You cannot delve into the pre-revolutionary history of our land without standing with the klephts and armatoloi. As they evolved over time, they acquired their own character, stood out from the rest of the population, and through their actions, influenced the entire society of their era. They persisted throughout the years of Ottoman rule and played a decisive role in the overall social development of our land. The armatoloi, in fact, became a social institution in the true sense of the term.

Both the klephts and the armatoloi are products of the historical conditions of our land. Deep down, the klephts and the armatoloi have few similarities; their differences are so great that they are classified into different camps.

Socially, the armatoloi belong to the same class as the kocabaşis. They belong to the feudal class of the non-Turkish population. The klephts, on the other hand, despite their group being a closed world, are socially connected to the poor countryside from which they originate.