Vasileios Goudas (; c. 1779 – 1845) was a fighter of the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
and an officer of the
Greek Army
The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed F ...
from
Epirus
Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...
.
Biography
Goudas was born in
Ioannina
Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...
or around 1779. He took part in the Greek War of Independence, being closely associated with the
Souliot clan of
Botsaris. At first he served as a secretary and adjutant of
Markos Botsaris and he fought in several battles under Botsaris' command.
[''Σύγχρονος Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Ελευθερουδάκη'', vol. 7, p. 84.] In July 1821, he contributed to the uprising of the area of . In 1823 he oversaw on behalf of the revolutionary government the liquidation of the assets following the requisition of an Italian ship, which resulted in proceeds of 8000
kuruş
Kuruş ( ; ), also gurush, ersh, gersh, grush, grosha, and grosi, are all names for currency denominations in and around the territories formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. The variation in the name stems from the different languages it is us ...
. After Markos Botsaris' death, Goudas served as secretary of his brother
Kostas Botsaris.
In September 1824, after the report of Kostas Botsaris that described very positively Goudas’ contribution to the revolution so far, the latter was promoted to
chiliarch
Chiliarch is a military rank dating back to antiquity. Originally denoting the commander of a unit of about one thousand men (a chiliarchy) in the Macedonian army, it was subsequently used as a Greek translation of a Persian officer who function ...
. In early January 1826, he went to the headquarters of the Legislative Corps in
Nafplio
Nafplio or Nauplio () is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important tourist destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the Middle Ages du ...
as envoy of the guard of the monastery of
Mega Spilaion which was under the leadership of
Tousias Botsaris.
From late 1827 until mid-1828, because of a serious health problem, Goudas, starting from the Ionian Islands, travelled to various European cities (
Ancona
Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...
,
Pisa
Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
,
Marseilles
Marseille (; ; see below) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean S ...
,
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, etc.) meeting various important people of the time like
Ioannis Kapodistrias
Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias (; February 1776 –27 September 1831), sometimes anglicized as John Capodistrias, was a Greek statesman who was one of the most distinguished politicians and diplomats of 19th-century Europe.
Kapodistrias's ...
, Metropolitan Ignatius of Hungary-Wallachia, the French
General Lafayette and
Jean-Gabriel Eynard.
Vasileios Goudas died in
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
in 1845 having the military rank of Lieutenant. His brother, Stavros Goudas, was a fighter of the Revolution as well, but later he became a monk. His nephew was the doctor, writer and politician
Anastasios Goudas.
References
Bibliography
*Nikolaos Spiliadis, ''Απομνημονεύματα'', Εκ του Τυπογραφείου Χ. Ν. Φιλαδελφέως, Αθήνησιν, 1851.
*''Σύγχρονος Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Ελευθερουδάκη'', vol.7.
*Περιοδικό ''Ζωσιμάδες'', issue 43.
Sources
*''Αρχεία της Ελληνικής Παλιγγενεσίας'', Έκδοσις της Βιβλιοθήκης της Βουλής των Ελλήνων, vol. 7, 10, 13.
*''Γενική Εφημερίς της Ελλάδος'', 30 June 1828.
External links
Vassilis Goudas: Brief Biography, by the Institute for Neohellenic Research
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goudas, Vasileios
1770s births
1845 deaths
Greek people of the Greek War of Independence
People from Ioannina (regional unit)