Psara [Greek War of Independence]

A horrific scene from the destruction of Psara.

In 1824, the island of Psara was attacked by the Ottoman Empire during the ongoing Greek War of Independence. After a desperate last stand, over 15,000 Greek inhabitants (most of whom were refugees) were executed or sold into slavery by the Turks.

This gruesome scene from the conflict was engraved by Auguste Raffet and published in Paris around 1836 as part of The Complete Works of Béranger. A vicious-looking Turk is holding a decapitated head, with the bodies of women and children lying about and further violence taking place in the background. While hideous savagery did occur, the scene was also likely constructed to maximize European outrage.