The proclamation of the revolution in Mani, in this historic region of the Peloponnese, took place on March 17, 1821, in Areopolis, according to local oral tradition. According to the written testimonies, the candidates of the area, which was under a privileged status, asked their leader that Mani be the first to start the struggle for liberation, which was also in line with the plans of Philiki Etairia. Thus, at the invitation of Petrobeis Mavromichalis, all the Maniatian chieftains gathered in Tsimova, today’s Areopolis, and decided to start the fight against the Turks, which led to the liberation of Kalamata and the creation of the Messinian Senate.

At the end of March 1821, the Peloponnese was ablaze with the outbreak of the Revolution. On the 26th of the month at the bridge of Karytaina, the rebels killed a Turkish messenger. On it they discovered a letter from the Phanarian Turks to the Turks of Karytaina. They explained to them that the next day they would pass through Karytaina to go and secure themselves in Tripolitsa. They were inviting them to join them. The Greeks immediately notified Kolokotronis who was in Dedebei (a village between Leontari and Karytaina). The Old Man of Moria quickly occupied a narrow road located at the site of Agios Athanasios outside Karytaina.

The Turks arriving and seeing the pass held by the Greeks, decided and attacked. They crossed the body of the Greeks, and while they were about to leave the plain of Karytaina, another Greek body of 300 soldiers arrived. The Turks, seeing the second body and supposing that there were other reinforcements, became afraid and retreated on the downhill ground, going towards the river, with the intention of crossing it and going up against the fortress of Karytaina. The Greeks, seeing the Turks retreating, attacked and did great damage to the women and children and the cargo animals.

In the meantime, other Turks came out of the fortress of Karytaina and were shooting at the Greeks to stop the destruction their co-religionists were suffering. The river was flooded and it was difficult to cross. Many Turks drowned, but those who could crossed the river and found refuge in the fortress.

After this defeat the Turks sent people to Tripoli that night and informed the authorities there about the events, asking at the same time to help them. The government sent two thousand cavalry and infantry. The Greeks, although there were about ten thousand of them, seeing the enemies were frightened and dispersed without the least fight. However, the Ottomans, after joining the rest, looted and set fire to Karytaina, and left for Tripoli.

The battle of the Straits of Ai Thanasis near Karytaina on March 27, 1821, was the first regular battle of the Revolution of ’21, which took place in a group, hand to hand, hand to hand, and was of great importance, because it heated up the Greek weapons , revived the morale of the Greeks who were learning to fight.