Salamis Island in the context of "Megaris"

⭐ In the context of Megaris, which entity ultimately gained control of the island of Salamis after an initial period of Megarian governance?

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⭐ Core Definition: Salamis Island

Salamis (/ˈsæləmɪs/ SAL-ə-miss; Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Σαλαμίς, romanizedSalamís) or Salamina (Modern Greek: Σαλαμίνα, romanizedSalamína) is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about two kilometres (one nautical mile) from the coast of Athens' port of Piraeus and about 16 km (8+12 nmi) west of Athens center.

The chief city, Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf. On the eastern side of the island its main port, Paloukia, connects the island with Perama in the western part of Athens urban area through a frequent ferry line and is the second largest port in Greece in terms of passengers, after the port of Piraeus.

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👉 Salamis Island in the context of Megaris

Megaris (Ancient Greek: Μεγαρίς) was a small but populous state of ancient Greece, west of Attica and north of Corinthia, whose inhabitants were adventurous seafarers, credited with deceitful propensities. The capital, Megara, was famous for white marble and fine clay. Mount Geraneia dominated the center of the region. The island of Salamis was originally under the control of Megara, before it was lost to Athens in the late 7th century BCE.

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Salamis Island in the context of Athens metropolitan area

The Athens metropolitan area (Greek: Μητροπολιτική Περιοχή της Αθήνας) spans 2,928.717 km (1,131 sq mi) within the Attica region and consists of 58 municipalities plus parts of East Attica and West Attica, having reached a population of 4,073,179 according to the 2021 census. The municipalities of Athens and Piraeus both serve as the two metropolitan centres of the Athens metropolitan area.

According to the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission, the Athens metropolitan area consists of all areas with a dialing code of 21 and includes areas such as Salamina, Elefsina, Kifissia, Mandra, Magoula,Aspropyrgos, Pallini, Agios Stefanos, Dionysos, Parnitha, Koropi, Vari, Vouliagmeni, Voula and the Athens International Airport.

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Salamis Island in the context of Megara

Megara (/ˈmɛɡərə/; Greek: Μέγαρα, pronounced [ˈmeɣaɾa]) is a historic town and a municipality in West Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King Pandion II, of whom Nisos was the ruler of Megara. Megara was also a trade port, its people using their ships and wealth as a way to gain leverage on armies of neighboring poleis. Megara specialized in the exportation of wool and other animal products including livestock such as horses. It possessed two harbors, Pagae to the west on the Corinthian Gulf, and Nisaea to the east on the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. Greek painter Théodore Jacques Ralli created countless paintings featuring the village of Megara between 1873 and 1909.

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Salamis Island in the context of Saronic Islands

The Saronic Islands or Argo-Saronic Islands is an archipelago in Greece, named after the Saronic Gulf in which they are located, just off the Greek mainland. The main inhabited islands of this group are Salamis, Aegina, Agistri, and Poros. The islands of Hydra and Dokos, which lie off the northeast tip of the Peloponnese (technically between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf), are sometimes included as part of the Saronic Islands.

Many mainland Greeks have vacation homes in the Saronic Islands, which are regularly served by ferries from the Athen's port of Piraeus and the Peloponnese. Salamis, the largest island of the group, is where the ancient Greek navy defeated the Persians in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC.

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Salamis Island in the context of Second Persian invasion of Greece

The second Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC) occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars, as King Xerxes I of Persia sought to conquer all of Greece. The invasion was a direct, if delayed, response to the defeat of the first Persian invasion of Greece (492–490 BC) at the Battle of Marathon, which ended Darius I's attempts to subjugate Greece. After Darius's death, his son Xerxes spent several years planning for the second invasion, mustering an enormous army and navy. The Athenians and Spartans led the Greek resistance. About a tenth of the Greek city-states joined the 'Allied' effort; most remained neutral or submitted to Xerxes.

The invasion began in spring 480 BC, when the Persian army crossed the Hellespont and marched through Thrace and Macedon to Thessaly. The Persian advance was blocked at the pass of Thermopylae by a small Allied force under King Leonidas I of Sparta; simultaneously, the Persian fleet was blocked by an Allied fleet at the straits of Artemisium. At the famous Battle of Thermopylae, the Allied army held back the Persian army for three days, before they were outflanked by a mountain path and the Allied rearguard was trapped and annihilated. The Allied fleet had also withstood two days of Persian attacks at the Battle of Artemisium, but when news reached them of the disaster at Thermopylae, they withdrew to Salamis.

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Salamis Island in the context of Saronic Gulf

The Saronic Gulf (Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, Saronikós kólpos) or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth, being the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus. The Saronic Islands in the gulf have played a pivotal role in the history of Greece, with the largest, Salamis being the location of a significant naval battle in the Greco-Persian wars. The Megara Gulf makes up the northern end of the Saronic Gulf.

The Athens urban area lies on the north coast of the Saronic Gulf.

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Salamis Island in the context of Battle of Salamis

The Battle of Salamis (/ˈsæləmɪs/ SAL-ə-miss) was a naval battle fought in 480 BC, between an alliance of Greek city-states under Themistocles, and the Achaemenid Empire under King Xerxes. It resulted in a victory for the outnumbered Greeks.

The battle was fought in the straits between the mainland and Salamis, an island in the Saronic Gulf near Athens, and marked the high point of the second Persian invasion of Greece. It was arguably the largest naval battle of the ancient world, and marked a turning point in the invasion.

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Salamis Island in the context of Salamis, Cyprus

Salamis (Ancient Greek: Σαλαμίς; Greek: Σαλαμίνα; Turkish: Salamis) was an ancient Greek city-state on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the river Pedieos, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of modern Famagusta. According to tradition, the founder of Salamis was Teucer, son of Telamon, king of the Greek island of Salamis, who could not return home after the Trojan War because he had failed to avenge his brother Ajax.

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Salamis Island in the context of Salamis Bay

Salamis Bay (Greek: Όρμος Σαλαμίνος) is a bay on the west coast of Salamis Island, Greece. It connects with the Saronic Gulf to the west. Its maximum length is approximately 9 km from northeast to west. Cape Petriti forms its southwestern end. The main town of the island, Salamina, is on the northeastern end of the bay. The village Aianteio is on its south coast.

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