Listed 36 sub titles with search on: History for wider area of: "THESSALIA Region GREECE" .
LARISSA (Town) THESSALIA
Its history begins at least 8.000 years ago. A fact that many Neolithic
findings and remnant cottages proving after discover, together with many other
similar finds. It was also Pelasgiotida’s
capital city and met a great economical blossom till 344 B.C., the year that Larissa
has fallen under the Macedonian leaders occupation. In the year 197 B.C., has
been conquered by the Romans and faced also with them a great new acme in culture
and economic prosperity at August’s season. In the Christianized years,
Larissa referred to be as one important administrative military center and the
metropolis location with its Cathedral church under the same name (St Achilles
of Larissa Archbishop), also with its bishop’s palace. Till the year 1423
the town usually receives the Goths, Bissigoths, Bulgarians and Catalonians raids.
By the year 1423 Larissa being under the Ottoman domination, changes its name
to "Yeni Sehir" (New Town). The town has finally liberated on 30, of
August 1881 and joined the rest free Greek areas.
This text (extract) is cited August 2003 from the Prefecture
of Larissa tourist pamphlet.
FERES (Ancient city) RIGAS FERAIOS
The tyrants of Pherae, Lycophron and Peitholaus, who were destitute of allies after the death of Onomarchus, gave Pherae over to Philip, while they themselves, being protected by terms of truce, brought together their mercenaries to the number of two thousand, and, having fled with these to Phayllus, joined the Phocians as allies. (Diod.+16.37, fr.12-16)
CHALKODONION (Mountain) RIGAS FERAIOS
Flamininus, a Roman proconsul, defeats Macedonians.
KYNOS KEFALES (Ancient city) THESSALIA
There is a place called Cynoscephalae, near which Titus Quintius and the Romans, along with the Aetolians, in a great battle conquered Philip the son of Demetrius, king of the Macedonians (Strabo, 9,5,20).
ALONISSOS (Island) NORTH SPORADES
1965
FERES (Ancient city) RIGAS FERAIOS
(...) And first Pharnabazus put in at Pherae and laid waste this region.
ALONISSOS (Island) NORTH SPORADES
The 146 B.C.
In 403 B.C.
The 1453 B.C.
MILIES (Small town) SOUTH PELION
7/5/1821
IOLKOS (Ancient city) VOLOS
Iolcos. City of southern Thessalia.
Iolcos was famous for being the birthplace of Jason, the leader of the Argonauts
in their quest for the Golden Fleece.
Iolcos was founded by Cretheus, a son of Aeolus. Cretheus married
his niece Tyro, whom he had raised in his house. Aeson is the son of Cretheus
who succeeded his father on the throne of Iolcos. He married Polymede, the daughter
of Autolycus and, from her, had a son named Jason. But Pelias and Neleus both
wanted Aeson's throne. In their fight for the throne, Pelias won and became king
of Iolcos. Pelias married Anaxibia, daughter of his nephew Bias, and had a son
named Acastus.
Meanwhile, Jason was being raised in Mount
Pelion (a mountain near Iolcos) by Chiron the wise Centaur until he was old
enough to go back to Iolcos claim the kingdom of his father. But when he did come,
dressed with a panther's hide, and with a bare left foot, Pelias, reminded of
an oracle that had told him to be wary of the man wearing one single shoe, sent
him in an expedition to bring him the Golden Fleece back from Colchis,
hoping that he would die along the way.
Bernard Suzanne (page last updated 1999), ed.
This extract is cited July 2003 from the Plato and his dialogues URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks.
LARISSA (Ancient city) THESSALIA
City of Thessalia.
Larissa was the leading city of Thessalia
in the Vth and IVth centuries B. C. Thucydides, in his Histories, II, 22, 3, mentions
it first among the Thessalian cities that sent troops to help Athens
against Sparta in 431, at
the beginning of the Peloponnesian war, and gives the name of two generals from
Larissa, one from each of the two leading factions.
