Leros Island History

Historical evidence of Leros through its ancient artifacts, from the neolithic period, showed that there was human life in Pathini dating back to Circa 500 BC.

The first inhabitants were the Carians, and Leleges and the island was later overtaken by the Dorians. Homer the great Greek poet, writes that Leros and Kalymnos were involved in the Trojan wars, and the island developed both intellectually and commercially through its links with the Ionians.

After the Persian wars it is said that Leros became part of the Athenian Alliance. Throughout Leros island history, an important shipping site developed within the area.

During the Byzantine period Leros had links with Samos under Constantine the Great who built many Christian churches in that era including Panayia which means Blessed Virgin which overlooks Platanos the capital of Leros.

Later in the 13th Century Leros was occupied by the Knights of St John of Rhodes, who had political authority until the Turks invaded and took control of the whole of the Aegean archipelago. Some of the people of Leros fought back and had their own autonomy until the Greek revolution and they resisted their persecutors. After the independence of Greece, the Dodecanese were given up to the Turks.

In 1912, Italian rule was adopted and much naval defence development was installed, particularly in Laki where a new port was built, along with many grand Italian architectural buildings of the 1930s.

During WW2 the Greek Sacred Battallion, together with the British Alliance, liberated the island from Italian occupiance. However due to continued German bombardment their army took control. This was followed by the British army occupying until March 1948 when the Dodecanese was given back to Greece.