Psara

Geography

Psara lies 81 km northwest of Chios, 22 km from the northwestern point of the island of Chios and 150 km east-northeast of Athens. The length and width of the island are about 7 by and the area is 43 km2. The highest point on the island is "Profitis Ilias" (512 m). The municipality has total area of 44.511 km2.

Flag

The modern flag of Psara is based largely on the island's famous revolutionary flag created by Psariot locals in 1824. The original flag, carried during the War of Independence by Psariot ships, was made of white cloth bordered with red. It bore the symbols of Filiki Eteria in red (a large cross atop a crescent, a spear, and an anchor). A snake was wrapped around the anchor, often depicted with a bird flying near its mouth. On either side of the Filiki Eteria symbols, in red capital letters, were the words ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ Η ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ (FREEDOM OR DEATH) and in some cases, the island's name, spelled ΨΑ–ΡΑ or ΨΑΡ–ΡΑ. An original 1824 flag of Psara is preserved at the National Historical Museum of Greece.

The flag of Psara currently in use has a very similar design but omits the island's name and bears a star below the crescent.

History

Psara has been inhabited since the Mycenaean period, its inhabitants relying on the sea to make a living as the island is treeless and rocky with little shrubbery.

Homer, Strabo, Cratinus, Suda and Stephanus of Byzantium referred to the island as Psyra () and Psyrian ().

The islanders' sole source of livelihood has always been fishing, mainly for the locally abundant slipper lobsters, and shipping, with some tourist development in recent years.

The Greek ancient proverb Psyra celebrating Dionysos () originated from the fact that Psyra was a poor and small island which could not produce its own wine, and was used in reference to people who were reclining at a symposium but not drinking. Another ancient Greek proverb, You regard Sparta as Psyra (), also expressed the poverty of the island.

During the Middle Ages Psara had a very small population, which abandoned the island for Chios after the Fall of Constantinople. Between the 14th and second half of the 15th century, a small group of Albanians settled on the island and developed an Arvanite community, but it was quickly assimilated into the local Greek population. In the 16th century, under the Ottoman rule, the Psariots who had previously left, returned to their homeland along with other settlers and established a settlement around the Palaiokastro fort which they repaired. They turned to trade, amassing great profits. By the beginning of the 19th century the Psariots had the third largest trade fleet in Greece after Hydra and Spetses, numbering some 45 ships.

Destruction

Main article: Destruction of Psara

Psara joined the Greek War of Independence on April 10, 1821. Future Prime Minister Konstantinos Kanaris, Dimitrios Papanikolis, Andreas Pipinos and Nikolis Apostolis distinguished themselves as naval leaders, using fire ships to combat the more powerful Ottoman Navy. Psara's native population of people was further augmented by refugees from Thessaly, Macedonia, Chios, Moschonisia and Kydonies.

On July 3 (June 21 O.S.), 1824, the island was invaded by the Turks. The resistance of the Psariots ended the next day with a last stand at the town's old fort of Palaiokastro (alternative name Mavri Rachi, literally "black ridge"). Hundreds of soldiers and also women and children had taken refuge there when an Ottoman force of stormed the fort. The refugees first threw a white flag with the words "Ἐλευθερία ἤ Θάνατος" ("Eleftheria i Thanatos", "Freedom or Death"). Then, the moment the Turks entered the fort, the local Antonios Vratsanos lit a fuse to the gunpowder stock, in an explosion that killed the town's inhabitants along with their enemies — thus remaining faithful to their flag to their death. A French officer who heard and saw the explosion compared it to a volcanic eruption of Vesuvius.

A part of the population managed to flee the island, but those who did not were either sold into slavery or killed. As a result of the invasion, thousands of Greeks met a tragic fate. The island was deserted and surviving islanders were scattered through what is now Southern Greece. Theophilos Kairis, a priest and scholar, took on many of the orphaned children and developed the famous school the Orphanotropheio of Theophilos Kairis. Psara remained in the hands of the Ottomans until it was recaptured by the Greek navy on 21 October 1912 during the First Balkan War.

Historical population

A native of Psara is known in English as a Psariot or a Psarian.

Notable people

Notable natives and inhabitants of the island include:

• Ioannis Varvakis (1745–1825), admiral, caviar merchant and benefactor.
• Nikolis Apostolis (1770–1827), admiral.
• Dimitrios Papanikolis (1790–1855), admiral.
• Konstantinos Kanaris (1793/1795–1877), admiral and politician, Prime Minister of Greece.
• Garafilia Mohalbi (1817–1830), Greek-American refugee and former slave.
• George Sirian (1818–1891), United States Navy officer.

References

References

1. "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities". [[Government Gazette (Greece).
2. "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)". National Statistical Service of Greece.
3. "Η Ελληνική Σημάια", (''The Greek flag'') - [[Hellenic Army General Staff]]'', Page 11, Image 14:[http://www.geetha.mil.gr/media/21noe/shmaia.pdf] {{Webarchive. link. (2016-03-27'')
4. link
5. (2005). "Nations and States in Southeast Europe". Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in South-Eastern Europe.
6. Sache, Ivan. (2015-08-10). "Psara (Municipality, Greece)".
7. [https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/Οδύσσεια/γ#v140 Homer, Odyssey, §3.148]
8. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-grc1:14.1.35 Strabo, Geography, §14.1.35]
9. [http://www.stoa.org/sol-entries/psi/155 Suda Encyclopedia, §psi.155]
10. [https://topostext.org/work/241#Ps703.2 Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, §Ps703.2]
11. Agelarakis A., "Report on the Main Burial of the Mycenaean Human Skeletal Remains excavated from Archontiki Site, Psara, Greece", OSSA 13 (1986-87): 3-11.
12. 5.36
13. Evangelidis, Tryfon. (1935). "Ιστορία του εποικισμού της Ύδρας". Τύποις Ε. Ι. Χατζηϊωάννου.
14. Jochalas, Titos P. (1971): Über die Einwanderung der Albaner in Griechenland: Eine zusammenfassene Betrachtung ["On the immigration of Albanians to Greece: A summary"]. München: Trofenik. pg. 89–106: "Albanians also settled on the islands of Psara, Kynthos, Kea, Samos, Aegina and Skopelos, but were soon assimilated by the local Greeks."
15. (1991). "Laographia: A Newsletter of the International Greek Folklore Society: Volumes 8-10". International Greek Folklore Society.
16. Vakalopoulos, Apostolos. (1974). "Ιστορία του νέου ελληνισμού: Τουρκοκρατία 1453–1669". Ηρόδοτος.
17. Gangloff, Sylvie. "La perception de l'héritage ottoman dans les Balkans: The perception of the ottoman legacy in the Balkans." La perception de l'héritage ottoman dans les Balkans (2005): pg 25
18. Xiradaki, Koula. (1995). "Γυναίκες του 21". Dodoni.
19. Xiradaki, Koula. (1995). "Γυναίκες του 21". Dodoni.
20. "''Typos'', Cyprus newspaper".
21. Finlay, George. ''History of the Greek Revolution and the Reign of King Otho'' (edited by H.F. Tozer). Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1877 (Reprint: London 1971), {{ISBN. 978-0-900834-12-7, p. 152.