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EL.TA.
History
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Hellenic Post {ELlinika TAhidromia (EL.TA.) ~ ΕΛληνικά ΤΑχυδρομεία (ΕΛ.ΤΑ.)}
With the advent of organised communities, the need for communication between them arose, so messengers were used to carry messages orally. When writing was invented, messengers carried tablets, leaves, sheets of bark, animal skins and such like, on which the messages were written. This was when couriers, who, unlike messengers did not give messages orally, came on the scene.
Alexander the Great [People] [100 Drachmas] would never have succeeded in his campaigns, neither would he have been able to establish his vast Empire, if he had not worked out a perfect communications system. Alexander the Great's couriers, the so-called "imiodi" {ημίοδοι}, made use of seaways too so as to facilitate communications between the various parts of the Empire.
The postal service in Greece under the Roman Empire made use of the highways which the Romans had built as part of the road network. Foremost among them was Via Egnatia {Egnatia Odos ~ Εγνατία Οδός}, which linked Dyrrachium {Dirrahion ~ Δυρράχιον} with Byzantium {Vizandion ~ Βυζάντιον}. It goes without saying that this postal service was exclusively for state purposes.
Under the Byzantine Empire [Byzantine Emperors] couriers delivering official correspondence used the fastest means of transport available in the area, that is to say light carriages, horses etc. Private citizens used the same means.
Under Ottoman occupation it was not possible for postal services such as that of the Byzantine period to function. The enslaved nation's Proesti {Προεστοί} (community lords under Ottoman occupation) made extensive use of letters to communicate with those living abroad. They either sent their letters with trusted people specially charged with the specific mission, or with travellers. They also used the postal services of foreign countries' consulates in Constantinople {Konstandinoupolis ~ Κωνσταντινούπολις}.
During Ottoman occupation, mounted Ottoman couriers carried orders to provincial administration services. These couriers were salaried and formed a special battalion with its own commanders, uniform and privileges. There were also foot couriers whose wages, food and shelter were provided by the villages they served. That is why the villagers were displeased with this system.
On July 7th, 1821, Dimitrios Ipsilandis [People] arrived on Idra {Ύδρα} island with power of attorney for his brother Aleksandros [People], "General Trustee of the Office" for the Society of Friends [The Society] and crossed over to the Peloponnese {Peloponnisos ~ Πελοπόννησος} a few days later, where he presented the Prokrites {Prokriti ~ Πρόκριτοι} (community lords under Ottoman occupation) with a plan, which was never put into action. This was the first attempt to organise a post office. Another attempt was made by the Assembly, called the "Areopagus" {Arios Pagos ~ Άρειος Πάγος}, which Theodoros Negris {Θεόδωρος Νέγρης} called on November 15th, 1821 in Amfissa {Άμφισσα}.
In February 1822, Dimitrios Ipsilandis tried to establish "Public Horse-Posts and Stations". At the end of the same month the Peloponnesian Senate was called upon to acquire 25 horses and the Areopagus 15, for the despatch of news and orders from the Government. It is worth mentioning that during the War of Independence in 1821 [Contents], lack of transport was such a problem that when four animals were discovered in Argos {Άργος} it was regarded as a great achievement.
It was Ioannis Kolettis {Ιωάννης Κωλέττης}, Foreign Minister, who almost succeeded in organising a satisfactory Government Postal Service, on the basis of experience gained in organisational affairs while serving in the court of Mehmet Ali Paşa (1744-1820, Albanian Paşa and Vezir, whose ambitions turned him against the Sultan, and who was declared a traitor in 1820) in Ioannina {Ιωάννινα}. Kolettis' couriers covered the whole distance themselves or shared it with others if the road was long or difficult. They were usually special employees, selected by the local authorities of the time. It is worth noting that it would take 8-9 days for a letter to reach Nafplion {Ναύπλιον} from Mesolongi {Μεσολόγγι}, and 4-5 days to reach Nafplion from Navarino {Ναυαρίνο}.
Not wanting to rely on the "Government Special Foot Couriers", Kolokotronis [People] [5,000 Drachmas], in his office as Chief of the Armed Forces of the Peloponnese, was among the first to propose the establishment of a regular postal service. In a letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he drew attention to the need for certain news items to be conveyed speedily, in particular those concerning nationally important cases and situations, on which decisions had to be made without delay. The Elder of Morias' proposal received immediate approval and the post office was established, its organisation being assigned to Athanasios Kardaras {Αθανάσιος Καρδαράς} from the village of Zigovitsi {Ζυγοβίτσι} in Gortinia {Γορτυνία}. So Post Offices were set up in Tripolis {Τρίπολις}, Argos and Epidavros {Επίδαυρος}, and subsequently in other towns too.
Charles Nicolas Fabvier [People], who had organised the first Regular Army of Greece, made another attempt to organise a General Postal Service for carrying mail between Athens and Nafplion early in 1826. This philhellene [Contents] Colonel's grandiose plan aimed at linking Athens with Nafplion and Eastern Greece through a relay of regular foot couriers. It foresaw that one courier would leave Athens for Megara {Μέγαρα} every Monday evening, arriving there on Tuesday morning. Another courier would leave Megara on Tuesday and arrive in Kalamaki {Καλαμάκι} in the evening of the same day. A third courier would leave Kalamaki for Nafplion, arriving on the same day, i.e. the third day since the departure from Athens [Place Names]. But lack of help from the Government meant that the plan could not be implemented.
The modern Postal Service was eventually established following a resolution passed by Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias [People] on September 28th, 1828, which was issued on Poros {Πόρος} island. From 1849 until 1881 Greek Post Offices operated in Constantinople, Smyrna {Smirni ~ Σμύρνη}, Alexandria {Αλεξάνδρεια}, Ioannina, Thessaloniki {Θεσσαλονίκη}, Larissa {Λάρισσα}, Arta {Άρτα}, and Preveza {Πρέβεζα}, all places which were under Ottoman occupation at the time.
The first Greek postage stamp went into circulation in 1861. It was the celebrated head of Hermes {Ermis ~ Ερμής}. The first real monopoly was founded in 1900 and the civil postal service in Greece has been developing ever since. It has not developed as fast as postal services in western European countries, but has followed their example so that it is now an adequate match for postal services in developed countries.
05-19-2004