Portrait of a Greek armatolos

In the Balkans, thievery as a way of life goes back to the pre-Ottoman period and, from the middle of the 17th century, it provided an escape from misery for the rural districts of the Greece. Travellers' accounts and state documents of the 18th century describe the armed groups that attacked commercial expeditions, state officialss, travellers and even villages and towns, in order to gain money, guns and food. The thieves' shelters, or 'limeria', were located in the mountain area that stretched from Kastoria to Lamia. Living in groups of 30 to 50, they soon grew accustomed to their harsh living conditions and to the strict inner hierarchy. They came from nearby rural areas, which they had abandoned because of economic and social pressures. In the mountains they were able to familiarize themselves with guns and the tactics of attack. They learned how to lie an ambush and attack at the right moment ('yiourousi') . Even when they were not at war they were on the alert; when on guard, for example, they practised stone throwing, running, or shooting.

Limeria:
naturally sheltered sites; 'tambouria' were look-out or defensive positions

Hierarchy:
the group leader was surrounded by trustworthy companions, the 'brave in heart' ('protopalikara'). The younger members of the group were assigned chores, the so-called 'chatzaroules'

From 1680 until the Greek Revolution, these bands of thieves gained experience of war. They were up against the forces of local sovereigns and detachments of armatolos; sometimes they fought against the janissaries' forces (yamaks) who occupied nearby areas. Throughout this time their capacity as warriors increased, as did their importance in local affairs. Toparches and the powerful cliques of central and western Greece pursued a policy of cooperation with these mountain gangs; talks and agreements based on mutual interest often lay behind the conflicts with the 'armatolos'. The enterprises of the thieves and the revolutionary instigations against the Ottomans joint in a Greek rebellion in the third decade of the century.

Armatolos:
armed unit initially called upon to carry out repressive jurisdiction at provincial level. From the end of the 18th century their powers had increased locally and their duties broadened