Mani was the only region of Greece that the Ottomans had not occupied due to the rough terrain and the rebellious spirit of the Maniots.

Once the Ottomans heard of this, they sent an army under the command of the Kapudan Pasha to lay siege to Grigorakis's island fort on Marathonisi.

His mother then had the men of Skoutari under Grigorakis trick the Turkish garrison at Passavas and sacked the city.

For four years since the last Ottoman invasion, Grigorakis had refused offers to become bey but under the pressure of this threat he accepted.

The Kapudan Pasha advanced with a large force of Turco-Albanians into Mani and set up camp at Gytheio which was opposite Marathonisi.

Antonobey Grigorakis became bey in 1802 and in 1807 his reluctance to deal with his cousin Tzanetos caused another Ottoman invasion.