SOURCES 39 THE EVE AND THE COMPLETION OF THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST Preparation for an establishment of Venetian power in Thessaloniki (1423) [K.D. Mertzios, Monuments of Macedonian History, Thessaloniki, Society for Macedonian Studies, 1947, pp, 34-35, 40 (in Greek) Our command in Euboea by letters sent to us by messengers, travelling by an armed sailing ship, has made known to us the most perilous state of the city of Thessaloniki, beseiged as its by the Turks. And, since the Despot ofthat city has proposed by a letter forwarded by a special envoy to our authorities in Euboea, in his name and in the name ‘ofall that people, to surrender the said city to the command of Euboea, who would take possession of tin the name of our Authority, and seek nothing other than that country should be governed in accordance with the established manners and customs and, that the Greeks should retain their rights and powers, and, finally, that they should be free to remain or to leave according as they see fit, and that we should take into account all those questions which must be weighed, and, above all, that it would not be to the benefit of our rule ifthat city were o fall into the hands of the infidels or of another nation being a neighbour to us, let a decision be taken that we shall reply to our said command in Euboea that we have learnt from the contents of the letters the full details, as well as what by word of mouth Andreas Naupliotes, as a faithful subject despatched from Euboea hhas told us, and that our Authority is for the Faith of Jesus Christ alone and not that it should out of ambition extend its sovereignty - since it is known to all that our constant desire has been and is the salvation of those parts in every particular capable of being hheld- has decided to command a number of galleys and a section of our army to advance to the said city of Thessaloniki and take into their possession that place in accordance with the wil, expressed to us by the Despot, of the people of Thessaloniki, to their relief In the Name of Jesus Christ, His grace be with us. Today, Saturday, the 10th of the month of July ofthe said year (1423), Signor Francesco Foscari being Doge, the Council of the Pregadi met with its 40 additional members, that is, in all, 180 nobles, and, following longdebate, the majority being found in favour, [it was decided] that an armed vessel should be sent to our bailo in Euboea, Daniel Lodera, and to his council under that usefiul man Andreas from Nauplion with a document, to say, by way of conclusion, that by the sonof the once Emperor of Constantinople by the name of .. who on his own initiative and of his own free will has offered to the Venetian ducal sovereignty the city of Thessaloniki by his clear and good decision, will and consent, as well as that of his barons, the Greek priests and knights, with all the province and people in agreement, ‘on certain terms and agreements, having to do with their religious rites and thetr customs. rr310 2 ‘The siege and fall of Thessaloniki (1430) (K.D. Mertzios, Monuments of Macedonian History, Thessaloniki, Society for Macedonian ‘Studies, 1947, pp. 90-92 (in Greek)] In the course of 1430. News came to Venice from our commanders in Kuboea after the arriva\ there of the commanders of Thessaloniki in three galleys, berthing at Euboea ‘on 2 April 1430 under the command of the nobleman messer Antonio Diedo, rear admiral.The news was sent from Euboea on 3 April and was received in Methone on the 9th of the same month, being as follows. Its with great sorrow and inexpressible distress that we report the sad event of the loss of the city of Thessaloniki, On 17 March, messer Antonio Diedo, vice admiral, arrived there with three galleys to hearten that people, filled with fore boding as they were by the news that the Great Turk in person was preparing to march to take Thessaloniki by siege. And, indeed, Murat, with a numerous army, numbering some 190,000, arrived at the said place of Thessaloniki on 26 March, being Sunday, at one ‘clock in the afternoon, inspiring terror everywhere; from that moment on, he did not cease for one moment, by day or night, from the attack. On 28 March, being Tuesday, at about one o'clock in the night, an officer entered the city on the landward side, who, ‘going to meet with the commanders, reported to them that six pirate vessels were to come from the Vardar and that their purpose was to set fire o the galleys, since they knew that ‘no one had stayed behind to guard the coast, since all the men were fighting on the ramparts. Then the commanders decided to warn the vice admiral messer Antonio Diedo to withdraw from the walls, where he