According to an
Ancient Greek legend the island was the gift of gods to Greek soldiers who healed their wounds after battles on the island. Out of gratitude, they swore that they will never again wage a war on their own, but only protect themselves if need be. They broke the oath eventually, and the enraged gods sent a deadly storm which killed everyone on the island, leaving only the beautiful old olive trees. Original name of the island in the Middle Ages, during the rule of the
Serbian monarchs, was Sveti Gavrilo and according to another legend monastery dedicated to the mentioned Saint occupied the island. Together with the
Sveti Mihailo Island it formed the
Archipelago of the Holy Archangels. After the takeover of the
Montenegrin littoral by the
Venetian republic, the island became known as the
Stradioti, after the Venetian
cavalry composed mainly of the ethnic
Albanians who had their fortress and barracks built on the island in 1499. Towards the end of the 16th century, the military units were disbanded and island was named after
Sveti Marko, the protector of Venice. ==About the island==