Bournias - Historical

Antonios Bournias

A revolutionary of Chios in 1822

 

 

Some history regarding Antonios Bournias,

a.k.a. Antonios Hadji-Bournias

During the hostilities between the Turkish people and the people on the island of Chios, Greece, a Chiotist named Antonios Bournias lived in the village of Parparia or Pyrama in the 1800's.  Both Parparia and Pyrama are located in the North-West area of Chios.  Antonios Bournias had served under Napoleon's campaigns before attempting to over throw the reign of the Pasha in Chios.  He attained the position of an officer for his services with Napoleon Bonapart in the African, Sardinian and the Egyptian wars.

Being a friend of the well known Lycurgus, he tried to persuade Ypsilanti to provide support for his plan.  In an attempt to find additional support for his plan, he went to the island of Samos where he met with four other men from Chios.  After attaining the help of these men, he stormed the fortress of the Pasha.  Antonios Bournias had failed because the promised support that he was to originally receive did not arrive. In the end, his attempts against the Pasha cost him the life of his wife, from the family Haniotou, his children, and personal wealth.

This forced him to flee by boat to the island of Psara which is a small island off to the north of Chios.  From Psara he travelled to Evia, Syros, and Aegina.  In Aegina, he later met and married another woman from Chios.   It is possible that this woman's name was Magaina.  He supposedly had four children with her by the names of Apostolos, Smaragda, Gregory, and Manoli.

After fighting the Turks in the area of Moria in the Peleponese, he returned once again in 1827 to Chios to continue his fight with the Turks there.

A bust representing the figure of Antonios Bournias exists today in the village of Pyrama, Chios.  Today, the Bournias family are now spread throughout Greece and have also travelled and populate many other countries around the world.   The family name is known very well in various villages as well as in Hora, the center of Chios, the village of Spartounda, and the area known as Livadia.  Many of the family members are well known for their contributions in the areas of politics, law, accounting, medicine, and engineering.