Chios massacre of 1822

Background. The Greek War of Independence began in 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. In March 1822, as the revolt strengthened on the mainland, several hundred armed Greeks from the neighboring island of Samos landed in Chios. This action preceded the Ottoman reprisal, which resulted in the death, enslavement, and flight of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island.

Scale and Impact. The massacre resulted in the death, enslavement, and flight of about four-fifths of the Greek population on Chios. Estimates vary, with some sources citing tens of thousands massacred, expelled, and enslaved. The event was characterized as a catastrophe that devastated the island's community, including the destruction of thriving monastic estates. It is noted as a significant incident of violence against Christians in the Ottoman Empire.

Cultural and Political Responses. The massacre inspired Eugène Delacroix's famous painting, Massacre of Chios, and the poem "The Massacre at Scio" by William Cullen Bryant. In 2021, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece glorified Metropolitan Plato of Chios and 43 others martyred during the event. Political scientists have analyzed the massacre as an early instance of ethnic cleansing within the broader context of Ottoman violence.