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Thassos island -Alyki
The island was colonized at an early date by Phoenicians, attracted probably by its gold mines; they founded a temple to the god Melqart, whom the Greeks identified as "Tyrian Heracles", and whose cult was merged with Heracles in the course of the island's Hellenization.
The temple still existed in the time of Herodotus. An eponymous Thasos, son of Phoenix (or of Agenor, as Pausanias reported) was said to have been the leader of the Phoenicians, and to have given his name to the island.
In either 720 or 708 BC, Thasos received a Greek colony from Paros. It was in a war the Parian colonists waged with the Saians, a Thracian tribe, that the poet Archilochus threw away his shield. The Greeks extended their power to the mainland, where they owned gold mines even more valuable than those on the island. From these sources the Thasians drew great wealth, their annual revenues amounting to 200 or even 300 talents. Herodotus, who visited Thasos, says that the best mines on the island were those opened by the Phoenicians on the east side of the island facing Samothrace.
Thasos was important during the Ionian Revolt against Persia. After the capture of Miletus (494 BC) Histiaeus, the Ionian leader, laid siege. The attack failed, but, warned by the danger, the Thasians employed their revenues to build war ships and strengthen their fortifications. This excited the suspicions of the Persians, and Darius compelled them to surrender their ships and pull down their walls. After the defeat of Xerxes the Thasians joined the Delian confederacy; but afterwards, on account of a difference about the mines and marts on the mainland, they revolted.
The Athenians defeated them by sea, and, after a siege that lasted more than two years, took the capital, Thasos, probably in 463 BC, and compelled the Thasians to destroy their walls, surrender their ships, pay an indemnity and an annual contribution (in 449 BC this was 21 talents, from 445 BC about 30 talents), and resign their possessions on the mainland.
In 411 BC, at the time of the oligarchical revolution at Athens, Thasos again revolted from Athens and received a Lacedaemonian governor; but in 407 BC the partisans of Lacedaemon were expelled, and the Athenians under Thrasybulus were admitted.
Alyki is situated at the South-East coast of Thassos. Alyki consist out of two bays and one spit, which extends wide in the sea. The Spit of land is also known under the name " The holy rock of Thassos". The bay in the south of Alyki is also called the tub of Alyki (vernacular), because the form of the bay reminds very much of a tub.
Out of the remains from temple and buildings as well as a sanctum of the 7th century B.C. shows, that Alyki had in the antiquity a lot of inhabitants. Alyki is a very small village today. On the beach of the south bay you´ll find numerous bars and taverns.
In the 5th and 6th century there was an altare erected on the spit to honour the gods. Near there was build a basilica for the christians god some time later. Today only the ruines reminds how magnificent these ancient places were long long ago.
In 1896 discovered Thom Bent by a excavation one very good preserved Kouros, who could be seen today in a museum in Istanbul. Since the 6th century they mined mamour in Alyki, who was transported to every mediterranean harbour .
Thassos island -Alyki
The island was colonized at an early date by Phoenicians, attracted probably by its gold mines; they founded a temple to the god Melqart, whom the Greeks identified as "Tyrian Heracles", and whose cult was merged with Heracles in the course of the island's Hellenization.
The temple still existed in the time of Herodotus. An eponymous Thasos, son of Phoenix (or of Agenor, as Pausanias reported) was said to have been the leader of the Phoenicians, and to have given his name to the island.
In either 720 or 708 BC, Thasos received a Greek colony from Paros. It was in a war the Parian colonists waged with the Saians, a Thracian tribe, that the poet Archilochus threw away his shield. The Greeks extended their power to the mainland, where they owned gold mines even more valuable than those on the island. From these sources the Thasians drew great wealth, their annual revenues amounting to 200 or even 300 talents. Herodotus, who visited Thasos, says that the best mines on the island were those opened by the Phoenicians on the east side of the island facing Samothrace.
Thasos was important during the Ionian Revolt against Persia. After the capture of Miletus (494 BC) Histiaeus, the Ionian leader, laid siege. The attack failed, but, warned by the danger, the Thasians employed their revenues to build war ships and strengthen their fortifications. This excited the suspicions of the Persians, and Darius compelled them to surrender their ships and pull down their walls. After the defeat of Xerxes the Thasians joined the Delian confederacy; but afterwards, on account of a difference about the mines and marts on the mainland, they revolted.
The Athenians defeated them by sea, and, after a siege that lasted more than two years, took the capital, Thasos, probably in 463 BC, and compelled the Thasians to destroy their walls, surrender their ships, pay an indemnity and an annual contribution (in 449 BC this was 21 talents, from 445 BC about 30 talents), and resign their possessions on the mainland.
In 411 BC, at the time of the oligarchical revolution at Athens, Thasos again revolted from Athens and received a Lacedaemonian governor; but in 407 BC the partisans of Lacedaemon were expelled, and the Athenians under Thrasybulus were admitted.
Alyki is situated at the South-East coast of Thassos. Alyki consist out of two bays and one spit, which extends wide in the sea. The Spit of land is also known under the name " The holy rock of Thassos". The bay in the south of Alyki is also called the tub of Alyki (vernacular), because the form of the bay reminds very much of a tub.
Out of the remains from temple and buildings as well as a sanctum of the 7th century B.C. shows, that Alyki had in the antiquity a lot of inhabitants. Alyki is a very small village today. On the beach of the south bay you´ll find numerous bars and taverns.
In the 5th and 6th century there was an altare erected on the spit to honour the gods. Near there was build a basilica for the christians god some time later. Today only the ruines reminds how magnificent these ancient places were long long ago.
In 1896 discovered Thom Bent by a excavation one very good preserved Kouros, who could be seen today in a museum in Istanbul. Since the 6th century they mined mamour in Alyki, who was transported to every mediterranean harbour .