Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
, situated in the northern
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...
. The island is separated from
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
by the
Chios Strait The Chios Strait, or the Chios Channel as referred to by some sources, is a relatively narrow strait in the eastern Aegean Sea that separates the Greek island of Chios from the Anatolian mainland and from the Aegean Region of Turkey.
Geography
The ...
. Chios is notable for its exports of
mastic gum
Mastic ( el, Μαστίχα) is a resin obtained from the mastic tree ('' Pistacia lentiscus''). It is also known as tears of Chios, being traditionally produced on the island Chios, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or drop ...
and its nickname is "the Mastic Island". Tourist attractions include its medieval villages and the 11th-century monastery of
Nea Moni
Nea Moni ( el, Νέα Μονή, lit. "New Monastery") is an 11th-century monastery on the island of Chios that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the Provateio Oros Mt. in the island's interior, about 15 km f ...
, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the
Chios regional unit, which is part of the
North Aegean
The North Aegean Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Βορείου Αιγαίου, translit=Periféria Voríou Eyéou, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, and the smallest of the thirteen by population. It comprises the isla ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is
Chios
Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...
.
Locals refer to Chios town as ''Chora'' ( literally means land or country, but usually refers to the capital or a settlement at the highest point of a Greek island).
The island was also the site of the
Chios massacre
The Chios massacre (in el, Η σφαγή της Χίου, ) was a catastrophe that resulted to the death, enslavement, and refuging of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops, during the G ...
, in which thousands of
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
on the island were massacred, expelled, and enslaved by
Ottoman troops during the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
in 1822.
Geography
![Chios2022OSM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Chios2022OSM.png)
Chios island is crescent or kidney-shaped, long from north to south, and at its widest, covering an area of .
The terrain is mountainous and arid, with a ridge of mountains running the length of the island. The two largest of these mountains, Pelineon () and Epos (), are situated in the north of the island. The center of the island is divided between east and west by a range of smaller peaks, known as Provatas.
Regions
Chios can be divided into five regions:
East coast
![Chiostownpark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Chiostownpark.jpg)
Midway up the east coast lie the main population centers, the main town of Chios, and the regions of Vrontados and Kambos. Chios Town, with a population of 32,400, is built around the island's main harbour and medieval castle. The current castle, with a perimeter of , was principally constructed during the time of Genoese and Ottoman rule, although remains have been found dating settlements there back to 2000 B.C. The town was substantially damaged by an earthquake in 1881, and only partially retains its original character.
North of Chios Town lies the large suburb of
Vrontados
Vrontados ( el, Βροντάδος) is a small coastal town located at the eastern part of the island of Chios in Greece. With a population of about 5,300 the town hosts the seat of the municipality of Omiroupoli.
Information
The town has a st ...
(population 4,500), which claims to be the birthplace of
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
. The suburb lies in the
Omiroupoli
Omiroupoli ( el, Ομηρούπολη) is a former municipality in the central part of on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. The ...
municipality, and its connection to the poet is supported by an archaeological site known traditionally as "Teacher's Rock".
Southern region ( Mastichochória)
![Pyrgichios](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Pyrgichios.jpg)
In the southern region of the island are the (literally 'mastic villages'), the seven villages of Mesta (), Pyrgi (), Olympi (), Kalamoti (), Vessa (), Lithi (), and
Elata
Elata is a Greek village on the island of Chios. The village is situated on hilly terrain and has a population of several hundred.
Elata
Elata became a village hundreds of years ago when seven tribes came together to protect themselves from Tur ...
(), which together have controlled the production of
mastic gum
Mastic ( el, Μαστίχα) is a resin obtained from the mastic tree ('' Pistacia lentiscus''). It is also known as tears of Chios, being traditionally produced on the island Chios, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or drop ...
in the area since the Roman period. The villages, built between the 14th and 16th centuries, have a carefully designed layout with fortified gates and narrow streets to protect against the frequent raids by marauding pirates. Between Chios Town and the Mastichochoria lie a large number of historic villages including Armolia (), Myrmighi (), and Kalimassia (). Along the east coast are the fishing villages of Kataraktis () and to the south, Nenita ().
Interior
Directly in the centre of the island, between the villages of Avgonyma to the west and Karyes to the east, is the 11th century monastery of
Nea Moni
Nea Moni ( el, Νέα Μονή, lit. "New Monastery") is an 11th-century monastery on the island of Chios that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the Provateio Oros Mt. in the island's interior, about 15 km f ...
, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. The monastery was built with funds given by the Byzantine Emperor
Constantine IX
Constantine IX Monomachos ( grc-x-medieval, Κωνσταντῖνος Μονομάχος, translit=Kōnstantinos IX Monomachos; 1004 – 11 January 1055), reigned as Byzantine emperor from June 1042 to January 1055. Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita ...
, after three monks, living in caves nearby, had petitioned him while he was in exile on the island of
Lesbos
Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Anatolia, Asia Minor ...
. The monastery had substantial estates attached, with a thriving community until the
massacre of 1822. It was further damaged during the 1881 earthquake. In 1952, due to the shortage of monks, Nea Moni was converted to a convent.
Climate
The island's climate is warm and moderate, categorised as
Temperate, Mediterranean (Csa), with modest variation due to the stabilising effect of the surrounding sea. Average temperatures normally range from a summer high of to a winter low of in January, although temperatures of over or below freezing can sometimes be encountered.
The island normally experiences steady breezes (average ) throughout the year, with wind direction predominantly northerly ("
Etesian
The etesians ( or ; grc, ἐτησίαι, etēsiai, periodic winds; sometimes found in the Latin form etesiae), ''meltemia'' ( el, ετησίες,μελτέμια; pl. of meltemi), or meltem ( Turkish) are the strong, dry north winds of the Aegea ...
" Wind—locally called the "Meltemi") or southwesterly (Sirocco).
Geology
The Chios Basin is a hydrographic sub-unit of the Aegean Sea adjacent to the island of Chios. A kind of white dirt found near
Pyrgi
Pyrgi (''Pyrgus'' in Etruscan) was originally an ancient Etruscan town and port in Latium, central Italy, to the north-west of Caere. Its location is now occupied by the borough of Santa Severa. It is notable for the discovery here of the go ...
on the southern part of the island
[.] was famed as an
astringent
An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian plant ...
and
cosmetic
Cosmetic may refer to:
*Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning
*Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body
*Cosmetic, a t ...
since
antiquity as Chian earth ( la, Chia terra; el, πηλομαιοτικο, ''pēlomaiotiko'').
[ Extracted around ]May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
each year,[ it was considered less valuable than the similar medicinal earth produced by ]Lemnos
Lemnos or Limnos ( el, Λήμνος; grc, Λῆμνος) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The p ...
given that the Limnian earth was considered protective against venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
s and poison
Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
s[ but nonetheless reputed to be "the greatest of all cosmetics... giv nga whiteness and smoothness to the ]skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...
and prevent ngwrinkles
A wrinkle, also known as a rhytid, is a fold, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface, such as on skin or fabric. Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of ageing processes such as glycation, habitual sleeping positions, loss of bo ...
beyond any of the other substances... for the same purposes."
