or Khíos
Island, Aegean Sea .
It lies 5 mi (8 km) west of Turkey and, with some adjacent islands, constitutes a department of Greece. Of volcanic origin, it is 30 mi (48 km) long and 815 mi (1324 km) wide with an area of 325 sq mi (842 sq km). It was noted in antiquity as Homer 's birthplace and the home of a school of sculptors. It was colonized by Ionian s but became subject to Persia in 546 BC. Though later a member of the Delian League , it revolted several times against Athens. It prospered successively under Rome, Venice , Genoa , and the Ottoman Empire; it passed to Greece after the Balkan Wars (191213). The city of Chios is the department's capital.