Krokodeilos Kladas
Krokodeilos Kladas (Greek: Κροκόδειλος Κλαδάς, 1425–1490),[1] also known as Korkodeilos, Krokondeilos, or Korkondelos, was a military leader from the Peloponnese who fought against the Ottomans on behalf of the Republic of Venice during the late 15th century.[2]
Biography[edit]
Krokodeilos Kladas was born in Koroni in 1425.[3] His father was the military chief Theodore Kladas.[2]
When the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1444–1446 and 1451–1481) took the Morea in 1460, Kladas handed over his castle of Saint George (Agios Giorgios) and was given in exchange the castle of Vardounia in Upper Mani and the territory of Elos.[4] By 1465, the Kladas brothers, Krokodeilos and Epifani, were leading bands of stratioti (warrior bands) on behalf of Venice against the Turks. They put Vardounia and their lands into Venetian possession, for which Epifani then acted as governor. The Kladas brothers were frequently complimented by Venetian officials, and received generous Venetian gifts. Krokodeilos Kladas and his followers stood as rebels against Mehmed, but the Venetian-Ottoman peace settlement, while giving them a full pardon, also returned territorial boundaries to what they had been in 1463, so this put the Venetian-Kladas land holdings back into Ottoman possession. Kladas moved to Venetian-held Koroni.
On October 9, 1480, Kladas led stratioti from Koroni to attack Ottoman holdings in Mani. A group of Albanian insurgents led by Kladas became a matter of dispute between the Ottomans and Venetians in the Morea on the issue of responsibility about damage caused by them.[5] Both the Ottomans and the Venetians put a price on his head; the latter, specifically, "put a bounty of 10,000 hyperpyrai from the mint of Methone on Kladas' head."[6] This revolt was joined in December by stratioti from Nafplion led by Theodore Bua and Mexas Bozikis.[7] An army sent by the Sultan was defeated between Passavas and Oitylo in February 1481. Later that month, a larger force under Mohammed Bey drove Kladas to Porto Kagio where he was taken on board a Neapolitan galley, leaving his revolt to wither in his absence. A peaceful settlement of the revolt was negotiated by the Ottoman governor of the Morea and Venetian official Bartolomeo Minio. Meanwhile, Kladas went with a Neapolitan army to Albania to aid an anti-Ottoman revolt there. It is not known when he returned to Mani. He was captured in battle near Monemvasia in 1490 and flayed alive.[8]
Family[edit]
The Kladas family is known in records from the Morea since 1296, when a "Corcondille" managed to capture a Frankish-held castle for the Byzantines.[9][10] According to one view – initially proposed by Constantine Sathas – the family had migrated from Epirus to Peloponnese;[11] but this isn't based on any evidence.[12] More recent extensive research shows that Kladas was a Byzantine family, that was most likely of turcopole ultimate origin. The family can be traced back to a group, composed of the descendants and soldiers of Kaykaus II (sultan of the Sultanate of Rum who was deposed in 1262), who acted as mercenaries (turcopoles) in the troops of Michael VIII and Andronikos II Palaiologos. It came to the Peloponnese at the beginning of 1263, as part of the army of sebastokrator Constantine Palaiologos, in order to face the Franks (Principality of Achaea) in the war of 1263-1264. After the war, it received lands and was fully integrated in the Byzantine society of the Morean Despotate, through alliances and marriages made with local archontes, to the point that it managed to gain possession of extensive pieces of land with paroikoi settled there. Because of the power it had amassed, we see its members as privileged interlocutors of the Venetians, after the fall of the Despotate to the Ottomans.[13]
Members of the family made donations to a monastery at Mystras in 1366 and 1375.[14] A Krokodeilos is identified as one of the rebels against the Emperor Manuel II in 1415. The "Crocodile" pun made there is a single appearance and never appears in contemporary documents relating to this Krokodeilos Kladas.[15] The carved inscription on a donation to a church in Karytaina with the name transliterated as "Krokontēlos" is probably not related to him, and the carving is dated to the mid-14th century.[16] He and his brothers are strongly praised in Venetian sources.[17] Kladas had been awarded a Venetian knighthood (and a gold robe) just before the 1480 revolt.[18] Members of the family moved to Kefalonia and continued to lead stratioti in Venetian service for at least another hundred years.
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum 1992, p. 308
- ^ a b Papadopoulos 1969, p. 115: Μετά
τ ο ν θάνατοντ ο υ Πέτρου Μπούακ α ι τ ο ν ανασκολοπισμόντ ο υ Μιχαήλ Ράλλη,τ η ν αντίστασιντ ω ν Ελλήνων εναντίοντ ω ν Τούρκων συνέχισενο οπλαρχηγός Κροκόδειλος Κλαδάς υιόςτ ο υ οπλαρχηγού Θεοδώρου Κλαδά, όστις καταδιωκόμενος υπότ ω ν Τούρκων [...]" - ^ Kampouroglou n.d., p. 59.
