On the 17th March 1821, war was declared on the Turks by the Maniots at Areopoli, in the Peloponnese capital of Mani. An army of 2,000 Maniots under the command of Petros Mavromichalis, which included Kolokotronis, his nephew Nikitaras and Papaflessas, advanced on the Messenian town of Kalamata, which had an Ottoman garrison and they…
