Samos

Lush green island with beautiful beaches, traditional settlements, significant archaeological sites and famed wine. The island extends over a surface of 500 km2, its coastline is 150 km long, and it has 34,000 inhabitants.

Samos was the birth place of many philosophers and mathematicians of ancient times such as Epicurus, Aristrarchus and Pythagoras. Phoenicians initially named it Samos which means “tall” in their language, Kares called it Makaron Island, while names such as Parthenia, Imvrasia, Anthemis, Dryoussa, Doryssa, Fyllas etc have been recorded as well. Later the Pelasgi brought to the island the worship of Hera. Mythology says that Hera was born on the banks of Imvrassos river, thus she was considered as the patroness of Samos. In 1300 B.C. Argonaut Agaios from Kefalonia brought the Hera’s amulet which was placed in Ireon, while he taught the Samians the cultivation of vineries. The island reached its heyday on the 7th and 6th century B.C.

It was conquered by the Persians, Romans, Venetians, and Turks, declined, subsequently deserted, and later re-inhabited in the 16th century. In 1832 “Samos Hegemony” was established, a singular regime according to which the island was under the command of a thane appointed by the sultan. It was united with Greece in 1912. Samos is connected by ferry with Piraeus port and by air with “Eleftherios Venizelos” Athens airport.