Poros,
called Calaureia in ancient times, was the island of Poseidon, god
of the sea. This is evident from various literary references and
from the traces of the temple of Poseidon, which are to be found
in the middle of the island.
This fact may account for why Poros
was chosen to be the headquarters of an amphictyony (alliance) set
up in the 7th century BC whose members were seven cities. Subsequently,
the fortunes of Poros followed those of the other islands of the
Saronic Gulf. In the War of Independence against the Turks in 1821,
Poros fought alongside the other islands, and in 1830 became Greece's
first naval base.