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History
of Lefkada |
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The history of Lefkada has
its traces back in the early centuries. According to Aristoteles,
the Leleges were the first inhabitants of the island.
The archeological research of the German archeologist W.Dorpfeld
claims that the first evidence of life in Lefkada exists in
the neolythic era in the middle of the 4th millenium b.C.. Dorpfeld
also supports in his theory that Lefkada is the homeric Ithaca.
The ancient people Ahei are followed by the ancient Doriis who
establish the town of Nirikos.
In 625 b.C. the Corinthians took over the island and constructed
the sea path of Lefkada, one of the biggest achievements of
the Antiquity, considering the fact that they had to eliminate
the thin land which connected the island with the mainland.
Lefkada participated in the sea battle of Salamina in 480 b.C.,
in the battle of Plataies and the Peloponnesian War in 431 b.C..In
338 b.C. it was conquered by the father of Alexander the Great
, Filippos 2nd.
Later the Romans became the new conquers of the island. After
the establishment of Nicopolis from Octavious August around
31 b.C. , many Lefkadians colonise the surrounding area.
During the Byzantine era the island was given by the nobleman
Lord Nikiforos 1st to the Count Orsini who began to build the
castle of Santa Mavra.
After that a period of…… Venice follows.
The Venetians transferred the capital from the mainland of the
island to its contemporary location. They took advantage of
the agricultural production (oil, serials,wool) and organised
the social life with administration, obligatory taxes and plat
book.
In 1797 when Napoleon Vonaparte destroyed Venice , Lefkada was
taken over by the French and finally in 1810 by the English.
In 1815 with the Treaty of Paris the Seven Islands became an
independent state with the name “United states of the
Seven Islands” under the protection of Great Britain.
In 1864 the Seven Islands are re-united with Mother Greece and
from then on they have a common historical route.
This was, in a few lines, the long and hard history of Lefkada.
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