Larisa was the home of several leading Thessalian families, first
among them, the Aleuadae, offspring of Aleuas, whose leaders at the time of the
Persian wars were three brothers, Thorax, Eurypylus and Thrasydaeus, who sided
with Xerxes. Another leader of the Aleuadae toward the end of the Vth century
B. C. was Aristippus, shown by Xenophon (Anabasis, I, 1, 10) as host of Cyrus
the Younger, who helped him against rival Thessalian factions. Larissa was indeed
the birthplace of Meno, who thus became, along with Xenophon and a few others,
one of the generals leading several thousands Greeks from various places, in the
ill-fated expedition of 404 meant to help Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II,
king of Persia, overthrow
his elder brother Artaxerxes II and take over the throne of Persia.
Bernard Suzanne (page last updated 1998), ed.
This extract is cited July 2003 from the Plato and his dialogues URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks.
SIPIAS (Ancient city) SOUTH PELION
Defeat of the persian fleet under the leadership of Xerxes.
ALONISSOS (Island) NORTH SPORADES
Tradition holds that the Cretans,with the mythical hero Staphylos
as their leader, established colonies on Peparithos
and on Ikos, in the
16th century B.C.during the Minoan domination of the Aegean Sea.
The Minoan colony later acquired a Mycenean character. The Mycenean
city stood on the site today known as Kokkinokastro, on the easter side of the
island. However, it is historically ascertained that the Geometric period finds
Ikos under the domination of the Dolopes. In time the Dolopes turned in to dangerous
pirates and became the scourge of the Aegean. The Athenian navy later on set out
to confront them, under the leadership of Cimon, who routed them and annexed all
the islands to Athens. Thus, in 476 B.C. the island joins the first Athenian Alliance.
During the classical period Ikos must have contained two cities. one
of them was probably located at Kokkinokastro, where ruins of the wall remain
till today and the other one on the site where the Village of Horio or Old Alonissos
stands today. During this period the island was renowned for its vineyards and
its exceptional wine.
In 190 B.C. the island was taken by the Roman navy. After this point
there is no further information on the history of Ikos until the occupation of
Constantinople by the Franks in 1204 A.D. when both Constantinople and the other
neighbouring islands pass in to the hands of the Venetian.
Togethet with Skopelos,
Alonissos is occupied by successive conquerors. After the fall of Constantinople
to the Turks, in 1453, the islands are turned over to the Venetians. They remained
Venetian until 1538, when the Turkish navy, under the leadership of Khair-ed-Din
Barbarossa, imposed Turkish authority.
During the Greek revolution of 1821 and the first years of independence
of Greek Nation, Greeks from different parts of Greece took refuge on Alonissos.
These people, along with the natives of the island compose the present population
of Alonissos.
This text is cited Mar 2003 from the Municipality of Alonissos URL below, which contains image.
ETHIKIA (Municipality) TRIKALA
Our Municipality was named after the ancient Aithikia. Aithikia is
mentioned by Homer and Stravonas, who describe Aithikes as people quite proud,
chosen to guard the passage from Epirus
to Thessaly. It is worth
mentioning that in 148 B.C., the Romans, after conquering Thessaly, appointed
the Aithikes in charge of guarding the strategic passages of Pindos
and rewarded them by granting them many privileges. In 1535, Thessaly came under
Turkish occupation. At that time, the mountainous Pindos was enjoying the greatest
prosperity mainly due to the massive transfers of the plain inhabitants of Thesssaly
to the mountains. The income from cattle-breeding and textiles (mostly woollen
fabrics) and the folklore architecture helped build in the villages of the Municipality
of Aithikon beautiful houses, churches, monasteries and bridges, to which all
the influence of the Epirus workmen is obvious.
