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 The
name Samos is said to supposedly originate from the area of Sami
at Kefallonia from which it is believed that the first settler of
the island Agkaios, who had taken part in the Argonautic campaign
originates or from Samon the daughter of Agkaios. According to the
geographer Meletios the name originates from the son of the God
Ermis and Rinis, Sao. On the other hand the historical researcher
Bochort supports that the name originates from the ancient nation
Saious that settled on the island.
The researches of the eastern languages attribute the name to the
Ionic dialect "sama" which means height because of the
high mountains of the island. The name Samos was first mentioned
in the hymn for Apollo in the Homeric verse number 41. Many people
in ancient times named it Parthenia, from the river Partheno according
to the mythology the Goddess Ira would bath in.
It was also named Melamfillos, Dirousa, Dorisa, Anthemis, Fillas,
Kiparissia, Stafani and Imbrasia. Most of these surnames are related
with the rich vegetation, which even today is spread throughout
the entire island. It is not an accidental that the Turks name it
"Sousan Anta".
 The
truth about the beginning of life on the island does exists due
to the many myths and the legends that cause even the most aspiring
researchers to come to a dead-end. In any case most support that
the first settlers of the island were the Naiads, the Maenads mythical
monsters that caused earthquakes and geological realignments and
based on the testimony of Iraklidis of the Pontikon their bones
were spread throughout the whole island.
At the paleontological museum Mitilinou Samos the exhibits of the
remains of large sized animals show evidence of the existence of
life millions of years ago. They are from "Pikarmiki fauna"
period of the animal kingdom in the Hellenic area that is dated
back 13 million years.
Ancient Samos was a splendid city with an excellent technical harbor,
which was protected by a huge wave breaker, 370 meters in length
and 35 meters of depth inside the sea. The ancient wave breaker
is still preserved in its whole even to date, but due to the sinking
of the ground it is found immersed at the bottom of the bay of Tigani.
The ancient city was built on the slopes of today's hill of the
Virgin Mary of Spilianis and it was surrounded with walls 6,7 klms
long with 31 small towers.
The first inhabitants of the island were the Saioi, who replaced
the Pelasgoi. Works are improved the being of settlement by the
Neolithic times about in 2000 and 2800 BC. This civilization is
placed among the "Civilization of Salliagou" and paralleled
like Macedonia, Thraki and Sterea Ellada, because of usual issues
that represented to vessels and it is a lot senior from Cycladic
Civilization. The next inhabitants were the Leleges and in continue
are coming Kares.
According to Thoukididis the carriers of the Cyclade civilization
were the Leleges and the Kares, who made their presence evident
in Ikaria, Limno, and Troia. After the collapse of the Cyclade civilization
from the Minoan, the dispute of the Mycenaeans and the Minoans followed,
where the first ones are crowned winners.
The first Mycenaean settlers arrived around 1360 B.C., with king
Agkaios after the instigation of God Apollo.
The colonization of the island from inhabitants of Lesvos around
1140 B.C is considered a historical fact with Kidrolaos the son
of the king of Lesvos being in charge. Preserved on the island are
monuments of an older period, the so-called Cyclopean walls, which
their historic identity has not been verified. The colonization
of the island from ancients is completed around 1350 b.c. and by
Iones around 900 b.c.
Until the 7th century there is no evidence of population changes
taking place on the island. During this period the island takes
part in the Lilantio war and in the middle of the same century it
takes part in the B?Mycenaean war, with King of Amfikrati. During
the second half of the same century, Samos created colonies in Samothraki,
Amorgo, and in Tartisso, city of southeastern Spain. Newer colonies
are consisted of Nagis and Kelenderis on the coasts of Kikilia,
the colonies Perintho, Iraio Wall and Bisanthi, and the coast of
Propondis. Also significant colonies were founded in Lower Italy,
Sikelia and Egypt.
The island flourished during the period of the tyrant Polikratis
around 550 b.c. According to Herodotus, Samos was appointed "fist
amongst the first, Greeks and barbarians". Polikratis with
the help of his two brothers succeeded in becoming a tyrant and
later exterminated the brothers that had helped him. He managed
to organize a powerful navy with which he dominated the Aegean and
took hold of a large part of Asia Minor. At islands shipyards a
new type of ship with the 50 oars, the famous Samaina was built.
After the defeat of Kroisos from the king of the Persians, Samos
was also threatened. Polikratis succeeded in refuting the attack
and then gathered all the mothers of the ones killed in battle and
ordered the rich to support them on gratis. That is where the ancient
parable "Polikratis distributes mothers " comes from.
With intelligent strategies, expansions and victories the island
flourished and unique technical structures began to be constructed.
Constructions that included the Evpalinio Origma, in other words
the ancient water-reservoir, the temple of Ira and the "sand
in the sea", in other words the ancient harbor.
