| ionion.com | Kefalonia |
History |
| Mythology According to mythology, Kefalonia’s first inhabitants were the Tilevoes or Pafioi and that later on a colony was established by settlers from Attica, the leader of which was Kefalos, from whom the island received its name.
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| During the Myceneaen period, Kefalonia developed into an important
cultural center. Significant archeological findings have struck upon the tombs of Lakithra and Mazarakata, as well as at Kokolata which is believed to be the site of the most ancient of them and which, together with the cemetery of Diakata in Krania, represent the concluding phase of the Myceneaen civilization on the island. Recent archeological probing have brought to light the Myceneaen royal tomb at Tzanata. (It’s thought that this find is related to the tomb of Homer’s Odysseus). |
 "The tomb at Tzanata" |
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Historical Times The first mention of Kefalonia within documented history comes from Herodotus, who reported that in 479 BC some 200 inhabitants of Pali were mustered up to join the common force opposing the Persians at the battle of Plataion. During the Pelopponesian Wars, Kefalonia remained under the influence of Athens. In 189 BC the Romans lay siege to Sami and after razing that city one year later, they became the rulers of the entire island. Following the division of the Roman State , Kefalonia was included in the Byzantine Empire and constituted a part of the region of Greece. In 1185 AD the Norman, Roger II, wrested control of Kefalonia and Ithaca away from the Byzantine. |
| When in 1204 AD the Crusaders and Venetian entered into an alliance
and signed a treaty with the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople, Kefalonia found itself
falling under the authority of Venetian rule. For three entire centuries Kefalonia was in
the hands of the Fraken families-Orsini, Adegani and Toki-up until 1479 AD when the Turks
seized possession. In 1500 AD kefalonia once again passed into the hands of the Venetian, who then held sway over the island for roughly three centuries until 1797. At the time the French took control of Kefalonia and introduced to the island the ideas of French Revolution. Shortly afterwards, however, the island fell under the domination of the Russian-Turkish alliance. From 1809 to 1863 the British governed Kefalonia, during which time the «Seven Islands»-(Ionian Islands) became united with Greece. |
 The Lithostroto street before.. |
 "The Walls of Ancient Krani" |
From 1863 onwards Kefalonia’s fortunes were closely
intertwined with those of the Greek state and the island contributed many prominent
political representatives. To just mention a few of their distinguished number, there were
the likes of Panagi Pana and Roko Hoida, who represented the militant rizospastic
movement, as well as the well-known Marino Antipa who was famous for his tremendous
efforts towards the public good at Kileler. During the course of the Second World War, Kefalonia came under the sway of the Axis powers. In 1943 it became a place of martyrdom for thousands of Italians who were executed en masse by their former allies, the Germans. |
The devastating earthquakes of 1953, which leveled the island, represent a watershed in
the history of Kefalonia and caused its inhabitants, driver by necessity, to make a new
beginning.
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Currency,bearing
the marks of the four city-states