Thassos: mith and history

Thassos was inhabited first by the Phoenicians during the Neolithic Age. As the myth says, Phoenicians founded a city in each region  they have gone through. While searching the way to Europe, their leader's sister was abducted by Zeus when he turned into a white bull, mad with love for her.

Thassos

Later, Thracians settled on theThassos island and gained power by exploiting the local rich mines. These mines have caused interest in Paros Ionians who captured Thassos in the 7th century BC. Archiloch, the great poet of Paros, who wrote a poem about this time, participated in this expedition as well.

The people of Thassos rapidly mobilized and founded colonies in nearby regions. During ancient times, Thassos island held a regional power and people of this island had commercial activities with the entire Greece.

Thassos

During the Persian Wars, Thassos was subordinated to the Persians, who forced the people of Thassos to demolish their wonderful walls of marble. During the Peloponnesian War, Thassos became the one thing Athens and Sparta were fighting for. During 2nd and 1st century BC, under the Roman protection, Thassos island has developed a lot. Although the mines have been exhausted, major exports marble and wine left ​​Thassos. In 42 BC Julius Caesar's assassins, Cassius and Brutus, stored their weapons depot on this island. During the Byzantine era, Thassos was sacked by the Avars and the Saracens.

After the conquest of Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204, Thassos island was ceded to the chief magistrate of Venice, Enrico Dandolo and his descendants. However, Thassos was quickly incorporated into the kingdom of Thessaloniki, the state founded by the Byzantine  despot of Epirus, Theodoros Doukas Aggelokomninos. Later, after the re-conquest of Constantinople by Mihail Palaeologus, Thassos has become once again part of the Byzantine Empire.

Thassos

In 1354, Byzantine emperor Ioannis Paleologos gives Thassos to his ally Genovese, for his help on defeating his domestic opponents. Gateouzos Family led in one way or another until 1455 when the island's leadership was taken by the Turks. In 1770, Orlof 's Russians conquered Thassos, while in 1813 the sultan ceded the island to the Turko-Egyptian Mehmet Ali, who was born in Kavala. Mehmet Ali, founder of the Egyptian royal dynasty was raised by Theodoros Karapanagiotis family. People of Thassos rebelled in 1821, but the revolution had no success. In 1902 the Turks took possession of Thassos.

During the Balkan War of 1912, the Greek army took control of Thassos island. In 1916, during World War I, Thassos was taken by the forces of Antanta. From 1941 until the end of World War II, Thassos island was under Bulgarian occupation.