Salamis Island

Salamis or Salamina is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about off-coast from Piraeus and about west of central Athens. The chief city, Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf. On the eastern side of the island is its main port, Paloukia, in size second in Greece only to the port of Piraeus. Etymology The traditional etymology of Salamis derives it from the eponymous nymph Salamis, the mother of Cychreus, the legendary first king of the island. A more modern theory considers "Salamis" to come from the root sal 'salt' and -amis 'middle'; thus Salamis would be the place amid salt water. A theory presented by Martin Bernal in his book Black Athena, which has been overwhelmingly rejected by orientalists, classicists and archaeologists, has attempted to connect the name to the Semitic root Š-L-M 'health, safety, peace', because of the well-sheltered harbor. From at least the 13th century until the 19th century, the town, the island, and the bay of Salamis were called, because of its round shape. The ancient name was revived in the 19th century. The name Koulouri is still used informally for the town. The island is known in Arvanitika as ("Kulluri"). History