Eastern Continental Greece Ανατολική Χέρσος Ελλάς | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1821–1825 | |||||||||
 Flag  Seal | |||||||||
| Status | Regional government in revolt against theOttoman Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Salona (modernAmfissa) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Greek | ||||||||
| Religion | Greek Orthodox | ||||||||
| Government | Republic | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
| Legislature | Areopagus | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 25 March 1821 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1825 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
TheAreopagus of Eastern Continental Greece (Greek:Άρειος Πάγος της Ανατολικής Χέρσου Ελλάδος) was a provisional regime that existed in easternCentral Greece during theGreek War of Independence.
During the first stages of the Greek Revolution against theOttoman Empire, there existed no overall authority over the rebels. Each region separately elected its own assemblies and tried to put together an administration to coordinate the struggle. One of the first such entities was established in eastern continental Greece ("Roumeli").
The uprising began in March, and established itself with the capture of the provincial capital, Salona (modernAmfissa), on 27 March 1821. The Ottoman garrison held out in the citadel until April 10, when the Greeks took it. At the same time, the Greeks suffered a defeat at theBattle of Alamana against the army ofOmer Vryonis, which resulted in the death ofAthanasios Diakos. But the Ottoman advance was stopped at theinn of Gravia, under the leadership ofOdysseas Androutsos, who was subsequently named commander-in-chief of Eastern Greece. Vryonis turned towardsBoeotia and sackedLivadia, awaiting reinforcements before proceeding towards theMorea. These forces, 8,000 men under Beyran Pasha, were however met and defeated at theBattle of Vassilika, on August 26. This defeat forced Vryonis too to withdraw, securing both Eastern Greece and the Morea.
Vryonis' defeat paved the way for the political organization of the freed territories. In 15–20 November 1821, a council was held in Salona, where the main local notables and military chiefs participated. Under the direction ofTheodoros Negris, they set down a proto-constitution for the region, the"Legal Order of Eastern Continental Greece" (Νομική Διάταξις της Ανατολικής Χέρσου Ελλάδος), and established a governing council, theAreopagus, composed of 70 notables from easternContinental Greece as well as the regions ofThessaly andMacedonia, where the Greek uprisings would soon be suppressed.[1][2]
Officially, the Areopagus was superseded by the central Provisional Administration, established in January 1822 after theFirst National Assembly, but the council continued its existence and exercised considerable authority, albeit in the name of the national government.[3] However, the relationship was often tense, especially as Greece soon entered a phase ofvirtual civil war.
