According to
Greek mythology, the island was formed when
Poseidon cut off a part of
Kos and threw it onto the giant
Polybotes to stop him from escaping. The ancient name of the Nisyros was
Porphyris.
Iron Age The island is mentioned by
Homer in the
Iliad.
Classical Age Satrapy of Caria Ancient walls, dating from the 5th century BC, part of the
acropolis of the island, are found near Mandraki. It was apparently also a source of
millstones used in some of the earliest
watermills, being referred to by epigrammatist
Antipater of Thessalonica in the 1st century BC.
Roman period In Roman times it became part of the
Insulae province.
Medieval Age In the 10th and 11th centuries, Genoese captains and adventurers who had a private fleet organized in clans united by family ties, exercised sovereignty and maritime control on behalf of the
Byzantines, and these clans in exchange for the protection of the seas were given a concession to exploit raw materials, rights of trade, and collection of customs duties. The
Knights Hospitaller in
1315 were allowed to settle on the island upon payment of rent to the Genoese government ruled by the Vignolo family, and they built the
crusader castle. In the following centuries there were clashes between Turks and Venetian crusaders, and with uncertain outcomes, the island passed to the
Ottomans in 1566, then passed almost four centuries later from the Ottomans to the
Italians in 1911 during the
Italo-Turkish War, along with the rest of the
Dodecanese islands. It finally was annexed to the
Greek Kingdom after the
Second World War, in 1947. == Christianity ==