Talk:Lesbos

message: The assertion that Sappho ran a girls' finishing school was debunked in the Sappho article. This should be reworded to reflect current academic opinion (of which I am no expert). Kat.reinhart 03:35, 16 May 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Is there a non-chauvinist reason to support this request? Miskin 16:18, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

text: Please stop POV pushing and vandalizing Aegean Sea/Island relatd pages. El Greco (talk · contribs) 18:11, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

text: The issue of foreign names was discussed extensively last year, and the prevailing opinion was that it was better to keep them. As for the flags, they were apparently put into the navigation box template because the Aegean borders on both countries. However, few Turkey-related articles (coastal towns, islets etc.) were finally put into the box, so it's now a little bit imbalanced. Fut.Perf. ☼ 18:15, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Names

message: Rather "victorian" was the interpretation, that only "platonic" love was object in the poems. While there are no sex scenes or direct references to sex understood nowadays, the invocation of Aphordite for example is not a suitable one for mere "platonic" love. Open to debate is, wether there literary "I" of the poems is female or male; there is not much saved of her poems, and from what is left, there is not a single participle or similar word, which gives clue to the sex of the speaker, which is not contested in modern science. So whereas someone would to be have undecicded just based on what is saved from the literary work, ancient reception already point out that she was a "lesbian" (in the modern sense of course), or would search for different interpretations as to "defend her". This is not to mean though she didnt have a husband. antiphon--84.175.78.139 12:37, 8 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Interpretation 

message: This is a question that has been bugging me for over a week. There's a question on my local radio station that no one has gotten right in over a week. The question is: The inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos are specifically known as...? I came here looking for the answer and you've let me down!! User:Naysie
:The usual answer is "Lesbosians" White 720 14:28, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  The correct one is Lesbians. By the way, understandably, Lesbians are not particularly happy about homosexuals hijacking the term. — NRen2k5(TALK), 00:45, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Inhabitants

message: Merge - As it is the Gera Villages article is not very big or notable on its own. JohnnyMrNinja 08:28, 6 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Merger of Gera Villages 

message: Why are some  names of the Aegean Islands also cited in Turkish? I understand that names of places are supposed to be written first in the English language, and then in the native language. I also understand that it is perfectly acceptable (in fact, recommended) to cite  past or alternative names of a place in the section about the history of said place. But why put them in the introductory section about the name itself ? If the rule about English & native is not strictly followed, then POVs and political controversies are sure to make their appearance. -The Gnome (talk) 08:51, 7 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Citing of names in other languages 

message: Would anybody mind if we moved this page back to Lesbos Island (and related pages too), where it's been for some ages? Sorry Fallacia for undoing your work, but this seems to be the established name in English, as per our policy at WP:USEENGLISH. Fut.Perf. ☼ 08:40, 12 January 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Lesbos Island? Established English? I can't think of a single Greek island that normally takes 'Island' after it, and Lesbos is the same. The article should be moved from Lesbos Island to Lesbos, surely. Q·L·1968 ☿ 21:57, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

text: For the record, I've never once heard "Lesbos Island" in English, either in the context of ancient history, modern history, or alternative sexuality.  It's always either Lesbos or the affected-antique "Isle of Lesbos".  If there's any further consideration of a move, I'd oppose.  Elmo iscariot (talk) 17:55, 3 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Moving back? 

message: I'm wondering if anyone knows of the demonym that is commonly used for the people of Lesbos. Suggestions in any language would help.Mexicomida (talk) 14:51, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Demonym 

message: I think the stress mark in the Greek alphabet name should be on the third syllable (Polichnítos), as in the spelling used in the Greek language Wikipedia.  I was in Lesbos a few days ago and noticed that the name was Políchnitos on the road maps, and Polichnítos on the road signs. A local told me that the road signs were correct. Andrea Domenici 131.114.58.49 (talk) 15:54, 20 July 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Probably correct, as the municipality website has "Πολιχνίτος" too . Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:07, 20 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Políchnitos or Polichnítos? 

