On June 7, 1821 the Sacred Band, constituted by 375 young Greeks, mainly students, fought against superior Turkish forces in Drăgășani of today’s Romania. The members of the Sacred Band fought bravely but suffered great losses because of the attack of the Turkish cavalry. Many were killed, others were captures and some were saved following a life-saving intervention by Ghiorgakis Olympios. Among those saved was also Athanassios Tsakaloff, one of the founders of the “Filiki Etairia” (Society of Friends). The battle of Drăgășani also signalled the end of the rebellion in Moldowallachia, which started on February 24, 1821, under the leadership of Alexandros Ypsilantis. It is worth studying the text of the oath of the Members of the Sacred Band, in which their faith in Orthodoxy and their love of the enslaved fatherland are emphasised.
Photograph: Peter von Hess, 400 Members of the Sacred Band, Precursors of the Holy Struggle, falling near Drăgășani, National Historical Museum
