Filiki Eteria

Description

Filiki Eteria (Greek: Φιλικὴ Ἑταιρεία, romanized: Filikī́ Etaireía) or Society of Friends (Greek: Ἑταιρεία τῶν Φιλικῶν, romanized: Etaireía tôn Filikôn) was a secret political and revolutionary organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek State. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Constantinople and the Russian Empire, local political and military leaders from the Greek mainland and islands, as well as several Orthodox Christian leaders from other nations that were under Hellenic influence, such as Karađorđe from Serbia, and Tudor Vladimirescu from Romania. One of its leaders was the prominent Phanariote Prince Alexander Ypsilantis. The Society initiated the Greek War of Independence in the spring of 1821.

Translations and transliterations
The direct translation of the word “Φιλική” is “Friendly” and the direct translation of “Ἑταιρεία” is “Society”, “Company” or “Association”). The common transliteration “Filiki Eteria” reflects the pronunciation of the name in modern Greek. Other possible transliterations are “Filike Etaireia”, which reflects Greek orthography, and “Philike Hetaireia”, which reflects the ancient Greek etymology. The word “friendly” here is meant to connote allies who work towards the same goal, not necessarily those who socialize together.