📜 History of Samos

📜 Names of Samos in Antiquity

In ancient sources, Samos appears under many names: Hydrēlē, due to its abundant springs; Melamphyllos, Melanthemon, Phyllis, and Anthemis, reflecting its rich and unique flora — a characteristic that still defines the island today.

Other names include Doryssa, Dryousa, and Kyparissia, which refer to its trees, the wood of which was the primary raw material that supported the island’s early shipbuilding craft.

Most of these names were likely descriptive epithets, since the name Samos appears consistently in ancient texts. It is believed to derive from the ancient root “sama,” meaning a place with high mountains.

Later traditions introduced a folk etymology, claiming the island was named after Samos, son of Ancaeus, the mythical founder of the island.

🏺 Prehistoric Times

According to historical tradition, Samos was inhabited successively by Phoenicians, Pelasgians, Carians, and Leleges.
In mythology, the first settler was Ancaeus from Arcadia, who had also taken part in the Argonautic expedition. This myth likely reflects the migration of populations from mainland Greece to the eastern Aegean islands — including Samos — in the late 2nd millennium BC.

According to this tradition, the island’s first colonists were Ionians from the Epidaurus region, led initially by Tembrius and later by Procles, who brought with them the worship of the goddess Hera.

Archaeological evidence confirms that in the area of Heraion, on the southeastern side of the island, there were settlements and continuous habitation phases dating back to the Early Helladic period, in the mid-3rd millennium BC, and continuing until the Late Helladic era.

Although prehistoric Samos has not been extensively studied, human presence on the island is already documented during the Neolithic period, with signs of limited growth during the Late Bronze Age.

The worship of Hera later succeeded that of the Prehistoric Mother Goddess, whose cult had existed since at least the mid-2nd millennium BC.

🏛️ Samos in Antiquity

Samos became one of the twelve member-states of the Ionian League, also known as the Ionian Dodecapolis. Around 650 BC, it had already emerged as one of the most important commercial centers in the Aegean Sea — a development largely supported by its strategic location.

The island was known in antiquity for its wines and its ceramics, which it exported, while it imported fabrics from the interior of Asia Minor, engaging actively in transit trade.

The Samians established trade routes with Egypt, Cyrene, Corinth, and even the Black Sea. This commercial expansion eventually led to conflict with Miletus, its main trading rival.

Thanks to its alliance with Egypt and its own powerful naval fleet, Samos resisted Persian expansionism for a considerable period. According to one tradition, the Samians were the first Greeks to reach the Straits of Gibraltar.

In 535 BC, the ruling oligarchy was overthrown by Polycrates, who established a tyranny with his brothers — one of whom he later killed and the other exiled.

Despite the internal conflicts, Samos reached the peak of its power under Polycrates. Its fleet remained active, operating under piratical principles, which at the time were viewed more as military operations than acts of mere looting.

⚔️ Persian Occupation

After Polycrates was executed by a Persian satrap who lured him into a trap, the island fell under Persian control, and its culture nearly vanished.

This loss led Samos to participate in the Ionian Revolt of 499 BC. However, due to their rivalry with the Milesians, the Samians displayed nearly treacherous behavior during the decisive naval battle of Lade in 494 BC.

Nevertheless, in 479 BC, the Samians played a leading role in the revolt against Persia, regaining their political and military momentum.

⚖️ The Peloponnesian War

During the great conflict between the Peloponnesian League and the Athenian League, the Samians sided with Athens.
However, when the Athenians supported Miletus in a local dispute, the Samians withdrew from the alliance.

Eventually, they were forced back into the alliance by military means, but they were not punished as harshly as other cities and islands that had defected during that period.

In fact, Samos maintained a privileged relationship with Athens. At one point, when the Peisistratids were persecuting the Athenian democrats, the latter moved the headquarters of their democratic party to Samos.

The island gradually adopted democratic governance as well. However, after Athens was defeated at the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan admiral and leader imposed oligarchic rule on the island.

Under the Peace of Antalcidas, Samos once again fell under Persian control, but the Athenians recaptured the island in 366 BC.