was fighting with the men of the crews and that all should go on board the galleys to guard them and the harbour. Finally, at dawn on the Wednesday, the Turks launched an attack of such impetus and of such violence that their warcry alone would have been enough to shake to the foundations a city bigger and more populous than Thessaloniki, In the first battle, up to the third hour, so many Turks fell dead that they were able to use their piled up corpses instead of ladders to invade the city. There, when ten were killed, a hundred more instantly appeared. The arrows discharged were innumerable, $0 that no one could remain on the curtain walls and wooden turrets. They constantly drew closer with great forces, discharging a host of arrows and withstanding the attacks of the defenders, who hurled at them whatever came tohand. Ix the end, they broke through the walls at many points and making their invasion at the fourth hour of that day, they committed the greatest barbarities, cutting to pieces any Christian they met with, so that, in the greatest distress and in evident danger, the commanders and certain others fled, some in their smocks and some in their shirts, and reached the harbour, where thanks to the good measures taken by the nobleman Antonio Diedo, they found safety in the galleys. It is to be noted that the Turks pursued them at their heels, and if they had not become preoccupied with plunder and in the capture of the women, who were escaping, few would have survived. None can boast of having taken with him even one denarius Without doubt a great disaster has taken place and anyone who was present and saw with his own eyes what occurred will never forget it.31 SUFFERINGS UNDER OTTOMAN OCCUPATION 3 ‘The sufferings of a latter-day martyr from Serres (1604) IAB. Vakalopoulos, Sources for the History of the Modern Greeks, Vol. 2 (1669-1812), ‘Thessaloniki, Society for Macedonian Studies, 1977, pp. 85-86 (in Greek} The Turks impaled Manolis Bostantzoglow the sacristan in front of his house in the village of Klopotitsa, for the following reason: on the road to... some Turks were found killed, and only the Christians with the sawmills could have killed them. And so they kept vigil, and there was a fightin the inn. And kyr-Manolis went out to see, and by a diabolical coincidence « stone came along and hit him on the head, and when the Turks saw him all covered ir, blood they said that must mean he was the murderer, and they dragged him off like wild beasts and they tortured him and at last condemned him and bound him in chains, and they were going to impale him. And people said to him, ‘Come on, become ‘a Muslim and we'll save you immediately’, and he swore at them, calling them dogs and infidels. And so they impaled him, and as long as he was up on the stake he mocked them and cursed them, and they, unable to stand the curses which flowed off his tongue, as if he had been a swallow, left him hanging there on the stake and he departed in the Lord. And his soul went with the other martyrs, because he underwent torture twice and received two crowns and became a latter-day martyr, may his memory be eternal, and they threw his corpse on the ground and left it there uninterred for three days, and towards midnight on each of the nights Some pious Christians saw a great light shining at the place of his doom, and there was a tall plane tree there and they hanged him from it and it withered at once, So did all the Turks who bore false witness, some of them going blind and others dying of .., and there was such fear and terror among the Christians that they did not go into the market for two or three weeks, and when the Turks looked at a Christiar they ground their teeth and called them ‘dogs’ and ‘infidels’ and said ‘the same will happen to you’. And who can tell all the evil they did .. And that kyr- Manolis had a fine voice and chanted in the cathedral, and he was a handsome, well-built man with a black beard, but he was very easily roused, And some people were obstinate of character, eternal be his memory.312 ___ SELECTION OF SOURCES 4 Enforced conversions to Islam in Veria in the 17th century LV. Dimitriadis, Central and Western Macedonia according to Evliyia Celebi, Thessaloniki, Society for Macedonian Studies, 1973, pp. 258-259 (in Greek)] Moreover, in this city there is an ancient spectacle which is similar to what occurs in the town of Vodena, When in this city the infidels have their ill-famed festival, that is, when it is the days of the red eggs, on that day all the infidels will be locked in their houses, will be dressed and armed and will not go outside their accursed dwellings. All the Muslims on these days of the red eggs dress