Pictures of the beautiful island of Rodos

HISTORY

Rhodes in the mythological tradition

Rhodes is one of the largest and most beautiful Greek islands. Its history begins long ago, in the mist of mythology. According to the myth, Rhodes is the island of Helios, the sun god, who, when Rhodes emerged from the azure sea, flooded it with his eternal light and made it the most beautiful island in the Aegean. The first inhabitants of Rhodes were the Telchines, skilled craftsmen with a particular talent for metal-working. After a flood, they were succeeded by the Heliads, legendary descendants of Helios, who devised a system of measuring time and rules for navigation.

Prehistoric Period

The role of Rhodes in the history of the eastern Mediterranean begins with the establishment there of settlers from Minoan Crete. Later, around 1400 BC, the island was colonies by Achaeans, who founded the city of ACHAEA on what was later to become the site of IALYSOS.

The Dorian colonisation

In about 1100 BC the Dorians migrated to Rhodes under their leader Tlepolemos, who - according to tradition - shared out the island between the three cities of IALYSOS, LINDOS and KAMIROS. In about 700 BC those three cities, together with the island of Kos and the cities of CNIDUS and Halicarnassus on the coast of Asia Minor, founded the Dorian Hexapolis, an alliance which was later called the Pentapolis when Halicarnassus withdrew from it.

Classical and Hellenistic Periods-The prosperity

This alliance or amphictyony survived until 408 BC, when the new city of Rhodes began to be built. Their proximity to the East, with its monumental architecture, its colossal statues, its gold and silver works of art and the luxurious way of life of its wealthy princes, naturally had an effect on the Rhodians. Their activities in trade and in the founding of colonies were unparalleled for the time: fast Rhodian ships sailed to almost every corner of the Mediterranean, bringing home wealth and glory to their island. In order to ensure that navigation was properly ordered, the RHODIANS introduced a system of international maritime law which was one of the most important early legal texts and was still used throughout the Roman period and down to Byzantine times. The arts and letters flourished, too, and in the 3rd century BC Rhodes was a major centre of learning, attracting young people from all over the known world. Distinguished Romans such as Cicero, Julius Caesar, Pompey and others studied rhetoric and philosophy in the famous schools in Rhodes town.

IIn the classical period, Rhodes was under the control now of Athens and now of Sparta-whichever of these two leading Greek cities happened to be more powerful at the time. In 408 BC, as we have seen, IALYSOS, LINDOS and KAMIROS founded Rhodes city. When the power of Macedon began to rise, the Rhodians supported it and later helped Alexander the Great to found Alexandria in Egypt. Later, they refused to fight on the side of Antigonus, one of Alexander’s successors, against Ptolemy of Egypt, and as a result Antigonus’ son Demetrius Peliorcetes laid siege to the own. The RHODIANS were victorious, and to celebrate the defeat of Demetrius they dedicated the statue of the Colossus, by the LINDIAN sculptor Chares, to the sun god Helios. The statue, 31 metres tall, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In 226 BC, however, it collapsed in an earthquake.

Roman invasion-The decline

By 42 BC Rhodes had entered a period of decline, and it was easily captured by the Roman general Cassius, who carried off many of its statues and other art treasures. After 50 AD, St Paul made Rhodes into an important Christian centre. Later, it formed part of the Byzantine Empire. In the centuries, which succeeded, invader followed invader and all left their traces: Persians, Saracens, and Genoese.

Period of the Knights

There was again a period of prosperity after 1309, when the Genoas sold the island to the knights of the Order of St. John. The knights stayed in Rhodes for almost two centuries, leaving marked traces and giving the particular medieval atmosphere, which we can discern even today, with its strong walls, gates, churches, hospices, inns, and magnificent palaces. On 23 December 1522, VILLERS de l’ Isle Adam, the last Grand Master, was forced to surrender the city to Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent after a siege of six months. During this period, LINDOS developed as a centre for handicrafts, and its pottery and embroidery were particularly famous.

Turkish and Italian Occupation-Liberation

The Turks occupied Rhodes (and the rest of the Dodecanese) until 1912. The islands then passed to Italy, which acted like a liberator at first but eventually proved to be a harsh oppressor. It was not until 1945, after a hard struggle, that the islands were liberated, and after two years under British administration they were officially united with Greece on 7 March 1948.

CHRISTOS

===============================
===============================