According to mythology, Anáfi owes its name to the fact that it emerged (anáfi derives from the verb “anafainomai”, which means emerge) from the waters of the Aegean, following the desire of Apollo to offer refuge to the Argonauts. That is why its inhabitants, in his honor, built the temple of Apollo Aiglítis (from the…
Santoríni in the ancient years was called Stroggýli (= round), because of its circular shape it had before the eruption of the volcano. The Phoenicians called the island Kallísti (= beautiful), probably due to its attractive landscapes, whereas in the 12th century BC it was named Thíra, in honour of the hero Thíra who came…
The name of the island derives from the word Ía, which is the name of a flower that grew everywhere in antiquity. The history of Íos is linked with the life and death of the epic poet Homer. Historically, it has been verified that Homer’s mother, Klyméni, was born and died in the island of…
Sikinos in ancient times was known by the name Oinoi, because of the many vines it had. Its current name derives from Síkinos, son of King Thóantas from Lemnos island. King Thóantas had gone to Oinoe (Sikinos), where he got married and soon after his wife gave birth to Síkinos. The inhabitants of the island…
The name of the island is thought to derive from the ancient word “Lévinthos”, which is a male name. In the last 200 years, the history of the island is joined with the history of the Kampósos family, who came initially on the island in 1820 from Pátmos, in order to work on the lighthouse…
Amorgós has accommodated in the past several different civilisations, which is why the island was known with different names like Pagáli, Psychiá, Melánia and Karkisía. According to some, today’s name Amorgós derives from antiquity, when the island was known for its produce of women’s tunics. These tunics were made with a special method which produced…
In antiquity, Irakleiá was named Arákleia and in medieval times Irakleítsa. The history of the island begins from the 4th millennium BC, with its first inhabitants being the Cycladítes. Irakleiá remained on their possession up until 1000 BC. During the first Byzantine years, in the 4th century AD, a castle was built behind Livádi beach,…
The name, Schinoúsa, comes from the word schíno, which is a plant that used to grow extensively on the island. Schinoúsa was initially inhabited during the 4th millennium BC by Cycladítes, and was part of the group called “little Cyclades” together with Koufonísia, Kéro and Irakleiá, Kéros being the capital. In the years of AD,…
Historians are in disagreement where from the name of the two islands came from. Some believe it is a complex word (koufó + nisí, i.e. hollow + island), named by the many travelers of the past who named it by the many caves around the islands. Others claim the name derived from the locals in…
Donoúsa is one of the few Aegean islands that kept its original name from antiquity, Donoúsa or Denoúsa. In the past it had different names for a while, like “Viriden” named by the ancient Romans probably due to its extensive vegetation, or “Spinosa” called by the foreign sailors of the 18th and the 19th century.…