Petros Lantzas

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Petros Lantzas
Allegiance Republic of Venice
Spanish Empire
Born Corfu
Died 1608
Ragusa
Nationality Greek
Occupation Rebel, spy, and privateer

Petros Lantzas[lower-alpha 1] (Greek: Πέτρος Λάντζας; died 1608) was a Greek rebel, spy, and privateer.[1] He initially worked for the Republic of Venice and from 1574 was employed by the Spanish Empire. Lantzas was involved in various plots to overthrow Ottoman rule in Greek-inhabited regions. In 1608, he devised a plan to assassinate the Ottoman sultan by placing a present containing explosives in front of him.

Early years

Petros Lantzas was born on the island of Corfu, then part of the Republic of Venice (now in modern Greece). The Lantza family originated from western Europe. Andreas Lantzas, grandfather of Petros, was appointed at 1499 castelanno and then at 1500 governor (capitano) of Parga. His son Georgios was also appointed governor of the same town at 1544-1545.[2] Russian historian Vladimir Lamansky considered that the Lantza family was Albanian originating near Butrint. Based on this assumption a comita Lanza is recorded to have been an ally of Gjin Zenebishi in 1394 and to have had close relations with Venice.[3] As such the later must be the same as a certain Gjin (Ghin) Lanza who is listed among those Albanian noblemen who were considered to be allies by the Venetians.[4] After the Ottoman conquest of Albania, the Lanza found refuge in Corfu and were employed in the Venetian army. The family didn't have good relations with the native Corfiotes. Zorzi Lanza, father of Petro Lanza was made captain of Parga in 1538, but in 1542 a committee of representatives from the municipality of Corfu demanded that he be removed from his position.[5] They claimed that he had seized the post with "improper means". Their case was accepted in 1546 and he was dismissed.

During the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570-1573, he supported the rebellion of Emmanuel Mormoris in Ottoman-ruled Epirus.[6] As such, Lantzas made preparatory skirmishes and raided Turkish ships in the regions of Lepanto and Preveza. He also attacked inland regions and penetrated as far as Delvinë.[7] At the end of the war (1573), he was appointed governor of the coastal town of Parga, opposite of Corfu, by the Venetians.[8][9]

In 1574, however, Lantzas was dismissed from office and banished by the Venetian authorities. Though the reason for this turn of events is unclear, an anonymous letter sent to the local Venetian provveditore (governor-general) alleged that Lantzas was ostensibly buying munitions from the Spanish to allow the locals to defend themselves against the Turks, but according to the letter he was in fact selling these munitions to the Turks for his own profit. The letter goes on to ask for Lantzas to be assassinated.[9] Meanwhile, being unhappy with the Venetian–Ottoman peace settlement, he transferred to Spanish service. Lantzas served the Viceroy of Naples and became a notable member of the Greek community of Naples.[10][11]

In Spanish service

Venice decided to sue for a unilateral peace with the Ottomans in 1573. As a result, the Greek collaborators of the Venetians and their agents in Corfu and the Ottoman Empire turned to the Kingdom of Naples, then part of the Spanish Empire.[11] On the other hand, Spain actively encouraged insurrections against the Ottoman Empire and acceded to the petitions of a number of rebels and potential rebels.[12]

In the following years, Lantzas served the Spanish as a corsair and spy.[13] In July of 1576, he went to Himara, where the local population was willing to raise a revolt against Ottoman rule.[8] As part of this, Lantzas, together with the rebels from Himara, led an attack against the nearby Ottoman fortress of Sopot, but did not meet with success.[8]

Lantzas' assignment was to supervise the military movements of the Ottomans, as well as those of the Venetians, and to direct the shipment of weapons, provisions, spies, and saboteurs who were sent repeatedly to Epirus, the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, and other parts of the Ottoman Empire.[11] He led pirate raids against Ottoman ships, while from 1577 he began chasing and attacking Venetian ships (frigates and galliots) by orders of the governor of Bari and Otranto.[14] These activity resulted in diplomatic tensions between Habsburg Spain and Venice.[15][16] This activity aroused the wrath of Venice, which attempted to assassinate him.[11] As a result of this activity, Lantzas was dismissed from his post as the captain of the royal frigates in 1578, though he continued to serve the Viceroys of Naples until the first decade of the 17th century.[15][10]

In 1578, under the guidance of Lantzas, plans were proposed to the Viceroy of Naples and the Spanish king Philip II (r. 1556–1598) for a military intervention in favor of a Greek insurrection in Cyprus, which had been occupied by the Ottomans since 1571.[17] In August of 1596, Lantzas supported another revolt in Himara led by the Archbishop of Ohrid, Athanasios Rizeas.[18]

Later, Lantzas proposed to engage in a number of clandestine operations by moving to Constantinople; in 1608, he devised a plan to assassinate the Ottoman sultan by placing a present containing explosives in front of him.[13][19]

Lantzas died in 1608 during a trip to Ragusa on the Adriatic shore.[20]

Note

  1. ↑ Sometimes the Italian or Latinized versions of his name are preferred: Petro/Pietro Lanza.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Xhufi 2016, p. 57.
  4. ↑ Xhufi 2016, p. 58: Vladimir Lamansky i konsideron ata shqiptare (l' albanais Piero Lantza)...
  5. ↑ Xhufi 2016, p. 59.
  6. ↑ Vranousis & Sfyroeras 1997, pp. 244–251.
  7. ↑ Chasiotis 1970, p. 93.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Vakalopoulos 2003, p. 84.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lubin 2012, p. 135: "Pietro or Petros Lantzas, described in the sources as a Greek, who had served as the Venetian governor of Parga in 1573 [...] the crime that he did."
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Gürkan 2012, p. 228.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Hassiotis 1969, p. 285.
  12. ↑ Lubin 2012, p. 165.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Gürkan 2012, p. 114.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Gürkan 2012, p. 419.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Hassiotis 1969, p. 286.
  18. ↑ Vakalopoulos 2003, p. 83: "Πάντως οι ενέργειες του αρχιεπισκόπου της Μάνης Αθανασίου συνέβαλαν στην έκρηξη νέου κινήματος (Αύγουστος 1596), στην προετοιμασία του οποίου συνέβαλε ζωηρά και ο Πέτρος Λάντζας. Ο Αθανάσιος κινητοποίησε 1.300 Χιμαριώτες [...]"
  19. ↑ Gürkan 2012, p. 419: "Similarly, the Corphiote Pietro Lanza served the Viceroys of Naples for many years as a corsair and spy. After many years in service, he even offered, at a very old age, an interesting plan, worthy of the caliber of this seasoned corsair. He would go to Constantinople and engage in a number of clandestine operations including the assassination of the Ottoman Sultan with a fake present in whose lower part there would be explosives."
  20. ↑ Papadopoulou 1982, Volume I, p. 84.

Sources

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