History
Etymology
The ancient writer Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
*Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...
tells us that the poet Ion
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge.
The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conven ...
of Chios believed the island received its name from ''Chios
Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...
'', the son of Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
by a nymph of the island, who was born amidst snowfall ( grc, χιών 'snow'). Known as Ophioussa (, 'snake island') and Pityoussa (, 'pine-tree island') in antiquity, during the later Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
the island was ruled by a number of non-Greek powers and was known as ( Genoese), (Italian) and ( in Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...
). The capital during that time was Kastron
Myrina ( el, Μύρινα) (Also known as Kastro) is a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the ...
(, 'castle').
Prehistoric period
Archaeological research on Chios has found evidence of habitation dating back at least to the Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
era. The primary sites of research for this period have been cave dwellings at Hagio(n) Galas in the north and a settlement and accompanying necropolis
A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead".
The term usually im ...
in modern-day Emporeio at the far south of the island. Scholars lack information on this period. The size and duration of these settlements have therefore not been well-established.
The British School at Athens
, image = Image-Bsa athens library.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, image_upright=
, alt=
, caption = The library of the BSA
, latin_name=
, motto=
, founder = The Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, called the foundation meeti ...
under the direction of Sinclair Hood
Martin Sinclair Frankland Hood, FBA (31 January 1917 – 18 January 2021), generally known as Sinclair Hood, was a British archaeologist and academic. He was Director of the British School of Archaeology at Athens from 1954 to 1962, and led t ...
excavated the Emporeio site in 1952–1955, and most current information comes from these digs. The Greek Archaeological Service
The Greek Archaeological Service ( el, Αρχαιολογική Υπηρεσία) is a state service, under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, responsible for the oversight of all archaeological excavations, museums and the country's ar ...
has also been excavating periodically on Chios since 1970, though much of its work on the island remains unpublished.
The noticeable uniformity in the size of houses at Emporeio leads some scholars to believe that there may have been little social distinction
In sociology, distinction is a social force whereby people use various strategies—consciously or not—to differentiate and distance themselves from others in society, and to assign themselves greater value in the process. In '' Distinction: A S ...
during the Neolithic era on the island. The inhabitants apparently all benefited from agricultural and livestock farming.
It is also widely held by scholars that the island was not occupied by humans during the Middle Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
(2300–1600), though researchers have recently suggested that the lack of evidence from this period may only demonstrate the lack of excavations on Chios and the northern Aegean.
By at least the 11th century BC the island was ruled by a monarchy, and the subsequent transition to aristocratic (or possibly tyrannic) rule occurred sometime over the next four centuries. Future excavations may reveal more information about this period. 9th-century Euboea
Evia (, ; el, Εύβοια ; grc, Εὔβοια ) or Euboia (, ) is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by the narrow Euripus Strait (only at its narrowest poin ...
n and Cypriote presence on the island is attested by ceramics, while a Phoenicia
Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
n presence is noted at Erythrae
Erythrae or Erythrai ( el, Ἐρυθραί) later Litri, was one of the twelve Ionian cities of Asia Minor, situated 22 km north-east of the port of Cyssus (modern name: Çeşme), on a small peninsula stretching into the Bay of Erythrae ...
, the traditional competitor of Chios on the mainland.
Archaic and Classical periods
Pherecydes, native to the Aegean, wrote that the island was occupied by the Leleges
The Leleges (; grc-gre, Λέλεγες) were an aboriginal people of the Aegean region, before the Greeks arrived. They were distinct from another pre-Hellenic people of the region, the Pelasgians. The exact areas to which they were native are un ...
, Pre-Greeks who were reported to be subjected to the Minoans on Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
. They were eventually driven out by invading Ionians
The Ionians (; el, Ἴωνες, ''Íōnes'', singular , ''Íōn'') were one of the four major tribes that the Greeks considered themselves to be divided into during the ancient period; the other three being the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achae ...
.
Chios was one of the original twelve member states of the Ionian League
The Ionian League ( grc, Ἴωνες, ''Íōnes''; , ''koinón Iōnōn''; or , ''koinē sýnodos Iōnōn''; Latin: ''commune consilium''), also called the Panionic League, was a confederation formed at the end of the Meliac War in the mid-7th ce ...
. As a result, Chios, at the end of the 7th century BC, was one of the first cities to strike or mint coins, establishing the sphinx
A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon.
In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...
as its symbol. It maintained this tradition for almost 900 years.
In the 6th century BC, Chios' government adopted a constitution similar to that developed by Solon
Solon ( grc-gre, Σόλων; BC) was an Athenian statesman, constitutional lawmaker and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in Archaic Athens.Aristotle ''Politics'' ...
in Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and later developed democratic elements with a voting assembly and people's magistrates called ''damarchoi''.[Grant, Michael (1989). The Classical Greeks. Guild Publishing London. p.149]
In 546 BC, Chios was subjected to the Persian Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...
. Chios joined the Ionian Revolt
The Ionian Revolt, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several Greek regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 BC to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfac ...
against the Persians in 499 BC. The naval power of Chios during this period is demonstrated by the fact that the Chians had the largest fleet (100 ships) of all of the Ionians at the Battle of Lade
The Battle of Lade ( grc, Ναυμαχία τῆς Λάδης, translit=Naumachia tēs Ladēs) was a naval battle which occurred during the Ionian Revolt, in 494 BC. It was fought between an alliance of the Ionian cities (joined by the Lesbi ...
in 494 BC. At Lade, the Chian fleet doggedly continued to fight the Persian fleet even after the defection of the Samians
Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate r ...
and others, but the Chians were ultimately forced to retreat and were again subjected to Persian domination.
The defeat of Persia at the Battle of Mycale
The Battle of Mycale ( grc, Μάχη τῆς Μυκάλης; ''Machē tēs Mykalēs'') was one of the two major battles (the other being the Battle of Plataea) that ended the second Persian invasion of Greece during the Greco-Persian Wars. It ...
in 479 BC meant the liberation of Chios from Persian rule. When the Athenians formed the Delian League
The Delian League, founded in 478 BC, was an association of Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Pl ...
, Chios joined as one of the few members who did not have to pay tribute but who supplied ships to the alliance.
By the fifth to fourth centuries BC, the island had grown to an estimated population of over 120,000 (two to three times the estimated population in 2005), based on the huge necropolis at the main city of Chios. It is thought that the majority of the population lived in that area.
In 412 BC, during the Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
, Chios revolted against Athens, and the Athenians besieged it. Relief only came the following year when the Spartans were able to raise the siege. In the 4th century BC, Chios was a member of the Second Athenian League The Second Athenian League was a maritime confederation of Aegean city-states from 378 to 355 BC and headed by Athens, primarily for self-defense against the growth of Sparta and secondly, the Persian Empire.
Background
In 478 BC, Athens founded ...
but revolted against Athens during the Social War (357–355 BC)
The Social War, also known as the War of the Allies, was fought from 357 BC to 355 BC between Athens with the Second Athenian League and the allied city-states of Chios, Rhodes, Cos and Byzantion.
