Over time, the roles of the armatoloi and klephtes became blurred, with both reversing their roles and allegiances as the situation demanded, all the while maintaining the delicate status-quo with the Ottoman authorities. Many captains ran their armatoliki like their personal fiefdoms, exacting a heavy toll of extortion and violence on the local peasantry. During the Greek War of Independence, the armatoloi, along with the klephtes, formed the nucleus of the Greek fighting forces, and played a prominent part throughout its duration.