Lindos - A brief History |
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Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands (twelve islands) and the furthest from the Greek mainland, lying just off the Turkish coast. No island has a longer history or has been more fought over. In Greek mythology the sun god Helios wedded Rhodes, their grandsons were called Camiros, Ialysos and Lindos who founded the island's cities by these names. Rhodes has always found itself at the crossroads of East and West and has been continuously contested from the very earliest of times. The first settlers of the islands came from the Asian continent and there is evidence of Mycenaean settlement as early as 1400 BC. They were followed by the Dorians from the North In fact the island was already a significant power in 500 BC and it was only after the decisive naval battles at Salamis and Mykale and the defeat of the Persians that Rhodes island moved into the Delian League and became part of Greece. It was at this time that the City states of Rhodes combined to create the new City of Rhodes in 408 BC. During the reign of Alexander the Great, Rhodes fell under the rule of Macedonia. With the fall of the decline and fragmentation of the Macedonian Empire, Rhodes fought free and after a long siege, the town of Rhodes finally triumphed in 305BC. Legend has it that the remains of the siege machinery were used to build the Colossus of Rhodes, the giant figure is said to have straddled the harbour and was one of the seven wonders of the world. For 150 years the island flourished and it was at this time that the islanders first established their reputation for maritime skill and navigation. Long after the Romans had conquered the mainland, Rhodes finally fell in AD 70. After over three hundred years of Roman rule it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The island was then contested between Turks, the Persians and the Saracens who all appreciated the strategic importance of Rhodes. They were followed by the Venetians and then the Genovese until they were ousted by the Knights of St. John who fortified the City of Rhodes and left an indelible imprint on the island. In their turn, after a long siege, they too were ousted by the Ottomans in 1523. Then followed a long period of Ottoman rule and despite the Greek war of independence Rhodes remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912 when taken over by Italy in the first world war and never handed back. When the Italians capitulated to the allies in 1943, the island was shortly taken back by the Germans, only to fall again to the British who held it until 1948 when the Dodecanese were integrated into Greece. |