Saturday, December 17, 2011

    


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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Lord Byron : A Poet and a Warrior !!!



                                                    LORD BYRON in Messologgi .

                 After a self exile that lasted for years in Switzerland Byron took the decision that the time had come for him to take a more active role; so he decided to accept the post of the representative of British Bankers who loaned money for the Greek Revolution. Being thrilled by the idea of helping for the independence of the country where Culture and  Democracy were born, he also brought with him guns, mercenaries and money all payed in full by his personal fortune. 
            Messologgi of course at the time of his arrival had  nothing  to do with the Athenian dream of his youth nor the Greek warriors looked anything like the Spartan Hoplites. Dirty and  hungry the Greeks were happy to meet him and though in the middle of war they kept on fighting among them for power and the distribution of the loan . Having been for months in Kerkyra waiting to meet the official Greek Government finally he decided that Mavrokordatos was not some one to rely on and he moved to the capital of Western Greece where the war would take a sudden turn later on as the Turks laid siege. Byron's small but modern for the time, canons were needed and they actually were an asset  for the defenders of Messologgi when the attack begun.  
        The climate and his poor health conspired against his intention to fight to the death for the Cause. Although other Philellines were disillusioned once they met Greek Warlords and they got accustomed to the civil war, Byron did not loose spirit, he ate their food, drunk their wine and loved them till the day he got really ill and then even upon the very end he was trying to offer as much as he could for the Greek Revolution , the Independence and the Restoration of a Free Greek State !!!  
           In my opinion he managed to fulfill his existence and by offering himself he made the ultimate sacrifice a man can do. As a Poet he is well known, as a fighter though little is known to the general public and even among his admirers. His love for Greece lead him to give up everything he knew and accept a life of hardship but the result was that by his death he attracted more interest for the Greek Cause; thus more Philellines came to join in the Revolution  and the Great Powers ( as they were called) started to see with a positive eye the idea of a Greek State which lead to the final Naval Confrontation in Navarino Port where the Egyptian Navy was obliterated and the Sultan had to accept Greek Independence.
      We as Greeks are in his debt for ever and we have to remember and honor his sacrifice.            
       The actual financial Crisis can only make us think of all those of foreign or Greek origin who gave their lives and fortunes to help create an Independent Greek State !!!!!