The Massacre of Samothrace () was the mass murder and enslavement of the Greek population of the island of Samothrace. Following the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence, the Samothracians rose in revolt against the local Ottoman authorities. On 1 September 1821, an Ottoman punitive expedition under Castellan of Dardanelles Mehmet Paşa arrived at the island. After suppressing the uprising of the Samothracian rebels, the Ottoman troops killed or enslaved Greeks from the Island. The remaining Greeks after accepting the amnesty terms of the Ottoman Empire were granted pardon in April 1822, 7 months after the revolt.
Background
Towards the end of the 18th century Samothrace began to flourish economically. Its limited resources, remote location and the absence of a safe harbor that could be used year-round led the Ottomans to largely leave the local Greek population to their own devices. The subsequent increase in agricultural production, led to a growth of the island's population and raised the overall quality of life. At the time of the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence, Samothrace, according to Sofi Papageorgiou the population of the Island numbered from approximately 4,000 to over 10,000 inhabitants.
A number of Samothracian prokritoi had joined the Filiki Eteria prior to the outbreak of the rebellion had made preparations for the island to join the upcoming revolt. In April 1821, news of the rising in Peloponnese reached Samothrace. The prokritoi then convinced the Samothracians to declare independence and refuse to pay taxes to the Ottomans. At the same time, a Samiot who lived on the island began training local youths in marksmanship. The rebels overthrew the Ottoman authorities and arrested all the Ottomans residing on the island. However, the island's isolation from the Greek mainland and the absence of a local ammunition production capability had created unfavorable conditions for a potential insurgency. On the other hand, its proximity to the Ottoman naval facilities in the Hellespont meant that the Ottomans were capable of rapidly deploying large bodies of troops to the island. The Ottoman government did not immediately respond to the revolt on Samothrace as it was more concerned with the larger scale risings in mainland Greece, nevertheless it was later decided that the Samothracians merited exemplary punishment.
Massacre
In August 1821, an Ottoman fleet set sail from the Hellespont towards Samothrace. On 1 September, 1,000 to 2,000 Ottoman troops landed at Makrylies and then proceeded towards Chora, the island's largest town. The vastly outnumbered rebels took positions on the Koukou and Vrychou heights, firing upon the Ottomans once the latter reached Myloi. Offering stiff resistance for many hours, until they ran out of ammunition and retreated towards the island's mountainous interior. Ottoman losses amounted to 23 soldiers killed, including their standard-bearer and 32 wounded. Upon conquering Chora, the Ottomans descended into other populated areas and began to systematically massacre almost everyone they encountered, while enslaving others (mainly children) who were destined to be sold at Constantinople's and Izmir's slave markets. The Ottomans looted the villages and took away the cattle before setting them aflame. Twelve people were hanged from the masts of the Ottoman ships in order to instill fear in the survivors.
Those who managed to escape sought refuge in the mountains. The Ottomans employed a turncoat named Kyriakos who convinced many of the survivors that they would be amnestied. The Ottomans enslaved the women and children and brought approximately 700 men underneath a Byzantine fortress at Efka where they were massacred. Most of the killed rebels were beheaded, and their heads were subsequently tossed on the ground in front of the Topkapı Palace Gate.