Pythagoreio town

Fast facts

Population 2021: 1.538 inhabitants
Older Censuses 2011: 1.630, 2001: 1.642, 1991: 1.405, 1981: 1.406, 1928: 2.501, 1869: 127 inhabitants
Population density per Km²  290 inhabitants
Town altitude  10 m
Town land area  0,25 km²
Region averege altitude 14 m, lowland
Region land area 5,3 km²
Parish churches 1 Orthodox, Metamorfosis Sotiros (basilica with dome, founded on 20/2/1831 and completed on 25/06/1853)
Economy relies mainly in tourism, less in fishing & agriculture

Description

Pythagoreio or Pythagoreion or Pythagorion (Greek: Πυθαγόρειο) is a small town, ex-southeast municipality on the island of Samos (till 2011), current municipality section of Samos municipality.  It’s located at the south of the island, at the seaside.

The distances are: from Samos town 13 km, from Karlovasi town 36 Km and from Marathokampos village 33 Km.

Administratively consists the municipal community of Pythagoreion which belongs to Pythagoreion municipal unit, of East Samos Municipality, with Samos city capital.

Is the most developed tourist area of Samos island with excellent infrastructure and can accommodate more than 5,500 people. The port of the village, claims a leading position in arrivals of yachts in the Aegean, since during the summer season more than 2.000 boats arrive to its port, where they’re being serviced with electricity, water, communication, refueling, equipment and more. Next to it there is also a modern marina.

Is built on the ruins of the ancient city of Samos, capital of the island and one of the most famous Greek cities of antiquity. It is built on lower part of the old city which was amphitheatrically built, around the harbor.

The old city (Astypalea), has two innovative originalities in the world, the first constructed harbor and the first tunnel (of Efpalinus), both build at the second half of the 6th b.c., the period of tyrant Polycrates rule. As reported by Herodotus (Greek historian), the harbor (“soil at the sea” as he named it) is the most magnificent structure, after the Tunnel of Efpalinus. 

Pythagoreio has a lot of archaeological sites (as well as an extraordinary museum), in the city or around, which has been designated a joint UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The town preserves also, elements of the local traditional architecture and since 2002, has been characterized by the Greek goverment, as settlement of special natural beauty (4754 / 30-4-2002), with many restrictions on the houses construction and repair.

History

Τhe old city of Samos (Astypalea, now Pythagoreio) was founded during the 5th b.c. century by persecuted Ionians, who led to be one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient Greece.

The golden age of the city was the period of tyrant Polycrates rule (538 till 522 b.c). During this period the ancient Samos was one of strongest economic, cultural and naval power with the fast and powerful warships “Samaina”. That period was characterised by the building of the Temple of Hera, the ancient harbor, the Tunnel of Efpalinus, the library, the Polycrates palaces, the walls of the city, the theater and many more which indicate the size of the city’s economic power. The construction of the harbor, was intended to make the city a hub for transit ships which went or came from Ephesus (center of Ionia). This contributed a lot to the economic development of the city, strengthened it and made it known throughout the ancient world. This city is the birthplace of Pythagoras, astronomer Aristarchos, philosopher Epicurus, fabulist Aesop, historian Herodotus (was not born in Samos but lived there after hes exiled from his home city), mathematician Conon , architect  Rhoecus (helped design and build the temple of Hera at Samos), sculptor Pythagoras and other great people that contributed to the evolution of humanity.

With the passage of time and the presence of various conquerors, the decline of the city began, with the end to take shape in the midle of the 15th century, because of the pirate attacks, who ravaged the city along with the entire island.

At the end of the 16th to the middle of the 19th c. (During Ottoman occupation), only a small Turkish guard existed at the area, which aimed to control the ships approaching the bay and to inform the Ottoman administration at the village of Chora.

The city began to inhabited again from during 1850, by settlers from the neighboring village of Chora. At the continue, the ruler Miltiadis Aristarchus, during his reign (1859-1866), tried to make Pythagorean the capital of the island, but failed, since in 1854 already the capital was transferred from Chora village to the city of Samos.

As E. Kritikidis mentions, in his book “topography of Samos”, at 1869 in Pythagorion there was, the tower of L. Logothetis (first built at 10th c. ad), the church of Metamorfosi tou Sotiros (built 1831) the chapel of Agios Nikolaos (built before 1666) and 33 houses with some warehouses which built after 1850, using building materials, from the ruins of the ancient city (Astypalea).

During the reconstruction of the city, the new settlers found many archeological finds which most of them gave it to the Archaeological Museum that operated at that time at Chora village, others used them to decorate their houses and a few sold them to foreigners or to the Greek smuggler Efstathio Potamiano Kefallina.

According to the census data of E. Kritikidis, during the second decade of reconstruction (~1870), lived in Pythagorion 127 permanent residents , of which 58 were women and 69 men.

Name

During more recent times, the new village was called “Tigani” (=frying pan) because of the circular shape of harbor, as writer Ep.Stamatiades mentions. The writer Nik.Dimitriou gives another explanation, that it might come from the French word “doine” that means customs office, or that it might even comes from the surname “Tiganos” which existed in Pythagoreio.
It’s current name, Pythagoreio, was given to the village in 1955 by the “International Organization of Pythagoreans” in honour of the great philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras who was born here.

Settlements

Pythagoreio has three settlements,
>> Karbovolos 2 Km north-west with 29 residents,
>> Nea Poli 2 Km north-east, with 76
>> and Pounta 2 Km north-west with 121 residents.

Tips

• Walk to the pier of the harbor, overlooking the luxury yachts and wander at the picturesque streets of the town.
• Visit the archaeological museum,
  
• Visit the Roman baths,
• Visit the great Tunnel of Efpalinus or double-entry tunnel 1026 meters long
  
• Visit the monastery of Holly Marry (spiliani), between Pythagoreio and the tunnel of Efpalinus
• The Ancient theatre
• Visit the castle and museum of Lykourgos, in the town, first built at 10th c. ad
  
• Visit the church of Metamorfosi tou Sotiros in the town, built in 1831
• Visit fortification walls, above the town
• Visit the statue of Pythagoras at the east jetty of the harbor
• Μake a daily cruise to the surrounding coastal areas, with one of the traditional boats that you will find at the port

Video

“Pythagoreio town” impressive aeial video of the town.