Eleftheria i thanatos
National motto of Greece / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the book Freedom or Death by Nikos Kazantzakis, see Captain Michalis. For other uses, see Liberty or Death (disambiguation).
Eleftheria i thanatos (Greek: Ελευθερία ή θάνατος, IPA: [elefθeˈri.a i ˈθanatos]; 'Freedom or Death') is the motto of Greece.[1][2] It originated in the Greek songs of resistance that were powerful motivating factors for independence. It was adopted in 1814 by the Filiki Eteria, a secret organization formed specifically for the overthrow of Ottoman rule.