Serifos Geographical & Historical Outline
Serifos is a small Cycladic island between Kythnos and Sifnos.
It has a rocky terrain with a few, tiny valleys where fruit trees, citrus trees, vegetables and vineyards are cultivated.
The island’s subsoil is rich in iron ores, which are known to have been exploited from the ancient times.
Serifos has an area of 73 sq. km. and its highest peak is Troulos (583 meters).
Serifos Geographical & Historical Outline
HISTORY
In mythology, Perseus is linked with this barren, rocky island.
The hero is said to have been raised on Serifos and set out from here to kill the terrible Medusa.
The earliest inhabitants of Serifos were Thessalians.
In historical times, it was occupied by Ionian colonists and prospered greatly, thanks to its mineral sources of silver, copper and iron, which were worked until early modern times.
During the Persian Wars the island took part initially by being behind the Persians.
It joins the 1st Athenian Alliance accepting at the same time the leading presence of Athens.
In 377 BC if becomes a member of the 2nd Athenean Alliance.
Serifos occupied by the Macedons and later by the Ptolemeans of Egypt in 363 BC
In 1204 a new period of acme began for the island with the arrival of the Franks.
During this period Serifos has known a great cultural and economic development.
In 1207 Serifos became member of the Ducat of the Aegean under Marco Sanudo and half of it seized to the rule of the Gizi family.
During the Turkish domination the island was subject to the Sultan until its accession to the Ottoman state in 1566.
Later in 1770, in the framework of the Russian – Ottoman War, Serifos was occupied by tsarist Russia and then it was reoccupied by the Ottomans.
During the Greek Revolution of 1821, many inhabitants took part in the battles against the Turks.
