Listed 5 sub titles with search on: History for destination: "IKARIA Island NORTH AEGEAN".
The island of Icaria was inhabited as far back as the Stone Age, as
evidenced by archaeological data. Much later early Greek-speaking tribes like
the Carians, the Leleges and the Pelasgians made their appearance. There is evidence
of both Minoan and Phoenician sea masters of the early period. In the 8th c. BC.
Ionians came from Miletus,
a rich city of Asia Minor,
but it was their ill-luck to be enslaved by the Persians in 512 B.C.
With the eclipse of Persian power, Icaria became an ally of Athens
and a member of the Athenian Alliance. During this time the first cities were
established. Very close to present-day Therma
was the ancient settlement at Therma, though few ruins are to be seen today.
The remains of Drakanon,
another ancient city, are to be found on the eastern cape of the island. The acropolis,
crowned by a beautiful castle is believed to date from the Hellenistic period,
the time of Alexander.
On the northern side of the island are the ruins of Oinoe,
once the capital city, near the modern village of Kampos.
Ancient walls, an aqueduct and parts of a building called "the Palace",
are still preserved, and other finds have been collected at the local museum.
Finally, on the northwestern point, is the floor and a few broken
columns of a temple to the goddess Artemis. The village is still called "Nas",
a contraction of the Greek word "naos", a place of worship. At the time
that this floor was in use, Icaria was rich and prosperous.
In the years of Alexander the Great, and later when his successor
were engaging in ceaseless, wars, Icaria was plagued by the pirates who took advantage
of the confusion to raid and plunder the Aegean islands. The population dropped,
while others from Samos and
Leros came and settled. Finally,
Icaria became a part of the Kingdom of Pergamus,
in time to be swallowed up by the Roman Empire in 133 B.C.
The Roman general Pompey temporarily relieved Icaria from a new irruption
of pirates, but with the end of the Roman Empire, Icaria fell into decay.
Improvement came with the Byzantines, refugees from the invasions,
Maltese and Genoese sought safety here, and before long, 70,000 people were living
on Icaria.
After the fall of Constantinople
to the Franks in 1904 A.D. Venice took several islands, including Icaria. Until
1362 the island was owned by the Venetian Franks and later, by the Genoese. The
Ionian Knights of Rhodes
took over until the Turks captured the island in 1521. During the early years
of the Turkish occupation, the inhabitants took to hiding in caves and steep places.
In the 19th century local government brought great progress to Icaria,
organizing schools, a just taxation system and encouraging the development of
farming and navigation. During the Greek Revolution of 1821, many Icarians joined
the "Filiki Etairia" - the so-called "Friendly Society" which
nourished ideas of Greek independence - and they took an active part in the struggle.
In 1911, Italy went to war
with Turkey, and took over
the Dodecanese as far as
neighbouring Patmos.
Now the Icarians were ready to take their fate into their own hands.
With the support of the new Greek government, they rebelled and declared independence
on 17 July, 1912. They established a free state with its own army, police, stamps
and national anthem. On November 4, 1912, Icaria was united with Greece,
the mother country.
(text: MOUGIANNIS DIMITRIOS)
This text (extract) is cited July 2003 from the Municipality
of Agios Kirikos tourist pamphlet.
The Ikarian writer Eparchidis wrote the history of Ikaria but few
fragments have been found. The first reference to Ikaria is that of Strabo, according
to which people of Miletus
“cosettled” in Ikaria and also colonized the Black
Sea and the West Mediterranean.
Earlier on, the great divinity of the Ikarians was Dionysos who was
connected to the cultivation of the vine (Pramnian wine is mentioned in Homer’s
epics). The other divinity was Artemis in the area of Nas,
which today belongs to the Municipality
of Raches.
Many historical pieces from Classical, Hellenistic and Byzantine times
are exhibited in the Museum of Kampos.
Many samples of capitals in blue granite with bas-relief goat heads have also
been preserved in Ikaria: the goat being the dominant domestic animal of the island
and known as “ρασκό ριφάκι” (the wild, free-grazing goat). The
Ikarians were also members of the Athenian Alliance.
Ikarian seamen in the fleet of Alexander the Great persuaded him to
name “Ikaria” one of the seventeen islands in the Persian
Gulf.
This text (extract) is cited January 2004 from the Evdilos
Municipal Cultural Organization tourist pamphlet.
During the Byzantine period, Ikaria was placed under the Genoese Maona
of Chios. The resistance of
the Ikarians is referred as: “The wealthy left the island and went to Chios,
the Crimea and Africa (Egypt),
whereas the poor took to the hills”.
Following this, Ikarians resisted Turkish agha over a cliff in the
palanquin “with its bells ringing”, taking on full responsibility
for their act, and saying: “We all did it, master”.
During the liberation war of 1821, the Ikarians, initiated into the
Filiki Eteria, abolished Turkish rule and accepted refugees from Chios.
Again in 1912 Ikarians, on their own initiative, expelled the Turkish
guard and proclaimed the island’s independence and Ikaria administered itself
as a free state under its own constitution for five months by a Revolutionary
Committee, until it joined Greece.
In 1945 Ikaria, again under its own strength, freed itself from the
Italian domination.
This text (extract) is cited January 2004 from the Evdilos
Municipal Cultural Organization tourist pamphlet.
Anaximenes of Lampsacus says that the Milesians colonized the islands Icaros and Leros.
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