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Greece: House flags of shipping companies

A short presentation of the Greek maritime tradition
Index of Greek shipping companies

See also:

Other site of interest:

Hellenic Maritime Museum, Piraeus

A short presentation of the Greek maritime tradition

The book Ploto, published by the Greek Literary and Historical Archive (ELIA), relates the history of Greek captains and shipowners from 1770 to the Second World War. The book includes texts by Tzelina Harlafti, Manos Haritatos and Eleni Beneki. The project was sponsored by the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation. A further publication should document the more recent maritime history of Greece.

Greek merchant shipping was born in the XVIIIth century, before the independence of Greece. It is believed that contacts taken by Greek sailors and captains with the West in the 1770s contributed to the spread of the European ideals of equality, law and social justice. The progress of shipping therefore contributed to the building of the national ideal. In the XXth century, merchant shipping was an important component of national pride and economical development.

Here are some famous shipowners' dynasties classified by geographical origin:

Cephalonia (Kefallinia - Ionian Islands): Athanassoulis, Ambatielos, Vallianos, Lykiardopoulos, Metaxas, Potamianos, Svoronos, Fokas.
Ithaca (Ithaki - Ionian Islands): Vlassopoulos, Theofilatos, Stathatos.
Galaxidi (Galaxhidion - Gulf of Corinth): Arvanitis, Dedousis, Kammenos, Katsoulis, Bakogiorgis, Economou, Parapetrou, Tsipouras.
Andros (Cyclades): Valmas, Goulandris, Embirikos, Kambanis, Kydonieios, Palaiokrassas, Polemis, Hadoulis.
Milos (Cyclades): Damoulakis, Malandrakis, Syrmalienos.
Mikonos (Cyclades): Ambanopoulos, Dracopoulos, Mavrogenis, Batis.
Santorin (Thira - Cyclades): Alafouzos, Dakoronoias, Zannos, Manolessos, Nomikos, Sarris, Sigalas.
Sifnos (Cylades): Vernicos.
Syros (Cyclades): Vafiadakis, Kalvokoresis, Mavrogordatos, Negropontis, Foustanos.
Chios (Khios - Northern Aegean): Dromokaitis, Rallis, Rodokanakis, Skaramangas, Skylitsis, Andreadis, Georgantis, Carras, Livanos, Los, Fafalios, Chandris.
Oinousses (?): Laimos, Pateras, Francou, Hadzipateras.
Psara (Northern Aegean): Varvakis, Kalafatis, Kalimeris, Kotzias, Filinis, Hadzikyriakos.
Lesbos (Lesvos - Northern Aegean): Kiourtzis, Sifnaios.
Samos (Northern Aegean): Inglesis.
Istanbul-Dardanelles: Arvanitidis, Zarifis, Kavounidis, Sideridis, Foscolos-Mangos.
Smyrna and Asia Minor: Eusthathiou, Papayiannis, Onassis.
Patmos (Dodecanese): Emiris, Kouloukountis, Mavroleon, Nicolaou, Hadzilias.
Leros (Dodecanese): Roussos.
Skopelos (Northern Sporades): Valsamakis, Garyfalos, Rembakis, Siskos.
Skiathos (Northern Sporades): Yiakoumis, Damaskos, Kokkinos, Koumbis, Mataronas.
Hydra (Idhra - Argolide): Miaoulis, Koulouras, Kountouriotis, Kriezis, Sachtouris, Tombazis, Tsamados.
Spetses (Spetsai - Argolide): Anargyris, Goudis, Koutsis, Lazaros-Orlof, Mexis, Botasis.
Peloponnese: Hadzipanayioti-Politis.
Piraeus: Kallimanopoulos, Niarchos.

Ivan Sache, 28 December 2005

Index of Greek shipping companies

This list is not a comprehensive list of Greek shipping companies but only an index of those companies for which information on their flag is available.