From Spyromilios to modern struggles – The indomitable spirit of Himara

The region of Himara with its beautiful villages (Kiparo, Vounos, Drymades, Nivitsa, Agios Vasileios, Loukovo, Pikerni, Palassa, Piliouri) is a place of bravery and a source of Greek valor.

The city of Himara on the Adriatic coast, between Vlora and Saranda, below the Acrokeraines, presents a wild grandeur. It is the ancient Greek city of Chimera of Chaonia.

Τα φονικότερα όπλα στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα

In difficult and difficult times, the People of himariot were able to keep their greek conscience and their orthodox faith Intact. in the years when fear tormented them and slavery oppressed them, they became the cradle Of Armatolism. insubordinate greeks bought their "privileges" with Their blood.

The people of Himariot, like the people of Souliot, identify with the concept of self-sacrifice. They never bowed down. Through struggles they secured special privileges and founded the "AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY OF KERAUNEIA". A history of struggles and sacrifices for their independence and freedom. The Turks used violent and inhuman measures to Islamize the inhabitants, but they were unable to change the Greek composition of the region. The heroism of the Himariotes was the seed of all the revolutionary movements in the region.

The heroism of the people of Himariots did not leave poets indifferent. Souris dedicates the following verses to them:

"Stand up, don't cover the sun of freedom,
Thunder with your Chimera,
"Poor Spyromilios."

Μια σύντομη πορεία της Χιμάρας μετά την κατάκτηση από τους Τούρκους τη θεωρούμε χρήσιμη. Το 1518 κατακτήθηκε από τους Τούρκους και παρέμεινα υπό Τουρκική κατοχή μέχρι το 1913. Κατά την διάρκεια της Τουρκοκρατίας έλαβε πολλά προνόμια, τα οποία, με το πέρασμα των χρόνων, οι Τούρκοι με διάφορους τρόπους και μεθόδους προσπαθούσαν να καταργήσουν. Σε όλη τη διάρκεια της Οθωμανικής Κατοχής οι Χιμαριώτες διακρίθηκαν ως «στρατιώτες» (stadioti) στην υπηρεσία Ευρωπαίων ηγεμόνων, οι οποίοι εκτιμούσαν τις πολεμικές τους ικανότητες.

In 1769 they participated In the orloff Revolutionary movement and in all revolutionary movements. During the greek revolution, The People Of himariots, led by Spyromilios, descended on Greece and participated in many operations, mainly in Western Greece.

Αργότερα, κατά το επαναστατικό κίνημα (1854) στη Θεσσαλία και Ήπειρο, καθώς και στην Κρητική Επανάσταση (1866) και σ’ εκείνη του Λυκουρσίου 1878, οι Χιμαριώτες έδωσαν το «παρών». Το 1909 όταν οι Νεότουρκοι αποπειράθηκαν να καταργήσουν τα προνόμια, οι Χιμαριώτες αντιστάθηκαν. Έχοντας ελληνική συνείδηση και με ηγέτη τον Σπυρομίλιο στις 5 Νοεμβρίου 1912, κατά την διάρκεια του Α’ Παγκοσμίου πολέμου, κήρυξαν την ανεξαρτησία τους την οποία διατήρησαν με τα όπλα μέχρι τον Φεβρουάριο του 1913. Ακολούθησε η Αυτονομία της Βορείου Ηπείρου (17 Φεβρουαρίου 1914) στην οποία πρωταρχικό ρόλο έπαιξαν οι Χιμαριώτες.

During World War I, Himara was occupied by the Italians (August 12, 1916) and remained under Italian occupation until 1921. In the same year (1921) the people of Himara refused to submit to Albania and remained independent from June 1921 to June 1922 and were governed by a seven-member local council. Since then, it has followed the fate of Northern Epirus and remains under Albanian occupation. Himara did not succumb to the Turks, nor to the Albanians.

Today, the Albanians, against all legal grounds, exclude himara From the fictitious "minority Zones" by denying its greekness. the Latest incident is the beleris affair. We Have mentioned the arrest, imprisonment and conviction of fredi Beleris In the past and will not return to it.

Nikos Ifantis
President of the Northern Epirus Research Foundation retired philologist.