Brief History

The name of the island is a really complicated issue as different views are expressed. 'Kalymna' was the name which was given to the island in the 1st century B.C. Before that, it was called 'Kalydnai' a name which is thought to be given after Kalydnos, the son of the Sky. Nevertheless, according to another belief, the name 'Kalydnos' refers to the islands of Leros and Kalymna. Homer, the great poet, seems to agree, so by saying 'Kalydnai Islands' he actually means the islands which surround 'Kalydna'.
During the Byzantine era the name 'Lero Kaly...' appears and the island seems to be part of Samos. Since the 10th century though, we find that the name 'Kalamos' is used.

The first inhabitants of Kalymnos are either the Kares or the Lykioi or the Leleges or maybe all these people one after another.
During the 2nd millenium B.C. the island was conquered by the Phoinician people. They soon started 'exploiting' the islands by setting up places where they weaved and dyed textiles.
The commercial peak of the island during the Prehistoric Age, is proved by the 'Kastri', the ancient ruins in the village of Emporio. Besides, the name Emporio - similar to the word 'trade' - comes from the significance of the place in that era, and makes it the oldest town of Kalymnos.

During the end of the 2nd millenium B.C. there is a significant movement of several people, which is known as the 'Descend of the Heraclides'. This movement takes place in the end of the 11th centuryB.C. and as a result, the island of Kalymnos is colonised either by the people of Iones or the people of Dories or even by both. When the Dories settled on the island, they found out that the civilisation there was quite advanced. The Phoinician people had worked hard and they had imposed the foundation of commerce and navigation on the island.