History

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[ Byzantine era ]  [ Frankish and Venetian rule ]
  [ Turkish occupation ]  [ Egyptian occupation ]  [ Modern History ]

Classic Era

 During the years of Macedonia’s obscurity, Thassos becomes the devoted concomitant of Rome. In spite of this loyalty, this had as a result its cruel besiege. After Rome’s’ victory, Thassos turned against Macedonia. However, in 80 BC Thassos gained a good recompense, when Leukios Syllas forced the Senate to provide to the city privilege and immunity and give back its territories in the main land.  Thassos redeemed its status, rehabilitated its trade and many wealthy Thassians began to interact in the political life of the area, operating as mediators between Thessalonica’s dignitaries and the rest of Greece. From an archaeological and residential point of view, this period of time does not show any activity and the information we have is rather little. In the city’s agora the “Loxi Stoa” is built and the monument of Theagenis is established.

 Under the Roman occupation, Thassos remained free only in name. That is why Plinius refers to Thassos as free until the Flavian period, when Vespasianos (69-70 BC) united Thassos with the province of Thrace. From then on, it was actually a distant province of the mighty Roman Empire. It appears, however, that even though Thassos lost its freedom during those years, it regained its former prosperity, as testified by the rich sarcophagi that have been preserved form that era. 

                The Thassians also played a part in the last moments of the Roman Republic. In the last confrontation in Philippi between the republicans Brutus and Cassius and their opponents Antonios and Octavius, Thassos was used by the republicans as a base and provisioning centre. In this battle of Philippi, Cassius committed suicide and Brutus carried his body to Thassos offering the final honours. There too, after the second battle and the death of Brutus, many famous Romans took refuge. In the autumn of 42 BC, Antonios turned against Thassos and retaliated. Fortunately, this fall from favour did not last long as Augustus and his family restored the city’s former privileges. However, the development of the island was from that time affiliated to the Roman history and its emperors, fact which reflects in the social life and the capitularies of the island.

 At the same time, the social evolution proceeded with jobs and money in the hands of a small number of families, while the women assumed hieratic duties, renovating sanctuaries at their own expenses. During the years of the empire, the government of Rome tries to reinstate the aristocracy, creating a new class, the “friends of Caesar and homeland”, a title conferred upon most of the distinguished Thassians of the 1st century AD. At the end of the 2^nd century AD, a Senate was included in the authorities. The high priests of Augustus worked on constructions, bids and presentations, in order to show their wealth. They invited gladiator fights, “hunting” games and in the middle of the 2^nd century they renovated the theatre. When the province of Thrace was created during the reign of Claudius, Thassos benefited by being relieved of the obligation of supplying troops or carrying out tasks for the mainland’s imperial postal service. Until the 4^th century AD, Thassos relished prosperity. With the advent of Christianity, the number of Basilicas increased, as they did in Philippi where the Apostle Paul gave his first sermon on European ground. And finally, during the Byzantine period, Thassos became the house of the bishopric.

Byzantine era 

The beginning of the Byzantine period concurs with the end of the state of Thassos and the Thassian civilization. There are incomplete, ambiguous and little information by the Byzantine historians regarding Thassos in that period of time. The Christian religion was made known to the island in 52 AD, when Apostle Paul traveled from Troy (Asia Minor today) to Neapolis (Kavala today). The spread of Christianity was fast, however the authorities in Thassos tried to not to reveal and displease Rome and its pagan religion. During the early Byzantine years, Thassos flourished and beautiful churches were built.

 However, it was in the same century that the first invasions took place, striking from north, west and east. The Avars were the first who occupied Thassos, during the reign of Justinian and stayed until 600 AD when Herakleios took it back. In 765 AD, Slav pirates invaded in the island and expelled most of the inhabitants. The Byzantine emperor Constantine Copronymus, know from his involvement in the Iconomachy, unable to recapture the island tried to negotiate with the pirates. In 904 AD the Saracens arrived in Thassos, after they occupied Crete and destroyed Thessalonica. They built ships and siege engines, while they transported many of its inhabitants in Candia in Crete (today’s Herakleion) where they were sold as slaves. In 961 AD, Thassos belongs ones again to the Byzantine state as part of the theme of Thrace, until 1204 AD. On this year, Thassos was given to Tnrico Dandolo, doge of Venice. The Venetians built a palace on the acropolis, reconstructed the city wall according to the needs of the that time and built large towers in various places of he city, the ruins of which can been seen to this day. 

Thassos joins once more the Byzantine state in 1261 AD, after the reoccupation of Constantinople by Michael Palaiologos. In 1306 AD, the island was under the rule of Tidedias Zacharias, while in the beginning of 13^th century, it was occupated by the knights of St John and later by the Venetians, Spaniards and other raiders. In 1315 AD, Andronicus II tried to take the island away from the Catalans but he failed. By the end of the Byzantine period and until 1455 AD, Thassos remained under the occupation of the Gatelouzzi family, until it was taken over by the Turks. 

Frankish and Venetian rule

 When Constantinople was occupied by the Franks, Thassos was given to Enrico Dandolo, doge of Venece (1204). From then on, a number of conquerors cast an envious eye on the beautiful island. In 1306, the Byzantine emperor Michael Palaiologos gave Thassos to the Genoese adventurer Francisco Gateluzzi. During those years Thassos developed especially in the field of trade. The Gateluzzi family remained on the island until 1455 AD, when Thassos was occupied by the Turks. The next century passed rather quietly, while in the end of the 17^th century Sicilian, Genoese, Venetian, Slav, Catalan and even Greek pirates invade into cities and villages destroying and looting.

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 [ Image Map ]  [ Mythology ]   [ Ancient era ]  [ Hellenistic Era ] [ Classic Era ]  
[ Byzantine era ]  [ Frankish and Venetian rule ]
  [ Turkish occupation ]  [ Egyptian occupation ]  [ Modern History ]