Spyridon "Spyros" Milios (; 1800–1880), more commonly known as Spyromilios (), was a
Greek revolutionary, general and politician.
Early life
He was born in
Himara,
in modern
southern Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
, then part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. In 1810 he went to
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
in Italy, where he remained until 1819, studying military theory and learning
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
and French. In 1819, he returned to his homeland to prepare a geographic survey for his school, but was detained by
Ali Pasha of Ioannina, who employed him at his court as a military adviser.
Greek War of Independence
In August 1824, after Ali’s death, together with his brothers Nikolaos and
Zachos Milios, he travelled south and joined the ongoing
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 ...
. In August 1825 he was fighting in the
Third Siege of Missolonghi, at the head of a group of 250 armed Himariotes. Named General in September, he was sent as a member of a commission to
Nafplion in January 1826, to ask the government for more effective aid to the besieged city. Little was achieved, and although Spyromilios tried to arrange for a British ship to evacuate the garrison, it was too late. Spyromilios was thus forced to remain a spectator of the garrison's disastrous attempt to sally and break through the Ottoman lines, during which his brother Nikolaos was killed.
Afterwards, together with his brother Zachos, he took part in military operations in
Central Greece under
Georgios Karaiskakis. Under Governor
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 ...
(1828–1829), Spyromilios was placed captain of the personal guard of
Dimitrios Ypsilantis.
After Independence
After the end of the War of Independence, Spyromilios settled in
Thebes, but as a known supporter of Kapodistrias, he was imprisoned for 9 months in the
Palamidi fortress (September 1833-June 1834). Released and reinstated to the army, he became director of the
Hellenic Military Academy in 1840-1844. The first Greek to hold that post, he also wrote the Academy's first book of regulations. From this position he participated in the
3 September 1843 Revolution that led to the granting of the first
Constitution of Greece. This led him to be considered as an enemy of
King Otto, but he soon regained the King's trust. He was appointed General Secretary of the Ministry of Military Affairs in 1848 and
adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
to the King, and in 1850 he was appointed Minister of Military Affairs, a post he kept until 1853. Following the outbreak of the
Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, he supported Greek revolts in the Ottoman Empire, despite the neutrality forced upon Greece by Britain and France. His involvement in a
revolt in Epirus (1854) led to his dismissal from his offices and his suspension from the Army.
Retired from the Army, he returned to politics from 1859, and served as Minister of Military Affairs in the several cabinets:
*1859 under
Athanasios Miaoulis
*1862 under
Gennaios Kolokotronis
*1867 under
Aristidis Moraitinis
*1869 under
Dimitrios Voulgaris
In 1864-1865, he was a member of the short-lived
Council of State
A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
, while in 1872, he was elected speaker of the
Greek Parliament.
In his memoirs (published in 1926), he gives detailed account of his life. They are an important contemporary document, especially regarding the Siege of Missolonghi.
References
Sources
*Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature. Bruce Merry. Greenwood Press, 2004. .
*Land and Revolution in Modern Greece, 1800-1881: The Transition in the Tenure and Exploitation of Land from Ottoman Rule to Independence. William W. McGrew. Kent State University Press, 1985. .
*The Military in Greek Politics: From Independence to Democracy. Thanos Veremis. Black Rose Books, 1997. .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spyromilios
1800 births
1880 deaths
19th-century Greek people
Hellenic Army lieutenant generals
Ministers of military affairs of Greece
Speakers of the Hellenic Parliament
Greek military leaders of the Greek War of Independence
People from Himara