Presidential Guard Προεδρική Φρουρά
Evzone guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens wearing the full dress uniform
Active	1833 – present
Country	Greece
Branch	Army
Type	Foot Guards - Infantry
Role	Ceremonial Guards Multi-Role Light Infantry Urban Warfare Public Duties
Size	One battalion
Part of	Hellenic Army (Ε.Σ)
Garrison/HQ	Athens, Greece
Nickname(s)	Tsoliades
Uniform	Traditional Greek
March	Evzonaki
Rifle	M1 Garand
Website	Official Homepage
Commanders
Ceremonial chief	President of the Hellenic Republic
Notable commanders	Nikolaos Plastiras
Insignia
Identification symbol

The Evzones, or Evzoni, (Greek: Εύζωνες, Εύζωνοι) is the name of several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, it refers to the members of the Presidential Guard (Greek: Προεδρική Φρουρά), an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Greek: Μνημείο του Άγνωστου Στρατιώτη) and the Presidential Mansion (Greek: Προεδρικό Μέγαρο). The Evzones are also known, colloquially, as Tsoliades (Greek: Τσολιάδες; singular: Τσολιάς - Tsolias).

Though the Presidential Guard is a predominantly ceremonial unit, all Evzones are volunteers drawn from the Hellenic Army's Infantry, Artillery and Armoured Corps. Prospective Evzones are usually identified at the Army Recruit Training Centres during Basic Training; there is a minimum height requirement of 1.86 meters (6' 1.2") to join, and the soldier must serve a minimum of 6 months with an operational Army unit before beginning Evzone training.

The unit is famous around the world for its unique traditional uniform, which has evolved from the clothes worn by the klephts^[1] who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment. Their proven valour and peculiar dress turned them into a popular image for the Greek soldier, especially among foreigners.

The word evzōnos (Greek: εὔζωνος^[2]) is first attested in Homer's Iliad and derives from "εὖ"+"ζώνη", meaning the "well-girt" men, implying an elite status. As a word it has been used by ancient writers for centuries to describe a type of light infantry of unidentified equipment, probably used as a generic term to denote light infantry.

In 1833, after the arrival of King Otto, the Greek Army was organized along new lines. The Bavarians that had come with Otto formed the majority of the "European" Line Infantry battalions (Τάγματα Γραμμής). In these units, one rifle company, designated "Skirmisher" (Λόχος Ακροβολιστών) or "Evzone" (Λόχος Ευζώνων), existed. In addition, ten light "Skirmisher" battalions (Τάγματα Ακροβολιστών) were formed from Greeks, dressed in a uniform based on the garb of the klephts of the War of Independence (1821–1829). In 1836 these battalions were reduced to four, and eight "Mountain Guard" battalions (Τάγματα Οροφυλακής) were formed in their stead; they were grouped into four regiments in 1843. These units were primarily engaged in patrolling the Greco-Ottoman border, combating insurgents and hunting down the many brigands that infested the countryside. The Mountain Guard was incorporated in the strengthened "Skirmisher" battalions in 1854.

In December 1867, the first four elite "Evzone" light battalions were formed, of four companies each (soon expanded to five), with the task of guarding the frontier. On 12 December 1868, the Royal Guard detachment, initially named Agema (Άγημα), later the "Palace Guard" (Ανακτορική Φρουρά), composed of two Evzone infantry companies and a cavalry troop, was formed. In 1880-1881, the Evzone units were expanded to nine battalions. They participated in the disastrous 1897 war with Turkey as elements of the regular infantry divisions. In the aftermath of the war, through various reorganizations, the number of Evzone battalions varied from eight to six, operating either independently or divided between the infantry divisions, and were among the first units to be equipped with machine guns.

