Rigas Feraios, born Antonios Rigas Velestinlis in 1757, was a Greek writer and revolutionary from the village of Velestino in the Ottoman Empire, now part of modern Greece. He belonged to a wealthy family and was likely of Aromanian descent. His education included attendance at the school in Ampelakia and the 'Ellinomouseion' in Zagora, where he later became a teacher. Rigas opposed Ottoman rule and, at the age of twenty, killed an Ottoman official, prompting him to flee to Mount Olympus.Rigas later traveled to Mount Athos and then to Constantinople, where he served as a secretary to Alexander Ypsilantis. He moved to Bucharest, where he learned several languages and worked for Prince Nicholas Mavrogenes. During the Russo-Turkish War, he inspected troops in Craiova and befriended Ottoman officer Osman Pazvantoğlu. Influenced by the French Revolution, Rigas envisioned a similar uprising in the Balkans and sought support from Greek Orthodox leaders.In 1793, Rigas moved to Vienna, where he engaged with the Greek community and published a Greek-language newspaper, Efimeris. He created a political map of Great Greece and printed pamphlets promoting revolutionary ideas, including a Greek version of La Marseillaise. His works aimed to inspire a Pan-Balkan uprising against Ottoman rule.Rigas attempted to communicate with Napoleon Bonaparte, sending him a gift and planning to meet him in Venice. However, he was betrayed, arrested in Trieste, and handed over to the Ottoman authorities. He was imprisoned and tortured in Belgrade before being executed in transit to Constantinople. His last words expressed hope for the future of his country.Rigas Feraios is remembered for his contributions to Greek nationalism and republicanism. He wrote in Demotic Greek, which resonated with his contemporaries. His poem 'Thourios' became a rallying cry for freedom, emphasizing the value of living as a free person over living in slavery. Rigas's legacy includes his influence on Greek revolutionary thought and his martyrdom, which inspired future generations in their struggle for independence.