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Kythnos

The legends say that the Dryopes, who came from Eboea, settled on Kythnos in the 12th or 11th century BC.

Excavations have found a site dating back to the Early Neolithic or even the Mesolithic period, making it the oldest habitation found in the Cyclades. Much later the Ionians arrived on the island and founded the ancient city of Kythnos. The island was represented at the battle of Salamis by two ships and for their contribution the Kythians were mentioned on the base of the golden tripod at Delphi.

The first inhabitants of Kythnos were the Kares, who after a while gave up the island to the Cretans. The island then passed to people from Evia, the Dríopes, who under the command of Kythnos gave his name to the island. They were more interested in going to the fertile valleys of Cyprus, thus leaving, and the island passed to the Ionians. In the North part of the island, there are the ruins of castles from that era.

In about 200 BC, the island was attacked many times by the Romans who never succeeded in taking it. The capital then had more than 12,000 people all congregated in the northwest part. When, in the time of Diocletian, the Roman Empire was divided, Kythnos became part of the province of Achaea and later under Byzantium era, was included in the "theme" of the Aegean.

The "Francs" arrived in 1207, under Marco Sanudi and Venetian power was to last until 1617, when the Turks drove out Angelo Gazadino, last feudal overload and brought the island into the Ottoman Empire.
Later the capital was moved to what is known as Kefalokastro today. It was rebuilt around the time of Christ and destroyed by looters, only to be rebuilt and be destroyed again by Pirates in the 13th century.

Kythnos paid its taxes direct to the Sultan and enjoyed religious freedom under the Turks, but it was still attacked by pirates and frequently suffered from catastrophic epidemics. An attack of the plague in 1823 carried off most of the inhabitants.

In the period shortly before the War of Independence, Kythnos flourished intellectually. This was mainly the result of the foundation of an institution of higher education at the monastery of Panagia Nikous, near Hora. The cave of Katafiki, which lies near the village, is one of the largest, unexplored caves in Greece, used as a shelter by the locals during the Second World War. It is here that the locals meet to celebrate the resurrection.

 

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