Page 9 - Zakynthos Tourist Guide 2025

HISTORY OF ZAKYNTHOS

MYTHOLOGY The Arcades also founded, along the

Artemis, goddess of hunting, used Spanish coast, the colony of Zakanta
which prospered for more than one
to wander around the green woods of thousand years till 218 B. C. when de-
Zakynthos whereas her brother Apollo stroyed by Hannibal.
used to play the lira under bay trees to
chant the beauty of the island. The cult Later on Zakynthos passed under the do-
and devotion, in archaic era, to Artemis main of Arkisios, king of Kefalonia, and
and Apollo resulted in the organisation was under the power of Odysseus, king
of entertainments and competitions of Ithaca. Together with the other lands
among the islanders. ruled by Odysseus, Zakynthos took place
News about the island founder are from to the war of Troy with twelve war ves-
sels, war quoted by Homer in the Iliad.
Homer and concern Zakynthos, son of After the war of Troy with Odysseus come
Dardanus, King of Troy, who leaving with back to Ithaca, there was the legendary
his fleet from the city of Psofida, reached slaughter of Penelope’s suitors among
the island and founded his Acropolis. whom there were twenty young people

Zakynthos, as island founder, is repre- from Zakynthos. This mythological event,
told by Homer in the Odyssey, seems to
sented in various coins and symbol of the refer to a rebellion in the Ionian Islands
entire island. In this symbol Zakynthos is that put an end to Odysseus power and
holding a snake since, according to some to the issue of a particular treaty in which
legends, he freed the island from snakes. for the first time was approved the right
There is also another theory according to a democratic government.
to which the Arcades, in the first millen-
nium before Christ, reached the island
with the intention of founding new col- TOURIST GUIDE 2024
onies and to confirm those origins there
is the prove of the inhabitants’ talent for
music and the cult of the goddess Artemis
typical of Arcadia.
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