Listed 20 sub titles with search on: History for wider area of: "KEFALLONIA Island IONIAN ISLANDS" .
SAMI (Ancient city) KEFALLONIA
During his exile in the island of Cephalonia, he rebuilt Same after its destruction by Marcus Fulvius Navilitor in 188 B.C.
The city ceased to exist after the 5th/6th c.
KEFALLONIA (Island) IONIAN ISLANDS
Robbed and destroyed the island.
PALI (Ancient city) KEFALLONIA
SAMI (Village) KEFALLONIA
Sami dates back to the Prehistoric period. The earliest reference to the settlement is found in Homer's writings who described it as part of the kingdom of Ulysses, the leader of Cephallenes. This is the time when the Cephallenes participated in the Trojan War. Traces of organized settlements in the area date back to this period. Vigla Hill was a Mycenean acropolis (the Mycenean period in Greece dates from approximately 1580 to 1100 B.C.). During the 5th century B.C., Cephalonia was divided into four autonomous, sel-ruled, city states: Krani, Sami, Pronni, and, Palli. The antagonism that existed between these city states is evidenced by the existence of mighty Hellenistic Period acropoles such as the double-hilled Acropolis of Sam (the Hellenistic Period is dated between the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C.). The remains of this Acropolis show that this was a well organized, flourishing town.
During the 2nd century B.C., Sami's strategic location attracted the interest of the Romans. In 189 B.C., they set out to invade and conquer the island. Sami was the only city state that resisted with determination. The siege was long and relentless, lasting four months. Sami finally surrendered in January 188 B.C. - following the arrival of siege artilery from Amvrakia- suffering extensive plundering. Subsequently, the Romans reorganized the city making it an important connecting point for journeys between Italy and Greece. Archeological remains dating back to this period indicate rigorous construction activity. Pirate attacks during the 5th and 6th centuries A.C. and destructive earthquakes contributed to the eventual decline and desertion of the city.
This text is cited Mar 2003 from the Municipality of Sami URL below.
KEFALLONIA (Island) IONIAN ISLANDS
Myth and Prehistory
The island takes its name from the mythical hero Kefalos, who arrived
there disconsolate after killing his wife by mistake. The island was his reward
for aiding the king Amfitryon in his struggle against the mythical Tileboans and
Tafians. Excavation finds around Fiskardo
have led to the conclusion that the island was inhabited since Paleolithic times.
The island had already developed an important civilization by the time of the
Trojan War. This is clear from Homer's comments in the Odyssey.
The Ancient World
In this period the island was divided into four cities: Sami,
Pali, Krani
and Pronnoi. They defended
against the Persian invasions together with other Greeks during the Spartan Wars.
They became divided during the Peloponnesian War. Pali supported the Corinthians
while Krani allied itself with Athens. The island was conquered by the Romans
in 187 BC. At the beginning of the 2nd century AD, Hadrian gave Kefalonia to Athens.
Venetians
During the Byzantine years, Kefalonia headed the broader administrative
region of Kefalonia.
All this time, up to the Venetian conquest in 1500, Kefalonia suffered from barbarian
and pirate raids and a succession of conquerors. After the conquest of the island
by the Venetians, it became a famous transit and commercial station and enjoyed
a period of prosperity.
The French and the Ionian State
After the defeat of the Venetians and dissolution of the Venetian
Republic, the islands were decisively taken over by the French, under the Treaty
of Kamboformio in 1797. The people of Kefalonia welcomed the new government with
relief. Then the defeat and destruction of the French fleet by the united Russo-Turkish
fleet temporarily interrupted French dominance over the island. With the Treaty
of 1800 the «Ionian Republic» was established as an autonomous region under the
suzerainty of the Sultan. There followed the second French period, with the cession
of the islands to Napoleon by the Russian czar. This didn't last long as the British
occupied the islands two years later.
The English
Together with the other Ionian Islands, Kefalonia also actively participated
in organizing and conducting the Greek revolution of 1821, culminating with the
participation of Kefalonian revolutionaries in the battle of Lala which was crucial
for the revolution. The British rulers didn't look gladly on the people's participation
in the events. The period is nevertheless characterized by a series of public
benefit projects on the island, such as the bridge uniting Argostoli
with the land across the strait and the justice building at Lixouri.
Incorporation and more recent times
On the 21st of May 1864 the British formally proceeded with ceding
the Ionian Islands to Greece. It was only a short while after the enthronement
of the Danish prince as George I of Greece, who had been favored by British politicians
in Athens. The act was
largely the result of the intense pressure exercised by the people Already, during
the British period, a movement aiming towards union had evolved in Kefalonia,
whose main exponent was the Radical party. This had been preceded by free elections
on the islands in 1850 and the parliament formed had declared with its vote the
will of the people for union of the Ionian Islands with mainland Greece. Between
the 15/27th of February 1862 the Kefalonian Radical Elias Iakovatos was unanimously
elected as head of the Ionian parliament. On April 7th of 1864 the Greek representative
Theofilos Zaimis arrived in Corfu
and the British Commissioner handed authority over to him.
This text is cited December 2004 from the Ionian Islands Region General Secretariat URL below
SKALA (Village) KEFALLONIA
The area's archaeological site
is rich in very important Roman pebbledash (floor mosaic), dating back to the 3rd century BC.
One of them depicts two men sacrificing a bull and another, the Envy being torn up by wild beasts.
In Aghios Georgios, about 2 km away from Skala and on the way to Poros, you can visit a picturesque country church, situated at a very beautiful site. It was built with valuable pieces of an ancient temple of 7th century BC, which was devoted to the worship of Apollo.
Next to it, lie the ruined foundations of the ancient temple and some sections of its columns.
The races and swimming games, taking place during the feast of St.George have survived as a custom through ancient years, when the Apollo festivities were held here.
Further, in the Sakkos cave and in Mounta were discovered several findings of the Stone Age.
PALI (Ancient city) KEFALLONIA
. . . eight hundred Leucadians and Anactorians, and next to them two hundred from Pale in Cephallenia; after them in the array, five hundred Aeginetans;
MAVRATA (Village) KEFALLONIA
The British Submarine "PERSEUS" set-off on 24-11-1941 from
Malta for an offensive Patrol
mission in the gulf of Taranta in the Adriatic
Sea and the Ionian Sea.
On 6-12-1941 she struck a mine off the coast of Kefalonia
and went down taking with her 60 officers and lower ranked men.
The British crew member (stoker) John Capes was the sole survivor
as he managed a daring last minute escape from the sunken submarine. Using a special
escape apparatus named DAVIS he performed a "second to none", a superhuman
effort to succesfuly ascent from the Perseus Shipwreck, to the surface of the
cold Ionian sea water and also to his saviour...
He swam to the nearest shore of Kefalonia
Island, a beautiful island which was then under the Italian occupation. There
he was found by the island inhabitants who medicaly treated and took him into
shelter. Having been in good hands for more than 18 months he was helped to escape
to safety in Smyrna.
John Capes extraordinary survival adventure was difficult to be taken
seriously. No one believed his stories as they seemed too far fetched. As such
no one ever understood what this man had really gone through, this was more like
a journey from hell to paradise. It had never happened before, for someone to
escape from such a depth. Today, 56 years later the Diving Research Team of Costas
Thoctarides sheds some light into the mysteries of how the sinking of the HMS
Perseus happened.
Unfortunately John Capes is no longer with us so that his daring escape
story could be brought to justice, with the verification of his escape…
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