History - Antiquity

Skopelos participated in all the wars, and was a colony of the Athenians. The political system of the island was Democratic. The island took part, too, in the Greek athletic games. In fact Agnontas, an athlete from Peparethos, had won the running competition in 569 BC, and to honor him today's bay of Agnontas was given his name.

To honor the oracle of Delphi the inhabitants of Peparethos had dedicated a statue of the God Apollon, to celebrate beating the Kares in battle.

Peparithos had important ancient towns too, such as Knosos, Panormos and Selinos. Today a large part of the castle of Panormos is preserved. Knossos' name was changed to Glossa, Selinos' name was changed to Loutraki, where some remains of an ancient castle and an ancient settlement are still visible today.

In Skopelos "armaka" is the name given to the accumulation of many large stones gathered together, a pile of rocks we would say. The whole island is full of such piles; we hope future scientists will uncover their secrets.

In the 13th century BC, King Ilkon of Pellas captured the island. Skopelos remained stagnant for quite some time until the 6th century BC when the export of wine and olive oil began. This brought back prosperity and progress to the island.

Aristotelis refers to the famous wine of Peparethos renowned for its aphrodisiac qualities.

In classical times, people of Peparethos, were allies of the Athenians, but after the battle of Chaironia in 338 BC, the island passed into the hands of the Macedonians until 146 AD when the Romans conquered Greece.

The name Skopelos appears for the first time in the texts of Ptolemaios who wrote in the 2nd century AD. The name is most probably a reference to the many shoals and reefs that protrude around the island.

* · The statue you see is of Aphrodite; it was found in ancient Selinos and was donated to the Greek authorities by Constantinos Dentis.

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