Aristidis Stergiadis
Encyclopedia
Aristidis Stergiadis (1861-23 June 1949) was the Hellenic
high-commissioner, or governor-general, of Smyrna
from 1919 to 1922. He was selected for the post by Prime Minister Venizelos
, who was a fellow Cretan
. He is considered one of the darkest figures in modern Greek history. Stergiadis was arguably possessed of a strict sense of justice and a high ideal of duty, he lived as a hermit, accepting no invitations and never appearing in society. According to George Horton, Stergiadis informed him that he wished "to accept no favors and to form no ties, so that he might administer equal justice to all, high and low alike." It soon became known that when he issued an order he expected it to be obeyed.
He abandoned Smyrna on 25 September 1922 on a British ship, and was transported to Britain. Later the same year he moved to Nice
, where he lived until the end of his life, on 23 June 1949, under British protection, wide spreading rumors that he had been an Secret Intelligence Service
spy. His family's property probably allowed him to live in wealth until the beginning of the Second World War, when most of the companies related to him were destroyed.
George Horton
writes:
On a letter to the then young member of the Greek Parliament, George Papandreou, shortly before the capture of Smyrna by the Turkish forces, Stergiadis writes, referring to the Asia Minor Greeks:
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
high-commissioner, or governor-general, of Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
from 1919 to 1922. He was selected for the post by Prime Minister Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
, who was a fellow Cretan
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. He is considered one of the darkest figures in modern Greek history. Stergiadis was arguably possessed of a strict sense of justice and a high ideal of duty, he lived as a hermit, accepting no invitations and never appearing in society. According to George Horton, Stergiadis informed him that he wished "to accept no favors and to form no ties, so that he might administer equal justice to all, high and low alike." It soon became known that when he issued an order he expected it to be obeyed.
He abandoned Smyrna on 25 September 1922 on a British ship, and was transported to Britain. Later the same year he moved to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, where he lived until the end of his life, on 23 June 1949, under British protection, wide spreading rumors that he had been an Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
spy. His family's property probably allowed him to live in wealth until the beginning of the Second World War, when most of the companies related to him were destroyed.
George Horton
George Horton
George Horton was a member of the US diplomatic corps who held several consular offices, in Greece and the Ottoman Empire, in late 19th century and early 20th century. Horton initially arrived in Greece in 1893 and left from Greece 30 years later in 1924...
writes:
- On one occasion I was present at an important service in the Orthodox Cathedral, to which the representative of the various powers, as well as the principal Greek authorities had been invited. The high-commissioner had given the order that the service should be strictly religious and non-political. Unfortunately, Archbishop Chrysostom (he who was later murdered by the Turks) began to introduce some politics into his sermon, a thing which he was extremely prone to do. Sterghiades, who was standing near him, interrupted, saying: "But I told you I didn’t want any of this." The archbishop flushed, choked, and breaking off his discourse abruptly, ended with, "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen," and stepped off the rostrum.
On a letter to the then young member of the Greek Parliament, George Papandreou, shortly before the capture of Smyrna by the Turkish forces, Stergiadis writes, referring to the Asia Minor Greeks:
- It would be better them to stay here and be slaughtered by Kemal, because if they go to Athens, they will disestablish everything.