and gird on their arms, as if it were a great feast and as if it were Kurban Bairam. All the warrior gazides, loaded down with the weapens of battle, on that day, until evening comes, fire gun and rifle shots, and, shouting the battlecry of the Muslims ‘Allah, Allah’, gathered together in bands, search 10 find the infidels coming outside, the pretty infidel boys and the daughters of the infidels, If by evenng they find an infidel outside, immediately they circumcise him and pay him honour, making him a Muslim; and mounting him on a horse decorated with precious stones andin the company of all the notables of the city they conduct the newly-converted ‘Muslim around and pay him great honours. Naturally, every year some infidels who are found in this way become Muslims. Itis a curious spectacle. For the glory of the Muslim religion, every great notable, great or small, gives something and makes that Muslim rich and they give him the means to live. A spectacle of this kind does not occur in any other courtry. Only at Vodena and Veria does this occur. But the people of Veria said: ‘We do noi do this every year; we do it from time to time’. But the people of Vodena say: ‘Of course, on every festival day and on every ill-famed Christian feast itis established that it should be thus5 Arbitrary behaviour of the Janissaries and Spahis ILK. Vasdravellis, Historical Archives of Macedonia, 2, Archive of Veria-Naousa, 1598-1886, ‘Thessaloniki, Society for Macedonian Studies, 1954, pp. 12-13 (in Greek)} While the binbashi Isa Aga, despatched on behalf of His Excellency Kenan Pasha, who had been commissioned with the prosecution of crimes and the correction of abuses in the kazas, entering the city of Veria, made known by a herald the sacred order which he had received concerning the prosecution of crimes, and while the sacred court had ‘heard the cases, according to law, of those having recourse to it and had resolved the disputes of the litigants, not departing in the slightest from the provisions of the law, Emmanouil, son of Christos Marizelos, from Veria, having gathered together the infidels and acting as their leader, forced his way into the court and insulted it in these words ‘Why do you give judgment according to the sacred law? We do not accept the things that you do. We must, without doubt, wipe out certain Janissaries and Spahis. From now on, shall the Muslims and ourselves, since the inspector of the kazas has arrived, continue 10 be subject wo the Sheri'a?’. During his invasion of the sacred court, he was shouting ina loud voice, As the said Isa Aga was preparing to leave, he sought help, on which the descendant of Mohamed, Esset Mehmet Bey, son of Hasan Bey, resident of Veria, came forward; with him this insubordinate fellow came to blows, and, having knocked off his turban, was ready to kill him, when other Muslims came to his assistance. On which, a court being convened in the mosque of Sultan Murat, the said Emmanouil, son of Christos Martzelos, wes presented to it and in his presence the Muslims Musa Gelebi, son of Alimet, and Mustafa Bey, son of Haredin, and Gazi Bey were examined as witnesses. They testified that the said Martzelos was a trouble-maker and rabble-rouser and that it would be in the interests of the Muslim community for him to be removed from the face of the earth. Thus did they bear witness against hin. And for this reason he was handed over to the officer, so that justice should be done, Written at the end of Seval in the year 1036 [1827]314 SELECTION OF SOURCES 6 Uprising of the people of Naousa because of the devshirme [LK Vasdravellis, Armatoli and Klephis in Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Society for Macedonian Studies, 1948, pp. 69-71 (in Greek)] a To the most wise sacred judges of Veria and Naousa, whose wisdom may the Lord increase, the powerful vovodes and other governors and powerful men of the place, whose power may the Lord increase. By my present sublime order, I bring to your knowledge that our Sublime Lord, the most powerful Sultan and Caliph of the faithful, by an earlier sublime imperial firman, had ordered, as quickly as possible, the assembling and despatch of the new janissaries, who, as is well known, are customarily selected from among the robust and well-formed sons of the infidel rayahs, Thus obedient to the commands of our Sublime Caliph, we ‘appointed and despatched forthwith into the region of Naousa the selikhtar Ahmet Celebi, with the order to carry out the selection and enlistment of fifty new janissaries, in accordance with the ancient custom still prevailing. The said selikhtar, in carrying out this sublime command, went, as we know, some time ago to the city of