How long has the Island of Ro been called that?

[Ozone]

The Greek island Ro doesn't have much history behind it, but a basic bit of information I haven't been able to find anywhere is if it's been called Ro since Ancient Greek times.

The oldest info I've found on it goes back to the 1940s, but it doesn't make sense to assume it was given the name Ro in the 1900s...

It this just one of those things that, even amongst historians, it's safe to say that 'yeah, sure, whatever, Ro was on the map in Ancient Greece?'

[Andreas]

Ro (Ρω) is a shorter version of its actual ancient name, Roge (Ρώγη). I don't know when they started to call it Ro, but I'd bet for Late Middle Ages/Early Modern Times, due to the Italian marine maps...

[Ozone]

Originally Posted by Andreas

Ro (Ρω) is a shorter version of its actual ancient name, Roge (Ρώγη). I don't know when they started to call it Ro, but I'd bet for Late Middle Ages/Early Modern Times, due to the Italian marine maps...

Cool. What's your source on that? I couldn't find much of anything about Ro on the web.

Out of curiosity, what about Italian marine maps would have caused a change like that? I know nothing about the subject, but I'd like to.

[cimon]

That's a very astute geographical question,and Andreas gave you the answer...

[Ozone]

Originally Posted by cimon

That's a very astute geographical question,and Andreas gave you the answer...

I'm just curious where that answer came from, so I can educate myself as well...

[Andreas]

The information comes from Greek maps and Greek sites including a few words on the history of the islet. Add greek wiki to that. Unfortunatelly, no english... But, I don't thing there 's a need of verification: that's just geography!

the thing about the italian maps is that in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times, the vast majority or the marine maps were italian. The Italians tended to give Italian names to towns, islands, gulfs, etc, or at least simplify them. Since the Greeks used these maps as well, the Italian names were eventually adopted, at least until the toponymic revision of the greek state mostly in the 1930's. So, eg the Greek Island of Thera is known as Santorini=Santa Irene, or Leukas as Santa Maura, Megisti as Castelorizo, Cape of Sounio as Cavo d'Oro, etc...

[Sir Scott]

Originally Posted by Andreas

The information comes from Greek maps and Greek sites including a few words on the history of the islet. Add greek wiki to that. Unfortunatelly, no english... But, I don't thing there 's a need of verification: that's just geography!

the thing about the italian maps is that in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times, the vast majority or the marine maps were italian. The Italians tended to give Italian names to towns, islands, gulfs, etc, or at least simplify them. Since the Greeks used these maps as well, the Italian names were eventually adopted, at least until the toponymic revision of the greek state mostly in the 1930's. So, eg the Greek Island of Thera is known as Santorini=Santa Irene, or Leukas as Santa Maura, Megisti as Castelorizo, Cape of Sounio as Cavo d'Oro, etc...

Be wary. I get the impression the name of Ro has changed many times depending on who was occupying/ruling/winning at the time. Out of curiosity what is the actual history of the Island? I spent some time on Castelorizo during the summer , and having visted the museum there I got the impression that Ro was borderline uninhabitable.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by Sir Scott

Be wary. I get the impression the name of Ro has changed many times depending on who was occupying/ruling/winning at the time. Out of curiosity what is the actual history of the Island? I spent some time on Castelorizo during the summer , and having visted the museum there I got the impression that Ro was borderline uninhabitable.

Rho is an islet next to Castelorizo. Today I think it's uninhibited, but in the past there were one or two familiew living there. The last one was the family of Cotas and Despoina Achladiote. Of course then the islands of Castelorizo were under Italian sovereignity. Costas Achladiotes died in 1940, but Despoina stayed on the islet until the end of her life, in 1982. Check her picture here.

For the history of Castelorizo check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kastelorizo#History
there are no seperate links for Rho, since it is too small, but it always followed the history of Castelorizo.

Now, about the name: I know there's a Turkish name "Kara ada" for the island, which means "Black Isle", and there are dozens of them in the turkish maps. On the condrary, Piri Reis (16th c.) gives a differnt name for the island, which I cannot recognise it for sure: it can be leva= a place of pulling ships out of the sea, or lef = something enclosing, with the former to be more likely. Note that since it was a part of the Ottoman Empire, it had a turkish name for the maps and administration, but the actual name of the islad was always the one used by its inhabitants, or those who used it as a haven for fishing boats or to place their goat herds.

[cimon]

Originally Posted by Andreas

Rho is an islet next to Castelorizo. Today I think it's uninhibited, but in the past there were one or two familiew living there. The last one was the family of Cotas and Despoina Achladiote. Of course then the islands of Castelorizo were under Italian sovereignity. Costas Achladiotes died in 1940, but Despoina stayed on the islet until the end of her life, in 1982. Check her picture here.

For the history of Castelorizo check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kastelorizo#History
there are no seperate links for Rho, since it is too small, but it always followed the history of Castelorizo.

Now, about the name: I know there's a Turkish name "Kara ada" for the island, which means "Black Isle", and there are dozens of them in the turkish maps. On the condrary, Piri Reis (16th c.) gives a differnt name for the island, which I cannot recognise it for sure: it can be leva= a place of pulling ships out of the sea, or lef = something enclosing, with the former to be more likely. Note that since it was a part of the Ottoman Empire, it had a turkish name for the maps and administration, but the actual name of the islad was always the one used by its inhabitants, or those who used it as a haven for fishing boats or to place their goat herds.

I saw the picture Andreas;isn't that woman the one called "H kyra tis Rho"?

[Andreas]

yes, she is the one. Quite an emblematic figure for the Greeks...