Ancient Thera: A Historic Dorian Settlement on Santorini
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Country: Greece
Civilization: Byzantine, Greek, Roman
Remains: City
History
Ancient Thera was established between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE by Dorian settlers from Sparta. According to tradition, the island and city were named after their mythical leader, King Theras. The settlement was built on Mesa Vouno, a limestone ridge rising 365 meters above sea level, chosen for its natural defensive position and wide views over the Aegean Sea.
In its early centuries, Ancient Thera was a modest community engaged in trade with major centers such as Athens, Corinth, Ionia, and Rhodes. Archaeological finds, including 760 coins from the 6th century BCE, confirm these commercial connections. Around 630 BCE, a severe drought prompted some Theran inhabitants to found the distant colony of Cyrene in North Africa.
By the latter half of the 3rd century BCE, Thera became a naval base under Ptolemaic control, serving the Aegean fleet. This period saw a major urban transformation, with the city redesigned into a grid plan and new houses built for naval officers. The Ptolemaic fleet left around 145 BCE, after which the historical record becomes sparse until Roman times.
From the mid-1st century BCE, Ancient Thera was incorporated into the Roman province of Asia. The city prospered, undertaking significant building projects and producing officials who held high provincial offices. This era marked a peak in urban development and civic status.
Following the 3rd century CE, the city declined. Byzantine sources note that Ancient Thera remained the island’s sole urban center until the 5th century CE. In 726 CE, a volcanic eruption blanketed the city with pumice, leading to its abandonment. Before this, during the 8th century CE, the site served as a refuge from Arab raids, with defensive walls and temporary shelters constructed for protection.
Archaeological excavations began in 1895 under Friedrich Hiller von Gaertringen and continued intermittently through the 20th century. Researchers uncovered the city’s necropolis, street layout, and inscriptions, shedding light on its long history. Artifacts from the site are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Fira and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Remains
Ancient Thera occupies a plateau approximately 100 by 100 meters on a steep mountain slope above the sea. The city’s main street runs about 800 meters southeast, measuring 2 to 4 meters wide, ending in a cul-de-sac at the garrison headquarters. The urban plan features a regular grid, with residential areas arranged around a central agora.
The agora, roughly 110 meters long and 17 to 30 meters wide, was the city’s public square. It was dominated by the Basilike Stoa, a large Doric colonnade measuring 46 by 10 meters with ten central pillars. Rebuilt in the 1st century CE, this stoa contained a room dedicated to statues of the Roman imperial family.
A theater built in the 2nd century BCE lies on the slope below the main street. It could seat about 1,500 spectators and served both the city and visitors from nearby island communities.
The eastern end of the plateau held a sacred precinct with several religious sites. These included a grotto dedicated to Hermes and Heracles, the main temple of Apollo Pythios, and a 3rd-century BCE rock sanctuary honoring Egyptian deities. A gymnasium for young men, known as epheboi, was also present, with Roman-era baths added in the 1st century CE.
The garrison headquarters was an imposing structure at the end of the cul-de-sac, adjacent to a courtyard likely used as a gymnasium for soldiers. Officers lived in terraced peristyle houses with colonnades on the eastern slope, enjoying views over 300 meters down to the sea. Most residents lived on the plateau in houses built around small courtyards with cisterns. Some homes had two stories and basements.
Construction primarily used local limestone quarried from the mountain. Public buildings were built with large, regular stones, while private houses employed smaller, irregular stones. Wood was scarce and rarely used in construction.
Inscriptions found at the sanctuaries date from the late 9th to early 8th century BCE, representing some of the earliest examples of the Greek alphabet. These inscriptions include dedications to gods such as Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, and lesser deities associated with family and childbirth.
Archaeological finds include ceramics in geometric and orientalizing styles, Daedalic-style figurines from the 7th century BCE, and several kouroi statues from the late 7th to early 6th century BCE. The Apollo of Thera is a notable example. Many artifacts were recovered from burial grounds located below the city.
Two nearby caves served as additional cult sites. One cave may have been used for ritual purposes or as a refuse area, based on the presence of bone and food remains.
The site is accessible by a winding road from Kamari and footpaths from Perissa and the nearby Prophet Elias Monastery. It sits on a steep slope offering panoramic views of the Aegean Sea.