Manto Mavrogenous was a young woman from a wealthy family, who in 1822 joined the Greek campaign for independence from the Ottoman Empire. After leading the people of Mykonos in driving the Turks from their island, Manto went on to use her talents and family money to raise troops and equip the rebels’ small navy.

Fearing Manto’s sympathy for Russia, the pro-French revolutionary Ioannis Kolettis deliberately broke up her romance with rebel leader Dimitrios Ypsilantis by spreading false rumours of Manto’s infidelity, which Dimitrios believed. Although Greece’s first post-revolution Governor, Ioannis Kapodistrias, properly honoured her, his assassination in 1831 saw Manto fall from favour again, and she died virtually unknown in 1848.

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