Konstantinos Lagoumitzis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Λαγουμιτζής, 1781–?) was a Greek revolutionary during the War of Greek Independence (1821–1830), famous for his ability to dig underground tunnels during sieges.
Lagoumitzis was born in the village of Hormovo, near Tepelene in modern Albania, then Ottoman Empire. His real name was Dalaropoulos (Νταλαρόπουλος), but he was also called Hormovitis (Χορμοβίτης; from Hormovo), however he is mainly known as Lagoumitzis (sapper) due to his successful ability to dig underground tunnels (Greek: Λαγούμια Lagoumia) beneath the camps of enemies and blow them up.
His successes during the Siege of Messolonghi, and the Siege of Acropolis (1826), made him famous. During this last siege, Lagoumitzis saved Acropolis and the surrounding monuments, successfully dealing with plans of the Turkish besiegers on setting explosives and blowing up the ancient monuments.
Sources[]
- Athens Alive, Or, The Practical Tourist's Companion to the Fall of Man. Kevin Andrews. Hermes, 1979.
- Makrigiannis' memoirs (in Greek).
The original article can be found at Konstantinos Lagoumitzis and the edit history here.