Mer-Égée (; ) was one of three short-lived
French departments of Greece. It came into existence after
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
's
conquest
Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms.
Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...
in 1797 of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
, when Venetian Greek possessions such as the
Ionian islands fell to the
French Directory.
The
department included the islands of
Zante (
Zakynthos),
Kythira
Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands ...
and the
Strofades, as well as Dragamesto (modern
Astakos
Astakos ( el, Αστακός, meaning "lobster") is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Xiromero, of which it is a municipal unit. ) on the Greek mainland. Despite its name, the department was mostly not in the Aegean, but the
Ionian Sea, apart from Kythira and its dependencies.
Its prefecture was at the town of
Zante (Zakynthos). The territories were lost to
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
in 1798 except Dragamesto was captured by
Ali Pasha, governor of
Yanya Eyalet, in 1799 and the department was officially disbanded in 1802.
During the
renewed French control of the area in 1807–1809, the department was not re-established, the constitutional form of the
Septinsular Republic being kept.
Administration
Commissioner
The Commissioner of the Directory was the highest state representative in the department.
See also
*
Department of Corcyre
*
Department of Ithaque
*
French rule in the Ionian Islands (1797–1799)
*
Treaty of Campo Formio
*
History of Zakynthos
Zakynthos ( el, Ζάκυνθος, Zante in Italian) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Today, Zakynthos is a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and its only municipality. It co ...
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mer-Egee
Former departments of France in Greece
States and territories established in 1797
History of Zakynthos
1797 establishments in France