A 4C’S Students’ Adventures in Greece: Part 4 

by Dawn Christakis

For my last day in Greece, I decided to take a walk through the alleyways of the city of Ierapetra on the Greek island of Crete. Pretty houses with beautiful tile patterns and friendly people greeted me at every corner.  

There was an old house that brought my attention. It seemed very old with a different structure. I realized that it was Napoleon’s Bonaparte’s house. There was a sign that talked about Napoleon’s stay to this house. 

In 1799, Napoleon took over by coup d'état (unlawful seizure of power from a government). He replaced the Directory with a three-person Consulate. As the first consul, Napoleon held power, while the other two consuls were symbolic figures. Napoleon abolished the Consulate and became Emperor Napoleon I of France. He also became a military leader after saving the French Directory by shooting down the royalist insurgents. Napoleon would often lead his soldiers directly into battle, taking charge at the front of his army. Even when he got hurt or his horse was shot, he would get on another horse and keep fighting.  

 He had one of the most successful generals of the French revolutionary armies at 26 and he won 80 percent of his battles. He changed how the military trains and organizes. He also sponsored the Napoleonic Code, a legal system, which gave everyone property rights, freedom, and equality. This later influenced modern civil law. 

Many local people from Ierapetra say Napoleon stopped in Crete on his way to Egypt to fight the Mamluks in 1789. He stayed with a local family for one night in Ierapetra. He apparently left a note revealing his identity. The family that hosted him saw the note written in French that said, “If you want to know who I was, find out that I am Napoleon Bonaparte”. 

This is a legendary story in Ierapetra. If you take walk on the city, you will see that many stores and restaurants are named after Napoleon.

Napoleon's house. (Dawn Christakis)

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