian Wars 2000 men from Arcadia fought with the other Greek states the invaders at Thermopolyae,while another 5000 fought at Plataia.

 

During this period Arcadia was called the Villayet of MOREA.Like all the greek lands Arcadia suffered continual barbaric invasions and brutal subjugation.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453 the Arcadians led by Petros Bouas fought the Turks for freedom.
In 1532 and 1571 further rebellions broke out this time led by Doria.In 1768-1770 the Russians under General Orloff attempted to liberate the Greeks.When the Greeks saw that the Russians would fail the Arcadians rebelled yet again, and more Arcadians were masacred by the Turks.

After the Russian General abandoned the Arcadians masses of Albanians and Janniseries invaded and devastated Morea (Arcadia ) and Roumeli.

They were finaly expelled by the Greeks and Turks. Tripoli (Tripolitsa) then became the capital of Morea.

ARMATOLI

From 1785 onwards flourished the Greek Guerilla bands called the aramatoli
In 1806 the Turks marked them for extermination. It is this era that the famous Theodore Kolokotronis with other bands fled to Zante.

The struggle for liberation was gaining momentum.The Arcadians took up arms and the Turks at Laggadia were exterminated, while Kolokotronis beseiged Tripolitsa.Bloody battles raged at Levidi and surrounding areas.

The Revolutionary Bands new that Tripoli 25km from Levidi with a garrison of 9000 experienced warrirors must be captured in order for the revolution to succeed.They decided to provide an ancampment of 1200 men to be set in Levidi.
The Turks saw this as a treat and dispatched 1500 cavalrymen to encircle them.
The Levidiotes took their women and children to the mountains and returned to meet the Turks.The fierce battles and driving force of the Levidiotis is depicted in the warrior folk songs of the time

What a deadly strife in the midst of Levidi
Could it be the mountains are crumbling
or the Beasts in the Throes of Death

Finaly the Turks retreated leaving behind 300 men dead and many more wounded.The Greeks lost 15 men one of them was a feirce and courages warrior who had fought many battles against huge odds.His name was Anagnostis Striftombolas

Anagnostis Striftombolus Greek Hero of LEVIDI