ROMEIKOS GIALOS, Beach, MYRINA

  Just below the castle (of Myrina) and across Mount Athos is Romeikos Gialos. In this area in antiquity a cow image - made of whitestone or bronze - was standing. Sophocles refers to this in the one and only line saved from his tragedy "Limniades" "Athos overshadows the backs of Lemnian cow". In fact it is said that on the 2nd of June Mount Athos really does overshadow Romeikos Gialos.
  Along the seaside appear the houses of Limnian aristocracy - neoclassical - built during the second half of the 19th century. These residences belong to the descendants of those Limnians who left the island, in order to save themselves from the Turks just after Orlof left the island. During the last century they developed their economic superiority from ships - about 300 sailing ships - and enterprises they owned in Egypt. They also owned the most fertile pieces of land on the island. These residences are referred as "the result of Egyptian remittances and European eclecticism".
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Lemnos Provincial Government tourist pamphlet (1997).