During the 18th century at least one new and splendid church was built
in every village of the southern Pindos. Nowadays, not only the churches, but
also the numerous and once rich monasteries stand as irrefutable evidence of those
glorious days. In the 18th centuty, the social differentiation had already taken
place 1) the ruling class consisted almost exclusively by the chief shepherds
and landowners 2) the middle class comprised of the craftsmen, the weavers, the
tailors, the copper-workers etc. 3) the lowest class included the chief shepherds,
the cattle-breeders, the poorest mule-drivers and the small farmers. The villages
of Aspropotamos were dominated from powerful families of armatoloi, landowners
and chief shepherds to whom all people obeyed, like the family of the Chatzipetraioi
in Neraidochori, the
Chatzipetroulaioi in Pertouli
and the Pyrgaioi in Pyrra.
In some villages like Drosochori
and Neraidochori, the small industries of woollen fabrics flourished and became
so powerful that they traded their products even in Serres and Vienna. By the
end of the 18th century, the woollies’ traders resided and worked in Monastiri.
Many of the inhabitants of Pyrra were wandering blacksmiths, copper-workers and
tinkers.
Nikolaos Kasomoulis mentions the following:
"As occasion offered, I toured all the villages with him (the commander
of Aspropotamos, Stornaris) Pyrran, Kamnaious, Tyfloseli and Gardiki, which were
inhabited by various people like merchants, shepherds, craftsmen of woollen overcoats
and others, that is to say, small industry owners"
(Kasomoulis Nikolaos, Military Memorabilia of the Greek Revolution 1821-1823,
The History of the Armatolic Coup).
The villages of the southern Pindos are inhabited all year round. The type
of cattle-breeding and the economy they had developed did not demand the regular
transfer of the families. A great number of residents and mainly the families
of craftsmen, the small farmers but also the cattle-breeders lived in the villages
in winter, almost isolated from the rest of the world and working exclusively
on their products.
It is noticeable that during the Turkish Occupation, the men on Pindos
never had to wear a fez and women lived a more liberal life compared to women
in the plains.
The domination of Ali Pasha of Ioannina in 1758 brought about many
changes to the villages of Aspropotamos. When Ali Pasha was appointed "dervetzis"
of Thessaly (i.e. chief of the army that was responsible for the safety of the
mountainous roads and passages) by Pili, the Turks started interfering with the
affairs of the mountainous villages. To start with, many families from Epirus
had to give up their villages during the peak of Ali Pasha's ruling - Chimara
in north Epirus, Syrrako,
Kalarites, Matsouki
- and settled down in the villages of Pindos. Finally, many of the poorest villages
of Aspropotamos had to yield to Ali Pasha and his followers and become big estates.
Some other people were forced to pay rent to have their cattle grazing in the
grasslands of their ancestors, like the residents of Pertouli, Pyrra, Agios
Nikolaos, Drosochori, Gardiki
and Athamania, whereas
some others were forced to leave. The latter were wealthy elders, chief shepherds,
merchants and craftsmen. They left in groups or alone with their families who
were depended on them, like the family of Gousios Chatzipetros, an active eminent
chief shepherd and woollies’ merchant in Neraidochori.
The Chatzipetraioi fall into disgrace with Ali, after refusing to
cooperate and submit to him. The family was economically ruined and in 1812 the
two younger Gousios’ sons, Giannakis and Christodoulos Chatzipetros sought a better
fortune in Serres, where
the family was into business. Cristodoulos Chatzipetros travelled to Vienna with
other merchants from Serres, where he met Napoleon as part of a Greek delegation
and asked him to help to liberate Greece. Some years later, in 1817, Christodoulos
Chatzipetros worked in the royal court of Ali Pasha, offering his services as
a secretary. In order to understand how massive the exodus from the villages of
Pindos was, due to the way Ali Pasha ruled, a comparison , for the period 1806-1815,
between the population data given by F. Pouqeville and the demographic facts of
Trikki code in 1820, that was drawn up by Ali Pasha for tax reasons, would suffice.
In Gardiki only 70 out of 120 families remained, in Neraidochori only 40 out of
300, in Desi 70 out
of 80, in Athamania 28 only out of 80 whereas in Drosochori and Agios Nikolaos
only 40 out of 300.
