Meade County news., 1916-06-15
under many FLAGS
ISLAND OF cEPHALoNlA PLAY.
THING OF THE POWERS.
Small Area Of Land In lonlan Sea Has
Been for Centuries Shuttlecock
In the Game Of international
Diplomacy.


The reported occupation of Cepha-
lonia by French and British forces,
for strategic purposes, marks another
cycle in the strange history Of this
island in the Ionian sea, which has
played the role of shuttlecock in inter-
national diplomacy for more than g.
900 years. Its unique story is told in
the following bulletin issued by the
National Geographic society:
With an area about three times as
great as that of Martha's Vineyard
on the Massachusetts coast, Cepha-
lonia is the largest of the seven Ionian
islands. The origin of its settlement
is shrouded in the fascinating uncer-
tainty of Homeric legend, but from
the year of its surrender to the Ro-
mans, 1S0 B. c., its history has been
marked by a succession Of changes
in ownership which would bewilder
the most astute student Of world poll
tics.
After the Roman Emperor Hadrian
maui q 6llI VI JnO W fAluOnbg
Cephalonia, and the six other islands
of the Ionian group, became free
and autonomous" but during the as
cendancy of the Byzantine empire
they were subject to its power.
The next change come in the elev-
enth century. When William the Con-
queror was engaged in establishing
himself firmly in the British Isles, an
other Norman, Robert Guiscard C'the
resourceful"O, after conquering south
ern Italy, sailed to the Ionian sea and
captured several of the islands,
preparatory to overthrowing the Greek
empire. This remarkable adventurer
died on the island of Cephalonia while
engaged in Quelling a revolt, at a time
when he seemed to have laid the foun-
dations for a Norman empire similar
to that which William established In
England.
Following Robert Guiscard's inva-
sion, Cephalonia passed in turn un-
der the suzerainty of the princess Of
Tarentum, the five counts OF Tocco,
the republic of Venice, the ravaging
corsaifs of Greece and Naples, the
Turks, the Spanish-Venetian allies,
Venice again, France, the Russo-Turk-
ish allies, the French and the British.
Great Britain finally relinquished its
protectorate and ceded the islands to
Greece after the latter had allowed
the court of st. James to name a
brother of the princess of Wales as
king Of the Hellenes In 1862.
The chief city of Cephalonia is Ar.
gostoli, which has an excellent mar.
Dor and which is especially noted for
its curious sea mills, operated by q
current of sea water flowing through
chasm in the rocky shore. Across
the bay from Argostoli is the rival
port of Luxouri.
Cyclopean and Hellenic walls are
still standing on the sites Of the an.
cient cities of Cranii, Proni and Somos,
while q few miles beyond Argostoli
there rises a relic of Venetian days,
the strongly fortified castle of st.
George
The Cephalonians, who are mental
ly alert and who are more purely
Greek than the inhabitants OF any of
the other islands of the Ionian group,
have shown great ingenuity and indus
try In building terraces for the cultiva-
tion of the vine and olive. One of
the chief products Of the island is a
peculiarly favored currant which
found ready market In Holland, Bel
GUM and Germany. In addition to
their agricultural pursuits, the Ceph-
alonians are interested in ship build
ing, silk spinning, basket making and
the manufacture of carpets. An odd
lace, made of aloe fiber, is exported.
Elato, also known as Monte Negro
(black mountain), which is more than
5000 feet high, gets It's name from
the dark pine forests which clothe its
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