|  Precycladic
and Cycladic Period: Since olden times, the productive
evolution of Greek character is indebted to the assistance
Paros had to Grecian society. The ruins of monuments and
temples as well as the finds of antiques such as figurines
and tableware serve as spectators to the island's rich
history. The island's past even extends to Stone Age,
as proven by the Salianga excavations. The small island
in between Paros and Antiparos showed that there was a
settlement during the late Stone Age, about at the end
of the fifth and the beginning of the Fourth Millennium
B.C., which means ancient man has been treating Paros
as a cradle of civilization many millennia past.
Many of the earliest communities and burial places scattered across Paros were full of figurines of exquisite artwork that told a vivid story of a remarkable past civilization throughout the Precycladic and Cycladic period. Also, during the middle and final portions of the Cycladic period, Paros continued to grow in prominence despite the fact that the Minoan civilization of Crete subjugated the lands within the Aegean Sea at the time. Through the centuries, Paros had acquired many different names, Platia, Dimitrias, Minoa, Zakinthos, Kavarnis, Iliessa, Iria, and Minois. It obtains its current name from Paros, an Arcadian native who settled on the island along many other colonists.
Ionian Period: The Ionian Period was a time of pure opulence and progress. The Ionian's arrival and settlement in Paros turned the island into an affluent and influential Grecian superpower. Therefore, it became capable of establishing colonies on Propontis, the Adriatic, and Thassos. Moreover, Archilohos of Paros, a great poet alleged to be a contemporary of Homer that lived during the Seventh Century B.C., lived in Paros during this period that's widely considered the pinnacle of prosperous times.
Writings in Elita substantiate a supposed shrine dedicated to Archilohos in Paros. It was in this island that fellow Greeks went to adore the great poet. Furthermore, during this period, the creative life on Paros thrived and developed, as evidenced by the many sculptured decorations dating back to this affluent time. Those artifacts are currently being displayed in the Delion, Asklipion, and Parikia Museums.
The Classical Times, the Roman Period, and the Byzantine Years: The age of prosperity of Paros was not limited to the Ionian Period, and it even lasted the entire duration of the classical period. This was primarily because of the eminent Paros marble, which was renowned for its clean, pristine white color and smooth texture. Many a masterpiece of Old Grecian Art was made in this marble dug out from the olden Marathion quarry, such as the Afroditi of Milos and the Hermes of Praxitelis. Sculpturing masters like Aristion, Scopas, and Agorakritos helped the art of sculpture reach its peak during these creative and innovative times.
During the Fifth Century, the Greek island was conquered by the Ptolemeans, Macedonians, Thebians, Spartans, Athenians, and Persians one after another, but not necessarily in that order. Because of these unfortunate events, the time of Paros decline finally began. To make matters worse, the period of Roman occupation came immediately after, which went on until the founding of the Byzantine Empire. Once Fourth Century A.D. came, idolatry was eradicated and replaced with the Christian religion that steadily swept the whole island.
Modern Era: There was a decline in Paros's population during this period, leaving it virtually abandoned compared to its heyday many centuries past. This event also turned it into the perfect headquarters for the Pirates of North Africa to commence their reign of terror from thereon end. This disastrous point of history for the island was eventually followed by Frankish supremacy during 1207 to 1535 A.D. It was during this period that the erection of the Naousa, Kefalos, and Parikia castles happened.
Afterwards, in 1537, the dread pirate Barbarossa or "Red Beard" took hold of Paros after the fall of the Venetians. From there, it was brutally decimated to oblivion. In 1560, the island was occupied by the Turks, which led to its slow but sure recovery economy-wise because of the Turkish Sultan's religious dispensations. To wit, the established structural design of houses and churches during that period proved the Turk's contributions to Paros's revival from its dark ages.
During the Revolution of 1821, Paros took on an important role in the conflict; in fact, Paros's very own Manto Mavrogenous was one of the main characters of that particular revolution. Their freedom was again threatened during the the National Resistance against the Axis Powers and the 1940 Greek-Italian War. Amazingly, Greek civilization and culture—and Paros along with them—survived during those trying times and the overwhelming odds against them. This was actually owing to Paros's contributions in intelligence and recognizance.
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