Thasos
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 Thasos (Θάσος) |
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|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°43′ N 24°46′ E |
| Country | Greece |
| Periphery | East Macedonia and Thrace |
| Prefecture | Kavala |
| Population | 13,765 source (2001) |
| Area | 380.1 km² |
| Population density | 36 /km² |
| Elevation | 5 m |
| Postal code | 640 04 |
| Area code | 25930 |
| Licence plate code | ΚΒ |
| Website | thassos.gr |
Thasos or Thassos (Greek: Θάσος, Turkish: Taşöz) is an island in the northern Aegean Sea, close to the coast of Thrace and the plain of the river Nestos (during the Ottoman times Kara-Su).
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History
The island was colonized at an early date by Phoenicians, attracted probably by its gold mines; they founded a temple to the god Melqart, whom the Greeks identified as "Tyrian Heracles", and whose cult was merged with Heracles in the course of the island's Hellenization;[1] the temple still existed in the time of Herodotus.[2] An eponymous Thasos, son of Phoenix— or of Agenor, as Pausanias reported— is said to have been the leader of the Phoenicians, and to have given his name to the island.
In 720 708 BC, Thasos received a Greek colony from Paros. It was in a war which the Parian colonists waged with the Saians, a Thracian tribe, that the poet Archilochus threw away his shield. The Greeks extended their power to the mainland, where they owned gold mines which were even more valuable than those on the island. From these sources the Thasians drew great wealth, their annual revenues amounting to 200 or even 300 talents. Herodotus, who visited Thasos, says that the best mines on the island were those which had been opened by the Phoenicians on the east side of the island facing Samothrace.
The place was important during the Ionian Revolt against Persia. After the capture of Miletus (494 BC) Histiaeus, the Ionian leader, laid siege to Thasos. The attack failed, but, warned by the danger, the Thasians employed their revenues to build war ships and strengthen their fortifications. This excited the suspicions of the Persians, and Darius compelled them to surrender their ships and pull down their walls. After the defeat of Xerxes the Thasians joined the Delian confederacy; but afterwards, on account of a difference about the mines and marts on the mainland, they revolted.
The Athenians defeated them by sea, and, after a siege that lasted more than two years, took the capital, Thasos, probably in 463 BC, and compelled the Thasians to destroy their walls, surrender their ships, pay an indemnity and an annual contribution (in 449 BC this was 21 talents, from 445 BC about 30 talents), and resign their possessions on the mainland. In 411 BC, at the time of the oligarchical revolution at Athens, Thasos again revolted from Athens and received a Lacedaemonian governor; but in 407 BC the partisans of Lacedaemon were expelled, and the Athenians under Thrasybulus were admitted.
After the Battle of Aegospotami (405 BC), Thasos again fell into the hands of the Lacedaemonians under Lysander who formed a decarchy there; but the Athenians must have recovered it, for it formed one of the subjects of dispute between them and Philip II of Macedonia. In the embroilment between Philip III of Macedonia and the Romans, Thasos submitted to Philip, but received its freedom at the hands of the Romans after the battle of Cynoscephalae (197 BC), and it was still a "free" state in the time of Pliny.
After a period of Latin occupation, it was captured by the Turks in 1462; it was given by the Sultan Mahmud II to Mehemet Ali of Egypt. In 1914 during the Balkan Wars, Thasos became part of Greece. Thasos, the capital, stood on the north side of the island, and had two harbours, one of which was closed. Archilochus described Thasos as "an ass's backbone crowned with wild wood," and the description still suits the mountainous island with its forests of fir. The highest mountain, Ipsario or Ypsario, is 1045 m (3428 ft) high. Besides its gold mines, the wine, nuts and marble of Thasos were well known in antiquity. Thasian wine (a light bodied wine with a characteristic apple scent) was, in particular, quite famous; to the point where all Thasian coins carried the head of the wine god on one side and bunches of grape of the other. [3]
Today, Thasos is a part of the Kavala prefecture and is the southernmost and the easternmost points in the prefecture. Thasos serves ferry routes to and from Kavala and a port at the eastern portion of the prefecture.
Information
The highest elevation of Thasos is the Ypsario, at 1,045 m. The main agricultural production on the island are honey and olive oil as well as wine, sheep, goat herding and fishing. Other industries includes lumber and tourism. Mining industry including lead, zinc and marble especially in the Panagia area where one of the mountains near the Thracian Sea has a large marble quarry. A marble quarry in the south has been mined during the ancient times.
Trivia
The island of Thasos is the setting for the Clive Cussler novel The Mediterranean Caper, featuring his famous character Dirk Pitt.
Communities
- Aliki
- Astris
- Kallirachi,
- Kalyves
- Kastro
- Kinira
- Krini
- Limenaria
- Maries
- Panagia
- Potamia
- Potos
- Prinos
- Rachoni
- Skala Kallirachis
- Skala Maries
- Skala Rachinou
- Skala Sotiros
- Sotiris
- Theologos
Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Municipal population | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2,312 | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 2,600 | - | 288/12.46% | 13,527 |
Other
Thasos has a few schools, a lyceum, a gymnasia, a church and a square (plateia).
References
- Antje and Günther Schwab: Thassos - Samothraki, 1999, ISBN 3-932410-30-0.
External links
- Thassos Island - A portal about Thassos Island. Virtual travel around Thassos, tourist info, history, hotels.
- Thassos Online Map - Homepage of Peter Collenbusch in English with a map of the entire island featuring photos and information about each places.
- Thassos Island, Greece - with actual information
See also
- Communities of the Kavala prefecture, including Thasos
Notes
- ^ "The Thasians, who are Phoenicians by descent, and sailed from Tyre, and from Phoenicia generally, together with Thasos, the son of Agenor, in search of Europa, dedicated at Olympia a Herakles, the pedestal as well as the image being of bronze. The height of the image is ten cubits, and he holds a club in his right hand and a bow in his left. They told me in Thasos that they used to worship the same Heracles as the Tyrians, but that afterwards, when they were included among the Greeks, they adopted the worship of Heracles the son of Amphitryon." (Pausanias, 5.25.12.
- ^ "In the wish to get the best information that I could on these matters, I made a voyage to Tyre in Phoenicia, hearing there was a temple of Heracles at that place, very highly venerated. I visited the temple, and found it richly adorned with a number of offerings, among which were two pillars, one of pure gold, the other of smaragdos, shining with great brilliancy at night. In a conversation which I held with the priests, I inquired how long their temple had been built, and found by their answer that they, too, differed from the Hellenes. They said that the temple was built at the same time that the city was founded, and that the foundation of the city took place 2,300 years ago. In Tyre I remarked another temple where the same god was worshipped as the Thasian Heracles. So I went on to Thasos, where I found a temple of Heracles which had been built by the Phoenicians who colonised that island when they sailed in search of Europa. Even this was five generations earlier than the time when Heracles, son of Amphitryon, was born in Hellas. These researches show plainly that there is an ancient god Heracles; and my own opinion is that those Hellenes act most wisely who build and maintain two temples of Heracles, in the one of which the Heracles worshipped is known by the name of Olympian, and has sacrifice offered to him as an immortal, while in the other the honours paid are such as are due to a hero." (Histories 2.44.
- ^ Hugh Johnson, Vintage: The Story of Wine pg 39. Simon and Schuster 1989
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Municipalities of the Kavala Prefecture |
|---|
| Chrysoupoli • Eleftheres • Eleftheroupoli • Filippoi • Kavala • Keramoti • Oreino • Orfani • Pangaio • Piereis • Thasos |
