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Kos name hasn’t changed from the ancient years
till today. Some people believe that the name Kos has came from
the name of a queen daughter of Triopa King the second who’s named
Koos. Some other say that the name is owed to the kariki word
Koion either because the island has the shape of a lamb or because
there were a lot of lambs in Ko: some other support the island
named in that way which implied prison.
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The island was in
inhabited from the Neolithic years, as it is proved from
Neolithic exhibits in Aspropetra’s cave near to Kefalo.
Many mythological traditions of Greek ancients are reported
in the settlement and some characteristic events in Ko
during the prehistorically period.
According to such tradition the giants, children of the
sky and the soil when they lost in the terrifying battle
against Olympus Cods, got away.
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God Poseidon who hunted the giant Poliboti cut with his trident
a piece from Ko, he threw it against Poliboti and killed him.
Relevant with the above tradition is the mythological information
that the giants Koios, Foibos and Kinnos got away to Ko. According
to those myths many heroes and semi gods have visited the island.
It seems that the first inhabitants of the island were Pelasgoi
and Leleges.
Another tradition mentions that Meropes who where creative people,
built the first ancient city of the island and gave they gave
the name of the King Meropa’s daughter Astipalaia. Successor of
Meropa the first, was Triopas the second. To the flourishing years
of Crete, Minoas the second for all that he became master of almost
the whole Mediterranean and threw away Kares from the most islands,
he preferred not to harm the inhabitants of Ko and retain of friendship
with them. After Triopa the third his son Eudaimonas became king
of the island. Later around 1300 Hercule’s and Astioxis son and
king of Rhodes Tripolemos, asserted and the island Ko.
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The ancient
adoration: in ancient Ko, Aesculapius the Intir
and Hercules have been adored. The ancient Koos to respect
the god of medicine have organized ceremonies in which
they offered sacrifices. Of course in ancient Ko, some
other gods have been admired such as: Dias, Dimitra,
Dionusos, Hera, Afroditi.
The ancient municipality: the most ancient city
of Ko was Astypalaia. This region is corresponding with
the today’s sea place Palatia near to the village Kefalos
from the ancient years the island had kings. The political
institutions started to change in the Greek region from
the 7th and 6th century.
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The inhabitants of Kos adopted new ideas and forced
their leaders to finally allot the supreme authority to municipality’s
church. Pubic cashers, accountants, gendarmes and judges were
appointed. Teachers taught in schools and were paid by their student
parents. To the celebrations and the athletic events the leader
was the high school principal, and the athletic events were settled
by the school superidentent. Responsible for the management of
the music were guitar – players and responsible for education
were the school superidentent.
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