Socialist, anarchist and revolutionary movements in Patras in 1880s

In 1877 in Patras a People’s School was founded by a number of local progressive intellectuals, a form of secular university, which, however, waned after a while.

In 1879, socialist Vlassis Tselios, published the newspaper “Synthima” ("Password"). On January 24, 1882, he published another weekly newspaper under the name “Ergatis” ("Worker") which circulated until 1884.

In 1880 Panagiotis Eymorfopoulos (one of the participants in Democratic Association of Patras during 1870s) published the weekly newspaper “Fanos” (“Lamp”), with editor in chief Konstantinos Iliopoulos, who allegedly was an anarchist sympathiser. Local marxist historian V. Lazaris says that Iliopoulos was the editor of this newspaper and it was neither satirical nor anarchist, but carried general socialist principles. Nikos Politis in his "Chronicle of Patras’ Press 1840-1940”, writes that Iliopoulos was not an anarchist, but only a socialist, while famous Greek Marxist historian Yanis Kordatos in the first two editions of his book "History of Greek Workers Movement" wrote that when “Fanos” closed Iliopoulos disappeared and went abroad. Kordatos also says that “Iliopoulos pretended to be a socialist secretly. According to Kordatos, “he became a pownbroker afterwards. He spend the money inherited by an uncle of his and ended up a bum. He died in 1910 in Volos. He even managed to fool the local socialists pretending himself as a great old activist. So when he died his funeral was magnificent ... The only true thing is that Iliopoulos had relations with Italian anarchists with whom he formed some secret groupings which they named circles (each circle had 9 members and the members of one circle did not know the members of the others). But he was an adventurer and had no reputation. So his actions left no sign”.

But Kordatos in the third edition of his work has not included these allegations and, obviously, the responsibility for this rests with anarchist Dimitris Karampilias, who in the last years of his life sent letters to Kordatos challenging the inaccuracies of the latter as well as new historical stuff for the anarchist, socialist and labor movement of Patras during 19th century. We must note that Kordatos in order to support his claims that Iliopoulos opened a pawnshop and became a lender in Athens used only a brief and questionable comment of the farmer M. Georgakopoulos published in the magazine “Ethniko Imerologio” ("National Diary") published by K.F.Skokos in 1899. But from our research we conclude the relevance of Politis and Lazaris opinion about the political orientation of newspaper "Fanos" headed by Iliopoulos and we therefore believe that he was a serious connoisseur of anarchist ideas as kindly disposed to them.

Meanwhile, from the issue 81 of “Fanos” (1882), the publisher changed and the newspaper took by George Stavropoulos - who allegedly was also a sympathizer with the anarchist ideas - and later by P. Karnatsos, when the political line of the newspaper changed and started support Deligiannis and other conservative politicians. In 1891 K. Iliopoulos left Patras. In 1901 he moved to Athens and published a newspaper with the name "Enchorios Minytor”. "Neologos", daily newspaper of Patras as well as another newspaper Rizopastis” ("Radical") wrote about this new publication whishing that Iliopoulos will keep the same political line as in “Fanos”.

In 1881, Filergatikos Syllogos "Omonia" (Workers’ Friend Association “Harmony”) established, as a mutual-aid organisation which in October 1882 by the initiative of Andreas Rigopoulos, reconstituted Peoples’ School (which as we saw founded in 1877). At his school many progressive teachers, workers and intellectuals gave simple lessons of Ancient Greek history, Geography, Cosmography, History, Health, Physics, History of Greek Revolution and more.

In 1882 there was a militant strike of printers in Patras, followed by some incidents with the police. In the Strike Commission Alexandros Eymorfopoulos (father of Panagiotis) participated.

On December 5, 1882, Konstantinos Mpompotis gave a lecture in the room of Achaikos Association, which published on 28 April 1883 as a separate brochure, entitled "On the rights of human and citizen”. Priot to that K. Mpompotis wrote a preface of anarcho-socialist views for the book of E. Sechelles "Abuses of criminal justice", which was published in Greece in 1880.

Between 1883-1884, Vlassis Tselios left the newspaper "Ergatis" which was taken by the lawyer Andreas Stavropoulos. Tselios republished then "Synthima", but stopped in 1884 because he returned to "Ergatis", which on March 12, 1884 renamed to “Taxydromos Patron” (“Postman of Patras”). Although Tselios eventually didn’t continue there, this newspaper continued its circulation for many years.

In August 1885, the walls of Patras filled with the slogan "Down With the Taxes” while two months later there was a mass escape from the city’s prison. Another uprising of prisoners in Rio Prisons took place in 15 November 1885 and was attacked by the guard.

On 10 April 1886, there was a battle between two deserters from the military and gendarmes, where several policemen injured and the defectors disappeared. The battle took place near the church of Pantanassa. It is worth noting that those years both in Achaia and Ilia Prefectures lots of workers and peasants used to bring guns. This fact gave a great boost to the mass class struggles, especially in rural areas. We mention this to understand the outbreak of violence at the time, which often had class revolutionary motives.

In 1886, Tselios published another newspaper, with the name “Proodos” ("Progress"), subtitled "Peoples’ Newspaper" and by supporting radical socialist ideas, with the motto "Freedom - Equality - Fraternity". In 1887, Tselios published another newspaper with the name “Promachos” (“Champion”).

In 1886, Dionysis Vassiliadis circulated the newspaper “Peloponnisos” (“Peloponnese”). Of the collaborators of this newspaper was the anarchist Giannis Magkanaras, and Christian-sosialist Vasilis Theodoridis. Also lawyer Vassilis Kalliontzis, and former member of the Democratic Club Konstantinos Grimmanis, for whom historian N. Politis writes that he played a leading role in the socialist movement of the time.