Naousa, having undertakea the census of the new janissaries, on which the infidel inhabitants of the said city, rising in revolt and saying ‘We will not hand over our sons to the Muslims’, dared 10 slaughter the selikhtar and two of the Muslims accompanying him in public and in the middle of the Sultan’s highway. These infidel murderers, in the end forming a band of brigands of a hundred and more evildoers and having at their head the armatole Zisis Karadimos and his two sons, raised the flag of rebellion and scouring the mountains and plains of the kazas of Veria and Naousa, have committed a myriad of crimes and still continue to commit felonies, viz: murders and robberies, against the Muslim faithful of Islam. For this cause, we hereby order and command that forthwith and without delay, as soon as our present sublime command shall arrive, that a large force of able and brave warriors, enlisted from among the Muslim inhabitants of Veria be formed, under the leadership of the vovode Muharem Aga and the bulukbashi Retzep Aga, being charged that these infidel brigands should be mercilessly pursued and wiped from the face of the earth. We would remind you that the arrest and puating to death of these infidel murderers who have dared to spill the blood of a Muslim in the middle of the Sultan's highway, in accordance with the commands of the sacred Sheri'a, constitues an inviolable obliga- tion and sacred duty of every Muslim before God and our God-sent Prophet. Written in the sublime divan of the Beylerbey of Roumeli. In Thessaloniki, the first of the sacred month of Muharem in the year 1117 [25 Aprit 1705).315 To the most illustrious and most glorious Beylerbey of Roumeli, at Thessaloniki. Asis known o you, the infidel and despicable inhabitants ofthe city of Naousa, having refused during the current year to deliver up those of their sons deemed fit to be Janissaries, dared to slaughter, some time ago, Ahmet Celebi, who had gone to their town to carry out a census of the janissaries, and two Muslims accompanying him publicly and in the middle of the Sultan’s highway, and, finally, having raised the flag ofrebellion and revolution, formed a band of a hundred and more infidel brigands under the leadership of their execrable leader Zisis Karadimos and his sons Vassileios and Dimitrios. These brigands thereafier, scouring the mountains and plains of the kazas of Veria and Naousa, committed myriad crimes, viz: murders and robberies, against many faithful Muslins. Thus, some little time ago, by the sublime command of the divan of the Beylerbey, being thus commanded, Muharem Aga, the vovode, and Retzep Aga, bulukbashi of Veria, assembled a sirong force of selected and battle-worthy men, faithful Muslims of our kaza, and undertook at once the merciless pursuit of the said infidel brigands. Fulfilling {faithfully and with devotion their sacred duty and following hard on the heels of the infidel brigands, they succeeded, glory to Almighty God, in hemming them into narrows of the River Arapitsa, which flows by Naousa, where, after a fierce and savage battle, they conquered and routed them. In this battle, the head of the band, Zisis Karadimos, being wounded by four bullets in various parts of his body, yielded up his filthy soul on the spot to Satan, and his two sons, Vassileios and Dimitrios, with six other brigands were arrestedand taken alive to Veria before our sacred court, tobe judged and punished in accordance with the provisions of the God-guarded Sheri'a. In consequence of this, we summoned thither immediately the most wise sacred judge of Naousa, Halil Efendi, the vovodes and other governors and powerful men of the place, before whom an extra-ordinary sacred court council was convened today in public, before which the criminal brigands who had been arrested were brought in chains. They publicly and in the hearing of the venerable gathering, being asked each in turn, dared 10 utter through their unclean lips the impious phrases ‘We are truly armatoli and we proclaim our beliefs’. It thus having been confirmed by them that the men arrested were the very criminal revolutionaries who had committed myriad crimes up to now against so many faithful ‘Muslims, judging them according to the sacred saying of our God-sent Prophet ‘Slaughter the infidels who resist’, we condemned them all to death by hanging and delivered them to the vovode Muharem Aga, who was present at the sacred gathering, who gave orders accordingly and the death penalty imposed was duly executed upon them. On which, the bulukbashi Retzep Aga was ordered to cut off the heads of the infidels Zisis Karadimos and of his sons Vassileios and Dimitrios and to carry out the pertinent parading