Eresos
Encyclopedia
Eresos and its twin beach village Skala Eresou are located in the southwest part of the Greek island of Lesbos. They are villages visited by considerable number of tourists. Eresos and the village Antissa constitute the municipality Eresos-Antissa
.
, Sigri and Pterounda located in the west and most barren part of the island. Bare rocky hills, derived from ancient volcanic activity, dominate the area. Skala Eressou
is a centre for international tourism and is a favorite spot of Greek families, young people as well as gay women. With its long beautiful beach with dark volcanic sand and its crystal-clear unpolluted water, Skala Eressou was awarded Blue Flag
status by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
, the great lyric poetess was born there (c. 630 BC), as was Phanias
the historian, and Theophrastus
, the successor of Aristotle
and Father of Botany
in the 4th century BC. It was Sappho's work that made the word "lesbian
" synonymous with female homosexuality.
by Armistead Maupin
. In the chapter entitled "The Third Whale", Skala Eressou is described as a seaside town with concrete buildings and a beach of coarse gray sand. Some places in the town are described. These include the shop on the square where Mona found the key rings inscribed with the name "Sappho
", the hotel called "Sappho the Eressian" where Mona stays in a spare, clean room with a single bed and a lone lamp, the big gray bluff at the end of the beach where more nude bathers were gathered, and the famous tents put up by the women who were part of Sappho's tribe.
Eresos-Antissa
Eresos-Antissa is a former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located in the westernmost part of the island, and is the largest municipal unit of the island...
.
Geography
The municipality of Eresos–Antissa contains five other villages: Messotopos, Vatoussa, ChidiraChidira
Chidira is a village on the Greek island of Lesvos , located at its western part and belonging to the municipality of Eresos-Antissa...
, Sigri and Pterounda located in the west and most barren part of the island. Bare rocky hills, derived from ancient volcanic activity, dominate the area. Skala Eressou
Skala Eressou
Skala Eresou is a seaside village on the island of Lesbos Greece, part of the community of Eresos.-Overview:The word Skala can be translated as "beach". The village has two access roads, one from the north and one from the west. Both lead towards the central square, which is paved with flagstones,...
is a centre for international tourism and is a favorite spot of Greek families, young people as well as gay women. With its long beautiful beach with dark volcanic sand and its crystal-clear unpolluted water, Skala Eressou was awarded Blue Flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
status by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
History
Its history goes back to ancient times. SapphoSappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
, the great lyric poetess was born there (c. 630 BC), as was Phanias
Phanias of Eresus
Phaenias of Eresus was a Greek philosopher from Lesbos, important as an immediate follower of and commentator on Aristotle. He came to Athens about 332 BCE, and joined his compatriot, Theophrastus, in the Peripatetic school. His writings on logic and science appear to have been commentaries or...
the historian, and Theophrastus
Theophrastus
Theophrastus , a Greek native of Eresos in Lesbos, was the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He came to Athens at a young age, and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death he attached himself to Aristotle. Aristotle bequeathed to Theophrastus his writings, and...
, the successor of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
and Father of Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
in the 4th century BC. It was Sappho's work that made the word "lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
" synonymous with female homosexuality.
Demographics
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,494 |
| 1991 | 1,247 |
| 2001 | 1,130 |
In literature
Eressos makes a brief appearance in the novel Sure of You, the sixth volume in the series Tales of the CityTales of the City
Tales of the City refers to a series of eight novels written by American author Armistead Maupin. The stories from Tales were originally serialized prior to their novelization, with the first four titles appearing as regular installments in the San Francisco Chronicle, while the fifth appeared in...
by Armistead Maupin
Armistead Maupin
Armistead Jones Maupin, Jr. is an American writer, best known for his Tales of the City series of novels, based in San Francisco.-Early life:...
. In the chapter entitled "The Third Whale", Skala Eressou is described as a seaside town with concrete buildings and a beach of coarse gray sand. Some places in the town are described. These include the shop on the square where Mona found the key rings inscribed with the name "Sappho
Sappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
", the hotel called "Sappho the Eressian" where Mona stays in a spare, clean room with a single bed and a lone lamp, the big gray bluff at the end of the beach where more nude bathers were gathered, and the famous tents put up by the women who were part of Sappho's tribe.