Panos Meintanis was a Klepht and Greek rebel (1643 – December 24, 1700)

From Pisoderi in Western Macedonia, he was a Klepht and Greek rebel of the 17th century.

Throughout Macedonia and Thessaly he was known to be a protector of Greeks from Ottoman officials, who would go from village to village “collecting taxes”.

He moves southward to Aetolia-Acarnania, in western Sterea Ellada, where he continues his attacks against the Turk occupiers.

He also found himself battling against the Venetian installations and points of control, where he was arrested. But during the 6th Ottoman-Venetian War (1684-1699), where the entire theatre of the war was based in Greece, Meintanis was released and participated in multiple operations against the Turks here as well.

On Christmas Eve in 1700, the location of his headquarters was betrayed and made known to the Turks, who lay in wait for Meintanis as he walked to Church in the village of Gardiki west of Trikala.

Noticing something was wrong, Meintanis quickly fled and fortified himself inside a house with a few allies.

After 5 hours, the Turks eventually managed to get to him, shooting and killing him. He was then beheaded and his severed head paraded in Thessaloniki and in Constantinople for the sultan.