of them in disgrace through the Sultan’s highways of the city. Likewise the latter was chorged thereafter to send them to the sublime divan of Thessaloniki. Written on the 28th of the sacred month of Safer in the year 1117 [21 June 1705].:LECTION OF SOUR 7 ‘Tax measures against the inhabitants of Macedonia in the 18th century IA.E. Vakalopoulos, Sources for he History of the Modern Greeks, Vol, 2 (1669-1812), Thes- saloriki, Society for Macedonian Studies, 1977, pp. 26-27, 28-30, 30-31 (in Greek)) se sacred judges of the kazas to which the rayahs of the kaza of Florina have come and settled, symbols of the sacred laws, may your virtues increase, and you, notables ard powerful men of the kazas in question, models for your peers and friends, may your merits increase, inform you herewith that the rayahs of the afore-mentioned kaza, departing without reason from their old villages, have established themselves and have taken up their dwelling unlavfially in the kazas under your authority, and as has been made known to you the reduction through the non-payment of the taxes debited in their names of the proceeds of the state has occurred and, for this cause, our order has been issued and despatched by. As soon as this order reaches you, distinguished sacred judges, may your virtues increase, and you, notables and powerful men of the country, may your merits increase, must, if there be rayah refugees from this kaza settled in the villages and gifliks under your rule and these have not been recorded and entered in the registers for the avariz ‘ax, not heeding their pretences, objections and excuses, convey them and settle them by the official we have sent in heir old villages. If again, a census has been taken and they have been entered on the registers for the avazir tax, you are to give orders that they pay these taxes in their old villages and do not heed their pretences and excuses. If any notables of the country, administrators of the villages or proprietors of ifliks present themselves as their defenders, creating obstacles and hindrances, no excuse is 10 taken into account, and, apart from their impending punishment, you will report them 10 the Sublime Porte, so that their kazas may be charged with the taxes of the state which ought t0 be paid by the rayahs. Hence, having this in view, you are greatly to avoid pretences, injustices and objections. You are to act in accordance with the order. In the year 1117 {1705}. b Most wise sacred judge of Thessaloniki, you, the most just of the Muslim judges, the ‘most eminent of the governors of the monotheists, mine of wisdom and right reasoning, you who raise the flags of the sacred law and the faith, inheritor of the knowledge of the prophets, you whom the great grace of the aid-giving King befits, may your virtues increase. As soon as this My sublime firman reaches you, let it be known that the rayahs of the villages who guard the passes of Lackana, Bas Kioi, Negovanis and Yianik of the deme of Langada, subject to the kaza of Thessaloniki, have submitted to My imperial divan a report stating the following: ‘We provide the service imposed upon us for the passes, in no way being remiss, and, consequently, we should not, according to the sacred law, be troubled. Since, however, some ofus are tradesmen, shoemakers, others cotton-growers, and some of us have houses with two or three beasts, at which travellers put up, the headsSELECTION OF SOURCES 317 of the demes come to us and say: ‘You are tradesmen and have houses’, and they take from each of us 67 aspers in the form of ‘assessment money’. Apart from this, they also take 32 aspers from each of us as victuals tax, oppressing and wronging us exceedingly. In view of the above, we submitted previously to the imperial divan a request that a sublime firmanshould be issued, ordering the cessation and avoidance of this oppression and injustice. And indeed a sublime firman in this connection was delivered into our hands, ordering the cessation and avoidance of this oppression and injustice. And indeed a firman was delivered into our hands, 10 the effect that we should not be troubled by demands for moneys in violation of the sacred law, but this firman has been lost’. Now they have requested that a sublime firman be issued by reason of the loss of the Jformer one and in accordance with the note in the margin in this connection of the appropriate authority. According to the note in the margin, it was found recorded in the registers that My sublime firman dated 6 Retzep 1119 was delivered into the hands of the inhabitants of the said village. On which, this present sublime firman has now been issued, so that action be takenin accordance with this marginal