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People
Greek War Of Independence (1821-1829)
Emmanouil Ksanthos (1772-1852)
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Emmanouil Ksanthos {Εμμανουήλ Ξάνθος} (1772-1852). Emmanouil Ksnathos studied at the Patmiada {Πατμιάδα} School and then embarked on a career as a commercial clerk. He became friends with Nikolaos Skoufas [People] and Athanasios Tsakalof [People] in Odessa in 1813, and in 1814 they founded the Society Of Friends [The Society]. In December of the same year Ksanthos settled in Constantinople {Konstandinoupolis ~ Κωνσταντινούπολις} where he worked zealously to attract members until 1818.
With letters of reference from Anthimos Gazis {Άνθιμος Γαζής} he made his way to St. Petersburg, where he met Ioannis Kapodistrias [People] in January 1820. He told Kapodistrias about the Society and offered him the leadership. When Kapodistrias declined, he turned to Aleksandros Ipsilandis [People], who accepted. Ksanthos continued working in Russia and Moldova-Walachia to co-ordinate preparations for the rebellion and to gather money and supplies. He used special envoys to keep the members of the Society Of Friends in Greece informed about the start of the Struggle, and after the failure of the Rebellion in the Danube principalities he went down to the Peloponnese {Peloponnisos ~ Πελοπόννησος}.
In 1826 he undertook to smuggle Aleksandros Ipsilandis out of prison in Austria at the suggestion of his brother Dimitrios [People]. He settled in Bucharest and lived inconspicuously and in poverty. The "High Committee of the Cause" {Anotati Epitroph Tou Agonos ~ Ανωτάτη Επιτροπή Τού Αγώνος} ranked him as being "in an outstanding position and above all class" and charged the nation with remunerating him. Of course, Ksanthos declined any remuneration, as did all those who were involved.
In his "Historical Treatise on the Society Of Friends" in 1834, Ioannis Filimon {Ιωάννης Φιλήμων} accused him of mismanagement of the Society's funds. Ksanthos wrote his answer in 1837 pleading his innocence, and in 1839, in an article in the "Eon" {Αιών} newspaper, Filimon set the record straight.
In 1838 Otto [People] decorated him with the "Gold Cross Of The Saviour" {Hrisous Stavros Tou Sotiros ~ Χρυσούς Σταυρός Τού Σωτήρος}. On leaving the House after attending a session there he fell down the steps and was fatally injured. He was buried on November 30th, with full honours due to a General. In spite of being a short work, his "Memoirs of the Society Of Friends" is an important source of information on the Society's history, as it is the only work about it written by one of its founder members.
Emmanouil Ksanthos (1772-1852)
04-23-2004