Manthos Iconomou

Manthos Iconomou (Greek: Μάνθος Οικονόμου) (1754-1822) was a Greek scholar, chancellor and advisor of Ali Pasha in Ioannina.

Born at 1754 in the village of Koukouli (Zagori region). After completing ground level studies in his village he continued his studies in Ioannina. He was already a scholar at 1800. Due to his personality: being honest, hard-working, higly educated, was engaged in Ali’ s court, and soon he managed to become his trustworthy advisor.

While he was at his service he managed to remain indifferent towards the brutalities, committed by Ali’ s men against his orthodox fellows. When he got the opportunity he always intervened to save his compatriots from imprisonment or even death (like Konstantinos Ikonomou). His attitude was some times misunderstood. The people who knew him, were sure about his patriotic feelings. He became member of Filiki Eteria at 1817. At 1819 he negotiated, for Ali Pasha, with the English, the surrender of the coastal town of Parga .The same year he found at Koukouli, the "Central School of Zagori". During the conflicts between Ali Pasha and Suplime Porte, he strictly followed the instructions of Filiki Eteria.

He was arrested by ottoman troops of Mahmud Dramali Pasha in Metsovo and executed at 22 August 1822.

External Links

*"http://www.koukouli-zagoriou.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=74 (in Greek)"
*"http://www.eens-congress.eu/?main__page=1&main__lang=de&eensCongress_cmd=showPaper&eensCongress_id=218 his bibliography"