Origins
Provoked by Athens' increasingly domina ...
, and Chios became independent again until the rise of Macedonia.
Hellenistic period
Theopompus returned to Chios with the other exiles in 333 BC after Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
had invaded Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
and decreed their return, as well as the exile or trial of Persian supporters on the island. Theopompus was exiled again sometime after Alexander's death and took refuge in Egypt.
During this period, the island also had become the largest exporter of Greek wine, which was noted for being of relatively high quality (see "Chian wine Chian wine was a product of the Greek island of Chios. It was among the most prized wines in classical antiquity and, according to Theopompus and Greek mythology, was the first red wine, then called "black wine".
Greece
Chian wine was exported in ...
"). Chian amphoras
An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...
, with a characteristic sphinx emblem and bunches of grapes, have been found in nearly every country with whom the ancient Greeks traded. These countries included Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
, Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south.
In ancient ...
, and Southern Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
.
Roman period
During the Third Macedonian War
The Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC) was a war fought between the Roman Republic and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC, King Philip V of Macedon died and was succeeded by his ambitious son Perseus. He was anti-Roman and stirred anti-Roman f ...
, thirty-five vessels allied to Rome, carrying about 1,000 Galatia
Galatia (; grc, Γαλατία, ''Galatía'', "Gaul") was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir, in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (c ...
n troops, as well as a number of horses, were sent by Eumenes II
Eumenes II Soter (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης Σωτήρ; ruled 197–159 BC) was a ruler of Pergamon, and a son of Attalus I Soter and queen Apollonis and a member of the Attalid dynasty of Pergamon.
Biography
The eldest son of king Attalus I a ...
to his brother Attalus. Leaving from Elaea, they were headed to the harbour of Phanae, planning to disembark from there to Macedonia. However, Perseus
In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...
's naval commander Antenor intercepted the fleet between Erythrae
Erythrae or Erythrai ( el, Ἐρυθραί) later Litri, was one of the twelve Ionian cities of Asia Minor, situated 22 km north-east of the port of Cyssus (modern name: Çeşme), on a small peninsula stretching into the Bay of Erythrae ...
(on the Western coast of Turkey) and Chios. According to Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...
, they were caught completely off-guard by Antenor. Eumenes' officers at first thought the intercepting fleet were friendly Romans, but scattered upon realizing they were facing an attack by their Macedonian enemy, some choosing to abandon ship and swim to Erythrae. Others, crashing their ships into land on Chios, fled toward the city. The Chians however closed their gates, startled at the calamity. And the Macedonians, who had docked closer to the city anyway, cut the rest of the fleet off outside the city gates, and on the road leading to the city. Of the 1,000 men, 800 were killed, 200 taken prisoner.'
After the Roman conquest Chios became part of the province of Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
.
Pliny
Pliny may refer to:
People
* Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'')
* Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...
remarks upon the islanders' use of variegated marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
in their buildings, their appreciation for such stone above murals or other forms of artificial decoration, and the cosmetic properties of the local earth.
According to the Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its messag ...
, Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist (Latin: '' Lucas''; grc, Λουκᾶς, '' Loukâs''; he, לוקאס, ''Lūqās''; arc, /ܠܘܩܐ לוקא, ''Lūqā’; Ge'ez: ሉቃስ'') is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of t ...
, Paul the Apostle
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
and their companions passed Chios during Paul's third missionary journey, on a passage from Lesbos
Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Anatolia, Asia Minor ...
to Samos
Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate ...
.
Byzantine period
After the permanent division of the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
in 395 AD, Chios was for seven centuries part of the Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. This came to an end when the island was briefly held (1090–97) by Tzachas
Tzachas ( gr, Τζαχᾶς, Tzachás), also known as Chaka Bey ( tr, Çaka Bey)"Tzachas" is the Hellenized form of a Turkish name which does not appear in any historical documents, but was likely "Chaka", "Chagha", or "Chaqan". The name "Chak ...
, a Turkish bey in the region of Smyrna during the first expansion of the Turks to the Aegean coast. However, the Turks were driven back from the Aegean coast by the Byzantines aided by the First Crusade
The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...
, and the island was restored to Byzantine rule by admiral Constantine Dalassenos.
This relative stability was ended by the sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
(1204) and during the turmoil of the 13th century the island's ownership was constantly affected by the regional power struggles. After the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine empire was divided up by the Latin emperors of Constantinople
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, with Chios nominally becoming a possession of the Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
. However, defeats for the Latin empire resulted in the island reverting to Byzantine rule in 1225.
Genoese period (1304–1566)
The Byzantine rulers had little influence and through the Treaty of Nymphaeum, authority was ceded to the Republic of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...
(1261). At this time the island was frequently attacked by pirates, and by 1302–1303 was a target for the renewed Turkish fleets. To prevent Turkish expansion, the island was reconquered and kept as a renewable concession, at the behest of the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus
, image = Andronikos II Palaiologos2.jpg
, caption = Miniature from the manuscript of George Pachymeres' ''Historia''
, succession = Byzantine emperor
, reign = 11 December 1282 –24 May 1328
, coronation = 8 Novembe ...
, by the Genovese Benedetto I Zaccaria Benedetto I Zaccaria (c. 1235 – 1307) was an Italian admiral of the Republic of Genoa. He was the Lord of Phocaea (from 1288) and first Lord of Chios (from 1304), and the founder of Zaccaria fortunes in Byzantine and Latin Greece. He was, at di ...
(1304), then admiral to Philip of France. Zaccaria installed himself as ruler of the island, founding the short-lived Lordship of Chios
The Lordship of Chios was a short-lived autonomous lordship run by the Genoese Zaccaria family. Its core was the eastern Aegean island of Chios, and in its height it encompassed a number of other islands off the shore of Asia Minor. Although theo ...
. His rule was benign and effective control remained in the hands of the local Greek landowners. Benedetto Zacharia was followed by his son Paleologo and then his grandsons or nephews Benedetto II and Martino. They attempted to turn the island towards the Latin and Papal powers, and away from the predominant Byzantine influence. The locals, still loyal to the Byzantine Empire, responded to a letter from the emperor and, despite a standing army of a thousand infantrymen, a hundred cavalrymen and two galleys, expelled the Zacharia family from the island (1329) and dissolved the fiefdom.
Local rule was brief. In 1346, a chartered company or ''Maona
A maona ( ar, معونة ''ma‘ūnah''; ; ar, معاونة ''mu‘āwanah''; ) also as mahona (pl. mahone) or societas comperarum was a medieval Italy, Italian association of investors formed to manage the purchased Share (finance), shares (''l ...
'' (the "''Maona di Chio e di Focea Maona of Chios and Phocaea ( it, Maona di Chio e di Focea) (1346–1566) was a maona formed to exact taxes for the Republic of Genoa from the island of Chios and port of Phocaea. Genoa sold the rights to their taxes to the maona, which raised funds ...
