A short history of Vis In an area where, from one side, a series of islands start to appear making the eastern Adriatic coast so special, and on the other, the open sea extends including the Strait of Otranto, we can find the island of Vis. This exceptional geographical location comprises fertile fields in the island's interior and a large number of fish in the surrounding sea, and has attracted people for many years. Already in the early Stone Age, Vis was a meeting point for navigation routes, of peoples of various origins and of a variety of cultures. This has been the main characteristic of Vis' history since ancient times until the present day.
The combative Illyrian seamen had been impeding the Greek invasions into the Adriatic for centuries, especially on its eastern coast. At the same time this meant a lack of written historical sources regarding these areas and about Vis as well. This silence of ancient chronicles was broken only by the notes of the half legendary Illyric ruler of Vis, Jonije, who ruled over this island at the end of 6th and at the beginning of 5th centuries BC. It is considered that the close Ionian Sea received its name from powerful Jonije too.
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