Editing Samothrace (section)

==History==

===Antiquity===
[[File:Αρχαιολογικός χώρος Παλαιόπολης.jpg|thumb|left|[[Samothrace temple complex|Sanctuary of the Great Gods]], Paleopolis]]
[[File:Samothraki island.jpg|thumb|left|Samothrace, with Mount Fengari in the background]]
[[File:Σαμοθράκη - Κήποι.jpg|thumb|200px|Landscape]]
[[File:Samothrace from Imbros at sunset.jpg|thumb|View of Samothrace from [[Imbros]] at sunset]]
[[File:Gria vathra.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Waterfall and pond, characteristics of the island]]

Samothrace never became a state of any political significance in [[ancient Greece]], since it lacks natural harbours and most of the island is too mountainous for cultivation: Mount [[Fengari]] (literally 'Mt Moon') rises to {{cvt|1611|m|ft|0}}. It was, however, the home of the [[Samothrace temple complex|Sanctuary of the Great Gods]], site of important Hellenic and pre-Hellenic religious ceremonies. Those who visited this shrine to be initiated into the island cult included [[Lysander]] of [[Sparta]], [[Philip II of Macedon]] and [[Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (consul 58 BC)|Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus]], father-in-law of [[Julius Caesar]].

The ancient city, the ruins of which are called '''Palaeopolis''' ('old city'), stood on the north coast. Considerable remains exist of the ancient walls, which were built in massive [[Cyclopean]] style, as well as of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, where mysterious rites (Samothracian Mysteries),<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Google books |title =Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World |page=37|id=N2zyCQAAQBAJ}}</ref> which were open to both slaves and free people (similar to the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]]), took place. [[Demetrios of Skepsis]] mentions the Samothracian Mysteries,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> as does [[Aristophanes]] in his [[Peace (play)|''Peace'']].<ref>Aristophanes. ''Peace'', line 277</ref>

The traditional account from antiquity is that Samothrace was first inhabited by [[Pelasgians]] and [[Carians]], and later by [[Thracians]]. At the end of the 8th century BC [[Greeks]] from [[Samos]] colonised the island and named it "Samos of Thrace", that later became Samothrace; however, [[Strabo]] denies this. The archaeological evidence suggests that Greek settlement took place in the 6th century BC.

Samothrace came under [[Persian Empire|Persian]] occupation in 508 BC, followed by a period of [[Athenian]] control, and eventually became a member of the [[Delian League]] in the 5th century BC. It was subjugated by [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] and from then till 168 BC it was under [[Macedon]]ian suzerainty. After the 168 BC [[battle of Pydna]], Samothrace became independent,<ref>
{{cite book
 |editor-last1         = Lehmann
 |editor-first1        = Karl
 |editor-link1         = Karl Lehmann (archaeologist)
 |editor-last2         = Williams Lehmann
 |editor-first2        = Phyllis
 |editor-link2         = Phyllis Williams Lehmann
 |year                 = 1959
 |title                = Samothrace: Excavations Conducted by the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University, New York University. Institute of Fine Arts. Part 2: The inscriptions on ceramics and minor objects
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=P-tQAQAAMAAJ
 |series               = Bollingen series, volume 60
 |publication-place    = New York
 |publisher            = Pantheon Books
 |page                 = 10
 |access-date          = 21 February 2025
 |quote                = After the battle of Pydna, Perseus took refuge on Samothrace, where he was apprehended by Roman officials.[...] From this point on, the island enjoyed independence under Roman protection [...].
}}
</ref>
a condition that ended when [[Vespasian]] absorbed the island in the [[Roman Empire]] in AD 70.

During the Roman and particularly the imperial period, thanks to the interest of the Roman emperors, the influence of the sanctuary of the Great Gods extended beyond Greek borders and Samothrace became an international religious center, where pilgrims flocked from all over the Roman world. Apart from the famous sanctuary, also playing a decisive role in the great development of Samothrace were her two ports, situated on the sea road from [[Troad | Troas]] to Macedonia. Furthermore an important role was played by her possessions in Perea, which were conceded by the Romans at least during the imperial period, as evidenced by inscriptions of the 1st AD century.<ref>D. C. Samsaris, Historical Geography of Western Thrace during the Roman Antiquity (in Greek), Thessaloniki 2005, p. 120–126</ref>