''") was set up in Genoa to reconquer and exploit Chios and the neighbouring town of Phocaea
Phocaea or Phokaia (Ancient Greek: Φώκαια, ''Phókaia''; modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionia
Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northern ...
in Asia Minor. Although the islanders firmly rejected an initial offer of protection, the island was invaded by a Genoese fleet, led by Simone Vignoso, and the castle besieged. Again rule was transferred peacefully, as on 12 September the castle was surrendered and a treaty signed with no loss of privileges to the local landowners as long as the new authority was accepted. The Maona was controlled by the Giustiniani
The House of Giustiniani is the name of a prominent Italy, Italian family which originally belonged to Venice, but also established itself in Genoa, and at various times had representatives in Naples, Corsica and in the islands of the Aegean Sea, A ...
family.
The Genoese, being interested in profit rather than conquest, controlled the trade-posts and warehouses, in particular the trade of mastic, alum, salt and pitch. Other trades such as grain, wine oil and cloth and most professions were run jointly with the locals. After a failed uprising in 1347, and being heavily outnumbered (less than 10% of the population in 1395), the Latins maintained light control over the local population, remaining largely in the town and allowing full religious freedom. In this way the island remained under Genoese control for two centuries. By 1566, when Genoa lost Chios to the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, there were 12.000 Greeks and 2.500 Genoese (or 17% of the total population) in the island.
Ottoman period: economic prosperity and the Great Destruction
In the April of 1566, the island of Chios was captured by the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
after the surrender to Piyale Pasha
Piali Pasha, ( tr, Piyale Paşa; hu, Piali pasa) (c. 1515–1578) was an Ottoman Grand Admiral (Kapudan Pasha) between 1553 and 1567, and a Vizier (minister) after 1568. He is also known as Piale Pasha in English.
Early life
His exact place ...
. Subsequently, the Genoans were sent to the capital and after some time upon the request of the French ambassdor they were allowed to return with a firman.
During Ottoman rule, the government and tax gathering again remained in the hands of Greeks and the Turkish garrison was small and inconspicuous.
As well as the Latin and Turkish influx, documents record a small Jewish population from at least 1049 AD. The original Greek ( Romaniote) Jews, thought to have been brought over by the Romans, were later joined by Sephardic Jews welcomed by the Ottomans during the Iberian expulsions of the 15th century.
The mainstay of the island's famous wealth was the mastic crop. Chios was able to make a substantial contribution to the imperial treasury while at the same time maintaining only a light level of taxation. The Ottoman government regarded it as one of the most valuable provinces of the Empire.
When the Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
broke out, the island's leaders were reluctant to join the revolutionaries, fearing the loss of their security and prosperity. However, in March 1822, several hundred armed Greeks from the neighbouring island of Samos
Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate ...
landed in Chios. They proclaimed the revolution and launched attacks against the Turks, at which point islanders decided to join the struggle.
Ottomans landed a large force on the island consequently and put down the rebellion. The Ottoman massacre of Chios
The Chios massacre (in el, Η σφαγή της Χίου, ) was a catastrophe that resulted to the death, enslavement, and refuging of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman Empire, Ottoman troop ...
expelled, killed or enslaved thousands of the inhabitants of the island.
It wiped out whole villages and affected the Mastichochoria
Mastichochoria ( el, Μαστιχοχώρια, , lit. "the mastic villages" in English) is a former municipality on the island of Chios (Χίος), North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, ...
area, the mastic growing villages in the south of the island. It triggered also negative public reaction in Western Europe, as portrayed by Eugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...
, and in the writing of Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
and Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
. In 1825, Thomas Barker of Bath
Thomas Barker or Barker of Bath (1769 – 11 December 1847), was a British painter of landscape and rural life.
Early life
Barker was born in 1769, at Trosnant near the village of Pontypool, in Monmouthshire. His father, Benjamin Barker, was the ...
painted a fresco depicting the Chios Massacre
The Chios massacre (in el, Η σφαγή της Χίου, ) was a catastrophe that resulted to the death, enslavement, and refuging of about four-fifths of the total population of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops, during the G ...
on the walls of Doric House, Bath, Somerset
Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...
. Finally, Chios was not included in the modern Greek state
The history of modern Greece covers the history of Greece from the recognition by the Great Powers — Britain, France and Russia — of its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1828 to the present day.
Background
The Byzantine Empire had ...
and remained under Ottoman rule.
In 1881, an earthquake, estimated as 6.5 on the moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pape ...
, damaged a large portion of the island's buildings and resulted in great loss of life. Reports of the time spoke of 5,500–10,000 fatalities.
Remarkably, despite the terrible devastation, in the later 19th century Chios emerged as the motherland of the modern Greek shipping industry. Indicatively, while in 1764, Chios had 6 vessels with 90 sailors on record, in 1875 there were 104 ships with over 60,000 registered tonnes, and in 1889 were recorded 440 sailing ships of various types with 3,050 sailors. The dynamic development of Chian shipping in the 19th century is further attested by the various shipping related services that were present in the island during this time, such as the creation of the shipping insurance
Shipping insurance is a service which may reimburse senders whose parcels are lost, stolen, and/or damaged in transit.
In Canada and the US, shipping insurance is offered by postal services, courier companies, and shipping-insurance companies ...
companies ''Chiaki Thalassoploia'' (Χιακή Θαλασσοπλοΐα), ''Dyo Adelfai'' (Δυο Αδελφαί), ''Omonoia'' (Ομόνοια) and the shipping bank ''Archangelos'' (Αρχάγγελος) (1863). The boom of Chian shipping took place with the successful transition from sailing vessels to steam. To this end, Chian ship owners were supported by the strong ''diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
'' presence of Chian merchants and bankers, and the connections they had developed with the financing centers of the time (Istanbul, London), the establishment in London of shipping businessmen, the creation of shipping academies in Chios and the expertise of Chian personnel on board.
In independent Greece
Chios joined the rest of independent Greece after the First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
(1912). The Greek Navy landed at Chios in November 1912 and took control of the island after a brief amphibious operation. The Ottoman Empire recognized Greece's annexation of Chios and the other Aegean islands by signing the Treaty of London (1913)
The Treaty of London (1913) was signed on 30 May following the London Conference of 1912–1913. It dealt with the territorial adjustments arising out of the conclusion of the First Balkan War. The London Conference had ended on 23 January 1913, ...
.
Although Greece was officially neutral, the island was occupied by the British during World War I. They landed on 17 February 1916. This may have been due to the island's proximity to the Ottoman Empire and the city of İzmir in particular.
It was affected also by the population exchange after the Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, with the incoming Greek refugees settling in Kastro (previously a Turkish neighborhood) and in new settlements hurriedly built south of Chios town.
The island saw some local violence during the Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...
setting neighbour against neighbour. This ended when the final band of communist fighters was trapped and killed in the orchards of Kampos and their bodies driven through the main town on the back of a truck. In March 1948, the island was used as an internment camp for female political detainees (communists or relatives of guerillas) and their children, who were housed in military barracks near the town of Chios. Up to 1300 women and 50 children were housed in cramped and degrading conditions, until March 1949 when the camp was closed and the inhabitants moved to Trikeri
Trikeri ( el, Τρίκερι, ''Tríkeri'') is a town and a former community in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality South Pelion, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies at the wester ...
