Samos is to be found in the south east of the Aegean and is located very close to the western coast of Turkey. Samos was not always known by this name, history tells us that this beautiful island has been named Parthenia, Driousa, Anthemis, Melamphyllos, Makaros, Kiparissia, Parthenoarousa, Stefani, Phylas and Imvrasia. It is likely that the name Samos is taken from Saon, the son of Hermes and Rhenn, although it is also believed that the Island is named after Samon, the elder son of King Angaeus or that the name is attributed to the Saei, a nation who once inhabited the island. What is known is that "Samo" means, 'That which is tall' in the Ionian language.

Here you will find a synopsis of the varied and rich history of Samos, for further reading we recommend the book entitled 'Samos - History, Folklore, Touring' by Vas Valis. This is available from many outlets, supermarkets, tourist centres throughout Samos.

Samian history goes back to the prehistoric times, in fact there is evidence of annimal species living on Samos well before the the existence of Mankind. Archeaologists have discovered evidence of human settlements in the area of Pythagorion from around the Neolithic era (6000 - 2800BC).

Between the years of 2800 - 1900 BC the population of the island was mostly made up of two civilisations, the Kams and the Lelegns who also settled in Karia, Limnos and Troy. Evidence of this has been found in the area of Heraios where remains of palaces and other artefacts have been discovered. Between 1950 adn 1500BC the island was ruled over by King Minos of Crete until the long-standing conflict between the Minoans and the Mycenaeans resulted in eventual victory for the Mycenaean's sometime around 1400BC. The Mycenaean people created six settlements on Samos between 1400 - 1350BC. The first king of Samos was called Angaios, son of Lycourgos of Arcadia, Angaios was later to take part in the Argonaut campaign. Agapenor, the son of Angaios inherited the throne and later took part in the Trojan war. Around 1320, further settlers arrived in Samos under the guide of Hippasos an ancestor of the great Samian philosopher Pythagoras. Settlers from Lesbos arrived in Samos around 1140BC with Kydrolaos the son of the king of Lesbos. Samos town itself was built around 1150 BC. It has been established that the settlement of the island by Achaen tribes and removal of pre-Achaen peoples, the kams and Lelegns, took place from 1350BC and was completed by the Ionians around 900BC.

There are sadly no records for Samos until around the 7th Century. Samos had formed links with Corinthians and the Spartans. By 600BC Samians had 3 colonies coastline of Mamara, The Heraean Wall and Bisanthm. Demoteles was the last king of Samos who establised a regime of tyranny. (590BC) The first tyrant of Samos was Sylosson. by 560BC Sylosson issued an order for the creation of a temple to Hera. Evidence of this can be found on the outskirts of Herion. Around 538BC Polycrates assumed power with his two brothers Pantagnostos and Sylosson, Pantagnostos outlived his brohers and he alone ruled Samos, providing a prosperous time for the island. His power was enhanced by the exile of many of his opponents including the philosopher Pythagoras, these exiled people where to found a colony in the Lower part of Italy called Dikaeorarchia in 526BC. During this time alliances were created with many civilisations including the Pharoh of Egypt. Polycrates built the famous aqueduct which was an achievement of engineering. It is a tunnel some 1000 metres in length through the mountain, which provided water to the city of Samos.

