SAMOS, an island in the Archipelago, situated near the omit of Asia Minor, between 37* 35' and 37' 48' N. htt., 26' 36' and 27* 8' E. long., at the distance of about a mile from the promontory of Trogilium, or Cape Santa Maria, which lies betweou the Gulf of Scala Nova and that of Balat. Its early history is mixed with fable. The earliest inhabitants according to ancient tradition were Carlene and Leleges, with whom some Lesbians and louisue were incorporated in the 10th century ac. Very soon after the year n.c. 776, the &miens because remarkable for maritime enterprise and commerce. They traded with Egypt under the protection of Psammetichits, who gave them a settlement there : about B.C. 630, a Semites merchant, Colceus, made a successful voyage to Tartessus (Herod. iv., 152). During this period they founded several colonies, Sainothrace, Anew, Periuthus, Bismuth% Amorgus, and joined the confederacy on the Aeiatio cots tinent, called the Panloolum, consisting of twelve cities.
In the time of Cyrus and Pisiatratus, the government of the island was in the hands of Polycrates, the most remarkable of the tyrants of his day. He extended his sway over the neighbouring states, Lesbos, Miletue, &c., and had a larger navy than any other Grecian prince or state of his time; ho was also strengthened by his alliance with Amalie, king of Egypt. Shortly after the Invasion of Egypt by Cambyses, Polycrates became engaged in a war with Lacedsemon, in which the Spartans were finally repulsed from the inland. His increasing power at length provoked the jealousy of the Persia', monarch Darius, whose Satrap, Orcestes, allured him by treacherous promises to trust himself In his power, and then murdered him. (Herod. Hi, 125; Atheomus, lib. zit, 540, Cos.) After the death of Polycrates, the island fell into the hands of Darius, who appointed Syloson, the brother of Polycrates, as governor. The resistance of the inhabitant. to this measure led Otanes, the Persian general in command, to order a general massacre, and Samoa was delivered up to Sylosoo almost nopeopled. Shortly after the Samians joined the revolt of Ionia. At the battle of Lade, however, they treacherously withdrew from the engagement., to obtain favour with Darius, to
whose empire they were again made subject, but were released from it after the battle of blycale.
The maritime strength of Samos was broken, and their government made democratical by Pericles, n.c. 440. After the battle of ,Laos potaml, the Samians sustained a siege from Lysander, and were corn palled to submit to Spartan principles of government. After this time the Athenians, Istoedannonians, and Persians became successively passesowl of Samoa. After forming part of the Egyptian, Macedonia; and Syrian empires. it was finally made subject to Rome, u.a. 84. Samos was afterwards the residence of Marcus Antoulus and Cleo patra, s.e. 32, and of Augustus, who gave its inhabitants a titular hisslom. It was reduced by Vespaahin to the form of a province.
The Semler's made great pin the arta after their commercial connection with Egypt. In casting in bronze, architecture, painting, and ship-building, they were eminent The coins of Samoa are very numerous and worthy of attention. The earliest autonomous coins bear the head of • lion or of a hull ; • winged wild boar or a Brow of a ship are common reverses. Juno, with her attributes, and Neptune, Vulcan, and Minerva, are deities represented upon the imperial coins; the usual reverse is the archaic figure of Juno, which resembles very much that of Diana on the coins of Ephesus. Pytha goras, who was a native of Samos, is also represented in a sitting attitude on the imperial coins, touching a globe placed on a column with his band. Other types are Meleager attacking the boar, the river Parthenius personified, Nemesia &c.
Samos was taken and plundered by the Arabs in the 8th century, and recovered by the emperor Leo in the 13th. It subsequently fell into the hands of the Venetians, and afterwards of the Genoese; and upon the taking of Constantinople (1453), was ravaged by Mehemet II. Selina granted permission to colonise the island, as the population had been much reduced by frequent piratical invasions. It has con tinued ever since under the dominion of the Turks. In recent times the Simians joined the Greek revolution, but were unable to free themselvees from the Turkish yoke.