note, [hereby order that you undertake and examine this matter as soon as the present sublime firman reaches you, Ifthe affair isas reported by them, you are 10 act in accordance with the sacred law in force. Insofar as they provide their services assigned to them for the passes, you are not to permit them to be troubled by a demand in contravention of the sacred law from assessment money and victuals duties, but you are to prevent and discourage any such thing. Do not give cause for the issuing of any other My order on this matter. In the knowledge of which, you are to respect My present sacred symbol. Written in Constantinople on the 3rd of Siaban 1119 [1707]. c Most wise sacred judge of Thessaloniki .., model of sacred judges and students of the sacred law, may your knowledge increase. As soon as the sublime imperial firman arrives, let it be known that you, the most wise Salih, may your knowledge increase, throughareport and the inhabitants of Thessaloniki by a general account have reported that the residents of the kaza of Thessaloniki are disposed to pay in due form and to deliver on the appointed terms for each of the valis ofthis sancak the duties of war and peace. While, however, according to the stipulations, the poor inhabitants should not be troubled and pressed by the demand for duties of war and peace greater than those originally set, the valis of Thessaloniki appointed for the time being, not satisfied with the sums determined, press these poor folk with the demand for more, and, indeed, the former Vali of Thessaloniki, the venerable megistan, most excellent commander of the army, orderer of the world, the Vizier Mou Mehmet Pasha, lasting be his feme, collected from this kaza and those other kazas subject to this sancak by various forms of oppression and tyranny sums amounting to fifty poungia, while they made every possible effort to pay the taxes and levies already imposed upon them for requisitioning of carts and camels, the supply of flour, wheat and barley and the supply of other war revenues, the oppression in the above manner of this Vizier brought them into a state of great distress. Whereas, however, itis obvious that the valis in the future will follow the footsteps and the tactics of their predecessor the said Vizier, all the318 inhabitants of the kaza and the vali have requested and sought the issuing of My sublime order that, apart from the hasia appointed by virtue of the sublime firman issued in the year 1130 and adorned with the imperial monogram and the established war and peace duties, they should not follow the tacties of the said Vizier but that their misdeeds in demanding the furnishing of a hall, a gift on arrival, kaftan duties, corn, barley and hay expenses, money for the inspection of churches and lookouts repaired without a firman, recompense for the blood of a person drown, burnt and murdered whose murderer is known, and on other similar pretexts should be stopped, and this firman has been left in their hands and shall have force for ever. The reis-ul-kitap in force has stated that, as can be seen from the entries in the book concerning the determination of the sum of the duties of war and peace of the valis of the Sancak of Thessaloniki and the sublime firmans issued during the year 1130 concerning their terms and limitations, insofar as in this manner the residents of Thessaloniki have paid and delivered in time of a campaign the war duties appointed and in time of peace the peace duties, in accordance with the terms set down, they should not be troubled with the demand for more money by various tyrannical and oppressive ‘methods, with pretexts concerning churches and lookouts without a sublime firman; and ‘My imperaal firman is to be issued to the effect that ifthe valis do not reform themselves and employ in the future tyrannical and blackmailing methods and oppress the poor, a report and general acount is to be submitted, so that the necessary measures may be taken against them. My sutlime firman has already been issued to the effect that the necessary action should be taken in the manner set forth, I hereby give my order that, as soon as this shall reach you, you act in conformity with it. Whereas, according to what has been stated, the inhabitants of the kaza during those years in which the payment of war duties is ordered pay the war duties, and in those years when there is no campaign, the peace duties and deliver them in due form in accordance with the terms set, you are not t0 permit in any way the troubling and oppression of the poor by tyrannical methods to obtain from them more money on the pretence of the inspection of churches and lookouts, and if the valis do not reform