200 YEARS FROM THE DEATH OF LASKARINA BOUBOULINA

Laskarina Pinotsi (better known as Bouboulina, after her second husband’s surname) was born in Constantinople in 1771 and grew up on the maritime island of Spetses. She inherited an immense fortune from her two husbands, Dimitrios Giannouzas and Dimitrios Bouboulis, and spent it all to finance the Greek Revolution. She was one of the few women to be admitted to the Friendly Society (Philike Etaireia), which masterminded the revolt. As soon as she was initiated, she started to procure military equipment, also building the 18-gun brig Agamemnon as flagship of her flotilla. At the same time, she recruited and paid for a private army of fellow islanders from Spetses. Bouboulina’s flotilla participated in the siege of Nafplio, where she later settled on land donated by the Greek government in recognition of her services. She also took part in the sieges of Monemvasia and Tripolitsa. However, after the civil war, her plea to the government to release its imprisoned opponent Theodoros Kolokotronis led to her banishment to Spetses. She was killed there in a family feud in 1825.