User:Nassia Vas/sandbox/Zois Panou

Zois Panou (1765 - August 29, 1846) was a military man and leader of the Greek revolution of 1821 from Paramythia of Epirus. Additionally, he served as a proxy in various National Assemblies.

Activities during the pre-revolutionary years
Panou was born in 1765 in Paramythia. He was coming from a well off  and religious family in the area. His sister was Despo who later married the Souliot chieftain Fotos Tzavelas. In the end of 18th century, he was active as a merchant in Palermo, Sicily. During the Russo-Turkish War 1787 - 1792, he enlisted in the Russian army. He later took part in the Napoleonic Wars. Since 1805 he had been serving in the Russian-created Greek Battalions of the Ionian Islands, which were maintained under French and British rule. He reached the rank of captain of the first class. At the same time, since 1819 he had been participating  in the Friendly Society. In 1820, he took part in the war between the High Gate and Ali Pasha. In the beginning he was on the side of the sultan's troops and later, after an agreement between Ali and the Souliotes, he was with the side of the pasha of Ioannina. In the context of this war, where he was wounded twice, he distinguished himself in the battles of Manoliasa, Theriakisi and Lelova.

Action in the Greek Revolution
In July 1821, together with an armed force of Parginians and Souliotes he participated in the failed operation of the Greek revolutionaries to occupy the fortress of Parga. On August 2, 1822, he participated with Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis, Lambros Veikos and Vassilis Zervas in the battle of Splantza , where he had 120 men under his command. This battle took place while trying to strengthen Souli, which was pressed by the Ottoman troops. But the death of Mavromichalis during the battle, while he was walking with some men to support the fortress of Panos, cancelled the campaign. At the end of the same year, Panos was at  besieged Messolonghi and later fought in Trikeri, Skiathos and Patras as a chief of 30 men. In 1824, he defended Karaiskakis when he went on trial, and on April 4, 1825, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.

In 1825 - 1826, he took part in the second siege of Messolonghi, joining the corps of his nephew, Kitsos Tzavelas. Together with Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos and Georgios Valtinos, he went to Zakynthos to find supplies and money. During the Exodus on April 10, he managed to escape although he was injured.

Apart from the battlefields, Panou also contributed to the political field of the revolution. In the beginning of 1822, he took part in the First National Assembly of Epidaurus, where he signed the "Provisional Government" as a representative of the Souliotes. Later he took part in the national assemblies of Astros (1823) and Troizina.

In the Context of the Greek State
After the creation of the Greek state, Zois Panou was honoured with the rank of colonel of the Royal Phalanx. At the same time, in 1842, a collection of his poems was published. It consisted of poems he had written during the Greek Revolution with the aim of encouraging the Greeks. He passed away at the age of 81, on August 29, 1846.

<references group="Krapsiti, 1973, p. 7 - 9. 10. Perraivou, A΄, 1836, p. 168-173 Krapsiti, 1973, p. 11. 11. Vakalopoulos, 1982, VI΄, p. 152-153, 165-166 Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 12. 12. Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 23. Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 13-14. 13. Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 30 - 32. Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 14. 14. Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 24 - 26. Κrapsiti, 1973, p. 15 - 16. 15. Κokkinos,1974, Β΄, p. 383. Krapsiti, 1973, p.16-17 16. Κrapsiti, 1973, σ. 26 - 27 Krapsiti, 1973, p. 17-20 17. Krapsiti, 1973, p. 34-35 Vakalopoulos, 1982, VI, p. 165-166" />