Samos (theme)

The Theme of Samos (Greek: θέμα Σάμου, thema Samou) was a Byzantine military-civilian province, located in the eastern Aegean Sea, established in the late 9th century. As one of the Byzantine Empire's three dedicated naval themes (Greek: θέματα ναυτικᾶ), it served chiefly to provide ships and troops for the Byzantine navy.

History

The dates of establishment and the territorial reach of the various Byzantine naval commands in the 7th–9th centuries are mostly unclear. After the unitary navy of the Karabisianoi was split up in the early 8th century, regional naval commands were established, of which the naval theme of the Cibyrrhaeots is the first known and most important. The 10th-century Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959) records that "at the time the Empire was divided into themes", Samos became the seat of the "theme of the sailors" (Greek: θέμα τῶν πλοϊζομένων); the meaning of this passage is unclear. The historian Warren Treadgold interprets this to mean that Samos was the first seat of the Karabisianoi fleet, until their disbandment c. 727. Alternatively, it could imply a command that formed part of the Karabisianoi and was abolished with them, or a later, short-lived successor, perhaps even identical with the Cibyrrhaeots. The existence of a "strategos of Samos" in the 8th century is attested through a surviving seal of a strategos named Theodore. In the late 8th century, the southern Aegean appears to have come under the jurisdiction of the "droungarios of the Dodecanese (Dodekanesos)", whom some scholars (following Hélène Ahrweiler) identify with the post of "droungarios of Kos" and the later "droungarios of the Gulf (Kolpos)", listed in the mid-9th century Taktikon Uspensky. This command then, or at least the eastern part of it, apparently evolved into the theme of Samos.

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