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 Location |
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Kythnos, also known as Thermia, is located between Kea and Serifos in the Cyclades group of islands. It has an area of 99 km².
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 Population |
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Kythnos has 1,500 inhabitants.
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 History |
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The legends say that the Dryopes, who came from Eboea, settled on Kythnos in the 12th or 11th century BC. In Classical times the island was an independent city-state t was so well organized that Aristotele described it in his book "Concerning the State of Kythnos".
During the Persian Wars the inhabitants of Kythnos were neutral at first, but ran to the aid of the Greek forces in the sea-battle off Cape Artemision in Eboea. And they took the same side again during the Peloponnesian War.
In Roman times piracy grew and was the scourge of the islanders.
Excavations have revealed a site dating back to the Early Neolithic or even the Mesolithic period, making it the oldest habitation yet found in the Cyclades.
At a later date the Ionians arrived on the island and founded the ancient city of Kythnos. The island was represented at the battle of Salamis by two ships; and for their contribution the Kythians were mentioned on the base of the golden tripod at Delphi.
The first inhabitants of Kythnos were the Kares, who after a while gave up the island to the Cretans. The island then passed to people from Evia, the Drνopes, who under the command of Kythnos gave his name to the island. They were more interested in going to the fertile valleys of Cyprus and thus left and the island passed to the Ionians. In the North part of the island, there are the ruins of castles from that era.
In more recent times (about 200 BC), the island was attacked many times by the Romans who never succeeded in taking it. The capital then had more than 12000 people all congregated in the northwest part. When, in the time of Diocletian, the Roman Empire was divided, Kythnos became part of the province of Achaea and later under Byzantium, was included in the "theme" of the Aegean.
The "Francs" arrived in 1207, under Marco Sanudi and Venetian power was to last until 1617, when the Turks drove out Angelo Gazadino, last feudal overload and brought the island into the Ottoman Empire.
Later the capital was moved to what is known as Kefalokastro today. It was rebuilt around the time of Christ and destroyed by marauding people only to be rebuilt and be destroyed again by Pirates in the 13th century.
Kythnos paid its taxes direct to the Sultan and enjoyed religious freedom under the Turks, but it was still beset by pirates and frequently suffered from catastrophic epidemics. An attack of the plague in 1823 carried off most of the inhabitants.
In the period shortly before the War of Independence, Kythnos flourished intellectually. This was mainly the result of the foundation of an institution of higher education at the monastery of Panagia Nikous, near Hora. The cave of Katafiki, which lies near the village, is one of the largest, unexplored caves in Greece, used as a shelter by the locals during the Second World War. It is here that the locals meet to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Easter time.
Dryopithia, was the ancient capital of the island located south of Hora. Today's village is traditional and has some windmills (used in the past for grinding flour). Nearby there is also the location of Katafiki, a famous cave that was destroyed by the mining of iron ore, some of the original shafts can still be seen.
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 Religion |
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This topic is not island-specific. It applies to the nation of Greece.
Orthodox Christianity is the recognized dominant religion of Greece and it is legally protected by the state. This has caused legal discrimination against non-Orthodox Churches, and although the constitution of 1975 removed the power of most of the old laws against Protestants, problems still exist today. There is a lot of fear towards anything outside of the Orthodox Church, especially on the islands. However, repeated rulings of the European Court of Justice in favour of religious minorities in cases of discrimination have led to a relative increase of the freedoms that these religious minorities now enjoy.
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 Saints |
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Most of the saints are honored on this island and the Orthodox Church is highly respected. The patron saint of Kythnos is ‘Our Lady Kanala.
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 Prayer |
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- That the outreach will enable the gospel of salvation to be shared
-That the people on the island will realize their need for God and their eyes will be opened to the truth and love of God through reading the Bible for themselves.
-That God will work in the lives of all the God-fearing religious people already living on this island, and bring healing & refreshment to their lives.
- For more Christian workers.
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 Miscellaneous |
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The monastery of Our Lady Kanala, the patron saint of the island, stands facing towards Serifos, with a beautiful expanse of sandy beach.
Loutra, renowned for its radioactive thermal springs, which are considered beneficial to sufferers from arthritis, dermatitis, and gynecological problems.
A typical Cycladic village, noted for its beautiful churches with their fine wood-carving, sanctuary screens and icons
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 Celebrations |
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The celebrations on the islands usually revolve around the Saints, and there is a big celebration at Easter in the Orthodox Church.
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 Resources |
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www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
http://www.dilos.com/region/cyclad/kythnos.html
http://www.ellada.com/cyclad07.html
http://www.vacation-cyclades.com/kythnos/kythnos-island.htm
http://www.almiyachts.com/Towns/cyclades/kythnos/kythnos.html
http://www.thegreektravel.com/kythnos/
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