Ali Pasha's fall and his death in 1822 did not exempt the mountainous
villages from the disasters, since his death coincided with the beginning of the
Greek Revolution. The destruction of villages and the exodus of the inhabitants
continued. In June 1823 the Turkish-Albanian troops, under the command of Selictar
Boda or Poda, tried to invade Aspropotamos. They set off from Pili and moved on
to the villages of the Vlachs, looting and destroying everything in their way.
The inhabitants left their homes and moved to the mountains that were a lot safer.
The villages of Pertouli, Neraidochori and Pyrra were completely destroyed. When
Nikolaos Kassomoulis visited these villages in 1826 he couldn't even recognise
the bedrocks of the houses. Their inhabitants had been waiting for better days
for no less than 18 years. Some of them had left and spread in modern Greece.
The villages of Pindos played an equally major role during the German
Occupation and the National Resistance. The mountainous zone belonged to the free
Greece and there were the headquarters of E.A.M. - E.L.A.S. and the central offices
of the common General Headquarters of the resisting organisations E.L.A.S. – E.D.E.M.
- E.K.K.A of the English.
This text is cited June 2005 from the Municipality of Ethikon URL below, which contains image
MAKRINITSA (Village) VOLOS
At the slopes of Pelion,
this devine shadowy mountain, Makrinitsa is resting sluggishly. It's a major village
well known for its panoramic view to Pagasitikos
Gulf and Volos,
its unique architectural features, its magnificent mansions and houses, its churches,
water fountains and paths. Makrinitsa was built between 1204 and 1215 by the Byzantine
family of Malliasinon.
This small settlement, that appeared in the first centuries of Turkish
ryle, developed economic activities in both the Balkans and Europe by cultivating
silkworms and working out leather. In 1878, Makrinitsa plays a leading role in
the Revolution against the Turks. At the same time, Margarita Basdeki - chief
of troops - excels for her courage in fight. After the liberation from the Turks,
Makrinitsa turns to be the largest municipality in the area in extent, population
and activities. By the end of the 2nd World war Makrinitsa's rural character changes
thanks to tourism that opened new horizons for its inhabitants.
This text is cited September 2004 from the Community of Makrinitsa URL below, which contains images
PYLI (Small town) TRIKALA
In the location of the settlement of Porta - Panagia, the Byzantine city Megalai
Pylai or Megali Porta was found which in the Ottoman domination was named Porta
- Pazari. The English sightseer W. M. Leake, who passed from there in 1810, he
reports it as Apano Porta or Porta - Panagia, contrary to the new settlement of
Porta, which had already been developed in the right bank of Portaikou and that
he reports it as Kato - Porta or Porta - Nicola. Both the two names (Pyli and
Porta) are associated with the geographic location of the hamlet. In the settlement
of Porta - Panagia, Larissa's Metropolite Vissarion the 2nd (1490-1540) was given
birth, who was nominated Saint and patron saint of Trikala,
Kalampaka and Pyli.
This text is cited Oct 2003 from the Municipality of Pyli URL below, which contains image.
SKIATHOS (Island) NORTH SPORADES
Prehistoric times (-1100 B.C.)
Our earliest information about the history of Skiathos comes from
the "Travels"of an anonymous writer, previously thought to have been the geographer
Skymnos of Chios. According to the writer of "Travels" then, the island was inhabited
in prehistoric times by the Pelasgians, a pre-hellenic tribe which came down from
Thrace. It is possible, though, that before the Pelasgian settlement in Skiathos,
the island may have been inhabited by Careans who, as the historian Thucydides
tells us, settled in many Greek islands during those times. However, it is likely
that the island was inhabited by other peoples, too, after the Pelasgian settlement.
