Cephalonia, the largest Ionian island

Cephalonia (Kefalonia) is the largest Greek island of the Ionian Sea in Greece.

The island received its name from the mythical hunter Cephalus, son of the god Hermes and the princess Herse. Cephalus went into exile after accidentally killing his wife Procris while hunting. There he met Amphitryon, the king of Athens, and offered him his help in the war against the original inhabitants of Cephalonia.

After the victory, Amphitryon gave the island to Cephalus. Four of Cephalus' sons, Sami, Pronoi, Pali and Krani, gave their names to the four cities of Cephalonia, which were independent republics and had their own currency. For this reason, the island was also called Tetrapolis (four cities) in ancient times. These four cities can still be found in Kefalonia today.