Emmanuel Papas was born on 1773 in Dovitsa, a small vilage nearby Serres, which today has his name.

     Papas was soon initiated in the «Society of Friends» by John Pharmakis and he didn’t have any trouble introducing his 4 brothers into the Holy war of Independance and the most skilful notables of Dovista, who took good care of the armament of the nearby villages.

     However, he had to leave Serres, because of a severe dispute he had with Serres’ Bey, and move to Constantinople, where he had the chance to cooperate better with the members of the Society of Friends. Meanwhile, his fame concerning his patriotic actions was spread throughout every part of Greece. He had also planned an attempt on the Sultan’s life, which finally failed because of betrayal.

     When the Revolution was proclaimed, Emmanuel Papas left Constantinople and went to Holy Mount, where he was welcomed with enthusiasm, by the monks and he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Macedonia. As soon as he set up his Headquarters in Holy Mount, he took action with his 2.500 men.

     Meanwhile, a revolutionary movement broke out in Serres under the direction of the Metropolitan, which was soon quelled. The city had narrowly escaped devastation and slaughter. That happened on 8th May 1821, the feast-day of John Theologos the Evangelist, who is considered to be the protector and savior of Serres, So, 14 years later, in 1835, the inhabitants of Serres built the homonymous church in the area of Ano Kamenikia, in order to honor him. But although the city’s devastation was avoided, the avenging fury of the Turks broke out in Emmanuel Papas’ family. His wife and children were sent to prison. His property was confiscated and his house was burnt to the ground.

     But Papas himself continued the tough struggle without any help in Halkidiki. While the Turks had started a general attack against the Greeks, Papas kept on appealing to Ypsilanti, but nothing happened in the end. His achievements in Cassandra and the disposal of his property didn’t save the revolutionary movement. So, after the expedition of Abdul Aboud, the destruction of Cassandra and the subordination of the monks of Holy Mount forced Papas to leave Holy Mount while the Turks were hounding him. He sailed for Hydra, but because he was exhausted by the severities and the emotions of his tragic adventure, he died after a heart attack on the boat at exactly the moment that it was sailing round Kafirea. The hero’s body was taken to Hydra where he was buried with the trimmings of a general. In 1843, his name was hung up in the Greek Parliament as one of the protagonists in the Revolution of 1821.