Kythnos History

Kythnos has been the home of many settlers throughout the ages. In fact, the history of Kythnos starts from the prehistoric era.

Ancient times

Mesolithic remains have made archaeologists suggest that Kythnos may be the oldest settlement of the Cyclades. According to the writings of Herodotus, the first settlers of the island were the Dryopes, an aboriginal tribe of ancient Greece. According to mythology, the island was named after their king, Kythnos. The tribe has also given its name to one of the island's picturesque villages, Driopida. During their occupation, the Dryopes built walls and many temples. Numerous old settlements have been discovered around the island, one of the most famous being the ancient Vryokastro. This site is located between Apokrousi and Episkopi, on the northwest side of the island and is dated back to the 7th to the 5th centuries BC. The most significant finding from this inhabited site was an inner sanctum of a temple, which contained over 14,00 objects including jewels, gold, silver and bronze artifacts, as well as terracotta figurines and decorated vases. Since the islands of the Cyclades were very prone to pirate attacks, a lot of sites of the old settlements present extensive defense structures.

Medieval period

During the Middle Ages, most settlements were surrounded by huge stone walls. Kastro, a settlement located north, was surrounded by a 500-foot-deep cliff on three sides and a narrow track barricaded by huge stone walls on the fourth. The village inside seems to have been plundered and rebuilt several times. During the Venetian era of Kythnos history, which began in 1207, this island came under the control of the Duchy of Naxos and Duke Marco Sanudo and remained under Venetian rule for nearly 400 years. The island was known as Thermia in those times and the capital was Kastro. It was famous for its hot mineral springs on the northeastern coast of the island, near Loutra.

A Venetian fort named the Castle of Thermia (mostly known as Oria Castle) was built in the capital. The last Venetian lord, Angelo Gozzadini, was overthrown by the Ottomans in 1617, in a rather treacherous manner. Legend has it that the Turks employed a woman with a child and in pain requesting admittance into the capital. The watchman's daughter, taking pity on the woman's state opened the door for her, letting in the Turkish army hiding nearby. This tale still remains alive in popular island ballads, although it is not yet certain whether this story is true. After the Turks took over Kythnos, the island remained a religiously free but poor and backward island. However, this did not stop Kythnos from being one of the first islands to revolt against the Turks.

Recent years

Under the reign of Otto, the first king of Greece, Kythnos became a place for exile for political prisoners. During the Second World War, the population of Kythnos dwindled again and the lack of a deepwater moor hampered the prospects of attracting tourists.
However, since a new mole was constructed in 1974, Kythnos became much more accessible and subsequently more popular with tourists.