Amongst these, for instance, there may have been Cretans who, we know, had occupied
neighbouring Peparithos (or Skopelos, as it is called today). This hypothesis
is supported by the fact that one of the names by which the god Dionysos was called
in the islands occupied by the Cretans was "Skiathos" - an adjective which bears
a very close resemblance to the name of the island. Finally, it is also probable
that Thessalians, of the Mycenean age, had settled on Skiathos.
Early and Classical times (1100-338 B.C.)
After these ancient settlers, the islands were inhabited by the Chalcedeans.
These were Ionians who came to Skiathos during the period of their colonizing
activities from the 8th century on. They seem to have arrived on the island during
the 7th or 6th century, on their way to found colonies in Chalcidice (Macedonia).
They built their town on the southeastern side of the harbour, on a height, where
it could command a view and control the large bay and the inner double harbour.
The town was encircled by a wall of square marble blocks, large and rough-hewn,
and two gates assured communication with the hinterl and and the harbour. This
town survived all through the Classical, Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, until
the time when the medieval town, the Kastro (fortress) was built on the northern
side of the island.
Skiathos reappears on the historical scene during the Persian wars.
As the historian Herodotus tells us, in 480 B.C.,when the Persian fleet was sailing
down from Thessaloniki, the Greeks awaiting it at Artemision in Euboea, were warned
by lighted torches on Skiathos. It seems that, during this period, Skiathos helped
the Greeks and was perhaps one of the few cities which did not go over to the
Medes. When the 1st Athenian Alliance -known as the Delian Alliance was founded
in 478/7, Skiathos took the side of the Athenians. Allied towns were divided into
regions for tax-collecting purposes and from the "taxation lists", still pre-served
in attic inscriptions, we can see that Skiathos was included in the Thracian region
and paid 1.000 drachmae a year - a very small sum, which indicates that Skiathos
was poor at the time. During the period of the Athenian Alliance, Skiathos had
its own democratic and autonomous administration, as did the other allied cities.
That is, it had its own Boule (administrative/legislative council, its citizens'
assembly ("ecclesia"), and an eponymous archon (member of the executive in office
for a year,and whose name was used to designate that year). In the end, however,
the alliance developed into an hegemony with the Athenians exercising dominance
over their allies and an authoritarian form of goverment.
At the end of the Peloponnesian war in 404 B.C., when the Athenians
were defeated by the Spartans, Skiathos came under the rule of Sparta and her
system of goverment became that of an oligarchy. In 386 B.C. during the Antalcidean
or Basilean peace, in accordance with which all the islands with the exception
of Limnos, Imbros and Skyros where the Athenians allotted holdings to settlers
- were granted their autonomy,Skiathos, too, was officially declared independent.
The Spartans, however, violated the peace treaty and soon seized Skiathos again,
together with other islands,where they left a garrison and imposed heavy taxes.
In 378/7 B.C., Athens established the 2nd Athenian Alliance, a genuinely
defensive alliance this time, with the aim of opposing the expansionist intentions
of the Spartans. Skiathos once again ranged itself with Athens, following the
campaign of general Chabrias in Euboea and the Northern Sporades in 377 B.C. Skiathos
remained in the 2nd Athenian Alliance with its autonomy and democratic institutions,
approximately 40 years. And it seems that during this period, the island's financial
situation improved so much that it was able, towards the middle of the 4th century
B.C., to mint bronze coins with the head of Hermes on one side and his caduceus
(staff) with the word CKIAΘI in the other. Later, the island was used by the Athenians
as a naval port and a base for its expeditions against Philip II of Macedonia.
In 338 B.C., after the battle of Chaeronea, which virtually brought
to an end the independence of the southern Greekstates and marked the beginning
ofMacedonian domination, Skiathos came under Macedonian rule .
Hellenistic and Roman times (338 B.C. - 330 A.D.)
