History of Kalymnos

It is actually surprising how a small island like Kalymnos has recorded history since these ages. Looking back, we find that the island of Kalymnos appears for the first time in the Trojan War. Homer, in his epic work 'Helliad', mentions that the island took part in the expedition of the people of Acheoi against Troy.

In the beginning of the Ancient Times, Kalymnos is an independent state. Its regime is democratic. 'Damos' or 'The Church of the People' and the 'Parliament' are the main implements of the state of government of Kalymnos.

It is not historically incorrect if we say that the people of Kalymnos were among the first who embraced the common sruggle against the Persians, which Alexander the Great undertook after his recognition as general emperor of the Greeks.

During the first Byzantine period many luxurious Christian temples were built upon the ruins of the ancient Greek churches.

The first conquerors who invade the island of Kalymnos are the Isavri, in 470A.D. The Persians come then, with their king Sassanidis Hosrois the second. In 623A.D. Kalymnos returns to the Byzantine state when the Persian fleet leaves the Aegean islands. Kalymnos is then attacked by the Sarakini, who under the command of their leader Moavia, spread in the Aegean Sea and conquer it along with other islands. According to tradition, seven virgins survived the massacre that followed and found shelter into a cave which was later named after them. There, those virgins, unable to find food, died.

Ever since Kalymnos came under the Turkish severeignty,Valis of Rhodes was its ruler. He continued collecting the tax which was forced by the Knights - who had followed the Byzantines' imposition - and, on the whole, he didn't allow the Kalymnians to live freely. Due to this situation there will be a great development of the island's commercial navigation and the people of Kalymnos will become successful traders who will bring the goods of the East to the island.

The 19th century finds the Kalymnians experiencing strong arguments between the old administrators and the new social class who was trying to claim its position in the island's life.The biggest dispute between them took place in 1806. On the 20th March 1807, the people's assembly decided to appoint a committee of twelve members in order to direct the affairs of the state.

After signing the Protocol, on the 3rd February 1830, Kapetan Pasas Hasan Beis sent for the representatives of the islands which had taken part in the Independence struggle. They put forward several requests, such as : a) not to be submitted to Rhodes, b) to be provided with all the privileges that the island of Samos had already obtained, c) to have the same flag as Samos, d) to have a customs house, e) to send away the Turkish officers or gendarmes, f) all the state's affairs to be conducted by the local authorities, g) to acquire passports of their 'Demarchies', h) the governor of the islands to be Greek orthodox, i) to be supplied with provisions from the East, j) to form a single state under a Governor, and k) to have a Parliament.

On the 29th April 1912 - 12th May, according to the Grigoriani chronology - Italian battle ships disembarked their army on the island of Kalymnos. They successfully managed to capture the 'kaimakamis' of the island, the guard and the Turkish officers. The Kalymnians and the people of the Dodecanese welcomed the Italians.

During the Italian domination Kalymnos experienced difficult situations due to the fascist ruling.The Dodecanese should not be Greek. The administration of the islands was no longer called 'The Dodecanese Administration' but 'The Italian Administration of the Aegean Sea'. Those who had set the foundations of the 'new status quo' believed that it was possible to efface 'the feeling of freedom, native country and religion' through violence ; a belief which was false since such feelings were part of the people's conscience. By enforcing the teaching of the Italian language in schools, forbidding the use of the Greek language and forcing the people to live restricted, the Italian government thought that the Dodecanese would become a genuine part of the Italian state.

According to the Treaty of Lausanne, Italy became the dominant of the Dodecanese and fascism started moving towards turning the islands into 'anti-greek' territories. In spite of that fact though, the Greeks wouldn't abandon their national consciousness and Kalymnos remained the centre of the National Dodecanesean Resistance.