KYTHERA IN CHRISTIAN TIMES
Kythera, at the meeting point of the Ionian, Aegean and Cretan seas, has a rich historical and cultural past, which was connected rather with the coasts of the Peloponnese and Crete than with the Ionian Islands to which it was attached in the 19th century. The geographical position of the island, at a vital point οn the sea route linking east and west, has played a decisive role in its history from antiquity to modern times.
After the birth of the Byzantine Empire in the early Christian period, Kythera formed part of the prefecture of Eastern Illyricum and belonged administratively to the province of Achaea. The most important settlement of early Christian times has been located in the area of Palaiopolis, and was probably created when the island was settled by colonists from Lakonia. Moreover, two of the most honoured local saints, Elessa (4th c.) and Theodore (10th c.) come from Peloponnese. During the 7th -9th c. the island probably suffered from raids by the Slavs, and mainly by the Arabs, who used it as a base οn account of its isolated position. This led to periods of abandonment and desolation. Ιn the middle Byzantine period (10th -12th c.) Kythera was under the influence first of Sparta and then of Monemvasia, the home city of its governors in the 12th century - Georgios Pachys and the Evdaimonoyannides. The latter probably built the Byzantine city of Ayios Dimitrios, nοw Paliochora, an important medieval settlement, which was destroyed in 1537 by Barbarossa, admiral of the Turkish fleet.
During the 13th century, although the island passed at first into the hands
of the Venetian house Venier, it was essentially οne of the more long-lasting
Byzantine possessions οn the periphery, since it continued to be governed
by men from Monemvasia - the strong families of the Evdaimonoyannides and, towards the end, the Notarades. In 1363 it finally became subject to Venice, and remained under the control of the Serenissima Republica for about five centuries, with a small period of Turkish occupation from 1715 to 1718. The Venetians took care to strengthen the defences οf the island by building strong castles οn the site of earlier ones (castles at Chora and Mylopotamos), and other, smaller strong holds at vital positions οη the coast (small castle at Avlemonas).
~The yoke of the Serenissima Republica was cast off in 1797, under the gaze of the French republicans. This was not the end of foreign domination, however, for the island passed successively into the possession of the Russians and their allies the Turks, then reverting once more to the French. Finally, the English occupied Kythera for about a century before presenting it to the Greek State in 1864, along with the Ιοnian Islands. FOR RELlGIOUS PURPOSES Kythera, like most of the areas in Eastern illyricum, came under the jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome until the 8th century. After this it was assigned to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the sources indicate that it only became an episcopal see in the 11th century, a delay caused by its only having a limited number of inhabitants, and its periodic desolation as a result of raids. Ιη the 13th century, the Diocese of Kythera was attached to the Metropolitan see of Μοnemvasia.
There do not appear to have been any strong conflicts between Catholics and Orthodox during the period of Venetian rule. In the second half of the 14th century Kythera came under the ecclesiastical authority of the Protopapas, an institution also found in other areas that had experienced Venetian rule. In the 16th century, the powers of the Bishop of Kythera seem to have increased: he had the privilege of ordaining Orthodox clergy on Crete, since Venice did not permit Crete to have Orthodox Bishops.
During the remaining centuries of foreign rule, until the island was united with Greece in 1864, the spiritual authority of the Orthodox Church οn Kythera seems to have been unaffected. This was assisted by a series of enlightened and educated prelates who ascended to the throne, outstanding amongst whom were Maximos Margounios, Dionysios Katilianos and Athanasios Valerianοs.
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