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Hydra

The oldest settlement to have been found on the island is Mycenaean. At a later period Hydra was seized by Hermione, which subsequently sold it to Samos. We know of no major historical events here down to the 17th century AD, when the island began gradually to acquire a powerful merchant fleet, which was later at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, to monopolize sea transport throughout the Mediterranean.

At some stage the island was occupied by the Turks, and the uprising against them broke out in 1821. Hydra had a population of 30,000 and 150 vessels. The island's wealthy sea captains fitted out their vessels as warships and spent whole fortunes in order to help in the Struggle. Their feats and the heroism of their crews became a byword throughout Europe.

Besides their vessels, the island’s seamen made use of fire-ships, small boats loaded with explosives which they brought by night alongside the Turkish vessels and then blew them up. The superiority of the Hydriots and their companions in arms at sea was one of the determining factors in the success of the Greek Revolution.

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