List of Greek flags

This is a list of flags used in the modern state of Greece or historically used by Greeks.

National flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	in use since 1822, since 1978 sole national flag	The current Flag of Greece was adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus in January 1822 as the flag variant for use at sea. Between 1828-1978, this flag used at sea and for foreign service. In 1978, it was established as the sole national flag and also as the war and civil Ensign.	Nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross

Presidential flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	since 1979	Distinguishing Flag of the President of the Hellenic Republic (President of Greece). Used to show the presence of the President of the Republic (in vehicles, buildings etc). This flag also used as a Rank flag in the Hellenic Navy's ships mainmast when the President of the Republic is aboard (according to Article 45 of the Constitution the President of the Republic 'is the symbolic head of the Armed Forces' so as Rank flag this flag is regarded as similar to the flag of an Admiral of the Fleet or superior)	A blue square flag bearing at both sides a silver coloured cross with equal arms and a tip formed in the middle of the lower end of the vertical arm. Τhe areas adjoining to the cross have the same colour with flag, the cross bounded with a golden coloured line forming an escutcheon which totally surrounded by two golden coloured laurel branches forming circle, intersecting under the tip in cross. (A form of the Coat of Arms of Greece) The Flag is produced in four sizes (1st 1.70m (5.58ft) sides, 2nd 1.10m (3.61ft) sides, 3d 0.65m (2.13ft) sides and 4th 0.23m (0.75ft) sides)

Military flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	since 1822	Jack of the Hellenic Navy	A square flag with a white cross on a blue field. A golden crown was added in the centre during the periods of monarchy (1833-1924 and 1935-1973).
		Commissioning pennant (Template:Lang-el, i.e., "Warship Pennant") flown by all Hellenic Navy' s Ships and establishments in commission, unless displaced by a senior officer's Rank Flag	'Warship pennant, blue coloured, has shape of isosceles triangle elongated, bearing a white cross near the base of the triangle'. The flag has typically base to legth (height of triangle) 1 to 20. The cross has arms width 1/5 base legth and each arm length 3/5 of base length. The pennant flown on the top of mainmast.
		Army War Flag (regimental colour) (Πολεμική Σημαία Στρατού Ξηράς)	A square flag with a white cross on blue field with image of Saint George.
		Air Force War Flag (regimental colour) (Πολεμική Σημαία Πολεμικής Αεροπορίας)	A square flag with a white cross on blue field with image of Archangel Michael.
	since 1956	Rank flag of the Prime Minister of Greece aboard Hellenic Navy vessels.	Like the Hellenic Navy jack, with three white rising diagonal stripes in the first quarter.
	since 1956	Rank flag of the Greek Minister of National Defence aboard Hellenic Navy vessels.	Like the Hellenic Navy jack, with three white rising diagonal stripes in the first quarter and three descending stripes in the fourth.

Regional and municipal flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1990s	Flag of Greek Macedonia.	Blue field with the golden Vergina Sun in the centre. The flag is unofficial but widely recognized in Greece.
	1990s	Flag of Attica
Flag of Athens	1995	Flag of the Municipality of Athens	The flag is blue with an inner gold and outer red border, like the flag of the Periphery of Attica. A white Greek cross lies in the middle, charged with a disc with a white border featuring gold olive branches. The blue disc in the center features the head of the goddess Athena.
		Municipal flag of Thessaloniki	Dark blue with a stylized depiction of the city's main landmark, the White Tower, and an ancient Macedonian coin depicting Alexander the Great.
File:Zakynthos flag.png		Flag of Zakynthos	Dark green with an orange depiction of Zakynthos with the island's motto "Freedom needs virtue and courage" (ΘΕΛΕΙ ΑΡΕΤΗ ΚΑΙ TOΛMH Η ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ, from Andreas Kalvos' The Lyre)
		Flag of Corfu	The flag of Corfu has a dark red/maroon/purple large outer border, a dark gold thin inner border and a very dark blue field with the city seal in the centre in dark gold. The city seal shown an ancient greek sailing ship. ΔΗΜΟΣ (Municipality) is written above the seal, ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑΙΩΝ (of Corfu), below the seal. The real flag, on which the image shown above is based, has a ratio of 11:19

Historical variants of the national flag

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1822 - 1970 1975 - 1978	In January 1822, the First National Assembly at Epidaurus adopted this design to replace the multitude of local revolutionary flags then in use. Since 1828, this flag was flown inside the country, while the current flag was flown on naval vessels and abroad.	White cross on a blue field. During the periods of monarchy (1833-1924 and 1935-1973), a golden crown was often added in the centre of official flags (see examples below).
	1822 - 1828	This is the first merchant navy flag of Greece, also adopted in January 1822, employing the historic blue-cross-on-white design. In 1828 it was discontinued, as it was decided that the cross-and-stripes naval flag (today's national flag) should be flown by both military and merchant ships.	Blue cross on a white field in the canton.
	1833 - 1862	State and War flag on land during the reign of King Otto	The flag consists of the plain cross version of the national flag, with the Bavarian arms of the Wittelsbach dynasty superimposed in the center of the cross, topped by a crown. The blue color is of a lighter shade than usual today.
	1863 - 1924 1935 - 1970	State and War flag on land during the Glücksburg dynasty in the Kingdom of Greece	The flag consists of the plain cross version of the national flag, with a golden royal crown superimposed in the center of the cross.
	1863 - 1924 1935 - 1970	Jack of the Royal Hellenic Navy	A square flag with a white cross on a blue field with the Hellenic Royal Crown in the centre. The crown was added during the periods of monarchy (1833-1924 and 1935-1973).
	1863 - 1924 1935 - 1970	Royal version of the State Flag during the Glücksburg dynasty in the Kingdom of Greece	The flag consists of the plain cross version of the national flag, with a detailed golden royal crown superimposed in the center of the cross. The field is bordered by a gold fringe.
	1863 - 1924 1935 - 1970	State and War ensign on sea during the Glücksburg dynasty in the Kingdom of Greece	The flag consists of the naval version of the national flag, with a golden royal crown superimposed in the center of the cross in the canton.
	1935 - 1974	Personal standard of the King, adopted in 1935	Like the Navy jack, with the Glücksburg dynasty arms in the centre and four crowns in the quarters. The Crown prince had a similar flag with a single crown in the first quarter, other members of the royal family had no crowns.
		Ensign of the Royal Hellenic Air Force until 1973	A white cross on a blue field with the roundel of the Hellenic Air Force in the centre, the royal crown in a circle on the canton.
File:Hellenic Air Force Ensign.svg		Ensign of the Hellenic Air Force (post 1973) and Greek Civil Air Ensign, until 1980.	A white cross on a blue field with the roundel of the Hellenic Air Force in the centre
	1964 - 1980	Hellenic Coast Guard service flag	The naval ensign with two golden anchors, crossed, in the centre of the cross.
	1970 - 1975	National flag adopted by the Colonels' regime	The sea flag, in ratio 7:12 and in very dark shade of blue (dark "midnight blue"). The old "land" version was restored as national flag in 1975.
	- 1980	Ensign of greek port pilot boats.