Pythagoras the son of Mnisarhos, was born in Samos durign the 5th Olympiad (580to 576BC), The myth tells that Pythagoras was the son of Apollo and Pythais. Tuition was provided by Pherecydes, Hermodamon, Abaridas and Nazaratos the magician. Later Pythagoras went to Egypt where he stayed for 22 years. From Egypt, Pythagoras went on to Babylon where he stayed for 12 Years and was trained by Magicians. His experiences in Babylon and the exposure to the astrological views of the oracular where of great importance. Returning to Samos when he was around 60 years of age, after visiting Persia, Sparta and Athens where he was a winner at the Olympic Games. Pythagoras founded a school called the 'Pythagorion Semicircle' When exiled by Pantagnostos to the Italy, he settled in Croton and established the Pythagoras Bond (Omakoeion). The 'Pythagorian way of life' was the practice of the Orphic teaching and was similar to the monastic life of the Hessaioi. Qoute "Before you awake from slumber consider your works of the day take not the slumber before you think thrice of your works, where did i go, where did i not go, what did i, what did i not, that I should" Pythagoras believed everything was made by numbers, a belief based on the observation that the height of sounds depends on the length of the strings of the musical instrument, musical harmony is based on certain mathematical proportions. The Pythagorean oath refers to the number 4 which was the holy number and the basis of creation. Pythagoras also worded the 'hecatomb', known as the Pythagorean theory that the hypotenuse of a triangle when squared is equal to the sum of the squared vertical lines adjacent to it.

The persian military machine, came to Samos under Otanis. They installed Syloson as the despot of the island although he ruled for a very short time. His son Aeakis successded him and followed Dareios to the expedition against Thrace and Skythia. Aeakis held power until the Ionian revolution. The revolution of the Samians in Perithos was the forerunner of the Ionic revolution. The Ionians motvated by the spirit that nothing is better than freedom, rebelled against the Persians, led by Aristagoras of Miletus. The Ionians failed in the attempt when thier fleet was destroyed at Ladi in 479BC. This brought Persian domination to Ionia and Aeakis to Samos whoe ruled there until his death in 479BC During the later sea battle of Mykales in 479BC the Samians shook off the Persians.

In the years of Philip, Samos adhered closely to Athens. Before his death Alexander the Great made Samos semi-autonomous. Whilst after the Romans later (197BC) declared all Greek cities autonomous relieving Samos to liberty. The Roman general Perneca became the executor of the will of Pergamum, requiring that the city of Rome made hier to all the Greek cities of Asia, Samos came under Roman rule. In 88BC Samos and Athens formed an alliance with the king of Pontus against the Romans, althought the romain general Pompey had persuaded the people of Kos against Samos which left Samos no option but to bend to Roman rule. The fleets of Anthony and Cleopatra where hosted by Samos in 40BC.

During the period from Roman rule to the hellenisation of the Roman State, Samos experienced some major disasters including earthquakes and pirate attacks. And during the fifth century the Germanic tribes caused much destruction. The years that followed Samos sawa return to its former glory and with the division of the Byzantine state, Samos was made sixteenth prefecture 'Samos Island'. In 911 Samos was defeated by the Saracens and the Byzantine fleet was destroyed. In 1089 Samos was conqured by Tzachah the Turk, only to be liberated later by Ioannis Doukas and Constantine Dalassinos.

In the years that followed Samos was conquered by the Ventians and later liberated only to fall under the rule of the Latin empire of Constantinople (1204) In 1312 Samos fell into the rule of Aidin the Turk and later in 1367 fel into the hands of the Justinian knights of Chios. In 1424 Samos was plundered by both the Turks and the Genoese. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 the rule of samos was returned to the knights of Chios, the Justinian knights undable to protect the island persuaded all the inhabitants to migrate to Chios in 1476, this led to a period of virtual unhabitation for Samos. The few peoples that remained fled to the mountains building stronholds for protection. Castles at Loulouda, Lazaros, Sarantides, Kerkis etc provide ruins to this effect.

In 1562 the turkish fleet moored in Samos and subsequently ordered the resettlement of the island. It was until 1824 with the help of the Greek fleet, Samos was saved from the Turkish and in 1830 the allied powers of England, France and Russia ordered that Samos and Crete remain outside the boundaries of the newly formed Greek State. On 10 December 1832 the Sultan recongised Samos as a sovereignty under a Chrstian leader. Who remained until 1912. On November 11 1912 the Samian National Assembly ended the rule of the Hegemony (Soverrignty) and proclaimed the 'Union of Samos with the free Greek Kingdom'.