The Macedonians established an oligarchic system of government in
Skiathos and the island remained undisturbed for , many years. Historically, it
emerges again from the time of Philip V (238-279 B.C.), the Macedonian king who
was, at that time, at war with the Romans. This was a troubled period for the
island, as the surrounding areas became scenes of battle. When the 2nd Macedonian
war began, in 200/199 B.C., Philip ordered Skiathos and Skopelos to be destroyed
to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy fleet and being used against
him. And indeed, in the same year, the Roman fleet, together with that of Attalus
I of Pergamum,who was an ally of Rome, arrived on the island, and plundered whatever
was left after Philip's raid. Despite the great extent of the destruction, the
town quickly recovered and, following Philip's defeat at Kynos Kephales in 197
B.C., democracy was again restored. When the Macedonian Kingdom was overthrown
in 168 B.C., the Romans granted a degree of freedom to the Greek cities and states.
Finally, however in 146 B.C., the whole of Greece was subjugated
by the Romans and Skiathos followed the fate of the rest of the country. In 42
B.C., after the battle of Philippi the victor, Antony, handed over Skiathos along
with some other islands to the Athenians, as a token of gratitude for their friendly
attitude towards him. Skiathos thus re-established its democratic regime, along
with the Athenians, and retained it well into the years following the birth of
Christ.
The Byzantine period and Venetian rule (330-1538 A.D.)
The information we have on Shiathos during the first years of the
Byzantine period is extremely scanty. All we know is that, administratively, it
belonged to the province of Thessaly, which constituted part of a Macedonian "theme"
(military district) and that, with the propagation of Christianity on the island,
an episcopate ( bishopric ) was created under the Metropolitan Bishop of Larissa.
In 758 A.d., during the reign of Constantine Copronymus, the Byzantine fleet anchored
in Skiathos harbour, whence it sped to the rescue of Thessalonica, where a Bulgarian
and Slav attack was imminent . During the 7th century A.D., Skiathos suffered
much from Saracen pirate raids in the Aegean.
Following the overthrow of the Byzantine Empire by the Franks, in
1204, and concession of the Aegean islands to the Venetians, Skiathos, Skopelos
and islands of the Cyclades were taken over by the brothers Andrea and Jeremia
Ghisi, Venetian merchants. The Ghisi brothers granted Skiathos self-deterrnination,
and several privileges, which are listed in the well-known "Capitula Sciati et
Scopuli", and which were still in effect during the 2nd period of Venetian rule.
However, they abolished the Orthodox episcopate. They built a new fortress called
Bourtzi in the great harbour for their residence and for the security of the town.
The Ghisi brothers ruled the islands until 1259, their successors
continuing for a further 17 years, until 1276, when the Byzantine fleet drove
them out of the N. Sporades. Skiathos remained within the Byzantine state until
1453. Byzantine rule, however, was rather nominal, as the pirate raids that plagued
the Aegean at that time did not allow Constantinople to make its presence effectively
felt on the islands which it had reclaimed. It thus appears that around the middle
of the 14th century, the people of Skiathos, desperate following the continous
raids on the island, both of pirates and of Turks, abandoned their coastal town
and built a new, safer one - the Kastro ("fortress',) on the northern side of
the island, on a steep rock which constituted a naturat fortress.
When Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, the people of Skiathos
chose Venetian rule, realising that Venice would from then on be their only possible
protection against the Turks. They therefore asked the Venetians to take over
the island on the condition, however, that they would confirm the privileges that
the Ghisi brothers had give the island, and that the see of the Orthodox bishop
would remain there, reguests which were granted. Thus began the second period
of Venetian rule in Skiathos, which lasted until 1538. The life of the island,
however, did not seem to improuve.
