The island of Samos
Samos (Greek: Σάμος) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of
Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor,
from which it is separated by the 1.6-kilometre (1.0 mi)-wide Mycale Strait. It
is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only
municipality of the regional unit.
In ancient times Samos was a particularly rich and powerful city-state,
particularly known for its vineyards and wine production. It is home to
Pythagoreion and the Heraion of Samos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that
includes the Eupalinian aqueduct, a marvel of ancient engineering. Samos is the
birthplace of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, after whom
the Pythagorean theorem is named, the philosopher Epicurus, and the astronomer
Aristarchus of Samos, the first known individual to propose that the Earth
revolves around the sun. Samian wine was well known in antiquity, and is still
produced on the island.