Prehistoric to Classical Age
Kos was inhabited from the very early Bronze Age (2900-2100 BC) as the prehistoric tombs and the findings in Asklupi and in the White Stone cave prove. Pelasgi, Kares and Leleges were the first inhabitants. Phoenicians and Achaeans passed through Kos as well. We can also find relics of the Mycenaean Era or the later Bronze Age (1600-1150 BC).
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The Hellenistic Period
The Hellenistic period is the brightest period in Kos' history. In the creation of the new city (366 BC) a lot of marble monuments were built such as the sanctuary of Hercules, Pandimou and Pondias Aphrodite, the Market, the Gymnasium, the Stadium, the Theatre, the Altar of Dionysus and the Acropolis. The relics of these monuments were brought to light by the diggings of Italian archeologists.
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The late Hellenistic & Roman Period
Kos prospered during the late Hellenistic period. Elegant buildings such as the conservatory, the Casa Romana, the Vespasiani ("Nimphea"), the Thermes with it's rich mosaics, all demonstrate the luxury in which the citizens of the island lived. The harbour of Kos never stopped being the centre of transit trade.
The Byzantine Period
Despite the earthquakes and the incursion, mostly by the Arabs, the island managed to prosper. That is why Efstathios the archbishop of Thessaloniki (12th century) wrote: "If Kos is not enough to satisfy your hunger than neither is Egypt". During the first half of the 7th century Kos was governmentally part of Byzantine domination, maybe the Kivireoteon.
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