.
The production of mastic
Mastic may refer to:
Adhesives and pastes
*Mastic (plant resin)
*Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid
*Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay.
*Mastic, high-grade cons ...
was threatened by the Chios forest fire that swept the southern half of the island in August 2012 and destroyed some mastic groves.
By 2015, Chios had become a transit point for refugees and asylum seekers entering the EU from Turkey. A reception and identification centre was formed at VIAL near the village of Chalkeio, however, in 2021 the Greek government announced a new closed reception centre will be built in a more isolated location at Akra Pachy near the village of Pantoukios.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Chios has a permanent resident population of 52,674.
Government
The present municipality Chios was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 8 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[
* ]Agios Minas
Agios Minas ( el, Άγιος Μηνάς) is a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located on the cent ...
* Amani
* Chios (town)
Chios ( el, Χίος) is the main town and a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an ...
* Ionia
Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionian ...
* Kampochora
Kampochora or Kampos ( el, Καμπόχωρα, Κάμπος), literally ''plain'', is a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios
Chios (; el, ...
* Kardamyla
Kardamyla ( el, Καρδάμυλα) is a village and a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit.
It is located in ...
* Mastichochoria
Mastichochoria ( el, Μαστιχοχώρια, , lit. "the mastic villages" in English) is a former municipality on the island of Chios (Χίος), North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, ...
* Omiroupoli
Omiroupoli ( el, Ομηρούπολη) is a former municipality in the central part of on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. The ...
Economy
Commerce
The local merchant shipping
Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting Commodity, commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it h ...
community transports several locally grown products including mastic
Mastic may refer to:
Adhesives and pastes
*Mastic (plant resin)
*Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid
*Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay.
*Mastic, high-grade cons ...
, olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
s, fig
The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...
s, wine, mandarins, and cherries
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...
.
Cuisine
Local specialities of the island include:
* ''Kordelia'', pasta
* ''Malathropita''
* ''Neratzopita''
* ''Mastello'' (cheese)
* ''Valanes'', type of pasta
* '' Sfougato'', type of omelette
* ''Mamoulia'' (dessert)
* ''Masourakia'' (dessert)
* '' Mastiha (drink)''
* ''Souma (drink) Souma may refer to:
* Soumâa, Boumerdès, a village in Boumerdès Province, Algeria
* Soumâa, Blida, a town in Blida Province, Algeria
* Soma (drink), a Vedic ritual ambrosia drink
See also
* Soumya, an Indian given name
* Sōma (disambiguat ...
''
Antimony mines
Sporadically for some time during the early 19th century to 1950s there was mining activity on the island at Keramos Antimony Mines.
Culture
* Nea Moni
Nea Moni ( el, Νέα Μονή, lit. "New Monastery") is an 11th-century monastery on the island of Chios that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the Provateio Oros Mt. in the island's interior, about 15 km f ...
is a monastery with fine mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s from Constantine IX
Constantine IX Monomachos ( grc-x-medieval, Κωνσταντῖνος Μονομάχος, translit=Kōnstantinos IX Monomachos; 1004 – 11 January 1055), reigned as Byzantine emperor from June 1042 to January 1055. Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita ...
's reign and a World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
* An ancient inscription (at Chios Archaeological Museum) from a fifth-century funerary monument for Heropythos the son of Philaios, traced his family back over fourteen generations to Kyprios at the tenth century BC, before there were any written records in Greece.
;Forts
* Castle of Chios, a Byzantine fort built in the 10th century
** St. George's church
;Museums
* Chios Byzantine Museum
The Chios Byzantine Museum is a museum in Chios, Greece, housed in an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman-era mosque that was known as the Mecidiye Mosque.
History
The mosque was called Mecidiye Mosque and was built in the 19th century by sultan Abdul Meci ...
* The Chios Mastic Museum
* Archaeological Museum of Chios
* Chios Maritime Museum
;Traditions
* The town of Vrontados
Vrontados ( el, Βροντάδος) is a small coastal town located at the eastern part of the island of Chios in Greece. With a population of about 5,300 the town hosts the seat of the municipality of Omiroupoli.
Information
The town has a st ...
is home to a unique Easter celebration, where competing teams of locals gather at the town's two (rival) churches to fire tens of thousands of homemade rockets at the other church's bell tower while the Easter service is going on inside the churches, in what has become known as ''rouketopolemos
''Rouketopolemos'' (Greek ''Рουκετοπόλεμος'', literally "rocket war") is a local traditional event held annually at Easter in the town of Vrontados (Βροντάδος) on the Greek island of Chios. As a variation of the Greek custom ...
''.
;Sports
* F.C. Lailapas
Lailapas Football Club ( el, Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Σύλλογος Λαίλαπας; transliterated ''Athlitikos Podosfairikos Syllogos Lailapas''), is a Greek football club based in Chios, Greece currently competing in th ...
(Chios town)
* NC Chios
Nautical Club of Chios (Greek: Ναυτικός Όμιλος Χίου) is an aquatic club based in Chios. It was founded in 1930. Chios plays almost constantly in A1 Ethniki (first division of Greek Water Polo championship) and it has won a Greek ...
, water polo
* Panchiakos GS
;Media
* Alithia TV
* '' Chiakos Laos'', newspaper
* '' Politis'', newspaper
* ''Dimokratiki'', newspaper
Twin town, sister cities
Chios is twinned with:
* Brezno
Brezno (; 1927–1948 ''Brezno nad Hronom'', german: Bries or ''Briesen'', hu, Breznóbánya) is a town in central Slovakia with a population of around 21,000.
Geography
Brezno is located within the Geomorphological division of Slovakia, Horehr ...
, Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
* Ermoupoli
Ermoupoli ( el, Ερμούπολη), also known by the formal older name Ermoupolis or Hermoupolis ( el, < "Town of "), is a to ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
* Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
''(since 1985)''
* Guiyang
Guiyang (; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), historically rendered as Kweiyang, is the capital of Guizhou province of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the center of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
* Ortona
Ortona (Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: '; grc, Ὄρτων, Órtōn) is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italy, Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants.
In 1943 Ortona was the site of a Battle o ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
* Polykastro
Polykastro ( el, Πολύκαστρο, before 1928 , ''Karasoúli''; ''Pandektis: Name Changes of Settlements in Greece'', compiled by the/ref>) is a town and a former municipality in Kilkis regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2 ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
Notable natives and inhabitants
A native of Chios is known in English as a Chian.
Ancient
* Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
(8th century BC), poet. See History of the Pelopennesian War by Thucydides, section 3.104.5, wherein Thucydides quotes Homer's self-reference: "A blind old man of Scio's rocky isle."
* Oenopides
Oenopides of Chios ( el, Οἰνοπίδης ὁ Χῖος; born c. 490 BCE) was an ancient Greek geometer and astronomer, who lived around 450 BCE.
Biography
Only limited information are known about the early life of Oenopides except his bir ...
(c. 490 – c. 420 BC), mathematician and geometer
* Ion of Chios
Ion of Chios (; grc-gre, Ἴων ὁ Χῖος; c. 490/480 – c. 420 BC) was a Greek writer, dramatist, lyric poet and philosopher. He was a contemporary of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. Of his many plays and poems only a few titles and fr ...
