The Soutzo (Dracos) Family

Great Epirotian Family that had settled in Constantinople around 1400 and with the fall of the city returned to Epirus. The head of the family is the charioteer Markos Poulios. His son, the chief charioteer Pulios Drakos, raised Epirus and Aetoloakarnania to expel the Turkish conquerors. Because when he fought, he let out terrible screams in battle, he seemed to his fellow warriors and to the enemies like a wild one, like a dragon and so he got the name Dracos (Dragon).

After the fall of Constantinople, Mehmet II, seeing the city deserted, due to the great losses he had, brought the most important and large Greek families to the city, from areas of his influence, granting privileges and rights. So in 1459, 18 families return to the City. (DRACOS, JULIANI, ROSETTI, DIPLOMATACHI, MAURO CORDATI etc.) Because the Dracos family had the privilege of transporting water to the City, they were called Sutsos (or Sutzos) from the Turkish word "soutzis" which means "water-guy". However, after 1700 in the official Sultan's decrees the Soutzos family is listed as Dracos.

The Drakos-Soutzos family played an important role in the Ottoman Empire, Moldavia, Wallachia and Greece, always devoted to the Greek cause.

Some indicative family members are:

-Alexander Nikolaou Soutzos(1758-1821)

Ruler of Wallachia and Moldavia.

-Michael - Vodas Grigoriou Soutzos (1784)

Member of the Friendly Society, ruler of Moldavia and later ambassador of the Greek State.

- George Dracos (1788-1827)

Son of Dimos and brother of Athanasios Drakos from Souli. A prominent figure in the pantheon of fighters.

-Alexander Soutsos

Poet. In 1833 he published the poem "Olympic Games Necessity" in the newspaper "Helios" of Nafplio. E. Zappa, inspired by this, refers to King Otto for the revival of the Olympic Games.

-Ephrosyne Soutzou

In 1847 she married Petros Mavromichalis (nephew of the King of Mani, Petrobei Mavromichalis).

- Alexander Charles Soutzos (1835-1901)

Cavalry General

-Ioannis Soutzos(1804-1890)

Professor and Chancellor of the Kapodistrian University.

-Dimitris Soutzos (1845-1904)

Politician and Mayor of Athens

- Ephrosyne (Froso) Souztou (1847-1917)

Granddaughter of the ruler Alexandros Vodas Soutsos and daughter of Ioannis Soutsos. George I was in love with her and intended to marry her. The objections and threats of the government and the displeasure of his father prevented the marriage.

- Emil Nicolas Soutzo

Romanian Railways Engineer

- Pericles Soutsos (1871)

General of the Greek Army and Aide to King Alexander

-Dimitris Soutzos(1916-1997)

Founder of the European Union of Independence, Founder and president of the Society of Heraldry and Genealogy of Greece.

-Marcos Drakos (1888-1975)

Lieutenant general. One of the first to train in 1912 in France at the FARMAN school as an aviator. He took part in the Balkan Wars and the First World War.

Warm thanks to the descendant of the family Alexandros Drakos Soutzos!

Source: Livre d’or de la Famille Soutzo by Alexandre Negresco Soutzo, Paris 2005