During the 17th and the 16th century Psara was resided by people of ancient Thessaly and of ancient Evia, while prehistoric gravel tombs confirm the existence of people on the island already from earlier centuries. The island was named Psyra or Psyrii from the times of Homer, Strabo and Demosthenes. According to tradition, during the Greek Revolution, the Turk Pasha was furious because of the constant invasions made by the residents of Psara in the coast of Anatolia; the invasion of the residents of Ayvalik Islands is pretty famous. So he asked for a map, pointed Psara with his finger, scratched the spot above its location and said: “Am I afraid of this nit?”. However the history refuted him, since a large part of the Turkish navy was triumphed over by the brave people of Psara. Another version connects the word “Psara” with the color grey and the view of the island after the Holocaust on the 22^nd of June 1824. The island was under Italian occupation until 1912 and was liberated on the 21^st of October of the same year.