🪙 Ancient Coins of Samos

An early 5th century BC silver coin from Samos depicts the head of a lion on the obverse side.
On the reverse, it bears the inscription “ΣΑ” (SA) and shows part of a bull swimming in water, with an olive branch with two olives beneath the bull — likely a symbol of peace or fertility.

The coin measures 24 mm in diameter and weighs 13.05 grams.

Another impressive piece is a silver trihemiobol from the 2nd century BC, currently housed in the British Museum.
It also depicts a lion’s head on the front, while the reverse side features the inscription “ΣΑΜΙΩΝ” (SAMIŌN) and a bull swimming in water, beneath which appears a vessel — possibly a hydria (water jar).

This coin has a diameter of 20.5 mm and weighs 4.22 grams.Το νόμισμα της αρχαίας Σάμου

🏺 Hellenistic and Roman Periods

Between 275 and 270 BC, Samos served as a naval base for the Egyptian fleet of Ptolemy, reinforcing its strategic significance in the eastern Aegean.

Later, the island came under the rule of the Seleucids, as power shifted within the Hellenistic world.

In 189 BC, the Romans granted control of Samos to the Kingdom of Pergamon, which was friendly to Rome and closely aligned with its interests.

During the Mithridatic Wars, the island suffered from pirate raids, like many other parts of the Aegean.

Despite these challenges, Samos remained a flourishing and prosperous city throughout the Roman period, maintaining its commercial and cultural importance.ώντας τον πολιτιστικό και εμπορικό της χαρακτήρα.

🏰 Byzantine Era

The Byzantine Empire brought significant transformations to Samos, introducing a strong Christian identity, traces of which remain vibrant to this day.

From as early as the 4th century AD, bishops are already mentioned on the island.
By the 7th century, Samos was officially organized as a Byzantine Theme (administrative and military district) known as the Theme of Samos.

During this period, monasticism flourished, especially in the remote and mountainous area of Kerkis, which became a notable religious and spiritual center.

From the 13th century, the island fell under Genoese control, marking the beginning of a new chapter of foreign influence and maritime domination.

🕌 Ottoman Rule and Recolonization

Following the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Samos gradually lost its population and remained largely deserted for an extended period.
Only a few mountainous settlements survived, particularly in the areas of Kerkis and Ambelos.

During this “deserted era,” the island hosted shipyards for the Ottoman navy.

From the 16th century, Samos was repopulated under an Ottoman settlement program, which brought new inhabitants from neighboring islands and Asia Minor.

Specifically, with the approval of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottomans initiated the resettlement of the island after 1550, under the guidance of Admiral Kilic Ali and with the assistance of Nikolaos Sarakinis, a notable figure from Patmos.

📜 Privileges and Population Growth

The granting of privileges to settlers and the prohibition of Muslim settlement on the island made Samos an attractive destination for returning Samians and other Greeks, from regions such as Euboea, Pelion, and Epirus.

Most of the island’s modern villages were gradually founded during this period.

By the 18th century, Samos had developed a dense network of villages across its territory.

The capital at the time was Chora, and the main port was Tigani (modern-day Pythagoreio).
Over time, Vathy and Karlovasi also began to grow, eventually evolving into urban centers in the next century.

🚩 The Karmanioloi Movement

A significant historical event took place in Samos at the end of the Ottoman period, just before the Greek War of Independence:
the emergence of the Karmanioloi, a radical popular movement that challenged the dominance of the traditional ruling class.

🔥 The Karmanioloi Movement

The Karmanioloi were members of a popular revolutionary movement that emerged in Samos shortly before and during the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

They came into conflict with the "Kalikanzaroi", the local elders and notables of Samos who had aligned themselves with the Ottoman authorities.

Due to the absence of Turkish landowners and the weak Ottoman presence on the island, the Samian Revolution acquired a distinctly Greek social and national character.

According to some scholars, the Samian uprising represents a model of successful revolutionary process and a complete expression of the Greek Enlightenment, incorporating influences from the French Revolution into the local ideological framework.

🕺 Origin of the Name

The name "Karmanioloi" was already in use in the Ionian Islands and was likely introduced to Samos by Ionian merchants and sailors, who had established a notable community on the island by the late 18th century.

According to historical sources, the origin of the name lies in the "Carmagnole" dance, a revolutionary song and dance performed by French insurgents during the Reign of Terror.

