Creophylus of Samos

Creophylus (Ancient Greek: Κρεώφυλος Kreophylos) is the name of a legendary early Greek epic poet, native to Samos or Chios. He was said to have been a contemporary of Homer and author of the lost epic Capture of Oechalia. According to some sources, Homer gave the poem to Creophylus in return for hospitality; one source says that Panyassis of Halicarnassus, in turn, stole it from Creophylus. Panyassis, however, is a much later poet who worked in writing: the story is presumably a way of saying that Panyassis, in his literary epic on the life of Heracles, plagiarised the work of Creophylus.

Creophylus may represent a tradition parallel to the Homeridae. In Plutarch's Lives in the biography of Lycurgus, Lycurgus in his travels "…had the first sight of Homer's works, in the hands, we may suppose, of the posterity of Creophylus… scattered proportions, as chance conveyed them, were in the hands of individuals; but Lycurgus first made them really known." (John Dryden transl.). Another descendant of Creophylus, Hermodamas of Samos, was said to be the teacher of Pythagoras of Samos (see Iamblichus, Porphyry, Diogenes Laertius). So we have two examples of descendants of Creophylus teaching outsiders (non-Homeridae) the Epic tradition. It seems that the restrictions on the Homeridae in regards to teaching may have not been applicable to the descendants of Creophylus, Homer's host and friend.

Samos

Samos (/ˈseɪmɒs, ˈsæmoʊs/; Greek: Σάμος) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the 1.6-kilometre (1.0 mi)-wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional unit.

In ancient times Samos was a particularly rich and powerful city-state, particularly known for its vineyards and wine production. It is home to Pythagoreion and the Heraion of Samos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Eupalinian aqueduct, a marvel of ancient engineering. Samos is the birthplace of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, after whom the Pythagorean theorem is named, the philosopher Epicurus, and the astronomer Aristarchus of Samos, the first known individual to propose that the Earth revolves around the sun. Samian wine was well known in antiquity, and is still produced on the island.

The island was governed by the semi-autonomous Principality of Samos under Ottoman suzerainty from 1835 until it joined Greece in 1912.

Samos (town)

Samos (Greek: Σάμος, before 1958: Λιμήν Βαθέος - Limin Vatheos) is a port town on the island of Samos in Greece. It is also known as Kato Vathy (Κάτω Βαθύ), referring to its location below Vathy. In 2011 it had a population of 6,251.

History

The Town of Samos was built in the middle of 18th century as the port of Vathy. At first there were only depots for the necessities of the trade. Samos town was initially named Kato Vathy (meaning low Vathy) or Limenas Vatheos (meaning port of Vathy). Current name (Samos town) was given it in 1958. During 19th became the administration centre of the island. At that time, its population increased. After the union of Samos with Greece, Samos town remained the administration centre of the island, as well as it became the capital of the Samos Prefecture and the seat of the local municipality.

Historical population

Description

Samos town is on the coast, very close to Vathy. Its houses are built to amphitheatrically formation, around the bay. In front of the settlement is the port of Samos with wharf of more than 150 meters length. Notable buildings in Samos are the old churches of Agios Nikolaos and Agios Spiridon, the town hall and the two statues (the statue of Themistocles Sofoulis on the coastal road and the big lion statue on the central square).

Samos (disambiguation)

The term Samos may refer to:

In geography

In fiction