History 

They’re many myths to justify why the island was named Chios, one equally plausible than the other. One myth says that the King of Crete, Minos, banished the Karians from the Aegean Islands and settled his grandson Oinopeonas, on the island of Chios. He taught the islanders the cultivation of the vine and thus Chian wines become famous ever since. The story goes that Oinopeonas’s daughter Chiona gave her name to the island.

Another myth says that Chios has probably taken its name either from the nymph Chiona or because it was snowing (snow = chioni) when Chios, the son of Poseidon, the god of the oceans, was born.

Another myth still says that Chios means mastic in the Syrian language. Since Chios is the only place where the Mastic tree grows and produces masticha, this version may hold some truth in it.

Chios is known to have been settled at least by the Early Bronze Age but it entered the mainstream of the Aegean history when the Ionians settled at Chios from about 1100 BC. The Ionians - said to be from mainland Greece - colonized a series of islands and cities along the shores of Asia Minor and soon were taking the lead in advancing Greek culture.

Although Chios formed a loose confederation with the other Ionian city-states and islands, they were conquered by the Persians in the second half of the 6th century BC.  After the Greek-Persian Wars, Chios joined the Athenian League, but soon grew restive under the Athenian ambitions. Athens punished the rebellious Chians in 412 BC, thus Chios moved back into alliance with Athens until regaining independence in 354 BC.

Later the Macedonian Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great and then the Romans would exert power over virtually all of the Mediterranean, including Chios.

With the advent of Christianity Chios was part of the  Byzantine Empire. Remains of the glorious Byzantine period are found in the numerous medieval castles, fortresses and watch towers (called vigles in the local speak) scattered all over the island.

One of the most impressive Byzantine monasteries in Greece is Nea Moni, located in the pine-covered mountains west of Chios Town. It was built in the 11^th century by order of the Emperor Constantine Momomachos, who send leading architects and the finest materials for its construction from Constantinople. The incredible gold mosaics in the church are considered to be one of the three most important examples of Byzantine religious art in Greece. The effect of the sunlight or candlelight reflecting off the glistening surfaces of the mosaics, create an indescribable atmosphere. In the 8th century Saracens repeatedly abused the island.