message: This has always bugged me -- the article introduces the island as "Lesbos (Greek: Λέσβος also transliterated Lesvos..." Coming from a Greek family from Lesvos, I can safely say I've never heard anyone pronounce it with a "b" sound. Although the Greek β does look like a B, it is pronounced in Greek as "v". I don't know if there's some reason behind this, but it is no doubt confusing to non-Greek speakers. Even the official website spells it in the URL with a v -- www.lesvos.gr
Let me know if I'm bringing up an old argument.
122.108.95.167 (talk) 16:32, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Hello, and welcome to Wikipedia. The version with "b" is the conventional name in English (just as we say "Athens", not "Athina", and just as you say "Londhino", not "London"). Like most Western European versions of Greek placenames it is based on the Ancient Greek version, probably filtered through Latin and other western languages. In Ancient Greek, the beta was in fact still pronounced as b. We have some conventions about Greek names outlined at WP:GREEK. Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:43, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Though we here are speculative editors on the question of pronounciation, the conventional spelling of Lesvos in English and other European languages is with a 'b', Lesbos, Lesbo, etc... Regarding the pronounciation of ancient Greek, academic opinions vary especially owing to dialectic variations. The Erasmic pronounciation is just that, Erasmic, and was introduced by Erasmus; it became the standard in some countries for the teaching of ancient Greek. Politis (talk) 09:20, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
replies: text:  I'm actually not talking about whatever strawman model is meant by "Erasmic pronunciation" (it's a strawman because none of the major current models of teaching pronunciations in European countries actually matches that of Erasmus). I'm talking about modern linguistic reconstruction, and there is absolutely no difference in academic opinion about the fact that beta was originally /b/. The only thing that is debated is when exactly (and when in which dialects) the change to [β] > [v] happened; if I remember correctly, it was at some time during the Roman era for most dialects. Fut.Perf. ☼ 16:58, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

text: Thanks a bunch for the background. I was confused at first, but having read WP:GREEK, it actually makes sense. Thanks again. 122.108.95.167 (talk) 13:15, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lesbos/Lesvos 

message: I don't see the reason for removing Midilli. As long as I know, there is no irredentist movement toward this island. But I can frequently find this alternative name in English books. And see Edirne, Imbros etc. Takabeg (talk) 05:59, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I think we have not to be based on populations, but on culture. Since many English books refer this alternative name, we can write it. Your theory based on population may cause the nationalism/irredentism-oriented Wikipedia. Population isn't important. In Turkish Wikipedia, for the place names in Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Macedonia etc, some regional nationalist users prefer to old Ottoman names that most of all users never heard and even the Turkish officials don't use in official documents. Such users' excuse is also "poppulation" (including historical one). I think that we have to decide in accordance with the trend　in English sourses in English Wikipedia. In short, not by population but English sources. In factm, I like alternative names personally. I accept their varieties as their richness. Constantinople-Konstantinopolis-Poli-Istanbul etc, Hadrianopolis-Adrianopole-Adrianoupolis-Ordin-Edirne etc. However, if there was such rule you mentioned, we have to remove all of them equally and neutrally. At first please remove Ανδριανούπολις from Edirne and transfer to appropreate section (if any)　of the article. Thank you. Takabeg (talk) 06:26, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: No, English books do not use the Turkish name frequently  (compare to "Lesbos" ). That may be your impression, but it is a wrong impression. You haven't provided any evidence to back it up, either. Lesbos has 30 times more hits. Mytilene has 127k hits , 10 times as many as "Midilii". Virtually all English language sources use the Greek names (Lesbos and Mytilene). Adrianople on the other hand, is frequently mentioned by its Greek name (Adrianople) in English language sources (, compared to "Edirne" ). "Adrianople" occurs twice as frequently as "Edirne". Adrianople also had a significant Greek community in the past. On the other hand, there were never any significant number of Turks on Lesbos. You may not agree with this being a reason for including the alternate name, but there is a wikipedia policy about names in the lede, it is called WP:NCGN, and you need to read it and understand it. Athenean (talk) 06:38, 24 June 2011 (UTC)

text: I reverted your edit per WP:NCGN. A Macedonian, a Greek. (talk) 06:54, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: (edit conflict) "Adrianople" get more hits on Google books than "Edirne" (the English version of the city's Greek name is "Adrianople", not "Adrianopolis"). On the other hand, Lesbos and Mytilene are used hundreds of times more frequently than "Midilii", which is almost never used. So, stop comparing apples and oranges. These are two very different cases. Athenean (talk) 06:55, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Turkish alternative name

message: The introduction says (or said) that Jacques Coeur briefly recaptured Lesbos two decades after the
Ottomans conquered it in 1462.  Since Coeur died in 1456, this seems unlikely.  I'm going to remove
that clause until someone provides some evidence for it. 209.179.114.85 (talk) 20:20, 22 March 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Jacques Coeur? 

