Mitylene
or MYTILENE (mit-ile'ne), an island of the Grecian Archipelago of Asia Minor; between lat. 39° and 39° 20′ N., lon. 25° 50′ and 26° 35' E.; area, 276 square miles. Products, corn, wine, oil, cotton, pitch, and fruits.
Chief towns, Castro, or Mitylene, Molivo, and Culoni. Lesbos is said to have been peopled by the Pelasgians, who were followed by the Ionians and the AEolians. It was made a Roman province about 48 B. C.; and during the Middle Ages received the name of Mitylene from its chief city. Mohammed II. conquered it, and annexed it to the Turkish empire, in 1462. During the War of Independence, the Turkish and Greek squadrons :
MIZZEN fought a battle off Mitylene, Oct. 7, 1824, on which occasion the Turks were defeated and their fleet was destroyed.
Occupied by Allies in the World War.
Pop. about 185,000.