Emmanuel Mormoris

Emmanuel Mormoris, Manolis Mormoris or Manoli Mormori (; ) was a 16th-century Cretan military commander and notable political figure in the Republic of Venice. He was the military commander of an Anti-Ottoman revolt at the time of the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570-1573.

Family and early years

The Mormori (or Murmuri) family originated from Nauplion, southern Greece. Emmanuel Mormoris has been described as of Greek or Albanian origin. In the 15th century Emmanuel Mormori is mentioned, a rich landlord in Nauplion who was married to a lady from the Bua family. Various members of the family participated in the armed struggles against the Ottoman Empire. The named is mentioned in the sixteenth century either as Mormori or as Murmuri and it appears that the family was active at Nauplion, where it originate. The following period various members of the Greek-Cretan branch of the family served the Venetian Republic. In various contemporary reports Mormoris himself frequently praises the Greeks as well as various members of his family in their struggles against the Ottoman Empire. Shortly before 1570 Emmanuel Mormoris was sent by the Venetian provveditore generale (governor-general) of Crete to Sfakia, a region in western Crete, to convince some local rebel to submit to Venetian rule. At 1568 he was dispatched to Corfu. The following year he was accepted as member of the Cretan nobility (cretensi nobili) by the Venetian Senate.

Activity in Epirus

During the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1570-1573 Mormoris took action in the region of Epirus. As soon as military operations began, Mormoris proposed the capture of the coastal fortress of Sopot across Corfu. After a successful siege on June 7, 1570, Mormoris was appointed commander of the fortress and the surrounding region. The capture of this strategic location triggered a general revolt under his leadership. Following this event the Ottoman presence was limited in the region to a few military outposts. In addition, the inhabitants of nearby Himara also supported the uprising and submitted voluntarily to Venetian rule,

Mormoris with a force composed of his soldiers and a 'large number of Albanians' proceeded to siege of the coastal fortress of Nivice. After operations lasting a year, it was finally taken in spring 1571. However, the rebels met difficulties during the siege of nearby Nivice which lasted nearly one year due to lack of the necessary preparations and artillery support. The capture of Nivica fort was achieved due to the military activities of the Himariotes and Mormoris. During the military operations Mormoris was assisted by his brother Zorzis Mormoris, who commanded units of Stratioti in Margariti, Santa Maura (Lefkada), and Corfu. In 1590-1591 he was sent to Italy to suppress the revolt of the lord of Montemarciano, Alfonso Picollomini. The latter was executed in March 1591. The following year he returned to Crete to deal with various rebellions in the island. In the summer of 1593 he was placed in Kefallonia where he supervised the construction of the Venetian fortress in Asos.