It is said that they had such a beautiful voice that every men who heard them sing, fell under their spell.
The sirens would afterwards devour the enchanted one. In the famous Wanderings of Ulysses (Odysseus in Greek), the sirens who tried to enchant him are supposed to be living in Thassos.
Another myth says that Thassos,a young man, arrived on the island in search of his sister, Europa, who had been stolen by Zeus.
According to excavation findings, Thasso was inhabited during the prehistoric times. The first known inhabitants of the island were Thracian tribes.
Around the 7th century BC, the island was colonized by Greeks from Paros, who discovered that Thassos was rich in minerals, especially gold and marble, and covered with forests.
Trading became their main source of income and from Thassos, they established settlements in Thrace.
The state of Thassos became really powerful around the 5th century BC.
In 477 BC, the island became part of the Delian League, which was controlled by Athens. |
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Empire.
In 197 BC the Romans took possession of the island, rebuilding the old town and the ancient theatre; the ships of the island started the trading again.
During the first century AD, the Apostle Paul came on the island, bringing the Christian Faith and building churches on the ruins of the ancient temple.
Around 565, Thassos was taken by the Arabs but quickly liberated by Heraclites.
During the 7th century, the island, like all the Greek islands, became the prey of numerous pirate attacks and was often attacked by Slavic pirates.
Around 900 Thassos came under the control of the Saracens who were defeated, almost 70 years after, by Nicephorus Phocas.
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After the division of the Roman Empire, Thassos became a part of Byzantium.
During the 14th century the island came under the rule of the Genoese, who reinforced the Byzantine castle and contibuted to the fortification of the island.
The Turks seized the island at the end of the 15th century.
During the 18th century, the population of Thassos decreased because of the immigration caused by the heavy taxes imposed by the Turks.
During the 19th century, the island was governed by an Ottoman Egyptian, who allowed
the islanders to govern themselves and made them in paying taxes.
Thassos was liberated and reunited with the rest of Greece in 1912, after many attempts.
In 1922, some refugees from Asia Minor settled at Limenas and Limenaria.
Like the neighbouring Samothraki, Thassos was occupied by Bulgaria in World War II.
Since 1960, tourism has became a main source of income for the islanders.
Around 1960, oil was found in the sea around the island.
Some oil derricks are still visible at various locations in the sea surrounding Thassos. |
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