GEOGRAPHY

Southwest of Samothrace lies Lemnos, one of the loveliest isles of the Aegean. 476 sq. km. in area, 259 km. of coastline, 15,721 inhabitants. There are car and passenger ferries from Piraeus, Kavala, Kymi Euboia, Aghios Konstantinos, as well as a link with Lesbos and, via the route Kavala - Piraeus, with the islands of the east Aegean, the Dodecanese, Cyclades and Crete.

A regular local service operates between Lemnos and Aghios Efstratios. There is a daily flight from Athens, Thessaloniki and Mytilene. Lemnos has a gentle landscape, wide tracts of flat land (highest point Skopia, 470 m. a.s.l.), clear sea and beautiful beaches. Even though hoards of tourists descend on it, it has lost none of its distinctive charm.

HISTORY

According to Homer the island was first settled by Sindians of Thracian provenance. Hephaistos was worshipped here. Indeed, the island's largest city was called Hephaisteia. In antiquity the island was known as Aithalia and played an important role at all times due to its strategic position (24 miles from the Dardanelle straits).

Excavations conducted by the Italian Archaeological School have shown that Lemnos has been inhabited since Neolithic times. During the Bronze Age a splendid civilisation developed here (Poliochni), closely affined to that of Troy, finds from which are exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens and in the local museum at Myrina.

In the 5th century BC Lemnos was laid waste by the Athenian general Miltiades, then subjugated by the Persians. In 478 BC it joined the Athenian League. Its land was apportioned among Athenian lot-holders who dedicated the famous bronze statue of Athena Lemnia, work of Pheidias, on the Acropolis. Lemnos remained dependent on Athens throughout antiquity except for brief intervals when it belonged to the Macedonians (307-202 BC) and the Romans (202-166 BC).

SIGHTS-MONUMENTS

Myrina (Kastro), the island's main town and harbour, is a mixture of old and new buildings. It has retained its ancient name, taken from one of the Amazons. Very little has remained of its ancient city, one of the largest on the island: traces of the fortification wall, houses and streets are nowadays discernible. A large number of clay figurines have been recovered in excavations and from their inscriptions it is deduced that a sanctuary of Artemis existed here.

From Myrina one can visit other villages on the island both inland and coastal. At Kornos (7.5 km. northeast of Myrina) there are churches of the Dormition of the Virgin and St. Andrew.ln the region of Kotsinas (3 km. northeast) are ruins of a Venetian castle and, just beyond, are the ancient sites of Hephaisteia and Kabeirio. Hephaisteia (nowadays Palaiopoli), inhabited since prehistoric times, was one of the island's most important cities in the 5th century BC, when it was captured by Miltiades and subsequently made a member of the Athenian League.

Excavations have brought to light houses, a sanctuary (destroyed in the 6th century BC), an extensive cemetery (8th -6th century BC) and a theatre of the Roman period. The rich finds (figurines, weapons, pottery) bear witness to the city's floruit and its contacts with Attica, Corinth and Macedonia. Athena was worshipped in this region and there was a sanctuary in her honour at Kome, to the north of Hephaisteia. At Chloi, 3km. north of Hephaisteia, is the sanctuary of the Cabeiroi, discovered in 1937.

This sanctuary is older than that on Samothrace and a large stoa, Telesterion and countless inscriptions, furnishing a wealth of information concerning the sanctuary and important cities on the island, have been revealed. Near the village of Kaminia (35 km. east of Myrina), in the bay of Vroskopos, the prehistoric city of Poliochni has been uncovered, which achieved its acme between 2700 -2200 BC and continued to be occupied until around 1600 BC. Finds from here (mainly pottery and jewellery) comprise not only evidence of the cultural apogee but also of the close links maintained with Troy. Four successive well-stratified phases of occupation have been revealed, including foundations of large houses, walls and public buildings, the most splendid examples of which date to the fourth phase.

The island's picturesque villages, Moudros, Kontopouli, Livadochori, can be visited by car, as can the lovely beaches in the vicinity of Myrina and at Platys, Thanos, Skandali, Kaminia, all of which are accessible by caique and are ideal for fishing and swimming. For those with a boat there are any number of delightful little bays awaiting discovery. Refuelling stations at Myrina and Moudros. The only hotels of Lemnos are at Myrina but there are rooms and apartments for rent both there and elsewhere (Kontias, Moudros).

Aghios Efstratios

This tiny, islolated island between Lesbos, Skyros and Lemnos, to which it belongs administratively, is 43 sq. km. in area, has 30 km. of coastline, a population of 296 and is only 16 nautical miles from Lemnos. Well-known as a place of exile, Aghios Efstratios has, apart from its harbour, just one village on its northeast side and several lovely, clean beaches. There is a boat connection either from Aghios Konstantinos and Kymi (once a week), or from Kavala (three times a week). Twice a week there is a link with Lemnos and Alexandroupo-lis, Samothrace, Mytilene (once a week). Its picturesque bays, chapels and caves, the few ancient ruins and tomb of St. Efstratios (9th century) are the only places of interest.