themselves and from now on oppress the poor, employing upon them tyrannical and blackmailing methods, in accordance with the terms of the firman you are to report the facts in detail, so that the necessary measures may be taken ‘against them. You are to keep this My firman in force, avoiding an action contrary to it and you are to conform with it. Knowing this, you are to respect My sacred symbol. Writter in the camp of Daut Pasha in the middle of Zil Hetze 1150 [1738].SELECTION OF SOURCES 8 From the Life of Saint Kyranna (1751) {Collection ofthe Lives ofthe Latter-Day Martyrs, 1400-1900, Thessaloniki, 1984, 1p. 335-338 (in Greek] This most excellent bride of Christ was from a village of Thessaloniki, Avyssoka by name, the childof Christian parents, and was very beautif and led a chaste and prudent life. The Devil, however, hating all that is good, was jealous of her for this virtue and, unable to defile her by shameful thoughts and by unseemly acts in secret, found as an instrument of his evil an Agarene janissary, who was sumbashi in that village and collected the revenues of the rulers and who was consumed by a satanic passion for the girl and this wretch began to flatter her in various ways, in order to bring her round to his purpose, but this virgin would have nothing to say to him. Then he promised to give hher as many aspers as she wished and to make her a present of luxurious garments if she would consent, otherwise he threatened that he would inflict many trials upon her and, last, that he would give her over to be put to death. The girl, however, having all her desire for Christ, cared nothing at all for his gifts and his promises, nor for his threats. He, then, seeing that he was not succeeding in his aim, agreed with other janissaries of he same corps and they suddenly abducted the girl and brought her before the judge of Thessaloniki, bearing false witness that the girl was to marry him and join their faith. The girl’s parents followed, but cowed by their threats, they hid themselves. There the Turks dd many things to the virgin to bring her round to their purpose, now with flattery and promises, now with threats, but the blessed one remained calm and said only one thing to them: ‘I am a Christian and have as my bridegroom Jesus Christ, to whom L offer my virginity as a dowry: it is Him that I desire and have desired from my youth, and for ifis love am ready to spill my blood, in order to be worthy to enjoy Him’ Seeing theresolution of her mind and the brightness of her face, they were ashamed, and thus they cent ker to prison and put her in chains; and this janissary, still aflame with demonic passion, went to a great aga of the fortress, Ali Efendi by name and bey by rank, and asked him to order the jailer to allow him to enter the prison whenever he wanted, and this was granted. And this wretch went at every hour and obstinately tyrannised her in many ways, to the end that he should either bring her to his will or kill her. Nor was he alone, but he took with him other janissaries like himself, to punish her severely, but when she saw them, the blessed one lowered her head, covered her face ‘and crossed her hands, nor did she look at them nor answer them. They first ofall began to urge the saint with flattery and promises, then seeing that she was so firm and unperturbed, they began to inflict trials upon her: one struck her with a stick, another with a knife, another with kicks and another with his fists, so that they left her as one dead and so went away, so that she should have time to recover and they could again torment her. This they did during the day, and at night the jailer hung her from the armpits, although she had her hands bound, and snatching up whatever piece of wood came to hhand, he beat her mercilessly until he was tired and then left her hanging in the extreme cold of winter, as it then was, A Christian, who was a witness of these things, waited for320 SELECTION OF SOURCES his moment and when he realised that the jailer's rage had passed, went and asked him and was given permission to take her down. The saint had such patience and calm and kept so silent that it seemed to him that another was suffering and not herself and that all her thought and attention were directed to the heavens. There were in the prison other Christians and Jews and some Turkish women, for their misdeeds, who blamed the jailer as being merciless and as not fearing God, since he thus tormented a woman who had done no harm to him. And that Christian did not cease, either with a good word or with ‘moderate censures (since he had the boldness for this) 10 remind the jailer of the judgement of God and to say other such things to him, in