Some Samian sailors, inspired by the revolutionary fervor, taught this dance to the island’s lower social classes, and it soon became a symbol of defiance against the traditional local aristocracy.

🏛️ Political Power Shift and Conflict

The Karmanioloi seized local communal power in 1805 and retained it until 1812.

The old notables, mockingly referred to as "Kalikanzaroi", reacted fiercely, seeking to involve the Ottoman authorities to regain their influence.

Although Ottoman officials initially acted against the Karmanioloi, they withdrew shortly afterward, seemingly realizing that the movement did not aim to overthrow Ottoman sovereignty, but rather to change the island’s internal power dynamics.

⚖️ Suppression and Consequences

The price paid by the Karmanioloi was steep:
their leader, Lykourgos Logothetis, was imprisoned and exiled under false charges, and the population was intimidated and terrorized by Ottoman forces, even before the Empire formally distanced itself from the internal conflict.

🇬🇷 The Greek War of Independence

Samos declared its revolution on the night of April 17 to 18, 1821 (Sunday of Thomas), under the leadership of armatolos Konstantis Lachanas.

He arrived at Vathy with a group of armed men, including Grigorios Svoronos, the nephew of the Russian vice-consul, and they attacked and killed the 18 Ottoman soldiers stationed in the town.

The following day, April 18, Lachanas officially proclaimed the revolution in Vathy.
After a religious ceremony, the flag of the revolution was raised amid festive celebrations. It featured the symbol of the owl (glaux) and the iconic slogan: "Freedom or Death"

🛡️ The Stratopolitikon System

Following the uprising, Lykourgos Logothetis assumed leadership of the revolutionary administration.

During the Greek War of Independence, Samos maintained a local governance system called the "Stratopolitikon System of Samos", which combined military and political authority.

The island was successfully defended by the Greek fleet, particularly after victories in the Naval Battle of Samos and the Naval Battle of Gerontas.

Although Samos was never recaptured by the Ottoman fleet, it was not included in the newly established Kingdom of Greece after the war.

Instead, the island was granted a unique status of autonomy under the name:

👑 The Principality of Samos (1835–1912)

In 1835, a special autonomous status was established for the island, known as the:

🏛️ Principality of Samos

Under this regime, Samians were obligated to pay an annual tax of 2,700 Ottoman pounds to the Ottoman Empire.

The Prince of Samos was appointed by the Sultan, held the official title of “Prince”, and was required to be a Christian Orthodox and a high-ranking official of the Ottoman administration.

The capital of the Principality was initially Chora, but was later moved to Vathy, which gradually became the island’s political center.

🇬🇷 20th Century – Union with Greece & Asia Minor Refugees

📅 Union with Greece

Samos was officially unified with Greece on November 11, 1912, ending centuries of foreign control and autonomous administration.

🏚️ Settlement of Asia Minor Refugees

Following the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922, Samos became home to numerous refugee families from the opposite shores of Asia Minor — including areas such as:

Sokia (Söke)

Domatia (Doğanbey)

Kelebessi (Kelbessos)

Tsagli (Çaklı)

By the end of 1922, approximately 30,000 refugees had arrived on the island within just three months.

According to a memorandum by the Refugee Committee to the relevant ministry in February 1924, the numbers were as follows:

In August 1923, there were 23,000 refugees in Samos

By 1924, the number had decreased to 15,270

These corresponded to around 3,700 families, of which 1,880 expressed the desire to settle permanently on the island.

The majority of these refugees were urban professionals, many of them involved in tobacco-related trades.

They established new roots primarily in:

Paliokastro

Tigani (modern-day Pythagoreio)

Vathy

and Karlovasi

⚔️ Interwar Period – Occupation – Resistance and Liberation

During the dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, King George II of Greece visited Samos in March 1937.

In the early stages of World War II, the island fell under Italian occupation.

✊ National Resistance and Temporary Freedom

During this period, a strong resistance movement emerged on the island.

After the Italian surrender, Samos remained free for about two months, and control was taken over by local partisans.

💣 German Bombings and Final Occupation

In November 1943, the Germans launched heavy bombing raids, causing widespread destruction.

Samos then came under German military administration, which lasted until Greece’s liberation.