The Evpalinio Origma is thought as the peak of technical creativity
of ancient Samos and one of the greatest achievements of the entire
ancient world. It is the ancient water-reservoir of the city, which
was found inside the mountain of the Virgin Mary of Spiliani and
was constructed in 550 B.C. by Evpalini, the famous plumber from
ancient Megara. The project was made up of a tunnel of 853 meters
in length and of a height and width comfortable for the passing
thought of one person to a depth of 80 meters below the surface
of the ground. Large pipes made of clay that carried water, while
under the tunnel there was an underground passage. The accidental
discovery of this project came to light in 1881 from the priest
of the monastery of the Saint Triadas Kirillo.
The people of Samos of that period were one the first Greek navigators.
The Samian Kirilaios is said to have discovered the Girbraltar.
The beginning of the end of a brilliant period ends with the martyrdom
death of Polikratis from the Persian satrap Orsitis who mislead
him through deceit and murdered him. The island experienced a period
of instability, decline and the control moved over to the Persians.
The famous architect and mechanic from Samos Mandroklis that managed
to connect Bosporos by creating a bridge with ships in order to
have the army of Darios pass over to Europe and offered the people
of Samons glory.
When Darios did not succeed in Skithia, Lerinthos a colony of Samos
in Propondida revolted against the Persians together with the Greek
cities from the Bosporos and the Troada. This revolution resulted
in being the forerunner of the Ionic revolution. In 479 b.c. in
the naval battle of Mikali the Samians defeated the Persians with
the help of the Greek fleet and the island became a member of the
Athenian Alliance. The island with its new prosperity caused the
competitive malice of Athens with the instigation of Aspasia, wife
of general Pericles, who came from Militos a city that was a rival
to Samos.
The Athenians destroyed the island that did not manage from that
time to reclaim its lost power. The destiny of the island was associated
with that of the Athenian government and the Athenians granted the
people of Samos autonomy and rebuilt the walls that they had destroyed.
During the period of the Peloponnesian war around 430-404 b.c.
the island was converted into an Athenian center of naval campaigns.
The island was then passed over to the Lakedemonians, after that
to the Athenians, the Spartans, the Persians and then returned back
to the control of Athens.
In the Hellenistic years of Alexander the Great, the island became
semi-autonomous and was already under the domination of the Macedonians.
After that Samos like all the other Greek cities become a part of
the "Suburbs of Asia" under the Roman Empire. Around the
end of the Miuthridatian pirates harassed war the island. With the
epoch-making rupture of Antonios and Oktavianos the island hosts
the fleets and was the erotic refuge of Antonios and Cleopatra around
40 b.c. During the years of Domitianos and Valerios Messalinas it
belonged to "Province of the islands" with its capital
being Rhodes.
During the whole period of domination from the Romans the island
experienced large catastrophes both by the Romans but also from
the pirate attacks. Around the 5th century it was destroyed by the
attacks of the German tribes.
During the Byzantine period and the division in counties the island
became the 6th county. In the midst of the 7th century it was plundered
by attacks from the Sirians and around 880 b.c. it was conquered
by the Tripoliti of Emiri of Crete. In 1024 the island drives back
the raid of the Russians in the Aegean and in 1809 the Turks conquer
it.
The decline of the island continues during the period of the Franks
(1207-1479). The inhabitants of the island are now very few, who
abandon the island and take refuge at the island of Chios. The time
period between 1476 and 1562 was a time of depopulation. Under these
conditions the Turks invaded the desolated island, which they colonized
it in 1550. With the allowance of privileges to the Christians who
were settled at the island, Samos reorganizes. The island was essentially
autonomous during the years of the Turkish occupation until the
18th century, at which time two factions called Kallikantzaroi and
Karmanioloi claim the leadership. The internal conflicts contributed
in the maturing of the inhabitants and prepared them for the revolution
of 1821.
The island became organized and implemented the celebrated "Military
political System of Samos".
In spite of the fact that the island was located close to Turkey
and was very far from Athens, the people of Samos were some of the
first who took part in the struggle against the Turkish yoke. With
systematic raids on the coasts of Asia Minor they created intense
diversions and they helped greatly this way with the Greek revolution.
Under the protection of the Greek fleet the Turks could not threaten
the island.
With their commander Lykourgos Logothetis and the courageous Captain
Stamatis the Turks kept their distance for many years. With the
liberation, the island stayed out of the Greek nation, but it became
independent and acquired its autonomy. In spite of the success of
Samos, in 1830 the mighty powers of that era decided that the island
should be given over to Turkey with the agreement that it retains
its autonomy.
In 1832 the Sultan recognizes the island as principality with tax
tribute, and the High Gate appointed a Greek leader with his own
parliament. The leaders that will follow were personally friendly
towards the Turks, something that dissatisfied the inhabitants.
In 1849 the inhabitants revolted with the presence of Turkish force
on the island. In 1912 Themistoclis Sofoulis arrived on the island
and with the help of the people dismisses the Turkish powers and
formed a temporary revolutionary government, the so-called "Union
of Samos after the free Greek Monarchy".On year later in 1913
the Greek fleet raised the Greek flag on the island.
From then on the island followed the fortune of the Greek nation.
The supreme regime made the inhabitants unhappy but the island blossomed
in both the commercial, economic, cultural and the intellectual
sector. The incorporation of the island in the Greek force brought
on its growth and prosperity. |
