Chronological Outline
of
A l o n i s s o s (
until the Year 1999
By H. Schwarz,
M.A., Translator,53177 Bonn, Nietzsche Str, 44
Alonissos is the second in size and the most
distant island of the inhabited
Whenever events mention the isles of Skopelos and
Skiathos, or event the Greek mainland are cited, the reason is that such dates
may have had repercussions on the isle of Alonnissos and its habitants as well,
notwithstanding the fact that local records are not documented.
Artefacts of early historical epochs are known and
show that the island has been inhabited. But due to the fact that such findings
have not been analysed in a systematic and scientific manner, detailed
explanations cannot be given, not to the least, that neither archaeological
research nor excavations have been undertaken in the past. Alonissos seems to
be not interesting enough to justify the costs thereof. So, only oral remarks
concerning one or another finding - a pierced stone found occasionally while
doing some garden work, red or black figurative shard, a grave hit while
constructing. Due to a missing collecting point for such findings, for instance
some kind of
Some contradictions may be explained by these
facts. We can assume that in Venetian, Osmanian or Greek archives some
interesting information could have been found, but such enterprises would have
gone beyond the scope of this work. Although, while exploring
the German military archives in Freiburg, it has been possible to contribute
some new data treating the period of the German occupation of
When contemplating the history of Alonissos one has
the impression that it is the earthquake of March 1965 and the tourist development
since the Seventies and Eighties that puts this
The very name Alonissos presents already a certain
problem, because over the millenaries and centuries the
In former times Skopolos had the Name Peparethos,
while Skiathos kept its name during all those times.
Saying this, we can make the following compilation:
Actual
Names
Former denominations
Alonissos
Ikos
Chiliodromia
Iliodromia
Liadromia
Dromos
Kyra
Panagia
A l o n i s s o s
Pelagonissi
Skopelos
Peparethos
Skiathos
Skiathos
When we transcribe the Greek Name of
the
AloV and NhsoV (the word for Sea/Salt and Isle), we have two
options in German and English Writing. If we follow the transliteration, i.e.
the literal transcription, we could write 'Alonnisos'. If we would follow the
phonetic Transcription we should write 'Alonissos'. Both notations -
'Alonnisos' und 'Alonissos' - are correct. As for the present use, we opted for
the transcription and are writing the name as 'Alonissos'
Words in Italic refer to other Islands or to the
whole Country (of
We have to thank Mrs. Alexandra Mangou,
million years ago 135 000 -100000 BC 10 000 BC 1600-1110 BC 14.-13- Century BC Around 1193 BC Prior to the 8th Cent. BC 8th Century BC 6th Cent.
and the beginning of 5th Cent. BC 569 BC 490 BC 480 BC 479 BC 478-404 BC 431-404 BC 427 BC 422 BC 394 BC 394 BC 378-338 BC 351 BC 350 BC 4th Century BC 348 BC 346 BC 343 BC 338 BC 338-146 BC 208/9 BC 199 BC 192 BC 146 BC 88 BC 82 BC 63-23 BC 43 BC- 14AC 42 BC 193-211 AC 330 378 380 395 530 668-585 904 1078 1082 1185 1204 1204-1261 1204-1260 1207 1209-1470 1262 1261-1453 In the 13th Century 1307-1308 1333 1393 1417 1453 1453-1538 About 1461 1464-1479 1470 1518 8-11-1531 1537-1540 1537/38 1538 1540 2.10.1540 1566 Since 1566 1573-1645 17th Century 1660 1675 1706 1747 1755 1771 1791 1798 End of the 18th Cent. 1805 1821-1826 1821 1822 May 1822 until April 1823 1825 1827 March, 9th, 1827 Sept. 24th, 1827 1829 1830 4-5-1832 1833-1862 1833-1912 1834-1837 Around 1835 1836 1846 1848 1851 1858 2nd half of the 19th Century 1861 1862 1862-1872 1863 1867-1868 1870-75 1873 1875 since 1879 1881 1889 1890 1896 1897 1899-1911 around 1990 1903 1905 1911 1912-1913 1914 1916 1920-1922 1922 1926 1928 1929 In the Thirties of the past Century 1936 1940 Oct. 28th, 1940 from April 6th to april 27th, 1941 May 11th, 1941 Oct 10th, 1941 July 1943 July 25th, 1943 May 5th, 1944 June 1944 July 1944 July 4th, 1944 July 31th, 1944 August 12th, 1944 August 15th, 1944 August 24th, 1944 August 26th, 1944 August 27th, 1944 Sept. 6th, 1944 Sept. 15th, 1944 1944-49 1944-49 1947-1950 1948 Since 1950 Febr. 18th, 1951 1961 1962 Around 1964 1964 1965 March 9th, 1965 Dec. 1965 1966 1967 1968 End of Sixties 20th Century 1970 March 1970 Beginning of the Seventies 1971 1971 1973 1974 July 1974 Autumn 1974 Eastern 1975 June 6th 1975 Jan 3/4th 1976 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 January 1st, 1981 1982 1982 Summer 1982 1983 (?) Summer 1983 1983/84 June 1984 Summer 1984 August 15th 1984 1985 Eastern 1985 1986 Spring 1986 1987 Summer 1987 Aug. 9th, 1987 Autumn 1987 1988 March3th, 1988 Pentecost 1989 Juli 1989 1990 Spring 1990 July 1990 1991 Summer 1991 Spring 1992 June 1992 August 1992 Autumn 1992 (?) 1993 (?) June 13/14 1994 Spring 1994 Summer 1994 1994/1995 1995 May 1st 1995 Summer 1995 1996 Since Spring 1996 May 15th 1996 Summe 1996 Autumn 1996 12th/13th of March 1996 Dec 6th 1996 1997 Jan. 1997 Since April 1997 April 28th, 1997 April/May 1997 June 1997 Summer 1997 1997 1998 March 3rd 1998 June 1998 Oct. 11th 1998 Dec27th 1998 1999 June 1999 August 15th 1999 September 1999 October 1999 Autumn 1999 |
