Klada
Encyclopedia
Krokodeilos Kladas also known as Krokondeilos or Korkondelos, was a military leader in the Morea
(medieval Peloponnese
) in the latter 15th century.
Sultan Mehmed II
took the Morea in 1460, Kladas handed over his castle of Agios Giorgios and was given in exchange the castle of Vardounia in Upper Mani
and the territory of Elos. By 1465, the Kladas brothers, Krokodēlos and Epifani, were leading bands of stratioti
(warrior bands) on behalf of Venice
against the Turks
. They put Vardounia and their lands into Venetian possession, for which Epifani then acted as governor. The Kladas brothers were frequently complimented by Venetian officials, and received generous Venetian gifts. Krokodēlos Kladas and his followers stood as rebels against Mehmed, but the Venetian
-Ottoman
peace settlement
, while giving them a full pardon, also returned territorial boundaries to what they had been in 1463, so this put the Venetian-Kladas land holdings back into Ottoman possession. Kladas moved to Venetian-held Koroni
.
On October 9, 1480, Kladas led stratioti men from Koroni to attack Ottoman holdings in Mani. A number of Turks were killed. Both Ottomans and Venetians put a price on his head. This revolt was joined in December by stratioti from Nafplion
led by Theodore Bua. An army sent by the Sultan was defeated between Passavas
and Oitylo in February of 1481. Later that month, a larger force under Mohammed Bey drove Kladas to Porto Kagio
where he was taken on board a Neapolitan galley, leaving his revolt to wither in his absence. A peaceful settlement of the revolt was negotiated by the Ottoman governor of the Morea and Venetian official Bartolomeo Minio
. Meanwhile, Kladas went with a Neapolitan army to Albania to aid an anti-Ottoman revolt there. It is not known when he returned to Mani. He was captured in battle near Monemvasia
in 1490 and flayed alive.
-held castle for the Byzantine
s. Members of the family made donations to a monastery at Mistra in 1366 and 1375. A Krokodeilos is identified as one of the rebels against the Emperor Manuel II in 1415. The "Crocodile" pun made there is a single appearance and never appears in contemporary documents relating to this Krokodēlos Kladas. The only contemporary document that can be directly tied to Krokodēlos Kladas as possible author is a carved inscription on a donation to a church in Karytaina. He and his brothers are strongly praised in Venetian sources. Kladas had been awarded a Venetian knighthood (and a gold robe) just before the 1480 revolt. Members of the family moved to Kefalonia
, and continued to lead stratioti in Venetian service for at least another hundred years.
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
(medieval Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
) in the latter 15th century.
Life
Kladas was a member of the prominent Kladas clan. When the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
took the Morea in 1460, Kladas handed over his castle of Agios Giorgios and was given in exchange the castle of Vardounia in Upper Mani
Mani Peninsula
The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
and the territory of Elos. By 1465, the Kladas brothers, Krokodēlos and Epifani, were leading bands of stratioti
Stratioti
The Stratioti or Stradioti , were mercenary units from the Balkans recruited mainly by states of southern and central Europe from the 15th until the middle of the 18th century.-Name:The Greek term "στρατιώτης/-αι" and its various latinized forms, were in use since classical antiquity with...
(warrior bands) on behalf of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
against the Turks
Ottoman–Venetian War (1463–1479)
The First Ottoman–Venetian War was fought between the Republic of Venice and her allies and the Ottoman Empire from 1463 to 1479. Fought shortly after the capture of Constantinople and the remnants of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottomans, it resulted in the loss of several Venetian holdings in...
. They put Vardounia and their lands into Venetian possession, for which Epifani then acted as governor. The Kladas brothers were frequently complimented by Venetian officials, and received generous Venetian gifts. Krokodēlos Kladas and his followers stood as rebels against Mehmed, but the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
peace settlement
Treaty of Constantinople (1479)
The Treaty of Constantinople was signed on January 25, 1479, which officially ended the fifteen-year war between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. The agreement was established as a result of the Ottomans having reached the outskirts of Venice. Based on the terms of the treaty, the...
, while giving them a full pardon, also returned territorial boundaries to what they had been in 1463, so this put the Venetian-Kladas land holdings back into Ottoman possession. Kladas moved to Venetian-held Koroni
Koroni
Koroni or Coroni is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is a municipal unit. Known as Corone by the Venetians and Ottomans, the town of Koroni Koroni or Coroni is a...
.
On October 9, 1480, Kladas led stratioti men from Koroni to attack Ottoman holdings in Mani. A number of Turks were killed. Both Ottomans and Venetians put a price on his head. This revolt was joined in December by stratioti from Nafplion
Nafplion
Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was the first capital of modern Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the peripheral unit of...
led by Theodore Bua. An army sent by the Sultan was defeated between Passavas
Passavas
Passavas or Las is situated on the Mani Peninsula. In ancient times Las was a Spartan possession and in 218 BC the citizens of the city fought and routed and group of Philip V of Macedon's army. Las became part of the Union of Free Laconians in 195 BC when it separated from Sparta. The Spartans...
and Oitylo in February of 1481. Later that month, a larger force under Mohammed Bey drove Kladas to Porto Kagio
Porto Kagio
Porto Kagio is a village in Mani, Greece.History writes that the year 1570, the Ottomans tried to build a castle there to block the sea route for the Venetians to their colonies in Crete and Cyprus. As soon as the Maniots heard of this, they besieged the castle. They also sent messengers to the...
where he was taken on board a Neapolitan galley, leaving his revolt to wither in his absence. A peaceful settlement of the revolt was negotiated by the Ottoman governor of the Morea and Venetian official Bartolomeo Minio
Bartolomeo Minio
Bartolomeo Minio was, among other things, a Venetian captain and commander of Nauplion in the Venetian Morea from 1479 to 1483 AD...
. Meanwhile, Kladas went with a Neapolitan army to Albania to aid an anti-Ottoman revolt there. It is not known when he returned to Mani. He was captured in battle near Monemvasia
Monemvasia
Monemvasia is a town and a municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The peninsula is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 metres above sea level, up to...
in 1490 and flayed alive.
Family
The Kladas family is known in records from the Morea since 1296 when a "Corcondille" managed to capture a FrankishFrangokratia
The Frankokratia or Frangokratia , also known as Latinokratia is the period in Greek history after the Fourth Crusade , when a number of Western European Crusader states were established in Greece, on the territory of the dissolved Byzantine Empire .The term derives from the fact that Orthodox...
-held castle for the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
s. Members of the family made donations to a monastery at Mistra in 1366 and 1375. A Krokodeilos is identified as one of the rebels against the Emperor Manuel II in 1415. The "Crocodile" pun made there is a single appearance and never appears in contemporary documents relating to this Krokodēlos Kladas. The only contemporary document that can be directly tied to Krokodēlos Kladas as possible author is a carved inscription on a donation to a church in Karytaina. He and his brothers are strongly praised in Venetian sources. Kladas had been awarded a Venetian knighthood (and a gold robe) just before the 1480 revolt. Members of the family moved to Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
, and continued to lead stratioti in Venetian service for at least another hundred years.