Konstantinos Mavromichalis

Who was Konstantinos Mavromichalis?

Konstantinos Mavromichalis, brother of the Bey of Mani Petros Mavromichalis, was a commander of Maniot forces during the Greek War of Independence and the assassin of the first head of state of Greece, Ioannis Capodistrias. Along with Demetrius Ypsilanti, he commanded the forces that saved Nauplio from Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. When two of his brothers, Tzanis Mavromichalis and Petros were captured by government forces under Capodistrias, Konstantinos and the old bey's son Georgios Mavromichalis decided to take revenge. On 9 October [O.S. 27 September] 1831, the two Maniots were waiting by the doors of the church St. Spyridonas. The Governor of Greece recognised the two men and was worried. But before he could do anything the two men attacked him. Konstantinos shot the Governor through the head and his nephew stabbed Capodistrias through the heart. As the Maniot was escaping, he was shot by one of Capodistrias' bodyguards and by General Fotomaras who had watched the murder scene from his home window. Running half dead through the streets of Nauplio, Konstantinos was shot several times before he died. The angry citizens of the city dragged his body and threw it off a cliff called the Arvanitis. His nephew was captured alive and executed by a firing squad.