The mastic product, a unique world ranged privilege of `Chios land`, has marked decisively the economic, political, traditional and social life of the island. The word `Chios` became a synonym of the word mastic. This product, which also is first between products that have a long history -the eldest historical notice comes from Herodotus (5th century B.C.)- has been related to mores, customs, traditions and generally to the way of life of the people from the East (Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Persia etc.). The history and the use of this product figures in classic eras. Theophrastus, Plinius, Dioscurides, Galen, Hippocrates refer to mastic and specifically to its therapeutic qualities. The intensity and the extension of the mastic tree growth for commercial exploitation seem to begin at the time of the torment of Saint-Isidoros (14th may 250A.D.). We conclude to this prospect, in our effort to interpret, according to tradition, the relationship between the torment of Saint-Isidoros and the pearly teardrops of mastic. `The mastic trees, eyewitnesses of the torturous death of the saint, have been watered with his blood and hallowed miraculously to give this fruit of his pain`. This of course stands as the Christian theory interpretation of this phenomenon, since mastic, as we will see further down, was known formerly to doctors and alchemists of antiquity. (...)
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Ο Χρίστος Μπελλές γεννήθηκε στη Χίο. Είναι διδάκτορας Ιστορίας (Βυζάντιο-Φραγκοκρατία) με πλούσιο συγγραφικό και ερευνητικό έργο. Διδάσκει στο Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης.
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