message: there should be a turkish translation seeing as turkish was the language of the ottoman empire and Lesbos was a part of it. there is a turkish community making up 20 percent of the population I believe.--XELO 00:06, 30 May 2015 (UTC)
thread_title: Turkish Language

message: You have an advertisement: ouzo Plomari (Isidoros Arvanitis, is the company, witch has been bought by foreigners) is not right, for 3 reasons: 
1) You should put a more representative trademark; one that sells more between locals in Lesbos, or perhaps in the town of Plomari. 
2) As long as you mention violation of copyrights, we have to say that in the town of Plomari ouzo is produced by at least other three small manufactures. Moreover here in Lesbos we think that the ouzos of Plomari have special characteristics (less sweet, for example). 
3) We drink much ouzo in Lesbos. I don't see anyone drinking that particular ouzo because of its very poor quality (once I had a bad headache in the morning, after drinking it). 
You might ask locals or perhaps visitors of the island.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pan-mos (talk • contribs) 13:40, 1 July 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  About Plomari 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified 2 external links on Lesbos. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: since spring 2015, several hundreds of migrants (at the beginning mainly people from Syria / Refugees of the Syrian Civil War came to Lesbos every day. They were registrated (maybe not all of them) and then allowed to take a ferry to Piraeus.  Boat owners from Turkey (i.e. fisherman) brought them to Lesos (or to another island, i.a. Kos, laying near the Turkish coast).  In September 2015, the ferry capacity was too small; up to around 11.000 people waited in Lesbos to get a place on the ferry.  Then, the 'Balkanroute' was restricted (and later almost stopped), and  a EU-Turkey deal was made.  Thus, the numbner of people arriving in Lesbos fell.   
I' am no native speaker and would be glad if someone could bring this into the article :-) --Neun-x (talk) 20:20, 6 August 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  missing: [[European migrant crisis]]  

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Hi!
As of 25.12.2017 the linked Offical website seems to be hacked. It redirects to http://www.mytilene.gr/ where there is a turkish flag and some suspicious text. It is very disappointing but I don't know it should be mentioned here at all or not..  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.21.56.102 (talk) 22:43, 25 December 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Official website is hacked? 

message: Hey Therealscorp1an how are you! 
I see that you are interested in Lesvos. I would like to search and add about Arvanites and Albanians native to the Island. You might know that the great and famous Ouzo of Plomari is from Isidoros Arvanitis. There is also a "O Vasilis o Arvanitis" by Stratis Myrivilis. Moreover I see that Ottoman documents mention a village in the Island as the Albanian village. Also the documents of settlement of some of Muslim refugees from the Island have Arnavut infront of their names. Is there any thing that you know or be interested in?
Regards,
Utku Utku Öziz (talk) 15:07, 21 December 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: Hi, there. Thanks for being so kind. I am well, how are you? Sadly, I do not have much information on any Muslim population, since they are such a minority and not ethnically Greek (and most of them left during the population exchange), and Muslim refugees do not really count as residents (with any information in the migrant crisis section of the article). I find the Albanian village source interesting and I think that it should be included in the demographics section of the article; it sounds like a cool fact! Sadly, though, I do not know much more. In the near future, I am wanting to expand the modern history era in the article, including information about World War II, Turkey's current illegal invasion of Greek airspace, etc.. Anyways, I hope you have a great day and thank you for reaching out! - Therealscorp1an (talk) 21:58, 21 December 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: In this short academic paper the author says:  So it looks like any Albanian village of Lesbos would have lost its Albanian character before the island became part of Greece in 1912. --T*U (talk) 09:17, 22 December 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: Ah, interesting. Thanks for contributing and good find with that source. - Therealscorp1an (talk) 21:04, 22 December 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Arvanites and Muslim Albanians of the Island