(484-421 BC), tragedy writer
* Hippocrates of Chios
Hippocrates of Chios ( grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Χῖος; c. 470 – c. 410 BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician, geometer, and astronomer.
He was born on the isle of Chios, where he was originally a merchant. After some misadve ...
(c. 470 – c. 410 BC), notable mathematician, geometer and astronomer
* Theopompus
Theopompus ( grc-gre, Θεόπομπος, ''Theópompos''; c. 380 BCc. 315 BC) was an ancient Greek historian and rhetorician.
Biography
Theopompus was born on the Aegean island of Chios. In early youth, he seems to have spent some time at Athen ...
of Chios (378 – c. 320 BC), rhetorical historian
* Erasistratus
Erasistratus (; grc-gre, Ἐρασίστρατος; c. 304 – c. 250 BC) was a Greek anatomist and royal physician under Seleucus I Nicator of Syria. Along with fellow physician Herophilus, he founded a school of anatomy in Alexandria, where the ...
of Chios (304–250 BC), pioneering anatomist, royal physician and founder of the ancient medical school of Alexandria, who discovered the linking between organs through the systems of veins, arteries and nerves
* Aristo of Chios
Aristo of Chios ( el, Ἀρίστων ὁ Χῖος ''Ariston ho Chios''; fl. c. 260 BC), also spelled Ariston, was a Greek Stoic philosopher and colleague of Zeno of Citium. He outlined a system of Stoic philosophy that was, in many ways, close ...
(c. 260 BC), Stoic philosopher
* Claudia Metrodora Claudia Metrodora (fl. c. 54 – 68 AD) was a Greco-Roman, Graeco-Roman public benefactor. A resident of the island of Chios, Metrodra was able to benefit the city when she held magistracies and ''stephanophoros''. Metrodora was the daughter of Clau ...
(c. 54–68 AD), public benefactor
Medieval
* Saint Markella
Saint Markella (also Marcella) was an inhabitant of 14th century Chios who was canonized by the Greek Orthodox Church. Her feast day is celebrated on July 22.
Life
Information about her life and martyrdom was unknown as stated in the synaxar ...
(14th century), martyr and saint of the Greek Orthodox church
* Leo Kalothetos (1315–1363), provincial governor of the Byzantine empire
* Leonard of Chios
Leonard of Chios ( el, Λεονάρδος ο Χίος; it, Leonardo di Chio) was a Greek scholar of the Dominican Order and Latin Archbishop of Mytilene, best known for his eye-witness account of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, which is one o ...
, Greek Dominican scholar
* Giovanni Giustiniani
Giovanni Giustiniani Longo ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Lóngos Ioustiniánēs''; la, Ioannes Iustinianus Longus; 1418 – 1 June 1453) was a Genoese captain, a member of one of the greatest families of the Republic of Genoa, a kinsman to the powerful ...
(1418-1453), died during the Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
and buried in Chios
* Matrona of Chios
Saint Matrona of Chios (also called "Saint Matrona Chiopolitis") was born during the 15th century in the village of Volissos on the island of Chios, Greece. This is the same village in which St. Markella was martyred in 1462. The Church celebrates ...
(* 15th century, † before 1455), saint of the Greek Orthodox church
* Andreas Argenti (saint)
Andreas ( el, Ἀνδρέας) is a name usually given to males in Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Denmark, Armenia, Estonia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Finland, Flanders, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Indonesia. The name ...
(† 1465 n. Chr.), neomartyr of the Orthodox Church
* Andrea Bianco
The Bianco World Map is a map created by ''Andrea Bianco'', a 15th-century Venetian sailor and cartographer. This map was a part of a nautical atlas including ten pages made of vellum (each measuring 26 × 38 cm). These vellum pages w ...
(15th century), Genoese cartographer resided on Chios
* In 1982, Ruth Durlacher hypothesised that Chios was Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
's birthplace. Columbus himself said he was from the Republic of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...
, which included the island of Chios at the time. Columbus was friendly with a number of Chian Genoese families, referenced Chios in his writings and used the Greek language for some of his notes. 'Columbus' remains a common surname on Chios. Other common Greek spellings are: Kouloumbis and Couloumbis.
* Vincenzo Giustiniani
Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani (13 September 1564 – 27 December 1637) was an aristocratic Italian banker, art collector and intellectual of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known today largely for the Giustiniani art collection, assembled ...
, Italian banker
* Francisco Albo
Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''.
Nicknames
In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...
(16th century), pilot of Magellan expedition, the first circumnavigation of the Earth
* Leo Allatius
Leo Allatius (Greek: Λέων Αλλάτιος, ''Leon Allatios'', Λιωνής Αλάτζης, ''Lionis Allatzis''; Italian: ''Leone Allacci, Allacio''; Latin: ''Leo Allatius, Allacius''; c. 1586 – January 19, 1669) was a Greek scholar, theolog ...
(Leone Allacci) (c. 1586–1669), Greek Catholic scholar and theologian
* Constantine Rodocanachi (1635–1687), Ottoman Greek academic, chemist, lexicographer, and physician to Charles II of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
Modern
* Scylitzes
John Skylitzes, commonly Latinized as Ioannes, la, Johannes, label=none, la, Iōannēs, label=none Scylitzes ( el, Ἰωάννης Σκυλίτζης, ''Iōánnēs Skylítzēs'', or el, Σκυλίτση, ''Skylítsē'', label=none ; la, ...
family of Byzantine descent
* Mavrokordatos
The House of Mavrocordatos (also Mavrocordato, Mavrokordatos, Mavrocordat, Mavrogordato or Maurogordato; el, Μαυροκορδάτος) is the name of a family of Phanariot Greeks originally from Chios, a branch of which was distinguished in th ...
family
* Athanasios Parios
Athanasios Parios ( el, Ἀθανάσιος Πάριος; 1722–1813) was a Greeks, Greek hieromonk who was a notable theologian, philosopher, educator, and hymnographer of his time, and one of the "Teachers of the Nation" during the Modern Greek ...
(1722–1813), Greek hieromonk and notable theologian, philosopher, educator, and hymnographer of his time
* Macarius of Corinth
Macarius of Corinth ( el, Μακάριος Κορίνθου. birth name: Michael Notaras) was born in Corinth in 1731 and died in Chios in April 1805. Macarius as Metropolitan bishop of Corinth, was a mystic and spiritual writer who worked to rev ...
(1731–1805), metropolitan bishop of Corinth, mystic and spiritual theological writer
* Nikephoros of Chios Father Nikephoros of Chios (1750–1821; also ''Nicephoros, Nicephorus, Nikephorus'') was the spiritual son and disciple of Macarius of Corinth and known for his holy life and character. He was regarded as a saint already during his lifetime. His fe ...
