Evolution of the Greek Flag: From Early Symbols to Sovereignty

Before the Greek Revolution, various regional flags circulated, often incorporating religious and mythical symbols such as St. George slaying the dragon, the double-headed eagle, and Christian emblems.

One of the earliest versions of the Greek flag was officially adopted on January 13th, 1821, 103 years ago. It features a blue cross on a white background. Like many national flags, the Greek flag symbolizes the country's fight for sovereignty, and its design has undergone multiple transformations over time. The flag’s blue and white stripes had various iterations before reaching their final form in 1978.

Before the revolution, Greek flags often featured a mix of religious and national symbols, reflecting a complex identity under Ottoman rule. During the Orlov Revolt of 1769-1771, a Greek-Russian attempt to overthrow Ottoman control, a flag with a blue cross on a white background gained popularity among Greek revolutionaries. However, a unified national flag would not be adopted for several decades.

Under Ottoman rule, merchant ships used red and blue flags, symbolizing the Ottoman Empire and Christian Orthodoxy, respectively.

When the Greek Revolution began in 1821, Greece received support from Western powers, including France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Empire, as they fought for independence from the Ottomans.

From December 1821 to January 1822, the National Assembly gathered to discuss strategies for unifying the fractured state. In this context, a new flag was introduced, representing their unification—this flag reversed the earlier flag design, with blue as the background and the white cross.

On March 15, 1822, Alexandros Mavrokordatos, the President of the Executive, authorized three distinct flag patterns. The Land Flag, a blue cross on a white field, would become the national flag. A second flag, with a blue cross in the upper left corner on a white field, would be used on merchant ships, and a third flag, featuring nine blue and white stripes with a white cross on a blue background, would represent warships.

This third design was initially used as a naval ensign, but it became internationally recognized as the Greek flag on February 7, 1828. The nine alternating blue and white stripes symbolize either the nine syllables of Greece’s battle cry, "Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος" (Freedom or Death), or the nine muses.

Over nearly 200 years, the exact shade of blue in the flag has varied despite the official designation of “cyan” in legislation. Depending on The flagmaker and their techniques, the flagmaker has seen different hues, from lighter sky blues to deeper cornflower blues.