Emmanuel Mormoris

Emmanuel or Manolis Mormoris (Greek: Εμμανουήλ Μορμόρης) was a 16th-century Greek noble, rebel and military leader of the Republic of Venice. He was the military commander of a Greek revolt in Ottoman-ruled Epirus during the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570-1573.

Early years

The Mormoris family was one of the noble Greek families that originated from Nauplion, southern Greece. After the Ottoman conquest of the city (1540) a branch escaped to the Venetian-controlled island of Crete. Various members of the family participated in the armed struggles against the Ottoman Empire. The father of Emmanuel Mormoris, Jacomo, was a cavaliere in the Venetian army and commander of the Stratioti units of Crete.

Shortly before 1570 Emmanuel Mormoris was sent by the Venetian provveditore generale (governor-general) of Crete to Sfakia, a region in western Crete, to convince some local rebel to submit to Venetian rule.

Activity in Epirus

During the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570-1573 Mormoris took action in the region of Epirus. As soon as military operations began, Mormoris proposed the capture of the coastal fortress of Sopot across Corfu. After a successful siege in June 7, 1570, Mormoris was appointed commander of the fortress and the surrounding region.

The capture of this strategic location triggered a general revolt under the leadership of Mormoris. Soon after the anti-Ottoman movement was spread to the adjacent regions of Argyrokastron (modern Gjirokastër), Delvina and Parga with the military guidance of the local Greek nobility and a number of Stratioti, such as Petros Lantzas and Georgios Renesis. In addition, the inhabitants of nearby Himara also supported the uprising and submitted voluntarily to Venetian rule, while making use of the advantageous mountainous terrain of their homeland.

Mormoris proceeded the siege of the coastal fortress of Nivice. After operations lasting a year, it was finally taken in spring 1571. Mormoris was assisted by his brother Zorzis Mormoris, who commanded units of Stratioti in Margariti, Santa Maura (Lefkada), and Corfu. However, due to the developments of the ongoing Ottoman-Venetian War, Venice withdrew its support to the rebels. Thus, during the Ottoman counter-offensive the revolutionaries had to lift the siege of Kardhiq. Sopot was recaptured by the Ottomans at the same year (1571).

Emmanuel Mormoris was captured during the Ottoman advance and taken prisoner to Constantinople. He was released in June 1575 during a prisoner exchange between the Venetian and Ottoman authorities.

Later activity

At 1583 Mormoris, already promoted to colonel, was placed in command of the Venetian infantry units in Crete. In 1590-1591 he was sent to Italy to suppress the revolt of the lord of Montemarciano, Alfonso Picollomini. The latter was executed in March 1591. The following year he returned to Crete to deal with various rebellions in the island. In the summer of 1593 he was placed in Kefallonia where he supervised the construction of the Venetian fortress in Asos.

Sources

• Hatzopoulos, Dionysios (1993). "Greek Officers in the Eighteenth Century Venetian Army". The Journal of Modern Hellenism. 10: 157–165. ISSN 0743-7749. Retrieved 5 July 2018.