The island is also mentioned by Homer in the epic poem Iliad.
Another myth connects the island to the famous lyre-player and singer Orpheus, whose music was moving every living soul on earth. The young musician was killed by some evil deities called the Furies, who got infuriated by the fact that Orpheus managed to touch them by his music.
They dismembered his body and threw the pieces in the Evros River.
The head and lyre of Orpheus were brought by the waves to Lesvos.
In a sign of devotion, the inhabitants of the island placed the head in the Temple of Apollo.
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1100 BC.
During the 7th century BC, the island became a centre of artistic and philosophical achievement and a great maritime power.
In the 6th century BC, Lesvos was conquered by the Persians.
In 479 BC, it was captured by the Athenians and became a member of the Delian League.
In 334 BC, the island became a part of the Macedonian Empire and, after the death of Alexander the Great, was under the rule of the Ptolemies.
In 88 BC, the Romans took Lesvos which became a part of the Roman Empire.
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Despite the Turkish slavery, the inhabitants of Lesvos cultivated their faith and hope for freedom.
The monasteries and churches were turned into intellectual and revolutionary centres and secret schools were founded.
In 1824, the islanders revolted against their oppressors but the revolution was drowned in blood.
On the 8th of November 1912, the island of Lesvos was liberated by the admiral Koundouriotis and his fleet.
The Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923, stated the union the island with the rest of Greece. Lesvos was conquered for a last time by the Germans during World War II and was set free on the 10th of September 1944.
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