History
Rhodes was first inhabited in the Neolithic era. A major milestone
in the island's history, which affected the fate of the other Dodecanese
as well, was the founding in 700 BC of the Dorian Hexapolis, a union
of its three cities with Knidos, Halikarnassos and Kos. Its economy
and culture continued to flourish until the 3rd century BC, when it
was the predominant power in the Aegean. When, a thousand years later
in 1309, it fell into the hands of the Knights of St. John, it became
again the center of power, symbolized by its magnificent mediaeval
town and the imposing castle and palace of the Grand Masters. |
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