Historical variants used outside Greece

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1835 - 1912	Flag of the autonomous Principality of Samos, tributary to the Ottoman Empire	The flag consists of the plain cross version of the Greek national flag, with the upper half field in the red of the Ottoman flag.
	1898 - 1913	Flag of the autonomous Cretan State (Kritiki Politeia)	The flag consists of the plain cross version of the Greek national flag, with the canton in red with a white five-pointed star, symbolizing Ottoman suzerainty. It was not popular with during the period of official use, as Cretans wanted union with Greece.

Historical Greek flags

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	since the 4th century	Historic Byzantine pattern and emblem (conjectural reconstruction)	Most Byzantine flags featured the sign of the cross. This particular variant is known as the "tetragrammatic cross". The four betas stand for the Empire's motto: Βασιλεύς Βασιλέων Βασιλεύων Βασιλεύσιν ("King of Kings Ruling over Rulers"). Variations of this symbol were continuously used until the Empire's end.
	since 963	During the reign of Nikephoros Phokas (963-969D) and his successors, blue and white replaced even the imperial red and gold. The latter appeared again later, especially in imperial banners, but blue and white were also used by the Empire	This conjectural design features the cross with the initials for ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christ). Other patterns with the same colors are also recorded; descendants of Phokas used blue and white cross and/or stripe patterns for centuries.
	14th–15th centuries	Flag of the late Empire, attested in the 14th-century Spanish atlas Conoscimento de todos los reinos	The flag features the red cross of St. George and the dynastic arms of the Palaeologi, the tetragrammatic cross with the four betas (commonly, as here, depicted in the form of stylized fire-steles).
Double-headed eagle flag		Although it is the emblem most commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire, the double-headed eagle has not been documented in any historical banner or flag (most probably it remained a personal and/or dynasty symbol of Byzantine Emperors). This modern design serves as the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church.	A black double eagle on yellow (originally gold) field
Flag of the Greek spachides	1431–1619	The Greek σπαχήδες (sipahis) cavalry units serving with the Turkish army were allowed to use this flag during the first centuries of Ottoman rule, when within the territory of Epirus and the Peloponnese. Similar flags were used during the Greek Revolution	A blue cross over a white field, with an image of St. George slaying the dragon in the middle
		This flag, the so-called "Græco-Ottoman" ensign (Γραικοθωμανική παντιέρα), was allowed for use by Greek merchant ships during the latter stages of Ottoman rule	The flag consists of three horizontal stripes in the colours red (for the Ottoman Empire), blue (for the Greeks) and red (see article on Ottoman flags)
	1770s–1820s	This design appeared in the 1769 uprising, based on older patterns. Used among others by the Kolokotronis family, this flag, with variations, was the most widely used throughout Greece during the initial stages of the 1821 revolution	A blue cross over a white field
	1821	Used by Athanasios Diakos and his irregulars during the Greek War of Independence	The figure of St. George slaying the dragon, with the motto Ελευθερία ή θάνατος (Freedom or Death).
	1821	The first Greek revolutionary flag, raised at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence by Andreas Londos	A black catholic-style cross in the center of a red field.
	1821	The flag of the fighters of the autonomous Mani Peninsula.	A blue Greek cross on white background, with the words "Victory or Death" and the ancient Spartan motto "With it or upon it" in gold.
	1821–1825	The flag of the Areopagus of Eastern Continental Greece, a regional administration during the Greek Revolution	The flag consists of three vertical stripes in the colours green, white and black. The cross stands for Orthodox Christianity, the flaming heart for the will to fight for independence, and the anchor for the steadfastness of purpose.
	1817–1864	Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands, a British protectorate from 1815 until its cession to Greece in 1864.	The flag is a variation of the British colonial Blue Ensign, with red bordering. It is defaced with the islands' emblem, the Venetian "Lion of St Mark", which holds seven bundled arrows, representing the unity of the seven Ionian Islands, with the Bible superimposed on them.
	1866	Flag used in the Arkadi Monastery by Christian Cretans supporting union with Greece, during the Great Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869.	Inspired by the Greek flag, it feature the initials of the motto Κρήτη, Ένωσις, Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος ("Crete, Enosis, Freedom or Death"), and the cross with the inscription IΣ ΧΣ ΝΙΚΑ ("Jesus Christ Conquers").

See also

• Flag of Greece

External links

• Kokkonis Flag Factory - Historical Flags.