(ca. 1750–1821), abbot of Nea Moni monastery, theological writer and orthodox saint
* Eustratios Argentis (theologian)
* Eustratios Argenti (national hero)
Eustratius or Eustratios, in modern transliteration Efstratios (Greek: Εὐστράτιος/Greek: Ευστράτιος) is a Greek given name. Its diminutive form is Stratos (Greek: Στράτος) or Stratis (Greek: Στρατής or Greek: Στ ...
(1767‒1798), executed with Rigas Velestinlis
Rigas Feraios ( el, Ρήγας Φεραίος , sometimes ''Rhegas Pheraeos''; rup, Riga Fereu) or Velestinlis (Βελεστινλής , also transliterated ''Velestinles''); 1757 – 24 June 1798), born as Antonios Rigas Velestinlis ( el ...
* Alexandros Kontostavlos
Alexandros Kontostavlos ( el, Αλέξανδρος Κοντόσταυλος; 1789, Chios – 1865, Athens) was a Greek banker, magnate and politician.
Biography
Konstavlos was born on the island of Chios in 1789 and descended from a noble fa ...
(1789–1865), politician
* Christophorus Plato Castanis
Christophorus Plato Castanis ( el, Χριστόφορος Πλάτων Καστανής; 1814–1866; also known as Christophoros Castanis or Castanes and Christoforos Kastanis or Kastanes) was an Ottoman Greek academic, author and classicist. C ...
(1814–1866), Ottoman Greek academic, author and classicist, as well as former slave, orphan and refugee to the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
* Alexandros Georgios Paspatis (1814–1891), linguist, historian and physician, researcher of the Romani language
Romani (; also Romany, Romanes , Roma; rom, rromani ćhib, links=no) is an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities. According to '' Ethnologue'', seven varieties of Romani are divergent enough to be considered languages of their ...
and of the history and culture of the Roma people
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
* George Colvocoresses
George Musalas "Colvos" Colvocoresses (October 22, 1816 – June 3, 1872) was a Greek-American United States Navy, Navy officer who commanded the during the American Civil War. From 1838 up until 1842, he took part in the United States Exploring ...
(1816–1872), military officer
* Mustapha Khaznadar
Mustapha Khaznadar ( ar, مصطفى خزندار; 1817–1878), born as Georgios Halkias Stravelakis () was a Tunisian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Beylik of Tunis from 1855 to 1873.. He was one of the most influential people in ...
(1817–1878), was Prime Minister of the Beylik of Tunis
* Michel Emmanuel Rodocanachi
Michel-Emmanuel Rodocanachi (1821 - 1901) was an influential Greek trader and banker of London.
Rodocanachi's parents were wealthy merchants in their home at Chios, related to the influential Vlasto and Mavrogordato families. They escaped the Chio ...
(1821–1901), trader and banker of London
* Andreas Syggros
Andreas Syggros ( el, Ανδρέας Συγγρός; 12 October 1830 – 13 February 1899) was a Greeks, Greek banker from Istanbul, at the time known internationally as Constantinople, and a philanthropist.
Born in Istanbul to Chios, Chiot pa ...
(1830), banker, descended from Chios
* George Glarakis (1789-1855), politician, Minister of Education (1838)
* Patriarch Constantine V of Constantinople
Constantine V ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Ε΄) (11 January 1833 – 27 February 1914) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1897 to 1901. His secular name was Konstantinos Valiadis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Βαλιάδης) ...
(1833–?)
* Ralli Brothers
The five Ralli brothers, Zannis a.k.a. John (1785–1859), Augustus (1792–1878),
Pandia a.k.a. Zeus (1793–1865),
Toumazis (1799–1858), and
Eustratios (1800–84), founded Ralli Brothers, perhaps the most successful expatriate Greek merchant ...
(18th–19th century), founders of major 19th century trading enterprise
* Ibrahim Edhem Pasha
Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1819–1893) was an Ottoman statesman, who held the office of Grand Vizier in the beginning of Abdul Hamid II's reign between 5 February 1877 and 11 January 1878. He resigned from that post after the Ottoman chances on winn ...
(1819–1893), Ottoman Grand Vizier
Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
* Namık Kemal
Namık Kemal (21 December 1840 – 2 December 1888) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Democracy, democrat, writer, intellectual, reformer, journalist, playwright, and Political activism, political activist who was influential in the formation of ...
(1840–1888), one of the principal founders of modern Turkish literature, served as a sub-prefect (exiled in practical terms) of Chios from 1886 to his death on the island in 1888
* Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey (30 December 1842, in Istanbul 24 February 1910) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman administrator, intellectual, art expert and also a prominent and pioneering painter. He was also an accomplished archaeologist, and is regarded as th ...
(1842–1910), Ottoman painter, archaeologist
* Ioannis Psycharis
Ioannis (Yiannis) Psycharis (Greek: Ιωάννης (Γιάννης) Ψυχάρης; French: ''Jean Psychari''; 1854–1929) was a French philologist of Greek origin, author and promoter of Demotic Greek.
Biography
Psycharis was born on 15 May 1 ...
(1854–1929), philologist, descended from Chios
* Ambrosios Skaramagas, merchant
* Konstantinos Amantos
Konstantinos Amantos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Άμαντος; 2 August 1874 – 23 January 1960) was a Greek Byzantinist and university professor.
Life
Konstantinos Amantos was born on 2 August 1874 on Chios, then part of the Ottoman Empire. ...
(1874–1960), Byzantine scholar, professor at the University of Athens, member of the Athens Academy
* Stylianos Miliadis, painter
* Kostia Vlastos
Kostia Vlastos (17 October 1883 – 28 October 1967) was a Greek of the diaspora, scion of a family of bankers.
Biography
Constantine Vlastos was born in Paris, as Constantine George Anthony Dimitrios Vlastos, but was widely known as Kost ...
(1883–1967), banker, of the old Vlastos Vlastos is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Sifis Vlastos (?), fifteenth century Cretan rebel
*Gregory Vlastos (1907–1991), scholar of ancient philosophy
*Kostia Vlastos
Kostia Vlastos (17 October 1883 – 28 October 19 ...
family
* John D. Chandris
John D. Chandris (1890–1942) was a Greek shipowner.
Chandris was born in Chios, then part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1915, after years of experience in the shipping industry, he bought his first ship, SS ''Dimitrios''. By World War I, Chandris ...
(1890–1942), Greek shipowner
* Stavros Livanos (1891–1963), shipping magnate
* Ioannis Despotopoulos
Ioannis Despotopoulos ( el, Ιωάννης Δεσποτόπουλος, 7 January 1903 – 1992), also known as Jan Despo, was a Greek architect born in Smyrna (modern Izmir), Aidin Vilayet, Ottoman Empire.
Biography
Despotopoulos was born in Sm ...
(1903–1992), architect
* Kostas Perrikos
Kostas Perrikos ( el, Κώστας Περρίκος; 23 April 1905 – 4 February 1943) was a Greek Air Force officer and leader of the PEAN resistance movement in World War II. He is the father of the UN arms control Commissioner Dimitris Perri ...
(1905–1943), Greek Resistance figure, leader of PEAN
The Panhellenic Union of Fighting Youths ( el, Πανελλήνιος Ένωσις Αγωνιζόμενων Νέων, ''Panellínios Énosis Agonizómenon Néon'', ΠΕΑΝ, PEAN) was a Greek Resistance organization during the Axis Occupation o ...