order to soften his heart that he should not torment the saint, but Satan greatly hardened his heart, and the more they pleaded with him, so much the more did he torture her. The janissaries again, going to punish her, often left off the punishments and strove to give her something to eat, so that she should not die, and sometimes they gave her raisins and sometimes dates; and as the saint did not desire food at all, they strove to open her mouth by force, but were not able.. On the seventh day, the janissaries went again and tormented her greatly, on which, the said Christian, being moved by divine zeal, began to upbraid the jailer severely and to threaten him that he must denounce him to the pasha for allowing men to come from outside and inflict punishment on the prisoners, which is contrary to their law, and that ‘such a thing had not happened on any other occasion; and the Turkish women who were there heaped many insults upon him, calling him an infidel and a murderer and would have shouted this out aloud, and after a little while the janissaries came again to punish hier, but the jailer did not let them, and so they directly went complaining to Ali Bey, who in the evening summoned the jailer and abused him because he had disobeyed his orders. Then the jailer went back in great anger and seized the saint and hung her up, and taking up a very large wooden stake which chanced to be there in both hands, he beat her wherever he could without pity, so much so that the prisoners began to cry out, and even the Turkish women who were there shouted with a loud voice. Seeing the disturbance which was caused, the accursed one left her hanging and went {0 his room with much distress and confusion in his heart and told the Christian to make him coffee to drink. As he was preparing the coffee, the Christian began again in calm tones to upbraid him for the pitilessness which he had shown, to such a degree that he ‘axle him fall down on his face and weep, either from the pricking of his conscience or from shame. And at that time, while the saint was still hanging ~ marvellous to relate - ‘suddenly there shone a great light in the prison, coming down from the roof, like lightning, which, encircling the body of the martyr, spread throughout the prison and illuminated it as if the whole of the sun were entering in (it was then the fourth or fifth hour of the night); and the Christians cried out ‘Kyrie eleison’, the Jews fell on their faces that they should not see the light, and the Turkish women cried out in alarm that the blame for the poor Greek girl had come upon them and lightning had fallen from heaven to burn them up. The jailer in his fear began to tremble in every limb and told the Christian to take down the saint from where she was hanging; he went, but found that she had already breathed her last. The light fled, and later there remained for many hours an ineffable fragrance. The Christian, taking the keys from the jailer, opened the shackles and released herOF SOURCES hands, taking down with reverence and devotion her holy remains, Lighting lamps and incense, he sat down near her, awaiting the coming of the day with joy, and glorifying God that he had been deemed worthy to see such marvellous happenings and to care for the relies of a martyr. At dawn, word spread through the city of the death of the saint and the effulgence of the sacred light; and the Agarenes, put to shame, kept silence and gave leave 10 the Christians to take the relics and to do as they wished, while the Christians all rejoiced and many hastened to the prison and taking up the sacred relics with reverence, they buried them outside the city, where the remains of the other Christians are buried, while many Christians divided her garments among them, for their sanctification and salvation.322 ‘The destruction of Selitsa (Eratyra) in 1774 [A. Yomplakis, ‘The Rape of Selitsa’, Macedonian Affairs 8 (1968), p. 86 (in Greek) 1774 April 1 monday I write this for a memorial that ruin has been brought by the irregulars whose wretched names are isuf nivitzas tzatzis and Osman bekikxis and karamahmoutis and hotokioulis and behloulis and the rest of the baloumbasiades whose names who knows - two thousand and a half of them: came and went in and killed and gathered together all the livelihood and burnt houses and workshops to the number of 104 and burnt people and they died and they took much of our livelihood innumerable loads and stayed 10 days and leaving they took as slaves kyr anagnostis alexios the Kotziabashi and 10 others and burnt the church of saint Paraskeve and the church of the holy Apostles and there was mourning and lamentation and I write this for a memorial Kallinikos