The pirate raids continued and Venetian rules were so harsh, that
when, in 1538, the fortress was besieged by Barbarossa, some of the inhabitants,
in order to rid themeselves of the tyranny of the Venetians, did not hesitate
to surrender it to him. The period of Turkish domination (1538-1821) The Turkish
domination of Skiathos began in 1538 officially in 1540 - when the Turco-Venetian
peace treaty was signed. During this period the island was ruled by a Turkish
governor the voivode, who was assisted by the elders of the town one or two initially,
but later more - who were elected each year. Skiathos along with the other islands
of the Aegean, belonged to the Kapudan Pacha that is to the admiral of the Turkish
fleet. Each year, the inhabitants paid a certain amount of money as "harach" or
tax. There was also a cadi (jude) for legal affairs, an «agha» for administrative
affairs and "zambites" who collected the taxes. There were also quite a few Turks
living on the island at that time. The inhabitants of Skiathos, as was the case
with all the other islanders generally, were requisitioned to serve for a period
in the Turkish navy. Later this compulsory service was converted into a contribution
in money, the "melachica" . However, in the years before the Greek War of Independence,
impressment was again brought into effect.
In the mid-17th century, in the year 1660, the Venetian admiral,
Francesco Morosini, seized the Kastro and Venetian rule was re-established for
the third time. Not for long, however, as the Turks soon took the Kastro again.
Thus their domination continued until the beginning of the Greek War of Independence.
The Turkish population of Skiathos gradually dwindled. The office of voivode was
bought by the locals and there were often no other Turkish officials on the island.
Their functions were thus performed by the elders, who gradually acquired more
rights. The inhabitants, however continued to suffer pirate raids which still
harried them relentlessly. In spite of their trials, the islanders did not lose
their interest in navigation.
From the beginning of the 18th century,the people of Skiathos began
to build small ships and carry on transportation and commerce with the surrounding
areas. Later, on larger ships, they sailed as far as Egypt and the Black Sea.
The longing for freedom, however, was still alive in the hearts of the islanders.
Thus, in 1770, they took part in the victo- rious sea battle of Chesme,alongside
the Russian admiral Alexis Orlov, and soon afterwards they contributed men and
ships to the legendary sea-captain, Lambros Katsonis, who was active against the
Turks at the time. In later years (1805-1816) Skiathos effectively helped the
chieftains of Mt. Olympus, Giannis Stathas and Nikotsaras, who, after Orlov's
revolt had been quashed, continued the fight against the Turks with raids on Turkish
shores and attacks on Turkish ships.
An act of great importance both for the island and the whole of Greece was
the creation and raising of the first official Greek flag in September 1807, at
the holy convent of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, in Skiathos.
The Greek War of Independence (1821)
In spite of the fact that it was far from the entre of military operations and
thus an easy prey for the Turkish fleet, Skiathos soon joined the ranks of those
fighting for Idependence. At that time, it possessed a good number of fully equipped
ships, with trained and experienced crews, from the previous sea battles in which
they had taken part up until 1816 with the Olympus chieftains. The ships from
Skiathos contributed greatly to the War of Independence. At that time many people
who had to flee from their homelands when the revoluonary efforts failed, found
refuge in Skiathos. An estimated 30,000 refugees from the Pelion villages, from
Mt. Olympus, Euboea and Epirus arrived on the island. This influx of population
in a restricted space caused problems, as shelter and food became scarce. Many
of the people were armed, and it was not long before fighting broke out and anarchy
began to reign. The island was plagued for years by violence and looting, the
main offenders being men of Albanian descent ("Liapides") who remained on Skiathos
even when most of the refugees had returned to their homelands or settled in safer
areas. In 1823 the Turks tried to take the island again but were utterly defeated.
In 1829, after the signing of the Protocol of London, on which was based the founding
of the Greek state - which, however, remained tributary to the Sultan the inhabitants
of Skiathos abandoned the Kastro and resettled along the harbour, where the ancient
town had stood.
This text is cited Sep 2002 from the Municipality of Skiathos URL below, which contains images.
SKOPELOS (Island) NORTH SPORADES
(Following URL information in Greek only)
ESTIEOTIS (Ancient area) THESSALIA
Histiaeotis in Thessaly was also named after the Histiaeans who were carried off from here into the mainland by the Perrhaebians.
IOLKOS (Ancient city) VOLOS
They say that some of the Minyae emigrated from there to Iolcus, and that from this fact the Argonauts were called Minyae.
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