Samos is the ninth largest Greek island (477 km2) and is separated from the west coast of Asia Minor by the Samos/Mycale Strait, which at its narrowest is about one mile (≈1.6 km) wide opposite Mount Mycale on the mainland. Samos’ relief is dominated by two large mountains: Mount Kerkis (1434 metres) in the west; and Mount Ampelos (1095 metres), occupying the centre of the island. Excavations have revealed that people, some of whom were probably Mycenaean, were living on Samos before Ionian Greeks arrived from Epidauria in Argolis about 1100 to 1000 BC. The capital city, also called Samos (later Tigani; now Pythagoreio), was located in the southeast lowlands, opposite the coast of Asia Minor. Outside the ancient city was the important temple of Hera. Profiting from the island’s fertile soil and exploiting its position at the junction of the great trade sea-routes between the Black Sea, Asia Minor, and Egypt, by the eighth century BC Samos was one of the leading commercial centres of Greece.
Samos played an important part in the Greek expansion through seaborne trade and colonisation during the 800s to 500s BC. Samian colonies included Nagidos and Celenderis (both 6th century BC) in Cilicia; Perinthos, Bisanthe and Heraion Teichos (all 6th century BC?) on the north shore of the Propontis; Samothrace (7th century BC) in the northeast Aegean; and Amorgos (c.630 BC) in the eastern Cyclades.
Samos developed into a very potent sea power, challenging the Milesian thalassocracy. During the Lelantine War (c.710-c.650 BC), a war that started with a conflict between the two Euboean cities of Eretria and Chalcis, Miletus and its colonies, along with Chios, sided with Eretria, whereas Samos sided with Chalcis. Samian forces also assisted the Spartans in a war, presumably the second, against Messenia.
The early political history of Samos is somewhat obscure: Phoibias is said to have been elected dictator, and Demoteles to have become sole ruler. When Demoteles was assassinated by a group called the geomoroi (‘landowners’) took over. Plutarch tells that following a successful war against the Megarians, the victorious generals used Megarian prisoners to overthrow the geomoroi.
In c.538 BC Polycrates (r.c.538-c.522 BC) with his brothers Pantagnotus and Syloson seized Samos, but he soon killed Pantagnotos, exiled Syloson and made himself tyrant. Setting himself to acquire power and wealth he collected a large fleet containing a hundred penteconters and occupied several neighbouring islands and some towns on the mainland; waged war against Miletus; and after making an alliance with Ahmose II of Egypt (r.570-526 BC) for a time rendered Samos one of the most powerful Greek states.
Shortly after the accession of the next Egyptian king Psammetichus III (r.526-525 BC), Polycrates switched his allegiance and sent forty triremes to help the Persian king Cambyses II (r.530-522 BC) in his expedition against Egypt. This cost him little because he manned the ships with disgruntled opponents. The crews saw through his plan and turned round before they reached Egypt. They made their way to Greece where they persuaded Sparta and Corinth to send an expedition against him. In c.525 BC, the expedition landed in Samos, but it had to withdraw after besieging the city for forty days.
Oroetes, who had been satrap of Sardis since the time of Cyrus II (c.46; r.559-530 BC), planned to kill Polycrates either because he had been unable to add Samos to Persia’s territory or because he had supposedly snubbed a Persian ambassador. When Oroetes pretended to be plotting against Darius-I (c.64; r.522-486 BC), Polycrates, believing that Oroetes would help him establish a naval empire, allowed himself to be lured to the satrap’s court. But once there he was murdered and his body hung on a cross.
Following the death of Polycrates, his deputy Maeandrius denounced tyranny and offered the Samians isonomie (‘political equality’), later a widespread democratic slogan, in return for comparatively moderate reward for himself. Telesarchus, representing the aristocrats, confronted Maeandrius, asserting that he was not fit to rule. Maeandrius, fearing an opposition movement, arrested a number of aristocrats, and his brother later put them to death.
Five or six years after Polycrates’ death a Persian expedition was sent to Samos with the intent to install Polycrates’ exiled brother Syloson as a puppet ruler. The Samians initially agreed to come to terms but when they resisted the Persian commander Otanes allegedly killed the entire population and handed over ‘an empty island’ to Syloson, but Otanes repopulated the island soon afterwards.
In 499 BC Samos joined the revolt against Persia but at the decisive naval Battle at Lade in 494 BC part of its contingent of sixty ships deserted to the Persians. In 480 BC Samian crews fought on the Persian side in Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. In 479 BC the Samians helped Athens at the Battle of Plataea and remained a faithful ally until 440 BC when they seceded from the Athenian Empire (454-404 BC).
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