Plural of armatole; armed men or soldiers, especially irregular troops or militia in Ottoman-ruled Greece and the Balkans during the 18th and 19th centuries.
From Greek armatoli, derived from Italian/Spanish armata (armed). These soldiers emerged in Ottoman territories where local militias were authorized to maintain order, becoming famous figures in Greek independence struggles.
The armatoles were the action heroes of their time—Greek rebels authorized by Ottoman authorities to police the mountains, but many became freedom fighters during the Greek War of Independence, blurring the line between occupier's soldiers and revolutionaries.
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