The origin of names of the Greek islands

Each Greek, worker (lucky) or not, is waiting anxiously when the office will be miles away, and the sand will tickle him playfully in the face!

Greek summer includes Greek island in the Ionian and Aegean, countless cocktails on the beach and rest! No we do not forget; it also includes history, since the proper tourist should also explore the monuments of each island!

Probably you have no idea about the origin of the names of the islands. Therefore, in order you to have an overall view of the island that you visit you should definitely know the origin of the name of the island!

We all know that many cities and islands are named from known personalities of ancient times, such as kings, princes, sages and prominent persons.

Skyros

The island got its name from the wild rocky territory. "Skyros" means "stone debris."

Anafi

Anafi maintained unchanged its name from the ancient times and even from ancient mythology. According to her, the Argonauts, while returning to their homeland of Colchis, fell in a storm and drifted in the open sea when began to beg the god Apollo to save them. Apollo responding to their appeals shed light in the form of lightning. Then in front of them emerged an island from the sea, which the Argonauts managed to reach. There the Argonauts erected an altar in honor of Apollo "Aigliti" (ie that which shines, Aigli) and named the island Anafi (from the verb "anafaino", ie emerge).

Mykonos

The name Mykonos, known from ancient coins and inscriptions, was attributed by tradition to the hero Mykonos, descendant of the legendary king of Delos, Anius, son of Apollo and the nymph Roious, daughter of Dionysus.

Ikaria

There are various theories about the origin of the name of the island. One of these refers to the Phoenician root "-kar" and the people of Kares in Asia Minor. According to Greek mythology, however, the island called Ikaria from legendary myth of Icarus, who died there and gave his name to the Icarian Sea.

Alonissos
The name Alonissos was given in the years of king Otto, 1838, at the suggestion of then Interior Ministry to replace the previous name Helliodromia, since the island was stated by that name in the Administrative divisions of Greece of 1828. A later research showed that this assumption was wrong, since in antiquity Alonissos was another island (unknown which one). Despite that, the name remains unchanged for the island, which in ancient times was called "Ikos".

Rhodes
From ancient times has prevailed a correlation of the name of the island with that of the flower's (rose), which was sacred for the Sun god. This is why the coins of Rhodes had on the one side the head of the Sun and on the other a Rodon (rose).