THE ISLAND HISTORY
Much of the magic that is Greece lies in the names of the islands. Many of these sun soaked jewels of the Aegean were named after the gods of Greek Mythology. Silver Island is no exception.
In the ages now gone by and shrouded in magic and folklore, Silver Island was known as Deucalion – a semi God.
Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha were credited in Greek mythology as being the re-creators of the human race after a great flood; their story has certain parallels with the story of Noah's Ark.
This is the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha. Zeus, ruler of Olympus, god of gods and men, and god of the weather, was angry with Prometheus, the god of fire. Deucalion was the son of Prometheus.
The use of fire had been the privilege of the gods alone, but Prometheus had given this gift to a human whose inadequacy to handle it had turned humans evil and wicked.
Zeus became angry with Prometheus and all humans and thus decided to create a terrible storm to end the human race on earth. But Prometheus intervened and Deucalion and Pyrrha (daughter of Pandora) were chosen by him to recreate the human race.
They made and provisioned a great Ark from Silver Island, where they lived and rode on the fury of the storm, sailing for nine days and nights and found themselves on Mount Parnassos.
It was here that they gave thanks to Zeus for their deliverance and they made an offering to Zeus and asked that a new generation be born. Whilst doing this they heard a voice commanding them to "cast the bones of their mother over their shoulders" – the stones of mother earth. They do as the voice commanded and all the stones that Deucalion threw became men and the stones Pyrrha threw became women and so mankind was reborn.
The modern day Greek word for people is "Laos" which is derived from "Laas" the ancient Greek word meaning pebble and stems from the myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha. It is said that Helen was born of the union of Deucalion and Pyrrha and that all kings and queens and noble people of Greece are their direct descendants by union.
In the Greek Encyclopaedia and in numerous references, Silver islands latitude and longitude are listed and confirmed as Deucalion and the little island a few hundred meters off the north of Silver island, as Pyrrha. It is also thought that the temple of Demeter may be found in the peninsula called Agios Demetrios some 900 meters North of the island.
There is a magical feeling continuously bestowed on all when visiting Silver Island, and we believe, albeit surrounded by magnificent scenic beauty, this is attributed to the mythology of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the Adam and Eve of Greek Mythology.
THE CHURCH
There is a small church close to the Main House on the island. The patron saints of the church are Cosmas and Damian. These saints were venerated as Unmercenary Physicians (Greek: ἀνάργυροι, anargyroi, "without money"). This classification of saints is unique to the Eastern Church and refers to those who heal purely out of love for God and man, strictly observing the command of Jesus: "Freely have you received, freely give." («Δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε...» Matthew 10:8) While each of the Unmercenaries have their own feast days, all are commemorated together on the first Sunday in November, in a feast known as the Synaxis of the Unmercenary Physicians.