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Ios History

Under the Turkish occupation Ios was a haven for pirates and a violent, bawdy place. (It may seem that not much has changed during the high season.) Ios was once famous for its oak forests.

The mother of Homer was from Ios, and many say the great poet himself came to Ios to end his days. His tomb is on the mountain at Plakotos on the slopes of Mt. Pirgos in the north, but earthquakes have reduced it to little more than the rock on which it was built.

At the Paliokastro, marauding pirates managed to bore a hole in the fortress gate. They proceeded to crawl through one at a time, only to be doused with boiling oil by the villagers. This gruesome door is still on display at Ag. Theodotis.