According to greek mythology Thassos was discovered when Zeus, disguised as a bull, kidnapped Europe, the daughter of the King of the Phoenix. Her father
Antinoras sent his grandson Thassos to look for her, with strict orders not to come back empty handed. His pursuit eventually led Thassos to the island where, charmed by the mild climate and rich
flora and fauna, he settled. The island has since borne his name.
Historians in general agree that Thassos was initially inhabited by various Thracian tribes before its colonization by the Phoenix, who took possession of
the island. The first greeks to come to Thassos were from the island of Paros and led by Telessiklis. They were the first to discover the island’s rich resources gold, iron and marble. They
cultivated trade capitalizing on its rich forests and high-quality wine, and built trade relations with southern greek states and the greek colonies of the Macedonian coasts.
The Thassian city-state was at its peak after the Athenian Golden Age in the 5th century BC. Thassos had a powerful commercial and war navy, a strong
currency (the famous talanto) and a rich cultural life which led to its being named “Athens of the North”. During the Peloponnesian war Thassos retained its alliance with Athens. However, when
Sparta won the war the regime changed to oligarchy, under Spartan hegemony.
The Thassians built forts around the city, remains of which are visible to this day, on a simple walk around the main port of
Limenas. Their total perimeter was as long as 10 kilometers, and there were many gates, including that of the Charites, Hera, Hercules, Zeus, which was naturally the most important one, in
addition to that of Seilinos, which is still there, on the road that leads to Makryammos Bungalows from Limenas. The commercial port was in today’s Evraiokastro. The capital was Limenas, while
the Ancient Town was filled with marble buildings, altars, sanctuaries and statues. The city center was of course the Market (Agora), remnants of which are also visible today. The ancient theater
was of particular importance. Built in a natural bunker on the ground with a panoramic view of the sea, it had a capacity of 2000-3000 spectators. The best known representative of the Thassian
theatre was the actor and poet Igemonas, whom Aristotle credits as the inventor of parody.
On the way up to the Ancient theatre the path leads us through run down walls to the Acropolis, situated on a range between three hills. Its sanctuary was
dedicated to Pytheian Apollo (Pythia being the name of the oracle at Delphi). During Byzantine times the remnants of the ancient Acropolis were used to build a medieval
castle.
When Philip II united all greek states for the first time under Macedonian hegemony, Thassos became part of the newly united greek state. However, with the
decline of the Macedonian state Thassos took advantage of the changing circumstances and became the dedicated ally of Rome, and profited accordingly. It found itself in the center of events in
the power struggle resulting from the murder of Julius Ceasar, between Brutus and Cassius on the one hand and Marc Anthony and Octavian on the other, the deciding battle of which was fought in
nearby Philippi. The defeat of Brutus and Cassius initially brought severe punishment on the island however, Thassos soon took its prerogatives back under the new
Augustus.
During Byzantine times Thassos was part of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire. In 1459, six years after the Turks took possession of Constantinople they conquered
Thassos as well. Its citizens quickly left the island or were sent by the Turkish conquerors to Constantinople. In 1813 the Sultan gave Thassos to the king of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, who had been
raised on the island and had found refuge there when he was a fugitive accused of murder. The island’s adventure throughout history and the various empires ends after the Balkan wars of
1912-1914, when Thassos was liberated and incorporated into the modern Greek state.