Skiathos History

The history of Skiathos is long and goes centuries back.

Ancient times

The name "Skiathos" originated during the pre-Hellenic period. The first inhabitants were the Pelsgians, who purportedly named the island after being impressed by the great shadow (''skia'' in Greek) afforded by its numerous trees. Following these first settlers, the island was then resided by Cretans and Mycenaeans, who also occupied the rest of the Sporades. Its fertility and strategic position attracted many invaders, and in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the citizens of Chalkis (Evia Island) colonized Skiathos and established its first fortified town.

During the Persian Wars, Skiathos was of great help to the Athenians, its harbor being used as a fleet base. In 478 BC, the Athenian Delian League welcomed Skiathos as a member. After the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC, the island became autonomous. The Spartans tried to violate this by re-occupying it but the locals, aided by the Athenians, managed to fight them off, establishing peace on their island for 40 years. The years of prosperity ended when the Athenians transformed Skiathos into a military base to oppose Philip II of Macedonia. When the Macedonians took it, they installed a tyrant on the island and democracy would not return until 341 BC.

After the death of Alexander the Great, a succession of leaders followed, during which time the people of Skiathos suffered very much. In 197 BC, the island regained its democracy. The Romans took Greece in 146 BC but they ceded some liberties to the inhabitants who lived peacefully in Roman oblivion. In 88 BC, the king of Pontus, Mithridates VI, destroyed Skiathos in his war against the Romans, and, in 42 BC, it went back under Athenian domination. In those years, the island was the victim of many devastating pirate raids. After 221 AD, Skiathos went under Roman authority again and witnessed major economic growth.

Medieval period

In 325 AD, Christianity appeared on Skiathos, with the first church dedicated to the Holy Trinity being built in 530 AD. During the Byzantine period, the island was part of the province of Thessaly and its bishop belonged to the Metropolis of Larissa. In the 7th century, Saracen pirates devastated the island of the Aegean Sea, and Skiathos did not escape the massacre. In 1204, Crusaders took the territories of the Byzantine Empire as well as the Aegean Islands and Skiathos which they gave to the Venetians. The Venetians built a castle in the area of Bourtzi, located in the main port. The Ghisi remained rulers until 1276, followed by other Venetians who remained in power until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

The Ottomans dominated Skiathos in 1538 AD. During the early years of the 19th century, the inhabitants started to engage in shipbuilding. The War of Independence found them well-prepared and the locals took part in many revolutionary actions against the Turks. Many fighters of the Greek Revolution sought refuge on the island, one of them being the famous revolutionary hero Theodoros Kolokotronis.

Recent years

After the Greek Revolution, the town of Kastro was abandoned and the locals moved to the port where a new town was constructed. Boatbuilding started again and the island saw major economic and social developments. The Town was greatly damaged by German bombs during the Nazi occupation of Greece. On September 14th, 1943, the Nazi troops sank the Greek submarine Lambros Katsonis off the coasts of Skiathos. This event is commemorated every year at the Katsonia Festival. In the years of the Nazi occupation, Kastro became a refuge for Greek revolutionaries, British, Australians, and New Zealanders.

Skiathos inspired many poets, writers, and artists, including Alexandros Papadiamantis and Alexandros Moraitidis. At the end of the 20th century, tourism started growing on the island, quickly becoming one of the most important sources of income for its inhabitants. At the beginning of the 1970s, the airport was constructed, further boosting the economy of the island.