Spyridon Karaiskakis (1825 – 1899)

Spyridon Karaiskakis (1825 – 1899)

Born on the Ionian island of Kalamos, he was a Greek Fighter a Lieutenant General in the Hellenic Army and later a politician, he was the son of the Greek Military Commander and Hero from the 1821 Revolution, Georgios Karaiskakis.

He entered the Hellenic Military Academy – Evelpidon in 1842, but failed to graduate and was kicked out after causing a ruckus in 1846, he would eventually return and graduate in 1849.

By 1854, conditions were ripe for a revolt, as Greeks strived to liberate the various Greek regions, that still remained under Turk occupation after the end of the 1821 Revolution.

In his home region of Epirus and especially the town of Arta, the birthplace of his father, Spyridon Karaiskakis was one of the leaders of the siege at Arta. This revolt would be put down, with Turk-Albanian bands looting and burning a number of towns and villages, as well as massacring civilians.

Spyridon Karaiskakis would later be appointed garrison commander on the island of Corfu and head of an Army Corps in Arta. He was also a several times elected member of Greek Parliament.