Petros Manos

Petros Manos (Greek: Πέτρος Μάνος 7 April 1871^[1] – 4 April 1918) was a Greek military officer and fencer. A colonel in Hellenic Army, he also competed in fencing at the 1912 Summer Olympics.^[2] He was the father of Aspasia Manos, wife of King Alexander of Greece.

Colonel Petros Manos
Petros Manos in fencing dress
Native name	Πέτρος Μάνος
Born	(1871-04-07)7 April 1871 Athens, Kingdom of Greece
Died	4 April 1918(1918-04-04) (aged 46) Switzerland
Allegiance	Kingdom of Greece
Branch	Hellenic Army
Years of service	1892–1917
Rank	Colonel
Battles / wars	Greco-Turkish War (1897) Cretan Revolt Macedonian Struggle Balkan Wars First Balkan War Second Balkan War
Alma mater	Hellenic Army Academy
Spouse(s)	Maria Argyropoulos Sofia Tombazis
Children	Aspasia Manos Roxanne Manou Rallou Manou
Relations	Konstantinos Manos (brother) Alexandra of Greece and Denmark (granddaughter) Alexander of Yugoslavia (great-grandson)
Other work	Member of the HMC Olympic Athlete

Early life and ancestry

Coat of arms of the Manos Phanariote family

Petros Manos during the Macedonian Struggle

Petros Manos was born in Athens in 1871, as the youngest son of Major general Thrasyvoulos Manos (1835–1922), a member of the prominent Phanariote Manos family,^[3] and his wife, Roxane Mavromichalis (1848–1905), member of another distinguished Greek family, Mavromichalis family of Mani.

Military career

He entered the Hellenic Army Academy and graduated in 1892. He fought in the Cretan uprisings of 1896–1897, and participated in the Macedonian Struggle, leading an armed band in 1904–1907 under the nom de guerre Kapetan Vergos (Καπετάν Βέργος).^[3] A royalist during the National Schism, as Aide-de-camp to Constantine I, he followed the King into exile in Switzerland in 1917, and died there on 4 April 1918.^[3]

First marriage

From his first marriage in Athens on 15 January 1895 with Maria Argyropoulos (August 1874–Capri, 1930), daughter of Jacob Argyropoulos and Aspasia Petrakis, Petros is father of Princess Aspasia of Greece and Denmark (1896–1972) who married King Alexander of Greece (1893–1920) and had child who was Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark (1921–1993), who later married King Peter II of Yugoslavia (1923–1970) and also had one child Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia (born 17 July 1945). From this marriage he also had one daughter, Roxanne (born 28 February 1898), who became wife of an athlete and later industrialist Christos Zalokostas (1894–1975).

Second marriage

After divorcing his first wife, he contracted second marriage with Sophie Tombazis, daughter of Alexandros Tombazis (son of Georgios Tombazis and Princess Eufrosina Mavrocordato) and his cousin Princess Maria Mavrocordato. His second wife Sophie was direct patrilineal descendant of Iakovos Tombazis (1782–1829), who was first Admiral of the Hellenic Navy during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. With her he had one daughter Rallou (1915–1988), a choreographer, modern dancer and dance teacher, who was married to a prominent Greek architect Pavlos Mylonas.

Olympic games

Petros Manos was also a professional fencer.

As a member of Greek Olympic team he competed in the individual and team épée events at the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden.^[4]