The Filiki Etaireia

The Filiki Eteria, or the Society of Friends, was a secret organization created in Odessa in 1814 with the goal of overthrowing Ottoman rule in Greece and establishing an independent Greek state.

Their stated goal was to build the groundwork for a well-coordinated, armed revolt against the Turks. Beyond the liberation of the homeland, the three founders, Emmanuil Xanthos, Nikolaos Skouphas, and Athanasios Tsakalov, had no vision of the shape of the independent Greece they aspired. Initially, the society's endeavor to recruit members throughout the Greek world met with little success, but from 1818 onward, it made significant progress, discovering an important source of recruits in expatriate communities.

Members of the society included young Phanariot Greeks from Constantinople and the Russian Empire, local political and military leaders from the Greek mainland and islands, and several Orthodox Christian leaders from other Hellenic-influenced nations, including Karađorđe from Serbia, Tudor Vladimirescu from Romania, and Arvanite military commanders. Prince Alexander Ypsilantis, a famous Phanariote, was one of its leaders. In the spring of 1821, the Society declared the Greek War of Independence.

Founded: 14 September 1814
Location: Odessa, Russian Empire

Purpose: Preparation for the Greek War of Independence

Founder: Emmanuil Xanthos, Nikolaos Skoufas, Athanasios Tsakalov