* Yiannis Carras
John Constantine Carras (; 1907– 1989) was a Greek shipping magnate, grandson of captain and sailing-ship owner Ioannis I. Carras from Kardamyla of Chios.
Early life
John Carras studied economics in Lausanne and subsequently became a principa ...
, shipowner
* Adamantios Lemos
Adamantios Lemos ( el, Αδαμάντιος Λεμός; 13 January 1916 – 12 June 2006) was a Greek actor. He was one of the most influential figures in modern Greek theatre. During his 60-year career, he worked as a theatrical producer, act ...
(1916–2006), actor
* Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Georgiou Papandreou ( el, Ανδρέας Γεωργίου Παπανδρέου, ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics, known for founding the political party PASOK, wh ...
(1919–1996), politician, Prime Minister of Greece
* Mikis Theodorakis
Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( el, Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works.
He Film score, scored for the films ''Zorba the Greek (film) ...
(1925-2021), composer, born on the island
* Jani Christou
Jani Christou ( el, Γιάννης Χρήστου, Giánnīs Chrī́stou; 8 or 9 January 1926 – 8 January 1970) was a Greek composer.
There is some disagreement about Christou's birth, the date of which is given by some authorities as 8 Januar ...
(1926–1970), composer
* George P. Livanos
George P. Livanos (9 August 1926 – 1 June 1997) was a Greek shipping magnate born in New Orleans, the son of Peter Livanos from Chios.Νικόλαος Καραμανλής, Άτλας της Ελληνικής Διασποράς, 2001, σελ. ...
(1926–1997), Greek shipowner
* Petros Molyviatis
Petros G. Molyviatis ( el, Πέτρος Γ. Μολυβιάτης; born 12 June 1928) is a Greek politician and diplomat who served three times as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2006, May to June 2012, and August to September 2015.
Fro ...
, politician
* Stamatios Krimigis
Stamatios (Tom) M. Krimigis ( el, Σταμάτιος Κριμιζής, born September 10, 1938) is a Greek-American scientist in space exploration. He has contributed to many of the United States' unmanned space exploration programs of the Solar S ...
(1938), NASA space scientist
* Takis Fotopoulos
Takis Fotopoulos ( el, Τάκης Φωτόπουλος born 14 October 1940) is a Greek people, Greek political philosophy, political philosopher, economist and writer who founded the inclusive democracy, Inclusive Democracy movement, aiming at a ...
(1940), political philosopher
* Adamantios Vassilakis (1942), diplomat
* Dimitris Varos
Dimitris Varos ( el, Δημήτρης Βάρος; 1949 – 7 September 2017, Athens) was a Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a bran ...
(1949), author, poet, journalist
* Theodoros Veniamis (1950), shipowner
* Mark Palios
Markos Palios (born 9 November 1952) is an English chartered accountant, football administrator and former professional footballer. In August 2014, it was announced that he and his wife Nicola were taking ownership of Tranmere Rovers F.C., where h ...
(1952, of Chian descent), former professional footballer and former chief executive of the English Football Association
* Matthew Mirones
Matthew Mirones (born April 24, 1956) is a former Republican politician from New York City who represented parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island in the New York State Assembly.
Education and background
Mirones is the son of immigrants from the is ...
(1956), New York politician
* Nikos Pateras
Nikos Pateras is a Greek major shipowner, president (from 2008 to 2010) and shareholder of Panathinaikos FC.
He is member of the Pateras family, a historic shipping family from Chios island. He is president of Pacific & ...
(1963), shipowner
* Angeliki Frangou (1965), shipowner
* John Sitaras
John Sitaras is an American fitness professional, the creator of the Sitaras Method and the founder of ''Sitaras Fitness'' in New York City. The method developed by him supposes an initial comprehensive evaluation system similar to a general medi ...
(1972), fitness professional
* Ioannis Fountoulis
Ioannis Fountoulis (also Giannis, el, Γιάννης Φουντούλης; born 25 May 1988) is a Greek people, Greek water polo player. He is currently the captain of Greece men's national water polo team, with whom he won a Water polo at the 2 ...
(1988), water polo player
See also
* Chian wine Chian wine was a product of the Greek island of Chios. It was among the most prized wines in classical antiquity and, according to Theopompus and Greek mythology, was the first red wine, then called "black wine".
Greece
Chian wine was exported in ...
* Chian diaspora
The Chian diaspora was the dispersal of most of the remaining population of the Aegean island of Chios, after the massacre of 1822. It is one part of the larger Greek diaspora.
Its creation
At the beginning of the 19th century, Chios was the ho ...
References
Further reading
* Fanny Aneroussi, Leonidas Mylonadis: ''The Kampos of Chios in its Heyday: Houses and Surroundings''. Translated from the Greek by Antonis Scotiniotis. (Aipos Series, no 12). Akritas Publications, Nea Smyrni 1992, .
* Charalambos Th. Bouras: ''Chios''. (Guides to Greece, no 4). National Bank of Greece, Athens 1974.
* Charalambos Th. Bouras: ''Greek Traditional Architecture: Chios''. Melissa, Athens 1984.
* Athena Zacharou-Loutrari, Vaso Penna, Tasoula Mandala: ''Chios: History and Art.'' Translated from the Greek by Athena Dallas-Damis ... (The Monuments of Chios). The Chios Prefecture, Chios 1989. .
* Hubert Pernot
Hubert Octave Pernot (7 August 1870, in Froideconche – 27 June 1946, Paris) was a French linguist, specializing in Modern Greek studies.
He studied at the École des langues orientales in Paris as a pupil of Émile Legrand and Jean Psich ...
: ''En Pays Turc: L’île de Chios''. (Dijon, Imprimerie Darantière, Rue Chabot-Charny, 65). Avec 17 mélodies populaires et 118 simili-gravures. J. Maisonneuve, Libraire-Éditeur, Paris 1903
(online)
* Arnold C. Smith: ''The Architecture of Chios: Subsidiary Buildings, Implements and Crafts''. Edited by Philip Pandely Argenti. Tison, London 1962.
* Michales G. Tsankares, Alkes X. Xanthakes: ''Chios: hekato chronia photographies, 1850–1950.'' (''Chios: One Hundred Years of Photographs, 1850–1950''). Synolo, Athens 1996, .
* Eleftherios Yalouris: ''The Archeology and Early History of Chios. (From the Neolithic Period to the End of the Sixth Century B.C.)''. University of Oxford, Merton College, dissertation, 1976.
External links
Official Chios website
operated by Chios Prefecture (including tourist guide)
*
History of Chios
*
{{Authority control
Ionian League
Islands of Greece
Islands of the North Aegean
Landforms of Chios (regional unit)
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece
Members of the Delian League
Municipalities of the North Aegean
Territories of the Republic of Genoa
Greek city-states
Hellenic Navy bases
Populated places in the ancient Aegean islands
Populated places in ancient Ionia
Populated places in Chios
Natura 2000 in Greece