We don’t know when the molten rock began to well up for the first time in the Nisyros area, or when the underwater foundations of the island began to be laid. The ancient Greeks certainly had a clear view as to both the time and manner in which the island was created:

«Πολυβώτης δε δια της θαλάσσης διωχθείς υπό του Ποσειδωνος ηκεν εις Κω. Ποσειδων δε της νήσου μέρος απορρήξας επέρριψεν αυτω, το λεγόμενον Νίσυρον.»

«Chased across the sea by Poseidon, Polyvotis arrived at Kos. But Poseidon snatched up a piece of the island and brought it crashing down on him. That piece is now the little island called Nisyros.»

Thus Apollodorus in his Library records the Greek myth recounting the island’s birth. More or less the same account is given by Strabo in his Geography when he mentions the island:

«They regard Nisyros as a piece of Kos. They relate the story of how Poseidon pursued one of the giants, Polyvotis, and tore up with his trident a piece of the island of Kos and hurled it at him. This fragment became the island of Nisyros, with the giant buried beneath it.»

A wonderful myth which reveals that our ancestors knew that Nisyros was a volcano and that its rocks were similar to those of south-western Kos. They also knew or felt that the frequent local tremors, accompanied by crashing sounds, which tormented the island in those days, were related to the same mechanism which had ctreated the island itself. The trapped energy of the molten rock and the hot steam under Nisyros were reincarnated as the giant Polyvotis, groaning and tossing in his underground prison.

Mythological origins etymology of the island's name.

The ancient Athenian scholar Apollodoros, an expert in Greek religion and mythology, describes the origin of Nisyros as outcome of the battle between Poseidon, god of the sea, and the giant Polyvotis, whom he pursued until he had come to the island Cos. Being unable to overtake his for, the god thrust his trident into Cos and hurled a part into him.(55)


Nisyros is the rock under which Polyvotis languishes, his occasional moans and sighs accounting for the eruptions of hot air and the tremors that shake the island from time to time 
(a similar myth is associated with the creation of Sicily; there Athena pursued the giant Encelados and hurled the rock is now the italian island on top of him).

While giving human form to the force of nature, the account also rationalizes the obvious geological affinities between Nisyros and the southern region of Cos. Thus the ancient Greek geographer Strabo considered Nisyros to be a “fragment of Cos”.

According to Eustathios of Thessalonika,(57), the name Nisyros is derived from the Greek words “neo”(to swim) and “syro”(to drag), which he takes as a reference to Polyvotis who swam the last few moments while bearing the rock of Poseidon on his back(58). It also be suggested that the island’s name is derived from “neas”(ships) and “syro”(to ply), and that the word has been corrupted from the original “Nesyros”(59).

Some contemporary scholars find the greek etymological justifications to be labored and instead consider the name Carian.(60)
The most plausible etymological connection, however, is with the islands Syros or (more likely) Saros, which lies just north of Carphatos: thus, one would have “NEA Saros”(new saros).

The prehistoric Carians and Cretans are known to have settled both Saros and Nisyros, furthermore, Saros is thought to have an ancient settlement called Nisyros,an indication of strong ties between these islands in early historical times.

From Pliny we learn that Nisyros was also known in antiquity as “Porphyris”, presumably on account of the red porphyry or murex shells from which phoenician textil dyes were made(61). Stephanos Byzantios says that the name Porphyris is derived directly from the greek name for phoenicians, which suggests a strong Phoenician presence there since early historical times (62); He also called the island “Istros”.(63)
Nisyrian author Lazaros Kontoveros, suggests “Porphyris” may refer to the red porphyry stone that abounds on Nisyros(64).

Some had argued that the name Nisyros itself is of Phoenician derivation, and means “lookout point”(65) or “fragment”(66); Dionysios Pyrrhos Thettalos adds “Cisseros”(pumice island) to the island’s ancient names(67).

The Franks and other european refered to Nisyros variously as Nisari, Nisaro, or Nisare(68); the Ottoman Turks called it “Incircli”(fig island)(69). The Italians who occupied Nisyros from 1912 to 1943 called the island “Nissari”(70).