Armatoles

Armatoles, the warlike inhabitants, since the 15th century, of the mountain districts in Northern Greece, especially in Macedonia, Epirus, and Thessaly. At one time, as robbers, they ravaged the neighbouring country, at another time protected its wretched inhabitants from other robbers in consideration of black-mail. The Turkish pashas, unable to subdue them, made terms with them, and tried to metamorphose them into a sort of military police, intrusting to their care the safety of the public roads, and dividing the country into districts, each under the supervision of a chief of these militia. But although the Armatoles frequently suppressed the brigandage of the Klephts, they still regarded them as brothers of common origin and faith, and shared with them their hatred for the Turkish yoke, however nominal it might be. The Turks at last alarmed at this sympathy, tried to substitute for the Armatoles the Mohammedan Albanians, who were the implacable enemies of the Greeks. The moment the Greek insurrection broke out, in 1820, the Armatoles joined the insurgents 12,000 strong, and they at least gained some glory in the war.