Petrovas Dimitrios (Mitros) [Mitropetrovas]
Dimitrios (Mitros) Petrovas, more widely known by the nickname Mitropetrovas, was a klepht during the pre-revolutionary years and a fighter of the Greek Revolution of 1821.
He was born in Garantza (present-day Ano Melpeia in Messenia), the birthplace of many klephts. He received his baptism of fire during the Orlov Revolt together with other fellow villagers. In 1805 — a period of intense persecution of the klephts and armatoloi by the Ottoman authorities — a price was put on his head, and he sought protection by moving to Zakynthos. He returned to his homeland in 1813, and in 1819 he was initiated into the Filiki Etaireia (Society of Friends) by Kyriakos Kamarinos, a member whose activity in Mani on behalf of the society's aims was very significant.
Among others, Kamarinos had also initiated Petrobey Mavromichalis. Mitropetrovas was one of the leaders who proclaimed the Revolution in the region of Upper Messenia, despite the advanced age he had reached when the Struggle broke out. He took part in significant military operations in the Peloponnese as the leader of armed bands, such as at the Battle of Valtetsi and, a little later, at the siege and Fall of Tripolitsa, as well as in the operations to halt the troops of Mahmud Pasha Dramali. He was a family friend of Theodoros Kolokotronis and sided with him both during the military operations and during the civil conflicts. In 1823 the Provisional Administration awarded him the rank of chiliarch (commander of a thousand).
After the naval Battle of Navarino and the arrival of Ioannis Kapodistrias, Mitropetrovas withdrew from active involvement and, as a Russophile, supported the new Governor. During the first Othonian period he remained a supporter of the Russian party and a steadfast fellow traveler of Th. Kolokotronis. Thus, in July 1834 and despite being nearly 90 years old, the old captain of the Struggle did not hesitate to take part in an uprising in his birthplace against the Regency. The spark had been the arrest of Kolokotronis and other fighters on the charge of instigating anti-national activities.
The suppression of the uprisings in Messenia by government forces led Mitropetrovas and the other participants to surrender and ultimately to trial. Due to his advanced age and the recognition of his contribution to the Struggle, Mitropetrovas was not sentenced to death, as happened with the rebels Giannakis Gritzalis and Anastasios Tzamalis, but to fifteen years' imprisonment at Neokastro (Pylos). He nevertheless remained imprisoned for two years until he was granted amnesty and released. He died two years later at the age of 93.
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