Thassos Pirates

The Pirates of Thassos: It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when or how piracy originated but it goes without saying that Thassos was one of the many islands that had to go through some rather tough times thanks to plundering pirates who poured in from all over. When Thassos became a part of the Byzantine Empire after 330 AD, piracy grew enormously in the area. They left no stone unturned literally destroying villages all over the island, killing thousands of innocent locals and sometimes transporting them to be sold as slaves.

The locals out of fear started to build newer villages further away from the coastline that was well hidden in the mountains. They left only the vigilara who were essentially guards who sent warnings with fires by the coasts. It is worth noting that the pirates were pure Europeans, sometimes even Greeks who were extremely cruel. They considered their occupation to be honest and dignified often teaching it to their children so that the next generation could carry on their legacy.