Foundations of ancient ruins enroute to Myrina
As per my post yesterday – I spent a week in Lemnos – this beautiful island in Greece. One thing I love about Greece is its history and its myths, godly myths as is often the case. And Lemnos is not without its stories.
What eyes have looked through these windows over the years
According to a Hellenic legend, the women of Lemnos were all deserted by their husbands for Thracian women (seriously?!?!), and in revenge they murdered every man on the island (that they deserved!). From this barbarous act, the expression Lemnian deeds became proverbial among the Hellenes.
Looking to the past through the past
The historical element underlying stories of which this is one, is that the original Thracian people were gradually brought into communication with the Greeks as navigation began to unite the scattered islands of the Aegean; the Thracian inhabitants were technologically primitive in comparison with the Greek mariners. But I guess apparently the Lemnian Greek men saw the Thracian women as more attractive.
Even this tree grows in its own unique way
Poor Lemnos endured occupation by numerous countries one of the longest of which was Turkey – which is only a mile away. However, finally in 1912, it was returned to the Greeks. Then, there was something called the population exchange with Turkey that ensued I think around 1923, but please don’t hold me by my accuracy, more to the elements of what unfolded.
An old lookout post from who knows when - likely used in the wars
In 2001 the island had 12,116 regular dwellings, of which 65% were stone-built, and 90.2% had pitched roofs made of red tiles (source: 18.3.2001 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece).
Ruins of something - house, barn?
The island’s economically active population in 2001 was 6,602. Of them, 12% were employers, 20.5% self-employed, 55.3% wage-earners, 7.1% unpaid, auxiliary family members, and 5.1% did not declare a line of occupation. Of the economically active population, 17.9% worked in agriculture, 5.3% in light manufacturing, 11% in construction, 6.7% in hotels & restaurants, and the rest in other lines of business.
If you look carefully - on that outcrop is the old Venetian Castle
So there is Lemnos in a nutshell. Extremely abbreviated and subjectively highlighted history lesson completed!