In 1829 the capital was moved to Nafplio and the population of Aegina decreased considerably and so Aegina, after a slight rise in the period when it was the capital, returned to the old quiet life of a provincial town.Īegina Island Greece, although is a small island, boasts a great number of sights and natural beauties, highlight of which is the famous Aphaia Temple. In 1828 it became the first capital of Greece with the first governor Ioannis Kapodistrias. The Aeginians fought at Hani of Gravia, at the Battle of Mount Athos, at Faliro and helped supply the Acropolis with Favieros. From 1715 to 1821 we have the second Turkish occupation, until the Revolution of 1821, in which Aegina played an important role. Then the Venetian Morosini and the Venetians recaptured Aegina, trade was revived and the economy improved. The first Ottoman rule lasted from 1540 to 1687. from the Avars and then, during the 9th century AD, the invasion of the Saracen pirates, which forced the inhabitants to withdraw from the coast and build Paleochora. Aegina, due to the peculiarity of the soil that represented most of the island, received many raids. The population increased, the city was rebuilt and trade was revived. After 400 AD, many Peloponnesians fled to Aegina to escape the raids of the Goths. Later, around 133 BC, Pergamon bequeathed Aegina to the Romans, who led the island to collapse. The fleet of the King of Pergamon and the Romans besieged, defeated and captured the city, which they looted and destroyed. After the death of Alexander the Great, Aegina belonged to the Achaean Confederation. After the end of the war, Lysander brought the Aeginians back to Aegina. In 480 B.C the state of Aegina, took part in the naval battle of Salamina along with the other Greeks against the Persians.ĭuring the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) the Athenians expelled the Aeginians to the Peloponnese and brought Athenians to the island. Aegina island was a strong naval power, controlling the trade of the East Mediterranean and the Black Sea and reached the highest point of power and wealth. It had a military port and a commercial port and its population consisted of 40.000 free citizens and 400.000 slaves. It became the Acropolis of the island surrounded with strong walls. In Kolona, there were beautiful houses, public buildings, temples and the town was well fortified. The Amphictyony was at first religious and then it became a political federation. ,Aegina along with Poros island and five other cities take part in the Amphictyony of Calauria. At about 950 B.C., the Dorians came to the island. They came from Thessaly and they set up the Temple of Zeus. Around 1400-1300 B.C., the Mirmidones settled down in the area of Oros. They settled in Kolona and they were occupied with shipping and trade. The colonization of the island continued with the Aegeans during (2500-2000 B.C.). The first inhabitants came from Peloponissos. The findings in the area of Kolona as well as other areas show that the first inhabitants in Aegina appeared in the second half of the 4th millennium B.C. During the First Peloponnesian War, by 456 BC, it was replaced by the land tortoise. Staters depicting a sea-turtle were struck up to the end of the 5th century BC. The Aeginetic stater was divided into two drachmae of 6.1 grams of silver. 630 BC), might have been the ones to introduce coinage to the Western world. Therefore, it is thought that the Aeginetes, within 30 or 40 years of the invention of coinage in Asia Minor by the Ionian Greeks or the Lydians (c. It is an electrum stater of a turtle, an animal sacred to Aphrodite, struck at Aegina that dates from 700 BC. One stamped stater can be seen in the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris. One of the earliest historical facts is its membership in the Amphictyony of Calauria, attested around the 8th century BC.Īegina island, the first city-state that issued coins in Europe, the Aeginetic stater. It is probable that the island was not Doricised before the 9th century BC. The famous Aegina Treasure, now in the British Museum is estimated to date between 17 BC. Minoan ceramics have been found in contexts of c. 2000 BC. Here, Aegina gave birth to Aeacus, who would later become king of Oenone thenceforth, the island’s name was Aegina.Īegina, according to Herodotus, was a colony of Epidaurus, to which state it was originally subject. When Zeus abducted Aegina, he took her to Oenone, an island close to Attica. She bore at least two children: Menoetius by Actor, and Aeacus by the god Zeus. The area of Aegina is 87.41 km2 and its population is 13.056 inhabitants.Īccording to the Greek mythology, Aegina was a daughter of the river god Asopus and the nymph Metope. The name of the island comes from Aegina, the mother of the hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king. Aegina Island Greece, is one of the Saronic Islands, located 26 km south of Athens.
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