It is believed that the persons who first taught Christian principles on
the island in 34 AD were Mary Magdalene and Maria Klopa, who passed
through Zakynthos while on their way to Rome.
The name of the village
Maries serves as a proof of this fact. The visit of Mary Magdalene is
still commemorated annually in the village of Maries with a great feast.
During the Byzantine era, Constantine the Great included Zakynthos in
the province of Illyria. During this era, Zakynthos suffered from many
pirate attacks. The island was also repeatedly destroyed by the
crusaders due to its crucial geographic position as a passage from the
East to the West.
The recorded history of Zakynthos dates back to the Paleolithic and
Neolithic Era, bones and fossils from both eras were discovered in the
Bay of Laganas.
According to the poet Homer, the name of Zakynthos was derived from the
first inhabitant of Zante Island - who was named Zakynthos. He was the
son of King Dardanos of Troy, who arrived on the island around 1500-1600
BC
According to other historical sources, the name of Zakynthos island is
derived from the words Za and Cynthos, which means hill. This
corresponds to the mountainous landscape of Zakynthos.
The big earthquake in 1953, together with a seven-day firestorm,
destroyed most of the monuments of cultural development on the island
and the few still remaining give only a slight hint of its glorious
past. In the Museum, you can see the miniature of the town before the
earthquake.
The island of Zakynthos has a long and intriguing history. There are a
few key moments, dating back to Ancient times, where Zante pops up in
the major history books.
Zakynthos was conquered by the king of Keffalonia, Arkisios, and was
subsequently reconquered by Ulysses, son of Laertis who was the King of
Ithaka.
Under the King of Ithaka, whose son Ulysses had conquered the island
of Zante, Zakynthos joined the expedition against Troy. Upon Ulysses'
return to Ithaka a treaty was signed granting autonomy and democratic
governing to the island. The treaty was the first of its kind throughout
the Hellenic area. This era lasted 650 years.
Zakynthos remained neutral during the Persian war until the battle of
Plataies, when they drove the Persians back to Asia, having formed an
alliance with the Lacedaemonians. In 455 BC they allied with the
Athenians and, during the Peloponnesian war, Zakynthos and Corfu faced
the Korinthians. After the defeat of the Athenians in Cicily, Zakynthos
was conquered by the Lacedaemonians, who imposed an oligarchic regime.
Later on, however, the inhabitants rebelled and re-established
democracy.
During the Macedonian War, the island was occupied by the
Macedonians, and afterwards by the Romans. After the first years under
the command of a Roman governor, the island was granted the right to be
governed by its own laws, have its own municipality, parliament,
legislature, and currency with a local symbol. This era contributed to a
great cultural development on Zakynthos.
Zante was occupied by the Venetians in 1084, until
the French occupation at the end of the 12th century. The French
retained control of Zakynthos until 1357 when the De Toki dynasty
settled on the island. They helped to develop the economy of the island
as well as the administrative order.
This was a prosperous period for
Zante, until the Turkish attack, when the island was looted and the
inhabitants were exiled to the Peloponnese.
Five years later in 1485, the Venetians occupied the island again and
offered the inhabitants fields and homes upon their return. Under the
venetians the island developed again and the city was reconstructed in
an impressive architectural style which earned it the name of the
‘Florence of Greece’.
With the French Revolution in 1789, Zakynthians brought the ideals of
social equity and justice to the island. On July 4th 1797 the French
democratic flag was raised above the castle of Zakynthos. Discrimination
was abolished and schools for all children were established.
In October 1798, the Turkish fleet occupied Zakynthos again. On March
21, 1800, a treaty between Turkey and Russia was signed. This contract
established the first independent Greek State of the Seven Islands and
was effective for seven years.
In 1809, the British fleet occupied Zakynthos, and Zakynthos then became
the capital of the Ionian State. At this time, the rest of Greece was
under Turkish occupation. With a base in Zakynthos, the Company of
Friends promoted the rebellion against the Turks.
In 1830, Greece became independent. Then in 1851, a member of Parliament
suggested the union of the Seven Islands with Greece. The British
reacted violently, but the Zakynthians under leadership of Constantine
Lamvardos, carried on the struggle for the union with Greece. Finally,
on May 21 in 1864, the Greek flag was raised on the island.
During World War Two, the Italians and the Germans occupied Zakynthos
until its liberation on September 12th 1944.
