Samos, City

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Samos is a very Ancient and Famous City, and was at first very Potent, being of the same name with the Island, and seated on a very high Mountain. The first Inhabitants were Carians, differing from the latter in Language and in Manners, who were brought in as a Colony by Androclus a Son of Codrus the last King of Athens, Ann. M. 2979. (Vellejus saith by Anaceus a Citizen of Samos in Cephalonia.) This Colony however built the City of Samos, where it had the conveniency of a large and safe Port, and it presently grew in the Number of People and Houses to be very considerable, for it was from the first Rise a Free and Independent State. Herodot. Lib. 3. After this Polycrates one of the Citizens usurped the Government about the time that Cyrus reigned in Asia and Pisistratus at Athens: He had the Honour to be the Friend of Amasis King of Egypt; and of Cambysis King of Persia, to whom he sent a Fleet of such of his Subjects as he most suspected, with a Request that they might never be permitted to return. They having attempted various ways to make their Escape home without Success, at last applied themselves to the Lacedemonians for their Assistance. They made a War upon the Samians to that end but it had no Effect. Polycrates in the mean time was circumvented by Orvetes a Persian and slain. Meandrius his Steward succeeded him, who by the means of Otan a Persian at the Command of Darius was deposed, and Syleson the Brother of Polycrates was set up: He dying, Aeaces his Son succeeded, and was driven out by Aristagoras the Milesian, who was then Arming all the Ionian Cities against the Persians. Thus Samos became Free once more, and joyned with those Cities in that War. Aristagoras being dead, and Dionysius of Phocea having the Management of the War, the Samian Commanders, by the Advice of Aeaces their deposed Prince, deserted the rest of the Allies in a Sea-fight they had with the Pho•nicians, who were drawn into this War by Darius; all the rest followed their Example and fled with them, except the Chiots, who with six Gallies maintained a desperate Fight, till having lost most of them they were forced to yield. Miletus being thereupon taken, was miserably harassed and burnt. The Samians fearing the like Usage, and Aeaces more than the Persians, and taking up the Fugitives of Miletus, they fled to Zancta in Sicily, and there built Messina. Chius, Le•bus and Tenedus were taken the next Year by the Persians and Phoenicians, and very much depopulated. So Ionia in Asia was made subject to the Persian Empire, till Xerxes was beaten out of Greece, and Mardonius and all his Forces were cut off or driven into Asia. This Defeat of the Ionian Fleet happened in the first Year of the LXXI Olympiad, Ann. M. 3454, and the Ionian Cities continued in this Servitude about seventeen Years; 37 Years after this Deliverance (viz.) Ann. M. 3508, there arose a Contention between the Cities of Samos and Miletus, concerning Priene a City on the River Meander; the Miletians being worsted, called the Athenians to their Assistance; they two prevailed so far against the Samians, that the Athenians changed the Samian Government from an Aristocracy to a Democracy, and sent eighty of the best of the Inhabitants of Samos Prisoners to the Island of Lemnos, to be kept there as Hostages for the rest, and having also placed a Garrison to awe them, they returned home. The greatest of the Citizens however escaped, and obtaining a good Force of Pissuthna the Persian President of Sardis, they regained the City of Samos, and put the Athenian Garrison into the hands of the Persian, and fetch'd away the Hostages that were sent to Lemnos, and then began to War again with the Milesians. The Athenians in the mean time made a second Expedition against the City of Samos, and having besieged the City nine Months under the Command of Pericles, they at last took it, pull'd down the Walls, took new Hostages, and setled there another Garrison. This happened nine Years before the Peloponnesian War, about the beginning of the LXXXV Olympiad, A. M. 3510. The Samians were after this 29 Years the Allies of the Athenians, but in the twentieth Year of that War, after the Athenians were beaten in Sicily, the more considerable Inhabitants of Samos, being weary of the Democracy which the Athenians had setled amongst them, resolved to change it. The People getting some Intimation of this Design, with the Assistance of the Athenian Garrison, and the help of three Gallies that were then in the Haven, they slew two hundred of the Conspirators and banished three hundred. Upon this the Athenians setled the Samians in perfect Liberty by a publick Decree of the Senate. The War being after this managed for the most part at Sea, and on the Coast of Asia between the Athenians and Lacedemonians, Samos was the Harbour to which the Athenians resorted at all times for their Security. But at last the Athenians Affairs at home became very much disordered by the abrogating the Democracy, and setting up an Oligarchy which they could not bear, whereupon many of them fled to Samos, which was by this means made a second Athens, as well in People as Government. After Athens was wholly mastered, Lysander came before Samos with a Fleet, and had it delivered up without any resistance, A. M. 3547. The Citizens had leave to go away with their Cloaths, the rest was all taken from them, and the City was put, together with the Government, into the hands of the Banish'd Simians, who setled a Council of ten for the Management of it But about ten Years after Conon having obtained a Naval Victory over the Lacedemonian Fleet near Gnidus, and the Dominion of the Seas being thus regained by the Athenians, Samos became an Ally of that State again: Four Years after she returned into the League of the Lacedemonians and Rhodians, always joyning with the stronger side. Tyranes a Persian Prefect took the City, and it was delivered by Timotheus the Son of Conon who came thither with a Fleet. After this time this Cty is not mentioned in History, and it is probable she was in a mean Condition when she fell into the hands of the Romans. Augustus Cesar permitted her to be governed by her own Laws; and Strabo saith, in his time the Inhabitants of this Island were so Numerous, that they were forced to send Colonies into Icaria, which was then ill peopled. Janson. de Antiq. Geog. p. 140.