Background
He was born in 1789 in Nikopolis near Preveza and he came from a great family of Armatoloi, Christian Greek irregular soldiers, of Western Greece.
leader of the Greek War of Independence
He was born in 1789 in Nikopolis near Preveza and he came from a great family of Armatoloi, Christian Greek irregular soldiers, of Western Greece.
There, the two brothers joined the Greek battalions of the British Army. When the Greek Revolution broke out, he took part in the battle of Vrachori, in late May 1821. Later, he was involved in the persecution of the Albanians chieftain, Nourka Servani.
Then, he contributed to the liberation of Zapanti.
The following year, he became military leader of Vlochos and Agrinio provinces. He fought under the command of Markos Botsaris and excelled in the battle of Karpenisi.
In December 1823, he was promoted to chiliarch. During the siege he was promoted to General.
He survived the sortie of Messolonghi and fled to Attica where he fought together with Georgios Karaiskakis.
In 1827 he participated in the Third National Assembly at Troezen and during 1827-1829 he took part, under the command of General Richard Church, in the purges of Athens from the Ottomans. After the liberation, in 1833, he was appointed to the newly established Hellenic Royal Gendarmerie and on the 14 September 1841, he became the leader of the Gendarmerie, becoming the first Greek who occupied this position. On the 6th of September 1843, he was replaced by Spyromilios.
He retired having the rank of Colonel of Gendarmerie and died in Athens in 1868.
He fought in the second Siege of Messolonghi defending the bastion of Franklin.
He was also a member of the Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends), a secret organization whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek state.