Although 400 years apart, they are considered as heroes in their countries. Athanassios Diakos, a Greek freedom fighter, was impaled by the Turks in 1821.
Vlad Tepes, a Romanian prince (Dracula), born 1431,kept the Othoman Turks away from his land. He impaled thousands.
This manner of execution survived in the Balcans for centuries, causing Westerners to consider the area rather barbaric. The notion is echoed in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, the book we are reading.