The [[Book of Acts]] in the Christian Bible records that the [[Apostle Paul]], on his second missionary journey outside of Palestine, sailed from [[Alexandria Troas|Troas]] to Samothrace and spent one night there on his way to Macedonia.<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|16:11|KJV|}}</ref> The island is mentioned in the [[King James Version]] of the Bible with the name ''Samothracia''.<ref>{{Cite web  |title=Acts 16:11 - King James Version  |url =https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2016%3A11&version=KJV  |access-date =2022-12-04  |website=Bible Gateway  |language=en  |archive-date=2022-12-04  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204202802/https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2016:11&version=KJV  |url-status=live  }}
</ref>

===Middle Ages to Modern era===
[[File:Samothraki island - Francesco Piacenza - 1688.jpg|thumb|200px|Samothrachi by Francesco Piacenza, 1688]]

St Theophanes died in Samothrace in 818. The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] ruled until 1204, when [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] took their place, only to be dislodged in 1355 by a [[Genoa|Genoese]] family, the [[Gattilusi]]. The [[Ottoman Empire]] conquered it in 1457 and it was called {{lang|tr|Semadirek}} in [[Turkish language|Turkish]]. In the era of [[Suleiman the Magnificent|Kanuni Sultan Süleyman]] the island became a [[Waqf|vakıf]] for the [[Süleymaniye Mosque]] and its [[Imaret]] in İstanbul. During the Ottoman period, it was one of the islands open to settlement among the Boğazönü Islands. The appearance of a person from Samothrace among the new inhabitants of the island of Lemnos in 1490 indicates that the population movements on the island were mostly with the surrounding islands and therefore the coastal areas close to Anatolia. The total tax population of the island in 1519 was 182 soldiers (male population of fighting age). 53 of them were newcomers to the island. There was a total tax population of 220 soldiers here in 1530 (twelve of whom were foreigners). In 1569, there were four settlements and a tax population of 742 soldiers on the island. Seven soldiers of this population were Muslims. The fact that neighborhoods, which are the main features of Ottoman towns and cities, were established in this last date indicates the process of becoming a town.<ref>{{Cite web  |title=SEMADİREK  |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/semadirek  |access-date=2022-11-10  |website=TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi  |language=tr  |archive-date=2022-11-10  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110144307/https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/semadirek  |url-status=live  }}</ref> However, in the mid-17th century, Bernard Randolph, while describing the island with [[Thasos]] and [[Imbros]], states that all three of the islands were neglected because they were flooded by pirates and there were only two or three villages on each of them.<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Randolph |first=Bernard |title=The Present State of the Islands in the Archipelago |publisher=Theater |year=1687 |location=Oxford, England |pages=42 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/23114}}</ref> According to Charles Vellay a rebellion against the Ottoman rule and Muslim population by the local population during the [[Greek War of Independence]] (1821–1831) led to the [[Massacre of Samothrace (1821)|massacre]] of 1,000 inhabitants.<ref>Charles Vellay, ''L'irrédentisme hellénique'', 1913, 329 pages. page 131: [https://books.google.com/books?id=vMhDAAAAYAAJ&q=samothrace+massacre+1821] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201220143/https://books.google.com/books?id=vMhDAAAAYAAJ&q=samothrace+massacre+1821&dq=samothrace+massacre+1821&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HxjFT4jUFpOKhQen14GNCg&ved=0CFwQ6AEwCA|date=2023-02-01}}</ref> The island came under Greek rule in 1913 following the [[Balkan Wars]]. It was occupied temporarily by [[Bulgaria]] during the [[Second World War]], from 1941 to 1944.

===Today===
The modern port town of Kamariotissa is on the north-west coast and provides ferry access to and from points in northern Greece such as [[Alexandroupoli]] and [[Myrina, Greece|Myrina]]. There is no commercial airport on the island. Other sites of interest on the island include the ruins of [[Genoese colonies|Genoese]] forts, the picturesque Chora (literally ''village'') and Paleapolis (literally ''Old Town''), and several waterfalls.

A 2019 article estimated that the current population of [[goats]] on the island outnumbers humans by about 15 to 1, resulting in unwanted [[erosion]] as a result of [[overgrazing]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.morningagclips.com/tens-of-thousands-of-goats-munch-island-into-crisis/ |title=Tens of thousands of goats munch island into crisis |last=Associated Press |author-link=Associated Press |date=October 7, 2019 |website=Morning Ag Clips |language=en-US |access-date=2019-10-18 |archive-date=2019-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018130706/https://www.morningagclips.com/tens-of-thousands-of-goats-munch-island-into-crisis/ |url-status=live }}</ref>