 |
 |
People
Greek War Of Independence (1821-1829)
Nikolaos Skoufas (1780-1819)
|
|
Nikolaos Skoufas {Νικόλαος Σκουφάς} (1780-1819) [Athanasios Tsakalof]. A man of mediocre learning but a fervent patriot with strict moral principles and a lot of experience, Nikolaos Skoufas was the real leader of the Society Of Friends [The Society]. He was born in Arta {Άρτα} and took his name from his trade as a hat merchant. ({Skoufos ~ Σκούφος} = Hat, Cap, Beret, Skullcap. {Skoufas ~ Σκουφάς} = Hat traider.)
When Mehmet Ali Paşa (1744-1820, Albanian Paşa and Vezir, whose ambitions turned him against the Sultan causing him to be declared a traitor in 1820) pursued him, he went bankrupt and settled in Odessa, where he later founded the Society Of Friends.
He made Ksanthos [People] and many others members of the Society Of Friends and had already decided to go down to the Peloponnese {Peloponnisos ~ Πελοπόννησος} to make ready for the Struggle. However, his health had suffered because of mental and physical fatigue and he died in 1819, but not before drawing up a new charter appointing twelve "Apostles" who, according to the Society's cryptic code, were the men who would undertake to spread the word about the idea and incite people all over Greece to rebel.
Nikolaos Skoufas (1780-1819)
04-23-2004