During the Balkan Wars, eight Evzone battalions existed which operated independently on the vanguard or the flanks of the army. They distinguished themselves for their fighting spirit suffering high casualties, especially among officers. The Evzone units, totalling at their height five regiments, fought with distinction as elite shock troops in the First World War, the Asia Minor Campaign and the Greco-Italian War. During the German invasion in 1941, a memorable event occurred: on April 27, as the German Army was entering Athens, the Germans ascended to the Acropolis of Athens and ordered the young Evzone who was guarding the flag post, Konstantinos Koukidis, to haul the Greek flag down and replace it with the swastika flag. The young soldier did so, but refused to hand over the Greek flag to the Germans, and instead wrapped himself in it and fell off the Acropolis to his death.

After the occupation of the country, in 1943, the collaborationist government raised a number of "Security Battalions" (Τάγματα Ασφαλείας), which were dressed in the Evzone uniform and participated in operations against the EAM-ELAS partisans. They were derisively known as Germanotsoliades or Tagmatasfalites, and were disbanded after liberation in 1944. After the war, the reconstituted Hellenic Army did not raise the Evzone regiments again, their elite status and role being assumed by the newly established Mountain Raiding Companies (LOK) special forces. Only the purely ceremonial Royal Guard (Greek: Βασιλική Φρουρά) remained until 1973, when, with the abolition of the monarchy, it was re-designated as the Presidential Guard (Greek: Προεδρική Φρουρά).

Today the Evzones form the Presidential Guard, a battalion composed of 2 Evzone companies and 1 command company. They operate out of the Georgios Tzavelas barracks on Herodou Attikou St., just behind the Parliament building.

The Guard always takes precedence in all military parades. Their march style consists in normal march time, and at intervals, for several paces, striking the ground forcefully with their right foot. Their standard marching music is the "Evzonaki" ("little Evzone") march, played at 48 beats/min. They guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier round the clock. Guards on duty perform their movements in a very slow and highly stylized manner. They switch positions with each other every fifteen minutes and remain completely motionless and at attention in the meantime. Since the Guards are required to be totally still at all times, there is one Evzone in normal fatigues uniform and police surveillance to ensure that no one approaches or harasses the Guards while on duty. The "little changes" take place every hour on the hour, and involve the two incoming and two sentries, and a supervising "Corporal of the Change". The Grand Change takes place at 11 am on Sunday mornings, and involves the whole Guard with its officers and a military band, all marching from the Guard Barracks to the Tomb for the Change, and back. The Grand Change is a popular Sunday morning spectacle for Athenians and tourists alike.

During a demonstration in front of the Parliament in 2001, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at one of the guardhouses. In no time, the wooden construction was engulfed in flames. The Evzone standing next to it didn't even blink his eyes, let alone move, until the guard in standard uniform came and gave him the order to move. With a scorched and partly smoking uniform on one side, the Evzone did.^[3]

In January 2010, a makeshift bomb was placed 20 meters from where the Evzones guard the Tomb of the Unknown soldier, at Syntagma Square. Although the police informed the Evzones of the imminent threat, the Guards refused to leave their posts and remained on guard while the bomb exploded.^[4][5]

The historical units were numbered and known as Τάγμα Ευζώνων ("Evzone Battalion") or Σύνταγμα Ευζώνων ("Evzone Regiment"). Since the regiments were distinctive, elite units, they had dual numbers - the first, numbering them in the Evzones hierarchy, the second, in the overall infantry hierarchy. Thus the 5/42 Evzone Regiment was the 5th Evzone regiment, but also the 42nd infantry regiment.

• 1/38 Evzone Regiment
• 2/39 Evzone Regiment
• 3/40 Evzone Regiment
• 4/41 Evzone Regiment
• 5/42 Evzone Regiment

In 1833, the uniform of the Evzones (as in all infantry companies of the line battalions) was in the much-maligned Bavarian style, complete with pants, tailcoats and shako, distinguished only by green braid and plumes. In 1837, a new uniform was created based on the traditional fustanella style worn by the klephts, armatoli, and many of the famous fighters of the Greek War of Independence. At first, it was only issued to the native light infantry battalions, but its popularity led to its adoption as the official uniform of the Evzones in 1867. After a few minor changes over the years, it became the familiar uniform seen today.

