HISTORY OF RHODES ISLAND

According to the myth, Helios was absent when Zeus divided the earth among the Olympian gods.Helios was disappointed and while demanding his share, a beautiful island emerged slowly from the bottom of the Aegean sea. Since then Rhodes,(from Rhoda, a pink hibiscus) is bathed with sunshine for more than 300 days a year.

Strategically located and rich in resources the island was inhabited since the Stone Ages.

The Minoans settled first in 16th c B.C followed by Myceneans until the arrival of Dorians who founded the 3 city-states, Kamiros, Ialysos and Lindos.

In 408 B.C they joined forces to create a new and powerful capital, under the guidance of the famed architect Hippodamus.

Rhodians, although members of the Athenian league,remained neutral during the Peloponnesian war and later sided with Macedonians helping them to their conquests.

The island flourished after Alexander’s death and allied with Ptolemies of Egypt. Controlling trade throughout eastern Mediterranean , Rhodes became a commercial and cultural hotspot.

In 305 B.C Demetrios, son of Antigonus, attempted to besiege Rhodes but the islanders successfully defended their homeland. A gigantic statue was erected to honor their sun god Helios, the famous Colossus of Rhodes.

Independent and a significant commercial power due to their excellent navy, Rhodians were balancing among the imperial dynasties of the era and also established their dominance on the shores of Asia Minor across their island.

The intervention of Romans in Greek affairs and their consequent ascendance was wisely predicted by Rhodians who provided Rome with valuable naval help, thus rewarded with territory and privileged status. Many nobles from Rome visited Rhodes for take lessons from the popular rhetoric teachers. Eventually after political machinations in the Senate ,Cassius sacked the city in 43 B.C.

St. Paul preached Christianity at Lindos in 58 A.C but Rhodes was at the beginning of a dark period.

It was often raided from eastern enemies ,such as Saracens and Seljuks .During the Byzantine era the island was a center for commerce and shipbuilding.

In 1248 Rhodes was under the state of Genova until admiral Vignoli sold it to the Knights of St. John in 1309. They fortified the city with impregnable walls, built hospitals , the Grand Masters palace and the island resurfaced after centuries in the obscurity. Rhodes was transformed into a stronghold for Christianity and a vital port on the trading routes between Europe and the East.

The Knights with the help of locals withstood attacks of the Sultan of Egypt in 1444 and a siege under Mehmed II in 1480. Yet they didn’t stand any chance against the large army of 100.000 men and 400 ships of Suleiman the Magnificent and surrendered in 1522.

Under the Ottoman rule, Greeks were forced to abandon the fortified city and lived outside of the walls. Meanwhile the island was populated from other ethnic groups ,including Jews.

The Turkish occupation ended in 1912 when Italy seized the island. With the treaty of Lausanne Rhodes was officially Italian territory and the fascist regime began developing and investing in modern facilities all over the island, many still visible to date.

After the battle of Rhodes the German army occupied the island and in 1943 the Jews were sent to concentration camps by the Nazi.

Eventually in March 7th 1947, Rhodes together with the other Dodecanese islands united with Greece .