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The Messenian Senate () was the first government of the Greek Revolution. It was the first move towards the creation of the
The Messenian Senate was formed at
Peloponnesian Senate
The Senate of the entire People of the Peloponnese provinces (), commonly known as the Peloponnesian Senate (), was a provisional regime that existed in the Peloponnese during the early stages of the Greek War of Independence.
History
On 25 Marc ...
.
History
The Messenian Senate was formed at Kalamata
Kalamata ( ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece after Patras, and the largest city of the Peloponnese (region), homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regiona ...
on 25 March ( O.S.) 1821. During its inaugural session, it elected Petrobey Mavromichalis as its president.
Three days later the Senate issued a ''Manifesto Addressed to Europe'', ''“the first formal briefing (“warning”, as the manifesto was characterised by its writers) of the European governments and European public opinion about the declaration of war to Turkey by the Greeks”''. In the following months, the Manifesto (probably written by Adamantios Korais) was delivered to the European consulates in Patras and appeared in Italian, French, English, German and American newspapers. The Messenian Senate was dissolved after the formation of the Peloponnesian Senate
The Senate of the entire People of the Peloponnese provinces (), commonly known as the Peloponnesian Senate (), was a provisional regime that existed in the Peloponnese during the early stages of the Greek War of Independence.
History
On 25 Marc ...
.
The ''Manifesto Addressed to Europe''
The text of the ''Manifesto'': ''Manifesto addressed to Europe by Petros Mavromichalis, Commander-In-Chief of the Spartan Troops, and the Messenian Senate, sitting at Kalamata.'' ''The insupportable yoke of Ottoman tyranny hath weighed down for above a century the unhappy Greeks of the Peloponnesus. So excessive had its rigour become, that its fainting victims had scarcely strength enough to utter groans. In this state, deprived of all our rights, we have unanimously resolved to take up arms against our tyrants. All our intestine discord is plunged into oblivion as a fruit of oppression, and we breathe the air of liberty. Our bands having burst their fetters, already signalize themselves against the barbarians. We no longer run about day and night to execute corvées imposed by a merciless taskmaster. Our mouths are opened; heretofore silent, or employed only in addressing useless supplications to our tormentors, they now celebrate a deliverance which we have sworn to accomplish, or else to perish. We invoke therefore the aid of all civilized nations of Europe, that we may the more promptly attain to the goal of a just and sacred enterprise, reconquer our rights, and regenerate our unfortunate people. Greece, our mother, was the lamp that illuminated you; on this ground she reckons on your philanthropy. Arms, money, and counsel, are what she expects from you. We promise you her lively gratitude, which she will prove by deeds in more prosperous times.'' ''(Signed) PETROS MAVROMICHALIS'' ''Given at the head-quarters of Kalamata, March 28/April 9, 1821.'' Thomas Gordon, ''History of the Greek Revolution'', 1832, volume 1, p. 183.References
{{Greek War of Independence Political institutions of the Greek War of Independence States and territories established in 1821 Historical legislatures in Greece 1821 establishments in Greece Peloponnese in the Greek War of Independence History of Kalamata