Moscho Tzavella (1760 – 1804)

Moscho Tzavella (1760 – 1804)

From Souli in Epirus, she was a fighter and a heroine in the late 18th century, during the years preceding the Greek Revolution of 1821.

Her husband Lambros Tzavellas, was the Captain of the Souliotes. After he was killed in 1792, she assumed the leadership and took over his responsibilities.

This culminated in a battle against the Turk-Albanian hordes in Epirus later in 1792, where she commanded 400 Souliotes many of them women, against thousands of Turk-Albanians. Resulting in a decisive defeat of the Ottoman force, suffering 2000-3000 casualties.

Dying in 1804, many Greek folk songs and historical anecdotes have been written about Moscho Tzavella, throughout the years.

Her grandson, Kyriakos “Kitsos” Tzavellas, would also be a Greek fighter during the Greek War of Independence, he was later a General in the Greek Army and was also Prime Minister of Greece.