page_title: Sacred Band (1821)
section_title: Uniform
hierarchical_section_title: Sacred Band (1821) / Uniform
context_page_description: The Sacred Band was a military force founded by Alexander Ypsilantis at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, in the middle of March 1821 in Wallachia, now part of Romania. It was formed by volunteers students of the Greek communities of Moldavia, Wallachia and Odessa. It was the first organized military unit of the Greek War of Independence (1821) and of the Greek army in general. Ypsilantis thought that these young people could become the soul of his army. That was the reason that he borrowed the name of the Sacred Band of Thebes.
context_section_description: The men of the Sacred Band wore uniforms inspired by the Black Brunswickers made of black wool felt. For that reason they were also called "melanophoroi" or "mavrophoroi" ("Black-wearers"). The Sacred Band uniform consisted of a long tunic, spatter dash and tall headgear, that according to Konstantinos Rados'  description the headgear was similar to that of the Hussars. The headgear had a white plume and a tricolor (red, white, cyan) national coat of arms. Under this (frontally) there was a skull with 2 crossed bones of white metal, which was meaning Freedom or Death. A Sacred Band's member had a spearman rifle and a leather belt for the "palaska" (cartridge belt). The only known part of the Sacred Band's member's uniform is the one of Konstantinos Xenokratis (1803–1876), which is displayed in the National Historical Museum of Greece.
caption: Alexsndros Ypsilantis in Sacred Band's attire
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