The basic elements of the current uniform are:

• The phareon (Greek: φάριο), a scarlet garrison cap with a long black tassel, with the national emblem in the front.
• Ntoulamas (plural: ntoulamades) (Greek: ντουλαμάς; plural: ντουλαμάδες), a long tunic which is the everyday uniform. The basic color of the winter ntoulamas is navy blue and closely resembles the service uniform worn until 1910, while the summer ntoulamas is light khaki, and similar in design to the field uniform adopted by the Evzone regiments after that date.
• A cotton foustanella (Greek: φουστανέλα), a kilt made from 30 meters (98.5 feet) of white material, with 400 pleats, representing the 400 years of the Turkish occupation. Foustanela is the formal uniform of evzones, which derives from the traditional uniform of mainland Greece (Sterea Hellas), is worn on Sundays, on important national holidays, at the reception of foreign dignitaries and other special occasions.
• Ypodetes (Greek: υποδήτης), a white shirt with very wide sleeves.
• The phermeli (Greek: φέρμελη), the waistcoat. Various designs of great traditional and folklore importance are embroidered on it in white or gilt thread. The yellow stripes indicate the rank of Evzone. Two strips is the degree of Sergeant and one degree of Corporal.
• Krossia (Greek: κρόσσια), fringes with the colors of blue and white. They have these colors because of the Greek flag.
• Epiknemis (Greek: επικνημίδες), τhe garters. They are made of silk and have black color.
• Periskelides (Greek: περισκελίδες), white woolen stockings. They are four, two for each leg and they have white color.
• Anaspastos (Greek: ανάσπαστος), inside garter which holds the stockings in position.
• Kaltsodetes ([καλτσοδέτες] Error: ((Lang-xx)): text has italic markup (help)), black-tasseled knee garters.
• Tsarouchia (Greek: τσαρούχια), red leather clogs with black pompons (fountes) (Greek: φούντες; singular: φούντα). Under the sole, depending the size, there are 60 to 120 nails. On average each tsarouchi weighs 3.5 kilos (7.7 pounds). When evzones were combat unit, under the fountes there were hiding a sharp iron tip for melee attacks.
• A black leather belt which have cadridge belts and a bayonet belt holder case.
• A M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle, with bayonet.

With the exception of the upodetes, the phermeli and the krossia everything else is weared and with the ntoulamades. It has a white, bell-sleeved shirt and a white foustanella with 400 pleats (commemorating the 400 years of Ottoman occupation^[1]) with the addition of a fancy silver-brocade waistcoat. Members of the guard can also sometimes be seen in a royal blue and red uniform based on the traditional male costume of Crete, or in the black traditional habit once worn by the Pontic Greeks.

The officers are armed with a sabre instead of a rifle. Their full dress uniform is distinguished from that of enlisted men by being imperial purple with gold brocades instead of blue with silver brocades and by the substitution of buskins for the stockings. Their fustanella kilts are also longer, below the knee, as opposed to mid-thigh and their sleeve covers are worn on the arms instead of being fastened to the coat. Rank insignia are born on the phareon below the national emblem.

The phareon is similar to the fez adopted by the Ottomans which were the main enemies of the evzones. (See Origin of the fez.)

The first King of Modern Greece, Otto wore this uniform often in public. Today, many Greek boys dress up as tsoliades on Greek Independence Day.^[1]

• General Nikolaos Plastiras, commander of the 5/42 Regiment and three times Prime Minister of Greece.
• Colonel Dimitrios Psarros, head of the EKKA resistance group.
• General Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos, commander of the 3/40 Regiment in the Greco-Italian War, leading commander of the national army in the Greek Civil War.
• Major Ioannis Velissariou, hero of the Balkan Wars.
• Evzone Konstandinos Koukidis

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Evzones.

• Official Homepage
• Historical Photographs at Βικιπαίδεια
• ATHENS INFO GUIDE
• athensinpictures