- ^ Philippides & Sphrantzes 1980, 40.9.
- ^ Burghartz, S. (2016). Sites of Mediation: Connected Histories of Places, Processes, and Objects in Europe and Beyond, 1450–1650. Brill. p. 88.
- ^ Trombley 2009, p. 270.
- ^ Korre 2018, pp. 524–525: "
Μ ε τους ιππείςτ ο υ Κλαδά ενώθηκανο ι αρχηγοί stradioti Μέξας Μποζίκηςκ α ι Θεόδωρος Μπούας Γρίβας ερχόμενοι απότ ο Ναύπλιο." - ^ Kladas 1872, p. 11, quoting earlier testimony. Cited in Wright 1999, Appendix 8.
- ^ Longnon 1911, pp. 803–817
- ^ Korre 2018, pp. 434, 439
- ^ Trombley 2009, p. 269
- ^ Korre 2018, p. 435: "
Η εκτίμηση Σάθα ότιο οίκος Κλαδά προέρχεται απότ η ν γεωγραφική περιοχή της Ηπείρου,τ η ν οποία έκανε πεπεισμένος ότιη πλειονότητατ ω ν μισθοφόρων stradioti προέρχονται από εκείνητ η γεωγραφική περιοχήκ α ι κατέβηκανσ τ ο Μοριάσ τ α τέλητ ο υ 14ο υ αιώνα, είναι εντελώς αστήρικτη· Σάθας, Έλληνες Στρατιώται,σ . 131." - ^ Korre 2018, p. 16: "Μελετά τρία παραδείγματα stradioti,
ο ι οποίοι διαφοροποιούνται μεταξύ τους ως προςτ η ν εθνοτικήκ α ι κοινωνική προέλευση:τ ο ν Μερκούριο Μπούα απότ ο ν οίκοτ ω ν αρβανιτών Μπουαίων·τ ο ν Κροκόδειλο Κλαδά, απότ ο ν βυζαντινό οίκοτ ω ν Κλαδαίων (Κλαδιώτη),μ ε πιθανότατα οθωμανική απώτερη καταγωγή·τ ο ν Θεόδωρο Παλαιολόγο,π ο υ πιθανότατα προέρχεται απότ ο ν βυζαντινό οίκοτ ω ν Παλαιολόγων."; Korre 2018, p. 95: "Σύμφωναμ ε τ ο ν Γρηγορά, επρόκειτογ ι α απογόνους αλλάκ α ι στρατιώτεςτ ο υ έκπτωτου Καϊκαούση Β΄, σουλτάνουτ ω ν Σελτζουκιδώντ ο υ Ικονίου,ο ι οποίοι εγκαταστάθηκανσ τ η Θράκηκ α ι έδρασαν ως πολυπληθείς (άτακτοι) μισθοφόροισ τ α στρατεύματατ ω ν Μιχαήλ Η΄κ α ι Ανδρονίκου Β΄ Παλαιολόγων.Τ α σώματα αυτά έλαβαν εκτάσεις γηςσ τ ο βυζαντινό κράτος της ύστερης περιόδου, αρχικάσ τ η ν περιοχή της Βέροιαςγ ι α δημογραφικούς λόγουςκ α ι αργότερασ τ ο ν Μοριά,γ ι α λόγους πολεμικής προπαρασκευής έναντιτ ω ν Φράγκων."; Korre 2018, pp. 96: "«Τούρκοι» μισθοφόροι ήρθαν στις αρχέςτ ο υ 1263 στην Πελοπόννησο ως τμήματατ ο υ στρατούτ ο υ σεβαστοκράτορα Κωνσταντίνου Παλαιολόγου, προκειμενουν α αντιμετωπίσουν τους Φράγκουςσ τ ο ν πόλεμοτ ο υ 1263–1264. ... Συμφωναμ ε τ ο ν Α . Σαββίδη, πρέπειν α ήταν εκχριστιανισμένοι τουρκόπουλοι· ..."; Korre 2018, p. 98: "Σ τ η ν περίπτωση αυτή,η οικογένεια πρέπειν α κατέβηκε μαζίμ ε τ α σώματατ ω ν τούρκων ιππέων [τουρκόπουλων] σελτζουκικής προέλευσηςσ τ ο ν Μοριάγ ι α ν α αντιμετωπιστούνο ι Φράγκοικ α ι ν α παρέμειναν εκεί γύρω απότ η ν περιοχήτ ο υ κάστρουτ ο υ Αγίου Γεωργίουτ ω ν Σκορτών (1262-1263). Όπωςκ α ι ο ι Μελίκη,η οικογένειατ ω ν Κ λ α (υ )διώτη ενσωματώθηκε γρήγορασ τ η ν τοπική κοινωνία συμμαχώνταςμ ε τοπικούς άρχοντεςκ α ι συγγενεύοντας μαζί τους, ώστετ η ν τελευταία περίοδοτ η βρίσκουμε νομέα εκτεταμένων εκτάσεων,μ ε παροίκουςκ α ι σημαντική δύναμησ τ ο χώρο·τ η ν αμέσως επόμενη περίοδοδ ε κ α ι εξαιτίας ακριβώς αυτής της δύναμης, προνομιακό συνομιλητήτ ω ν Βενετών μετάτ η ν πτώσητ ο υ Δεσποτάτου στους Οθωμανούς." - ^ Miklosich & Müller 1860, p. 482; Beēs 1907, pp. 247–248.
