The Dodecanese Islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Thanks to their close proximity to Crete, the islands came under heavy Minoan influence starting in the second millennium BCE, subsequently ruled by the Mycenaeans and the Dorians. It’s during this time that the islands began to prosper, especially Kos and Rhodes. The Dorians also found three cities on Rhodes (Lindos, Kameiros and Ialyssos) that together with Kos and the cities of Knidos and Halicarnassus (now Bodrum) on the Anatolian mainland, formed the Dorian Hexapolis.
Like the rest of Anatolia and the Aegean region, development was stifled by the Persian Wars, until the arrival of Alexander the Great (and a short period under Carian rule). Unique to the Dodecanese was their alliance with Egypt following the death of Alexander. Strong commercial ties were cemented with the creation of the Rhodo-Egyptian alliance, which controlled trade throughout the Aegean in the 3rd century BC. With Rhodes at the head, the islands developed into maritime, commercial and cultural centers home to famous schools of philosophy, literature and rhetoric. The Colossus of Rhodes, built in 304 BC, is an apt symbol of their contemporary wealth and power.
In 164 BC, Rhodes signed a treaty with Rome, aligning the islands with the Roman Republic and Rhodes quickly became a schooling center for Roman noble families. Multiple visits by Saint Paul and Saint John led to the conversion of Christianity in the Dodecanese, making them one of the first dominantly Christian regions. Saint John was eventually exiled to Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation.
The region was a part of the Byzantine Empire for over 1000 years, and it was during this time that the name ‘Dodecanese’ (meaning 12 islands) emerged. Later, the islands were exploited by the Genoese and Venetians until being sold to the Knights of St. John, who made Rhodes their stronghold. In 1522, the islands were conquered by the Ottomans. Except Rhodes and Kos, the islands submitted to Ottoman rule and were thusly given special privileges, allowing them to prosper. The period around WWI saw various islands controlled by Italy, Great Britain, and France until being officially annexed with the Treaty of Lausanne.
