Septinsular Republic: Greece's First Autonomy Since Byzantium
Seven islands suddenly stopped bowing to sultans. In 1800, Russia and Turkey swapped power like trading cards, handing the Ionian Islands to a fragile new republic where Greek flags flew for just five years before France took over. Men in Athens didn't celebrate with fireworks; they worried about paying taxes to a distant protectorate that might vanish tomorrow. We still see their boldness today, though the Republic itself is gone. They proved Greeks could rule themselves long before the world was ready to listen.
April 6, 1800
226 years ago
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