- ^ Mazaris & Seminar Classics 609 1975, 84.12–12.
- ^ Feissel & Philippidis-Braat 1985, pp. 353–354.
- ^ For examples, see Sathas 1885, Vol. 6, pp. 40–41; Barbarigo 1466, passim.
- ^ Magno 1885, p. 220.
Sources[edit]
- Barbarigo, Iacopo (1466). "Dispacci". 6. Sathas: 1–92.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Beēs, Nikos A. (1907). "Διοπθωσεις
κ α ὶ παρατηρησειςε ν Μυστραμ ο ν η τ ὴςτ ὴς Παναγίαςτ ο ῦ Βροντοχιοῦ". Nea Siōn. 5: 245ff. - British School at Athens (1908). The Annual of the British School at Athens (Issue 15). MacMillan.
- Cheetham, Nicolas (1981). Mediaeval Greece. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10539-8.
- Feissel, Denis; Philippidis-Braat, Anne (1985). "Inventaires en vue d'un recueil des inscriptions historiques de Byzance: III, Inscriptions du Péloponnèse". Travaux et Mémoires. 9: 273–371.
- Kampouroglou, Dimitrios Gr. (n.d.). Αρματωλοί
κ α ι Κλέφτες (1453–1821) (PDF). Athens: Εκδοτικός Οίκος Αγκύρας. - Kladas, Count Yannis (1872). Ἀρχαία Ἱστόρικα Γεγονότα
τ ὴςΟ ἰκογενείαςτ ῶν Κομετῶν Κλαδαίων ἀπ ὸτ ὰ 1366 μέχρι 1803. Athens.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Longnon, J., ed. (1911). Chronique de Morée. Livre de la Conqueste de la Princée de l'Amorée, 1204–1305. Paris: Renouard.
- Magno, Stefano (1885). Sathas, C.N. (ed.). "Ėvénements Historiques en Grèce (1479–1497)". 6. Paris: Monumenta Hellenicae Historiae: 215–243.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Mazaris; Seminar Classics 609 (1975). Mazaris' Journey to Hades: Or, Interviews with Dead Men about Certain Officials of the Imperial Court. Buffalo, NY: Department of Classics, State University of New York at Buffalo.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Merry, Bruce (2004). Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-031-33081-3-0.
- Miklosich, Franz; Müller, Ioseph (1860). Acta et Diplomata Graeca Medii Aevi Sacra et Profana. Vol. Primum [Volume 1]. Vienna: Carolus Gerold.
- Papadopoulos, Panagiotēs B. (1969). Φράγκοι-Ενετοί,
κ α ι Τούρκοισ τ η ν Πελοππόνησον, 1204-1821. Athens: Εκδόσεις Αφών Νάστου. - Philippides, Marios; Sphrantzes, George (1980). The Fall of the Byzantine Empire: A Chronicle by George Sphrantzes (1401–1477). Amherst, MA: The University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 9780870232909.
- Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum (1992). Orientalia Christiana Periodica, Volume 58. Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum.
- Sathas, Konstantinos N. (1885). Μνημεία Ελληνικής Ιστορίας: Documents inédites rélatifs à l'histoire de la Grèce au moyen âge. Vol. 6. Paris: Maissoneuve Frère et Ch. Leclerc.
- Setton, Kenneth M. (1978). The Papacy and the Levant, Vol. 1. Philadelphia, PA: American Philosophical Society. ISBN 978-960-98903-5-9.
- Trombley, Frank (2009). "The Fall of Constantinople in 1453 and Late Medieval Greek Culture: The Experience of Defeat". Groniek Historisch Tijdschrift. 184: 267‒284.
- Wright, Diana Gilliland (1999). Bartolomeo Minio: Venetian Administration in 15th-Century Nauplion (Doctoral Dissertation). Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America.
- Korre, Katerina (2018). Μισθοφόροι stradioti της Βενετίας: πολεμική
κ α ι κοινωνική λειτουργία (15ος-16ος αιώνας) (Thesis) (in Greek). Greece: Ionian University.
Further reading[edit]
- Rankabēs, Eugenios Rizos (1925). "Clada". Livre d'or de la noblesse ionienne (Volume 2). Athens, Greece: Maison d'éditions "Eleftheroudakis". pp. 153–167.
- Zakythinos, Dionysios A. (1953). Le despotat grec de Morée II. Vie et institutions (in French). Athens: l'Hellénisme contemporain.
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