During the Ice-Age in the Quaternary, enormous
water masses have been bound in ice, leading to a significant lowering of the
Middle Stone Age: Findings on the Neolithic: During a excavation test on a
small island in the bay of Agios Petros, south-west of the island of Kyra
Panagia, three settlements levels from this period have been discovered
(Le, Page 16) Verbal reports speaking about exceptional tall
skeletons found in old graves on the The tale goes that under a prince Staphylos,
Cretan colonies might have been created on the Alonissos and Alonissos, as the mass of the islands, becomes a
Mycenaean colony (S, p. 7) Debut of the Trojan War. The saga speaks of a war
consecutive to the rapt of Helena, the beautiful wife of Menelaus, King of
Sparta, but another option might have been the fight for supremacy of the
rich Peleus, Achilles' father lands on Ikos
(Alonissos) and dies there. His grave has been shown as an interesting
sight (P, volume 3, Row 1361 /L, p. 256) The The Dolopers, cited by Homer as well, a Neighbor
tribe to the Thessaler, inhabited the Parting from Chalkis, being as the most important
City of Euboea in a central position and disposing furthermore of a rich and
fertile land, the Island is colonized by Chaldiquean settlers, together with
Skopolos (called Peparethos in ancient times) and the other surrounding
islands. Also more city-creations such as in Chalcidice,
Kyme, Naxos and Neapolis ( These colonization efforts - conducted in the
name of expansion - were conducted in a systematic and substantial way; these urban foundations lasted until the early Christian
times. (M, S. 301) The Skiathos might have had 3 cities. On the The athlete Agnon from Peparethos (today
Skopelos), becomes the sprint champion in First Persian War: Persian troupes, landed in the
Second Persian War: The Persian army takes the
land way through His heroic resistance is broken and the Persians
invade Attica, take over A Greek Army under the Spartan King Pausanias
beats the Persian Army near Plataiai. The Battles of First Delian League, initiated by Ikos, which was the ancient name for the actual Skiathos paid only 100 Drachms, Peparethos (today
Skopelos) 18.000 Drachms. As the contributions were obviously based onto the
economical capacity of the Aegean islands, this gives us an image of the
economic situation after the end of the Second Persian War. (M, Page 307) The city of (Pausanias reports of the City of Peloponnesian War. The prestige and the rise of The Northern Sporades are occupied by Peparethos [today Skopelos] suffers from an
earthquake destroying part of the city wall, the Prytaneion (town hall) and
some residential areas. (B, Volume 2, p. 388) The Athenian historian Thukydides (approx.
460-400 BC, states in his "History of the Pelop.War") that many
earthquakes forced the Spartan King Agis - wanting to invade "Also near Peparethos [today Skopelos] one
could observe the retreat of the freak tide but without inundations; only an
earthquake had a wall come down, as well as the Town Hall and some
houses." (Thu, P. 257) An Earthquake made the whole Ikos [today Alonissos] becomes independant again.
(S. p. 9) In ancient Coins with the inscription IKION show Poseidon on
its verso. This Deity had the favour of the population of IKOS. (S. p. 10) Phanodemos, an antic writer writes a book about
the antic Alonissos [today probably Kyra Panagia], lost today. Second Delian League, by Hegemony is reached. Ikos becomes a member of the League until its
dissolution. Under the Macedonian King Philip II, the region between The pirate Sostrates occupies the The City Wall of Skiathos is raised by fear of
any incursions by Macedonians. A wall is raised on the Ikos [today Alonissos] becomes a base of the
Athenian Fleet (S, p. 10). Ikos is raided by the people of the neighbour Philip II. of Probably Ikos is fortified as well, tower rests
near Mourtero named " Saranta abragieV" speak in favour of an extensive defence
system. In later times a monastery was built. (m) The Perapethes (Skopelotes) liberated the Island
Alonissos [today probably Kyra Panagia], without the help of Demosthenes, 384 - 322 BC, the most famous Orator
and a leader of the opposition against the Macedonian expansion politics of
Philip II, stated his famous Oraisons, the so-called "Philippika".
