Samos

The island

• 

  43 km long and 13 km wide
• Two main mountains; essentially, the island is a continuation of Cape Mycale
• Main city, also called Samos, in the southeast

Early History

• According to tradition, settled from Epidauros

• 

  One of the twelve cities of the Ionian Dodecapolis^note[Herodotus, Histories 1.142.]
• Important trade center; contact with Phoenicia
• Trade contacts with the Black Sea and Egypt
• Splendid temple of Hera
• Rivalry with Miletus; on opposing sides during the Lelantine War
• c.535: End of the Samian oligarchy; the tyrant Polycrates; alliance with king Amasis of Egypt
• One of the monuments of this age was the aqueduct of Eupalinus^note[Herodotus, Histories 3.60.]
• Pythagoras
• Conquered by the Persians

Samos, Head of a kouros	Samos, Head of a kouros	Samos, Temple of Hera, Statue of a warrior	Samos, Heracles as archer

Classical Age

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  499 At first, Samos supports the Ionian Revolt, but later, it abandons the Ionians
• Sides with the Greeks in the war against Persia; member of the Delian League
• 440 Captured by Athens
• 431-421 Supports Athens in the Archidamian War
• 414-404 Supports Athens in the Decelean War
• 411 Samons helps the Athenian democrats against the Athenian oligarchs
• 404 Samian democrats defeated by Lysander and replaced by oligarchs
• 403 Isopoliteia with Athens
• 394 Independent; 387 surrendered by the Spartans to Persia
• 366 Conquered by Athens

Later History

• 

  The philosopher Epicurus and the astronomer Aristarchus were born in Samos
• After the death of Alexander the Great: Ptolemaic or Seleucid
• After 188 Pergamene
• 133 Pergamene bequest; the Pergamene possessions become part of the Roman republic