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Lefkada's History


Mythology

According to mythology, the first inhabitants were the Leleges. The island was named after its most southern part, the cape of Lefkata, with its steep white rocks, from where, according to myth, those who could not endure the torture of love fell, one of them being the great poetess Sapfo. In the Middle Bronze Era, the civilization of the island was formed by Televoes, living on the islet of Meganissi. Televoes occupied the Ionian Islands and fought the Mycenaean king. The king's nephew defeated them, conquered the islands and offered them to Kefalos from Attica and Hellius from Argolida. Later, Lefkada was occupied by Kefalines, who participated in the Trojan war, under the command of Ulysses. According to myth, Laertis, Ulysses' father, occupied the town of Niriko and offered the island to Icarius, father of Penelope, after her wedding to Ulysses. In spite of the significant alterations of the island's geography and the inadequacy of historical facts, many archaeologists identify the island with Ulysses' Ithaka, mentioned by Homer. Although there are plenty of legendary facts, the historical information from the works of Homer is very significant, a fact corroborated by archaeological excavations. The German historian and archaeologist Dorpfeld supports this theory and situates the palace of Ulysses on the eastern part of the island, in the current position of Nydri.

Pre-historic -ancient years

According to excavations conducted by Dorpfeld, the first settlements of the island were built during the Neolithic Era (4th millennium BC) and were preserved in the Mycenaean years. When the first immigrants from Corinth came to the island, in the 7th century BC, the only city on the island was Nirikos, situated on the current location of Kaligoni, southeast of the island' s capital. After that, the town of Lefkas was built, while, according to testimonies by Stravonas, in 650 BC, the construction of the canal, which separates Lefkada from the mainland, began. Ever since then people have used a bridge 500 feet long and 125 feet wide to get to either side. The Macedonians conquered the island when the locals supported the Athenians in their battle against the Macedonians, but in 312 BC, Lefkada regained its freedom.

The Roman - Byzantine Era

The Romans intervened for the first time in the history of Lefkada, in the 3rd century BC, to sever the island's -union with their rivals, the cities of Akarnanis, which threaten Roman interests. Later, in 230 BC, Lefkada, supported by the Macedonians, resisted a Roman attack. Although the locals fought bravely, Lefkada was conquered by the Roman army of Titus Guintus Flaminius, in 198 BC, after a difficult battle with severe damage, and it became part of the Roman province of Nikopolis. During the Roman Rule, significant physical constructions took place on the island. At the down of the Byzantine Era, Lefkada was part of the province of Achaia. In 325 BC, the island participated in the Ecumenical Convention of Nice, and, 50 years later, a strong earthquake caused severe damage to Lefkada. Due to the island's significant location, a number of powerful states attacked Lefkada, which was destroyed by the Hans and the Vandals, in the 5th century AD. In the next century, Lefkada was included in the "Scheme of Kefalonia", while in 1103 the Pissates attacked the island and caused severe damage. During the Crusaders, the island was part of the Dominion of Epirus.

The Frank Years

After the victory of the Franks in Constantinople, in 1204, the island of Lefkada came under their command and, in 1294, it was offered by the Bishop Nikiforos A' Agelos to the Sicilian Orsini family, as a dowry for the wedding of his daughter to Giovanni Orsini. During the rule of the Orsini family, the fortress of Agia Mavra was built to protect Lefkada from the pirates. After a series of several dynasties which ruled the island, Lefkada, from the command of the Andevages and the Tocci, came under Turkish rule.

Ottoman Occupation

After several unsuccessful attempts, the Ottoman army, led by Gedouk Ahmet Pasha, finally occupied the island of Lefkada in 1479 AD. The Venetians retook the fortress of Agia Mavra in 1502, only to give it back to the Ottomans through the signing a treaty a year later. Despite the Venetian attacks in 1572 and 1658, the Turkish Occupation lasted until 1684 AD. During this period, the island was constantly attacked by pirates, often because of Turkish indifference or approval, while the locals lived under severe oppression. The most significant piece of construction of the Turkish Occupation was the island's Aqueduct.

Venetian, French, Russian, English Occupation

In 1684, under the command of Morozini, the Venetians occupied the island of Lefkada and liberated the locals from the Turks. The Venetian Occupation lasted until 1797, while in 1715, for a single year, the Turks managed to regain the island and massacre the locals. In the late 17th century, Venice began its decline and Lefkada came under the command of five consecutive rulers in a period of 13 years (1797 - 1810). The island was initially occupied by the French and Napoleon (1797 - 1800), followed by the Russians (1800 - 1807), when Lefkada was included in the "Ionian State". During the Russian Occupation, Ioannis Kapodistrias the Czar's Minister of Foreign Affairs, managed to prevent the concession of Lefkada to the Turk Ali Pasha. On 8 July 1807, the Treaty of Tilsit again placed the Ionian Islands under Napoleon's French command. In 1810, the English, led by General Oswald, occupied the island and included it in the "United States of the Ionian Islands". The English Occupation ended in 1815, while the status of the English Protection lasted until 1864

Greek Revolution and Liberation

The people of Lefkada offered significant help to the Greek Revolution, in spite of the fact that the island remained under English Occupation. In 1864, the Ionian islands, including Lefkada, were united with the rest of Greece. In spite of this fact, the living condition of the people of Lefkada was not improved as a new class, the bourgeoisie, exploited the island's wealth, while the majority of the people lived in poverty. The epidemie of peronspore, in 1900, forced the majority of Lefkada' s inhabitants to migrate.
 

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