Dimo Stephanopoli (1749-1821) was a Corsican cavalry officer, botanist and naturalist, descended from Mani. He was born in Corsica and died, nearly blind, in Paris. As botanist, he is credited with the discovery of helminthohorton, an alga reputed to combat helminthiasis. He was also descended from the last Greek emperor of the Trebizond Empire, and when Louis XVI recognized this fact, Stephanopoli added Comnenos to his surname (Démétrius Stephanopoli de Comnène).

At the age of seventy, Stephanopoli visited Epirus and Mani in the company of his twenty-year old nephew Nicolo. Officially, the purpose of their journey was to collect sea flora, but in reality they intended to collect information on the inhabitants' political inclinations, on behalf of Bonaparte.

After their return, the Stephanopoli composed reports with their observations and impressions. The account of their voyage written by Antoine Serieys, professor at the Prytanée, was based on these memoirs. Aside from historical and cultural information, undoubtedly of great importance, especially regarding Mani before the Revolution, the texts presents extraordinary stylistic and narrative interest. Two identical editions were published simultaneously in London and Paris.

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou