Filiki Eteria

Passport of the Etaireia, bearing its insignia and written in its coded alphabet

The Filiki Eteria, variously transliterated as Filiki Etairia or Filiki Etaireia (Greek: Φιλική Εταιρεία or Εταιρεία των Φιλικών, meaning "Society of Friends"}}, was a secret organization working in the early 19th century, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Etairia members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local chieftains from Greece. One of the leaders of the Etaireia was Alexander Ypsilantis.

The Beginnings

In the context of ardent desire for independence from Turkish occupation and with the explicit influence of similar secret societies elsewhere in Europe, three Greeks met one another in 1814 in Odessa and decided the constitution of a secret organisation which would prepare the revolution of all Greeks.

These men were 42-year-old Nikolaos Skoufas from Arta province, 42-year-old Emmanuil Xanthos from Patmos and 26-year-old Athanasios Tsakalov from Epirus. Skoufas had already particular contacts with Konstantinos Rados who was initiated into Carbonarism. Xanthos was initiated in a Free-Masonic Lodge of Lefkada (Society of Free Builders of St. Mavra), while Tsakalov was a founding member of the "Greek-speaking Hotel", (Ελληνόγλωσσο Ξενοδοχείο) an older but unsuccessful society for the liberation of Greece.

The growth of the Friendly Society was impressive. At the beginning, during the 1814–1816 period, there were roughly twenty members. During 1817, the Society spread mainly among the Greeks of Russia and of Moldowallachia (the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, which had a strong Greek element), but once again its membership did not exceed thirty. Massive initiations began only in 1818 and by 1820, the Society had expanded in almost all regions of Greece and most Greek communities abroad.

By the first months of 1821, the membership numbered around one thousand and the Society had exceeded her own limits. Among her members were tradesmen, clergy, executives of the Ottoman Empire from Phanar, chieftains like Theodoros Kolokotronis, Odysseas Androutsos, Dimitris Plapoutas, the metropolitan Germanos of Patras and more.

Organizational structure

The Oath of Initiation into the Society, painting by D. Tsokos, 1849.

The whole structure of the Philiki Etaireia was imitating the organisational models of Carbonarism and Freemasonry. The leading team was called the "Invisible Authority" (Αόρατος Αρχή) and was surrounded from the first moment with such secret glamour that everybody believed that a lot of important personalities participated, not only eminent Greeks but also foreigners like the Russian Tsar Alexander I. The reality was that initially, the Invisible Authority was composed only of the three founders. Then, from 1815 until 1818, five more were added and after Skoufas' death three more. In 1818 the Invisible Authority was renamed to "Authority of Twelve Apostles" and each Apostle shouldered the responsibility of a separate region.

The whole structure was pyramid-like in form and in the top dominated the "Invisible Authority". No one knew it or had the right to ask who created it. Her commands were executed unquestioned, and members did not have the right to make decisions. The society was called «Temple» and it had four levels of initiation: a) Brothers (αδελφοποιητοί) or Vlamides (βλάμηδες), b) the Recommended (συστημένοι), γ) the Priests (ιερείς) and d) the Shepherds (ποιμένες). The Priests were charged with the duty of initiation in the first two levels. When the Priest approached somebody, it was first to make sure of his patriotism and catechize him in the aims of society; the last stage was to put him under oath.

I swear in the name of truth and justice, before the Supreme Being, to guard, by sacrificing my own life, and suffering the hardest toils, the mystery, which shall be explained to me and that I shall respond with the truth whatever I am asked.
— The Oath of Initiation into the Society

Afterwards the initiated were considered neophyte members of the society, with all the rights and obligations of his rank. The Priest immediately had the obligation to reveal all the marks of recognition between the Vlamides or Brothers. Vlamides and Recommended were unaware of the revolutionary aims of the organisation. They only knew that there existed a society that tried hard for the general good of the nation, which included in its ranks important personalities. This myth was propagated deliberately, in order to stimulate the morale of members and also to make proselytism easier.

The course of the revolt

In 1818, the seat of Philiki Etaireia had migrated from Odessa to Constantinople, and Skoufas' death had been a serious loss. The rest of the founders attempted to find a major personality to undertake the reins, one who would give prestige and fresh impetus to the Society. In the beginning of 1818, they had a meeting with John Capodistria, who not only refused, but later wrote that he considered Philiki Etaireia guilty for the havoc that was foreboded in Greece. Finally after many contacts, in April 1820 Alexander Ypsilantis assumed the leadership of Philiki Etaireia and began active preparations for a revolt, as well as for setting up a military unit towards that purpose named as the Sacred Band. The Filikoi especially wanted to take advantage of the involvement of significant Turkish forces, including the pasha of the Moreas, against Ali Pasha.

The Beginnings

Organizational structure

The course of the revolt

Further reading