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The island of Leros has a
rich historical past which has developed due to its strategic position in
the S.E. Aegean. Evidence of its early importance in the
history of Greece dates as far back as the Neolithic period and
artefacts have been discovered at Partheni which date from about 8000 to
3000 BC.
The first inhabitants of
Leros were the Carians, the Leleges, the Phoenicians and the Cretans (led by
Radamanthys, the brother of King Minos). The island was then conquered at a
later date by the Dorians. The great poet, Homer, writes of Leros and its
neighbouring island, Kalymnos as being involved in the Trojan wars and,
according to the historian, Herodotus, Leros developed close commercial,
political and intellectual links with the Ionians of Miletos. During the 5th
century Leros blossomed intellectually as a result of influences from such
cultural ancient heroes as the satirical poet, Dimodikos and the historian,
Pherekydes.
The island became part of the
Athens Alliance following the Persian Wars and there is evidence that it was
visited by great and wealthy persons. Such proof of this has been found in
the excavation of coins and funerary steles from the period. This is not
surprising as it was an important location for shipping and the moral
philosopher, Plutarch, refers to the capture of Julius Caeser's island of
Farmako which lies next to Leros.
During the Byzantine period,
Constantine the Great incorporated Leros into the theme of Samos and many
magnificent Christian churches were built as well as the castle and the
Panayia (Blessed Virgin) church on the hills overlooking what is now
Platanos. A further castle of Lepides, known today as Paliokastro, was also
built and its ruined walls can still be seen, as well as many other
outstanding Byzantine monuments such as the early Christian church at
Partheni, the church of Ayia Varvara (St. Barbara) which was built from the
marbled ruins of ancient Lerian monuments.
Occupation by foreign powers
has chequered the history of this small but strategically important Aegean
island. In 1314, Leros was occupied by the tyrannical Knights of St. John
of Rhodes who governed it despotically until the Turks invaded and took
command of the entire Aegean archipelago, plundering the islands in their
wake. To the credit of the Lerians during the Turkish occupation, they
managed to hold on to an element of autonomy and later, when the Greek
Revolution broke out, some of the people of Leros were the first to resist
their oppressors.
After the independence of
Greece in 1829 all the Dodecanese islands were ceded to Turkey by the London
Protocol in exchange for Euboea. From 1912 to 1943, the island was occupied
by the Italians and during this time, the intention was to develop Leros
into an Italian naval base. Over several decades important defence work was
carried out and military installations built with a new deep sea port
created at Laki. Many buildings were demolished and in their place grand
buildings were erected in the then, new, modern style that is now associated
with Fascist architecture of the 1930s.
During World war two, the
Greek Sacred Battalion, together with the British alliance liberated the
island from the Italian capitulation. However, after almost 50 days of
bombardment from German air raids, the Germans went on to occupy the island
until the end of the war in 1945. This was further followed by a two year
occupation by English armed forces, which culminated in March 1948, with
Leros and the whole of the Dodecanese finally being united with Greece.
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