bouboulina the hero

Q4: regarding the Greek leader that you researched, what did you learn while we were in Greece that helped you understand her more in-depth?

Laskirina Bouboulina stepped up into the role of a naval commander and built her own warship. I always thought this was so awesome, but I don’t think I quite understood the significance until we were in Aegina. We learned about the geography of Greece a bit in class, but seeing how much water was surrounding us and all the islands made it a lot more real to me. The true battle was often fought on water. We learned about this a little more on our tour as well when our guide talked about pirates and how the Greeks had to build their village on the inland hill to get away from the pirates. That showed me how important it was to keep the waters safe back in the pirate ages, to the era of Greek independence, and even today with surrounding countries. Laskirina was one that took this very seriously and made a huge difference for all Greeks. She helped Greece gain its independence by fighting the water war leading troops to greatness and victory. I always knew she was important, but I didn’t quite understand just how much until we were actually on the ocean, seeing all the boats as we arrived at the port, and seeing how far the water went on from the top deck of our air b&b. Not that Bouboulina paved the way for all boats, but she definitely helped in their advancement. She added to a part of history where women could contribute to this type of work and make a difference in bigger ways than ever before. With more hands and brains on deck, the advancement could truly set sail.Read more