George Kastriotis

[Prokomenos]

George Kastriotis

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Georgios Kastriotis: He was also known as Skenterbeis. Greek Epirotian prince son of Ioannis Kastriotis, medieval feudal lord of Krugia, in North Epirus. Georgios Kastriotis was born on1405 in the citadel of Krugia. He became legendary for its tries to unify the population of Epirus and eliberate the region from the Ottoman invaders. He fought against the Turks for 50 years and he did not lost any battle. He was concerned also about sociological and political issues of its era, and he was accepting as prime values the teachings of the major medieval Greek philosopher Georgios Plithon Gemistos, who was arguing for a neccesity of a definiton of the medieval state and the diversification between the warrior and the farmer. Georgios Kastriotis became a legend for the suppressed by the Muslim invaders Epirotians, and all Greeks.

His figure was untill the 19th Century, considered as National Hero of resistance and military success. With the illegal creation of the Albanian state in 1914, the unorganized and savage till then Albanian tribes tried to invent a medieval history in order to justify the existence of their illegal state. So during the communist era, the stalinist regime of Enver Xoxha adopted the legend of Kastriotis forging the true history, and his origin. It was a clear example of newly created statal forms which in the lack of proper history are forging the legends of other nations. The Greek Epirotian origin of Kastriotis is easily demonstrated by simple arguments. Georgios kastriotis was cristian orthodox, in contrast with the big majority of the Albanians which are muslim (90%). His name was Georgios (ancient Greek name), and his surname Kastriotis (Kastro in Greek means castle, Kastriotis is called the person from the castle or the person with the castle). The majority of the Albanian names are Ahmet or Suleiman or something like that. Finnaly in his letter to the Prince of Taranto Jovanni Antonio, Kastriotis says: " Our ancestors were Epirotians, from which Pyrros the King was born. Who won the Romans and occupied Taranto and other cities of Italy. You do not have fighters to resist in the Epirotian courage" ("Georgios Kastriotis", K.Paganel, p.156, 1860).

[Ellinas]

I've seen many disputes in the internet about the descent of Skenderbeu, and I see them pointless. Even if Skenderbeu was genetically half Greek and half Serbian this does not matter at all since his heart was with Albania and that was the country he fought for. Fairly he is their national hero.

[Voulgaroktonos]

The name of his state was Epirus not Albania and it stretched from Kroia to Messoghli. This state was the descendent of the Greek Despotate of Epirus ruled by members of the Byzantine Royal family. He was Greek Orthodox and fought for the Christians of Epirus. He had a Serb mother and Greek father, his soldiers were principally Albanians who made up many of his subjects, as well as Greeks and Slavs.

[Voulgaroktonos]

THE RISE OF ISKANDER by Benjamin Disraeli


2.1 "Iskander was the youngest son of the Prince of Epirus, who, with the other Grecian princes, had, at the commencement of the reign of Amurath the Second, in vain resisted the progress of the Turkish arms in Europe."


2.3 The despots of Bosnia, Servia, and Bulgaria, and the Grecian princes of Etolia, Macedon, Epirus, Athens, Phocis, Boeotia, and indeed of all the regions to the straits of Corinth, were tributaries to Amurat


2.4 His Turkish education could never eradicate from his memory the consciousness that he was a Greek


2.14 Had Iskander been influenced by vulgar ambition, his loftiest desires might have been fully gratified by the career which Amurath projected for him. The Turkish Sultan destined for the Grecian Prince the hand of one of his daughters, and the principal command of his armies.


3.12 A guard of honour, by the orders of Karam Bey, advanced to conduct Iskander to his presence; and soon, entering the pavilion, the Grecian prince exchanged courtesies with the Turkish general.


4.26 Soon the officer returned, and, ordering the guards to disarm and search Iskander, directed the Grecian Prince to follow him.

4.37 Iskander bowed lowly as the officer disappeared.
4.38 "And now," said Hunniades, "to business. Your purpose?"
4.39 "I am a Grecian Prince, and a compulsory ally of the Moslemin.

We could continue with several identical quotes from Disraeli's book that clearly depict him as Hellinic.. I'll just add my favorite :

6.11 Troops of armed men were charging down the streets, brandishing their scimitars and yataghans, and exclaiming,
"The Cross, the Cross!" "Liberty!" "Greece!" "Iskander and
Epirus!" The townsmen recognised their countrymen by their language and their dress. The name of
Iskander acted as a spell. They stopt not to inquire. A magic sympathy at once persuaded them that this great man had, by the grace of Heaven, recurred to the creed and country of his fathers. And so every townsman, seizing the nearest weapon, with a spirit of patriotic frenzy, rushed into the streets, crying out,
"The Cross, the Cross!" "Liberty!" "Greece!" "Iskander and Epirus!" Ay! even the women lost all womanly fears, and stimulated instead of soothing the impulse of their masters. They fetched them arms, they held the torches, they sent them forth with vows and prayers and imprecations, their children clinging to their robes, and repeating with enthusiasm, phrases which they could not comprehend

Source:

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[Voulgaroktonos]

The Epirot prince:


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[Voulgaroktonos]

His seal:


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The inscription reads: "Alexander is an Emperor and a King. Emperor of the Romaic nation (Greeks) and King of the Turks, the Albanians, the Serbs and the Bulgarians."



The Despotate of Epirus:


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The Despotate of Epirus (Greek: Δεσποτάτο της Ηπείρου) was one of the medieval Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire, founded in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond. The term "despotate" is a misnomer, as the first rulers of Epirus did not hold the court dignity of despotes, which was in any case not a hereditary title associated with any particular jurisdiction.

The Despotate was founded in 1205 by Michael Komnenos Doukas, a cousin of the Byzantine emperors Isaac II Angelos and Alexios III Angelos. At first, Michael allied with Boniface of Montferrat, but having lost Morea (Peloponnese) to the Franks at the battle of the Olive Grove of Koundouros, he went to Epirus, where he considered himself the Byzantine governor of the old province of Nicopolis and revolted against Boniface.

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[Prokomenos]

Great information Voulgaroktonos!

[Hephaestion]

Originally Posted by Ellinas
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I've seen many disputes in the internet about the descent of Skenderbeu, and I see them pointless. Even if Skenderbeu was genetically half Greek and half Serbian this does not matter at all since his heart was with Albania and that was the country he fought for. Fairly he is their national hero.

I disagree about fighting for Albania my friend. I think he fought for his people that are in the modern region of Albania, but that it is. If however you mean that his army had soldiers that at least partially consisted of some forefathers of Albanians, I think I can understand to a point.

[Zamolxis]

I think the evidence proves that he was Greek, however, i wouldnt use THE RISE OF ISKANDER by Benjamin Disraeli as historical proof, its not that type of book