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Kos History - History of Kos Island - Michalis Studios & Apartments Kos Greece
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Looking for a studio or apartment on Kos island, towards Psalidi, close to Kos town ?
 
Michalis Studios & Apartments is the ideal accommodation choice,
situated 3 km from the centre of Kos town. The studios & apartments
are just a 20 minute walk from Kos town, and 300 metres from the 
nearest beach. Nearby is the Kos Marina, a frequent bus service, and 
also a variety of restaurants and shops. Travelling to Kos, stay with
us, you won't be disappointed !      More info >>
 
  Kos History                                    HISTORY  OF  KOS  ISLAND  
 
 The History of Kos dates back to more than 3,500 years ago. 
 Fossils found on the Kos Island show that at one time, Kos was
 part of a vast mainland - The Aegean Continent. Mythological stories
 about the wars between the Giants and the Titans tell about the 
 great upheavals of this time.
 Over the years Kos island has encountered various different names,
 Kynnis - named after the Giant Kynas, Meropis - named after
 the pre-historic King, Karis - which actually means "shrimp", based
 on the shape of the Island, and also the Island of the Macars - 
 which translated means "Island of Blissful Men" due to the 
 happiness and prosperity of the Islanders !  Most people believe
 that the present name of Kos was taken from either the name of 
 the daughter of King Koon, or from the shape of the crab on the
 ancient coins of Kos. There have been many different rulers on
 Kos Island, some of them being the Phoenicians, Cretans, Leleges
 and Kareans.
 Leros, Kalymnos and Kos. Map from an engraving by Alain
 Manesson Mallet.
        
     In the 15th Century BC, the Acheans, after establishing themselves on mainland Greece,   
     spread through the Islands and settled on Kos Island. A substantial number of archaeological  
     artefacts have been found to testify this fact.  
     
     According to Homer, Kos and Kalymnos (the neighbouring Island) both took part in the Trojan  
     Wars in 1194 BC. In the 11th Century BC, many of the Aegean Islands, including Kos, were  
     colonised by the Dorians. This led to a vast cultural and economic development of the island.  
       
     Up until the 6th Century Kos flourished and became a power to be reckoned with. In the year  
     700 BC along with Rhodes, Ialysos, Kamiros, Knidos and Halikarnossos, these Islands  
     founded the Dorian Hexapolis (The Union of the Six Cities). This was a very religious and   
     economic alliance. They had a common place of worship which was dedicated to the Triopian  
     Apollo and was situated opposite to Kos Town. At the end of the 6th Century, the Persian  
     King occupied many of the Greek cities and also Kos Island. After the defeat of the Persians  
     at Salamis, the Persians were expelled from Kos and the Island was then ruled by the  
     Athenian Federation.  
       
     In the midst of all this turmoil in the 5th Century, Hippocrates, the great physician, was born  
     in Kos.  
       
     In 411 BC, Kos was invaded by the Spartans. They tricked them, and led them to believe he  
     was a friend and then invaded the Capital. The survivors fled for safety and a new city was   
     founded, and this is where the Capital of Kos stands today. The Spartans turned the city  
     into one of the most beautiful in the whole of Ancient Greece.  
       
     In 322 BC Kos was ruled for a short while by the Persians again, however the ruler was  
     disposed of by the Generals of Alexander The Great later that same year. Kos made an  
     alliance with Alexander and during this time the island once again prospered. During this  
     time, Saint Stephen visited the island and preached Christianity. Many of the islanders were  
     converted to Christianity.  
       
     With the reign of Constantine The Great and the establishment of Constantinople, Kos at this  
     time became part of the Byzantine Empire and was frequently attacked by the Persians,  
     Saracens, Arabs and Crusaders.  
       
     In 1204 the Venetians took control of the island and then in 1306 the Governor of the   
     Dodecanese (meaning 12 in Greek ie. the 12 islands) sold Kos and the other islands to the  
     Knights of St John of Jerusalem. They ruled the island for over 200 years.  
       
     In 1464 the Turks tried to invade Kos island, but without success. In 1523, due to an act of  
     treachery, Sultan Suliman managed to invade Kos, and his ruling lasted almost 390 years.  
     During Turkish rule the persecution, kidnapping and sometimes killings of young adults and  
     children were almost everyday occurrences.  
       
     In 1912 the Italians occupied Kos and the other Dodecanese Islands. The Italians were  
     welcomed as liberators, however Greece then came under the rule of the fascists and further  
     cultural and economic upheaval occurred.  
       
     In 1943 after the Italian rule the British occupied Kos for a short while. Following this period  
     the German paratroopers landed and took over the Islands. The Germans were defeated in  
     1945 and the British returned to help the local people rebuild their homes and churches.  
       
     On the 7th March 1948, Kos and the rest of the Dodecanese islands became reunited with  
     Greece.  
       
  Hippocrates (The Father of Medicine)  
     
     Hippocrates was born in Kos in 460 BC. He was the first to systematically arrange diseases  
     into categories and he introduced what is now known as "The Modern Method" of diagnosis.  
       
     When Hippocrates began his methods and beliefs he created his first ever medical school.  
     He recorded all the knowledge that he obtained from his meeting with famous philosophers  
     during his travels as well as conclusions drawn from long careful studies and observations.  
     Hippocrates spoke of many topics to his students including surgery, obstetrics and pathology.  
       
     Whilst trying to bring medicine out of superstition and into enlightenment, Hippocrates had  
     numerous encounters with the Priests who felt humiliated and plotted time and time again  
     to have him killed.  
       
     The most important text of Hippocrates is the "Doctors Oath", which until this day is recited  
     by students entering the medical profession. Although many centuries have passed since  
     his death at the ripe old age of 104, he will always be remembered as a great physician and   
     the "Father of Medicine".  
       
     According to legend, Hippocrates taught his students medicine under the boughs of the  
     "Plane Tree". This historic tree is considered to be the oldest tree in Europe and stands at  
     the entrance to the Castle of the Knights in Kos Town.  
     
     
  Discover the history of Kos !  
     
     
 
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