Last modified: 2006-05-27 by ivan sache
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Spetsai is an island located off the eastern coast of Peloponnesus.
On 8 September 1822, the joint fleets from Hydra, Psara and Spetsai defeated the Ottoman Navy near Spetsai.
The struggle on Spetsai was led by Archontissa (Dame) Laskarina Bouboulina. She spent her wealth to build a navy and became one of the most famous leading figures in the Greek War of Independence. After the success of the revolution in continental Greece, the uprising spread to the islands. Spetsai was the first of the islands to join the revolution and this was mainly due to Bouboulina's leadership and courage. The example of Spetsai was followed by many other islands and therefore the freeing of Spetsai was one of the initial major steps towards victory for the Greeks. Thereafter Bouboulina's fleet took part in many naval battles and dominated the Aegean, creating problems to the, by far superior, Turkish fleet.
Source: Nostos website
Ivan Sache, 2 February 2005
The flag used in Spetsai during the Greek independence war is white with a red and white border, a red crescent, a cross and a spear, an upside-down red anchor around which a green
snake is wrapped like a Caduceus, in the upper left corner, a yellow owl outlined in blue.
The revolutionary motto, today th national motto of Greece, ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ Η ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ, (Freedom or Death) is written horizontally in red.
The cross stands for Christendom (Greece), the crescent for Islam (Turkey), the snake for wisdom, knowledge and reason, the anchor for stability, the spear for power and the bird for the help from God.
The combination of these elements probably represents the resurrection of the Greek
nation: the cross overpowers the crescent moon. To bring about a
successful fight however power (the spear) was required, as well as
stability and perseverance (anchor), knowledge and wisdom (snake),
and God's help through faith and religion (bird).
Sources: Hellenic flags. Insignia-Emblems [kok97] and Naval Museum of Hania (Crete)
Bruce Tindall & Pascal Vagnat, 11 January 1999