When speaking in connection of the antic Island of Alonissos [today probably
Kyra Panagia], one always cites his oraison "Peri Alonnhsou " (Over
Alonissos). This speech treats not so much the
Island by itself, but the conflict between "Soon after the Peace of Philokrates, it
(i.e. the After the Victory over In the peace-treaty of All the Northern Sporades, as well as In sight of Peparethos [today Skopelos] Philip V.
of A Roman fleet lands on Ikos. They stop there and
occupy it. (P. Volume 2, Column 1361/Fr, p. 17) During the altercations between Philipp V. of
Macedon and the Romans, Philip, anticipating that the islands may serve
as strong holds to the Romans, destroys all towns on Peparethos and Skiathos
and depopulates the Probably this has been the fate of the Island
Ikos too. Peparethos submits itself to Antiochus II. of Mithradates, King of Pontus, incites an uprising
against the Romans. His Captain Metrophinis uses the With his fleet, the Roman general Vrotius Soura
dislodges the Plunderers and forces the Islands Peparethos and Skiathos anew
under the dependency of During this period, the Islands of the Concerning the Northern Sporades, Strabon, a
Greek Geographer and Historian writes in book 9 of his Geography: " In
front of the main coast there are many islands belonging to Magnisia,
especially Skiathos, Peparethos, Ikus, Halonnesus and Scyrus, with towns on
them with identical names... Later, when Philipus saw himself winning more
power, that the Athenians were masters of the Sea, and therefore dominating
not only these Islands, but not also other ones, he made the ones which were
very nearby very famous. While trying to get the supremacy, he continued with
the other Islands, and, as he gained the biggest part of Magnisia for
Macedonia and of Trakia and the surrounding lands, he overrun also the
Islands in front of Magnisia, making those Islands, known by nobody, the
stake of the battle and, by doing this, very famous." (Str. S. 805 p) [This quote is very important as it shows that
the antique Halonnesus is not identical with the actual Alonissos. It is also
a sign, as for where we should look for the Island, which wore the name in
ancient times, which means not in Hagiostrati, as Fredrich thinks (cf.
1905) but more likely in the actual Kyra Panagia with its two superb natural
ports.] During the epoque of the Emperor Augustus there
existed a mint on Peparethos, coining its own silver coins. The commerce
seemed to so prosperous and the viticulture so superior that the main town of
the The Roman Consul Antonius cedes the Islands of
the Northern Sporades - among them also Ikos - to By this, a political order was re-established. In
those times, the History of the (M, p. 310) The emperor Septimus Severus brought this illusory
liberty to an end and declares the Roman supremacy over the Under this roman sovereignty, the Constantine the Great renames There is no trusted information of the moment of
christianisation of the The Christian religion becomes a state religion
in the east-roman provinces (M, p 311) Partition of the The small Episcopal seat Byzance becomes the
patriarchat Constantinopel. Constantinopel and no longer After the end of the Roman supremacy, Ikos
becomes the property of the inhabitants of Skopelos (S, p. 10) Demetrios is cited as being the bishop of
Skiathos (M, p. 311) Skiathos, under the Regency of Constantin
Pogonatus, is devastated and depopulated by Slavic invasions. (M., p. 312) Those Slavic incursions and the control of the
Aegean Archipelago by the Arabs is a disaster for the Islands of the The Arabs take The Saracen Fleet, on its way back from the
plundering of An inscription Athanasius
is named as Bishop of Skiathos and Skopelos. (M, p. 312) Siege and Capture of Constantinopel by the
Crusaders during the 4th Crusade. End of the Until the appearance of the Ottomans there is no
coherent Greek history any more, but only a History of singular states. (H,
p. 51) The Northern Sporades belong to The Venetians seem to be tolerant against the
population and allow some kind of autonomous administration (M, p 313) The Latin Empire of Constantinopel on both coasts
of the During this period, on the The Venetian Marc I. Sanoudo takes over the
Islands of the Aegean sea - among them also the Constantinopel is re-conquered under the Dynasty
of the Palaiologues (H, p. 52) In the Secealo catalogue appears for Skopelos the
denomination Peparethos for the last time (M, p. 293) The Latin and Greek Empire merge into the renewed
In Byzantine times the Another Source situates this construction in the
17th century (S, S. 31) The Catalanes attack the The |