Editing Chios (section)

===Archaic and Classical periods===
[[File:ISLANDS off IONIA, Chios. Circa 380-350 BC. AR Tetradrachm (15.32 g, 11h).jpg|thumb|ISLANDS off IONIA, Chios. Circa 380-350 BC. AR Tetradrachm (15.32 g, 11h)]]

Pherecydes, native to the Aegean, wrote that the island was occupied by the [[Leleges]],<ref>[[Strabo]] 14.1.3</ref> [[Pre-Greeks]] who were reported to be subjected to the [[Minoans]] on [[Crete]].<ref>[[Herodotus]] 1.171</ref> They were eventually driven out by invading [[Ionians]].

Chios was one of the original twelve member states of the [[Ionian League]]. As a result, Chios, at the end of the 7th century BC,<ref>Agelarakis A., "Analyses of Cremated Human Skeletal Remains Dating to the Seventh Century BC, Chios, Greece".  Horos: Ena Archaeognostiko Periodiko 4 (1986): 145–153.</ref> was one of the first cities to strike or mint coins, establishing the [[sphinx]] as its symbol. It maintained this tradition for almost 900 years.

In the 6th century BC, Chios' government adopted a constitution similar to that developed by [[Solon]] in [[Athens]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Murray |first=Oswyn |title=Early Greece |year=1993 |publisher=Fontana |location=London |isbn=0006862497 |page=188 |edition=2nd}}</ref> and later developed democratic elements with a voting assembly and people's magistrates called ''damarchoi''.<ref name="Grant, Michael 1989 p.149">Grant, Michael (1989). The Classical Greeks. Guild Publishing London. p.149</ref>

In 546 BC, Chios was subjected to the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]].<ref name="Grant, Michael 1989 p.149"/> Chios joined the [[Ionian Revolt]] against the Persians in 499 BC. The naval power of Chios during this period is demonstrated by the fact that the Chians had the largest fleet (100 ships) of all of the Ionians at the [[Battle of Lade]] in 494 BC. At Lade, the Chian fleet doggedly continued to fight the Persian fleet even after the defection of the [[Samos|Samians]] and others, but the Chians were ultimately forced to retreat and were again subjected to Persian domination.<ref>Herodotus, ''The Histories'' IV.15</ref>

The defeat of Persia at the [[Battle of Mycale]] in 479 BC meant the liberation of Chios from Persian rule. When the Athenians formed the [[Delian League]], Chios joined as one of the few members who did not have to pay tribute but who supplied ships to the alliance.<ref>Thucydides, ''Peloponnesian War'' 3.10.</ref>

By the fifth to fourth centuries BC, the island had grown to an estimated population of over 120,000 (two to three times the estimated population in 2005), based on the huge necropolis at the main city of Chios. It is thought that the majority of the population lived in that area.<ref>Merouses 2002 ch. 5, sect. 3</ref>

In 412 BC, during the [[Peloponnesian War]], Chios revolted against Athens, and the Athenians besieged it.<ref>Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 8.14-15</ref> Relief only came the following year when the Spartans were able to raise the siege.<ref>Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0247%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D16 8.16]</ref> In the 4th century BC, Chios was a member of the [[Second Athenian League]] but revolted against Athens during the [[Social War (357–355 BC)]], and Chios became independent again until the rise of [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]].