Kos

History and Culture

The island has had an eventful history. It was first populated by settlers in the Neolithic. According to Homer, the people of Kos participated in the Trojan War along with their insular neighbours and arrived before the coast of Troy with a fleet of 30 ships. Following the arrival of the Dorians, Kos became a member of the Delian League, briefly switched alliances during the Peloponnesian War, before eventually returning to the Attic sphere of influence. It would later be ruled by the Achaemenid Persian Empire and local Carian Sartraps. The silk-like garments manufactured on the island of Kos were a well-known product of Antiquity. Female slaves from Kos were very much sought after and fetched high prices due to their exceptional beauty and silk-weaving skills. The island was liberated by the fleets of Alexander the Great in 333 BC and subsequently occupied by Ptolomeans, Romans, Byzantines, Knights Hospitallers and Ottoman Turks respectively. Kos was a highly esteemed ally of Rome and under the rule of Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) its people were exempted from Tribute.