Eleftheria i thanatos

Eleftheria i thanatos (Greek: Ελευθερία ή θάνατος, pronounced [elefθeˈria ˈi ˈθanatos], "freedom or death") is the motto of Greece. It arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule. It was adopted after the Greek War of Independence. It is still in use today, and is a popular theory regarding the use of 9 stripes (for the nine syllables of the motto) in the Greek flag, the five blue stripes for the syllables "Έλευθερία" and the four white stripes "ή Θάνατος". The motto symbolized and still symbolizes the resolve of the people of Greece against tyranny and oppression.

The Filiki Eteria at its emblem had the letters "ΗΕΑ" and "ΗΘΣ". These are the letters of the words "Ή ΕλευθερίΑ" "Ή ΘάνατοΣ", which means Freedom or Death. Also, this is the motto of the 4th Infantry Division of the Greek Army.

Nikos Kazantzakis' novel Captain Michalis was subtitled Freedom or Death, which became its title in the United States, Germany, France, and other countries.

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