Mythology
The island was called Metapontida or Egli as a tribute to the Nymph who gave birth to the Three Graces there. Another version is that Symi took its name from the princess of Rhodes, who eloped here with the god Glaucus since her father, the king, did not approve their marriage.
Glaucus, who is considered to be the first resident of Symi, was a great swimmer and shipbuilder and he taught these abilities to the inhabitants of the island. Another myth, according to Diodorus Siculus, says that the first who inhabited Symi was Chthonius, the son of Poseidon and Symi, when he was exiled from Dotius from Thessaly, settled on the island and gave it the name of his mother.

Ancient & Modern History

The first inhabitants of the island were probably people from Asia Minor and later Minoans.
Symi always belonged to Rhodian territory. Only for a relatively small period during the 5th century BC it fell into the hands of the Athenians.
It remained under Roman rule for a long time and later became part of the Byzantine Empire until 1309 when it was conquered by the Knights of St. John of Rhodes, who realizing the prime location of the island, helped it achieve a long period of prosperity, connected with the development of commerce, marine navigation, sponge fishing and shipbuilding.
In 1522 it fell into the hands of the Turks. Since then, the conquerors followed one another and it was only on March 7th 1948, that the Union of the Dodecanese islands with Greece became official.