THE ILIAD OF HOMER - BOOK XIII

"Now, when Zeus had brought Hector and his Trojans as far as the ships, he left them and their enemies to ceaseless toil and suffering, and turned his glowing eyes to distant lands, those of the Thracian horsemen, the Mysians who fight hand to hand, the proud Hippemolgi who drink mare’s milk, and the Abii, who love justice most. He gave Troy not another glance, little dreaming that some god might help the Trojans or the Greeks.

But Poseidon, the Earth-Shaker, kept no blind watch. He sat on the summit peak of wooded Samothrace, and gazed spellbound at the progress of the war. From there all Ida could be viewed, the city of Priam and the Greek ships. Having risen from the sea, he sat there pitying the Greeks as the Trojans overcame them, filled with indignation against Zeus.

Then he strode swiftly down the rocky slopes, while the high peaks and the woodland trembled under the god’s feet as he passed. He took three strides and the fourth achieved his goal, Aegae, where his great palace built in the depths of the sea stands gold and gleaming, unfading forever. There he harnessed his swift paired team to his chariot, horses with hooves of bronze and flowing golden manes. Clothing himself in gold, he seized his fine golden whip, mounted his chariot and drove out across the waves. Knowing their lord, sea-creatures from the deeps played beneath him on every side, and the ocean in delight parted before him. Onwards he sped, the bronze-axle un-wetted, and the prancing horses brought him to the Achaean fleet."

Photo Credit: This photograph was taken by the site author.

REMOTE

Most of the island is simply a massive mountain, with the small human population scattered around the margins of the coastline. The south coast is formed of plunging cliffs, with inaccessible river valleys, and is largely uninhabited, with no road access. The remote interior of the island can only be reached on foot.

UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY

Due to its unique geography, in a small area there is an incredibly wide range of ecosystems and micro-climates- dry Mediterranean on the south, wet and forested on the north, with bands of alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems on the high mountains. Rivers flow all year around, forming unique wetland environments on the coastline. On the Akrotiri peninsula there is an ancient saline lagoon.

There is a mediaeval settlement, also called Samothraki, perched high in a semi-circular valley - as 600 years ago the population was forced to abandon the ancient city and harbour on the coast (Palaeopolis), because of the depredations of Greek pirates.

A new port town sprung up in the bay sheltered by Cape Akrotiri in the 1800's, called Kamariotissa, nestled on the edge of the small apron of fertile undulating hills that lie to the west of the island.

This town now has a man-made harbour (the island has no natural harbours, but several good anchorages). Kamariotissa is where you land when you arrive on the ferry from Alexandroupolis.

Photo Credit: This photograph was taken by the site author.

SPIRITUAL MYSTERIES

Samothraki is home to the Megaloi Theoi - The Sanctuary of the Great Gods of Samothrace - The Theoi Samothrakes.

LOVE POTIONS

Although Christianity came early to Samothrace, the tradition of the intense mystical powers of the ancient Gods was yet handed down from mother to daughter through the ages. The very hidden-ness and concealed secrecy of the ancient cult, meant that it was almost impossible to suppress by mere decree.

Pilgrimage to Samothraki did not stop after Justinian's decree, and the local inhabitants secretly preserved fragments of the ancient rites. Until the early part of the last century, it was reported that sailors and pilgrims still visited certain women on Samothraki to obtain love potions, and to make offerings to them for a fair wind; protection from the dangers of the sea and from storms was anciently in the gift of the Great Gods. In ancient times pilgrims to the sacred temple complex would receive iron rings.

In ancient times, the offerings to the Great Gods included black lambs, barking dogs, and honey. Some ancient writers also hinted at the practice of human sacrifice, and other sexual, orgiastic rituals.

Photo Credit: This photograph was taken by the site author.

WILD ENERGIES

The ancient wild energies that drew pilgrims to the island continue to exert their mystical force to this day. A great many visitors to the island are drawn by its deep and dark spiritual heritage, and hope to gain an insight, and perhaps experience a hint of the power thought by the ancients to reside in this wild place. The Sanctuary of the Great Gods, one of the most important cultic sites in the ancient world, may only be a pile of stones today, but its allure remains.

FOUR THOUSAND YEARS

The Great Gods of Samothraki have been worshipped for over 4500 years; perhaps their veneration goes back to the very dawn of time, reaching back beyond the veil of recorded time into far pre-history. The oldest settlement excavated on the island to date is 8000 years old.

The edict of Justinian in the year 529 officially closed formal worship in the Temple complex - but nevertheless the power of the old Gods continued to hold sway on the island in folklore and legend and the secret rituals and powers of the priestesses of the Sanctuary were passed on, hidden from world view, from mother to daughter, as they indeed had been secretly transmitted for thousands of years before the advent of Christianity.

Photo Credit: This photograph was taken by the site author.