The Classical period is considered to be the period of ancient Greek history, about 300 years, from 580 BC to 323 BC, during which Greece experienced a rapid blossoming of civilization. In this period Hydra, around 560 BC, initially came under the control of the Greek people. Hermionis until 525 BC and then, according to the historical testimony of Herodotus, it was purchased by Samius political fugitives, who fled Samos after a failed rebellion against the tyrant of Samos Polycrates. The Samians settled in the area of Vlychos and fortified the Acropolis of Vlychos. After some time the Samians clashed with the Aeginites, from whom they were defeated. After this defeat, they were forced to leave Hydra and go to Crete, where they built Kydonia, after having sold Hydra. to the Trojinians, who persistently sought its possession, mainly for reasons of cultivation and grazing of their sheep and goats. Hydra remained under the rule of the Trojinians until the 4th century BC.
In Classical times there is a reference by Stephen of Byzantium to a Hydra comedy writer named Evagis, who lived on the island of Hydra. Specifically, Stephen of Byzantium around 500 BC mentions: ‘Eugasis of Hydra was a comedy poet, as Dionysius in twenty-thirds of the history of music, and Eugasis was a shepherd, an illiterate and uneducated poet, but a good comedy poet’.
There is no information about the period of the Roman and Byzantine Empire on the island. This fact initially created the impression that Hydra remained uninhabited in Roman and Byzantine times. But the excavations in the area of “Episkopi”, testify that Hydra at this time, inhabited continuously, since there are traces of many settlements on the hill of Episkopi, which overlooks the Myrtoo Sea. These traces testify that there was an old settlement on the hill of Episkopi.
In Episkopi, but also in other parts of the island, ancient vases, golden Byzantine coins and bronze coins of various periods were found. In fact, in the location “Agios Andreas”, west, half an hour from the current town of Hydra and south of Vlychos at a distance of about 800 meters from it, piles of bronze Byzantine coins were found.
These findings testify and convince that the island was never uninhabited, that is, they testify that there were always even a few farmers and shepherds living on the island, until the island was settled by the Arvanites. It just seems that, due to frequent pirate raids, a number of its inhabitants had left the island, while the rest of the island’s inhabitants had retreated inland.
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