The Greek War of Independence in Macedonia:

"In no part of Greece were the facilities for commencing the Revolution, or for defending the national independence, greater than in the peninsula to
east of the Gulf of Thessalonica, called anciently Chalcidice. The population was almost entirely of the Greek race, and its villages enjoyed the title of Free Townships (Eleutherokhoria), on account of their many privileges."

"The submission of Mount Athos enabled Aboulabad to turn his attention to the Greek population in the mountains between the mouths of the Haliacmon and the Axius. Zaphiraki, the primate of Niaousta, was the most infuential Greek in this district. He was a man of considerable wealth; he had opposed Ali Pasha in intrigue, and held his ground...He now invited Gatsos and Karatassos, the captains of Armatoli at Vodhena and Verria, to meet him. These three chiefs proclaimed the Revolution...

-George Finlay, "History of the Greek Revolution", London, 1971 

---