[spokeshave]

Although without food and ammunition, they could have held longer if not for a traitor named Pelios Gousis who helped the Ottomans to enter into the village of Souli, forcing a mass withdraw to the fortresses of Kiafa and Kougi, where they fought their last battle on December 7, 1803. They eventually capitulated and Ali Pasha promised to release them with all of their property and even weapons to the Ionian Islands.

On December 12, 1803, the Souliotes left Souli towards the coast of Epirus. A monk named Samuel remained in Kughi and set fire to the powder magazines with a massive explosion that cost him his life. In the meantime, the Ottoman army attacked the other Souliotes, neglecting the promises Ali Pasha had made to them.

In a famous incident on December 16, 1803, the so-called Dance of Zalongo, 22 Souliot women were trapped by enemy troops and committed suicide to avoid capture.

According to tradition they did this by jumping off a steep cliff one after the other while dancing and singing.

[Pearls Before Swine]

This story reminds me of one of the plot threads in the Count of Monte Cristo, a personal favorite. One of the bad guys is involved in betraying Ali Pasha to the Ottomans. Maybe it was loosely based on this incident.