In 1821, the execution of a patriarch sparked a turning point for Greek independence
The public execution of Patriarch Gregory V in 1821 transformed a religious leader into a national martyr, fueling the flames of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.
In a brutal attempt to quash the Greek uprising, Ottoman authorities executed Patriarch Gregory V on Easter Sunday, 1821. Despite his public condemnations of the revolt, he was blamed for the rebellion and hanged from the gate of the Patriarchate in Constantinople.
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