Emmanuil Xanthos facts for kids
Emmanuil Xanthos (born in 1772, died in 1852) was an important Greek merchant. He is best known as one of the people who started the Filiki Eteria. This was a secret Greek group that worked to free Greece from the Ottoman Empire.
A Life for Freedom
Emmanuil Xanthos was born on Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea. When he was young, he moved to Italy. Later, he settled in Odessa, which is now in Ukraine.
In Odessa, Xanthos met Nikolaos Skoufas and Athanasios Tsakalov. These three friends had a big idea. They wanted to create a secret organization. Its goal was to prepare Greece for independence. Together, they founded the Filiki Eteria in 1814.
Working for Independence
In 1818, the three founders moved to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). They wanted to grow their secret group there. Sadly, Skoufas became ill and passed away in July of that year. This left Xanthos as one of the two main leaders of the organization.
Xanthos was very dedicated to the Greek War of Independence. This war began in 1821. During the war, he helped Alexander Ypsilantis escape from prison in Austria. Ypsilantis later became a leader of the Filiki Eteria.
Before he died, Emmanuil Xanthos wrote his Memoirs. These writings were published in 1854. Today, his Memoirs are a very important source. They help us understand how the Greek War of Independence really worked.
Xanthos passed away in Athens. He was married to Sevasti Kroustala.
