The History of Samos

History: Initially joined to the Asia Minor Coast, Samos became separated from the mainland following enormous geological upheavals. According to the myth it was the birth place of goddess Hera. By being colonized by the Ionians around the first millennium BC, it was inhabited by Carians and Pelasgians. Samos knew its greatest glory in the 6th century BC. Subsequently it was dominated by the Persians during the Persian Wars, later becoming a member of the Athenian Confederacy. When Samos revolted against the alliance, the Athenians lay waste the island in revenge. It was later conquered by Macedonians, Ptolemies and Romans. In 1204 it became a Frankish possession, remaining in Venetian hands until 1413, when the Genoese under the Giustiniani gained supremacy and ruled the island together with Chios. In 1453 with the fall of Constantinople to the Turks, the island was abandoned, its inhabitants fleeing to Chios. In the 16th century Turkish attempts to resettle Samos succeeded. The island remained under Turkish rule until 1912 when it was finally united with Greece.

Archaeology: At Pythagorion excavations, have unearthed ruins covering approximately 6,400 meters. The walls enclose an ancient theatre and cemetery, but the most important structure is the water tunnel of Efpalinus, discovered in 1881 and still accessible today. Other ruins near Pythagorion include a sanctuary to Hera, whose oldest section has been dated to the 10th century BC. In the 7th century the old temple was replaced by a new one designed by the architect Rhoikos. The largest in Greece, it was destroyed by fire in 538 BC. Near Kosmadaisi village lies the cave of Pythagoras, which tradition maintains was used by the great philosopher-mathematician as a refuge. Samos possesses a host of Byzantine churches and monasteries, of which the two most important are about 25 km. from the capital. The monastery of the Holy Cross was founded in 1582, followed shortly thereafter by that of the Megali Panayia(Great Virgin). Both contain remarkable frescoes, icons and beautifully carved icon screens. Slightly older is the monastery of the Virgin Vrontiani (1566) near the village of Vourliotes. Another church, the 11th century church of Our Lady, lies near Karlovassi at Potami. Both Agios Haralambos and Our Lady Makrini, on the west coast of the island near Kallithea, have frescoes painted in the 14th century.

Pythagoras: (580 - 500 BC) philosopher, mathematician and musician. He was never a man to take things for granted, he sought in the sciences, arts and travel, knowledge and experience which would allow him with certainty, to assume his place in the intellectual arena of his times.
His genius, combined with deep study and ascetism allowed him to develop his knowledge to a point which is still of fundamental importance to mathematical theory and the Pythagorean Theorem in geometry is, naturally, still used as are the Pythagorean tables in arithmetic.

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