For the fighters of the Greek Revolution of 1821, their weapons were not only the defense and attack against the enemy, their companion in battle and their friend in the few moments of rest in the steep mountains and plains.

It was much more than that ... It was their means to freedom, their means to shake off the Turkish yoke.

Weapons were usually passed from father to son, from comrade-in-arms to comrade-in-arms, but often they were booty that the Greek fighters could wrest from the Turks, and others came from donations from Philhellenic committees.

The types of weapons of the Greeks

The weapon was the most valuable item of the soldier. It was usually not simple in appearance and was decorated with motifs from folk tradition and antiquity, Byzantium and the Christian religion.

Karyophile

It is the famous rifle of '21, which was used rather synthetically. It was one of the main weapons of combat in the Greek Revolution of 1821 Its barrel was long, iron and cylindrical, while in the handle of the weapon there was a ring for the strap.

The special place the rifle occupied in the Greek arsenal is shown by the fact that its owners often named it. Athanasios Diakos called it "papadia", Karaiskakis "Vasiliki", Dimitrios Makris "Liaro".

Pistol or Koumpoura

Koumpoura is another famous weapon of the 1821 fighters. It is a pistol with a short barrel (double barrel or single barrel), usually silver or gold plated. The pistols were about 58 cm long and were the weapons that usually had designs on them, such as cannons and plants, but also crosses and Byzantine designs.

Pala or Sword

Among the swords, Pala was the most characteristic. It consisted of a curved sword with a broad blade and a hilt resembling the head of a fierce dragon, often decorated with precious stones. It was kept in its scabbard, which was beautifully decorated with reptiles, lions and wild animals, and the case was closed like a dragon's tail.

Giatagani or Yataghan

The yataghan was mainly a weapon of Turkish origin and was often a booty. It was a short, curved knife that had no hand guard at the intersection of the blade and handle. Its sword was nearly half a meter or more long and made of hard-welded steel.

Sisanes

Another weapon acquired by Greek warriors mainly as spoils of battle. The reason for Sisanes. The Ottoman sisanes had a polygonal stock. It was essentially the front-loaded, striped Ottoman rifle with a hexagonal barrel. You can see a Sisanes in the National History Museum along with other weapons of the Revolution that were saved.