Lesvos presents an original civilization bearing the stamp of authenticity and quality through its long history. The most characteristic and representative personalities of intellectual life who lived and worked in the island are :

Terpandrus ( 700B.C. ), poet and musician, he founded the ancient lyrical poetry and perfected the four-cord lyre into a seven cord one, Pittakos ( 648B.C. ) politician and one of the seven wise men of Ancient Greece, Arion ( 625B.C. ), a charismatic lyrical poet and ancient music player, Alcaeus ( 600B.C. ) one of the most known lyrical poet of ancient Greece, and finally Sappho ( 620B.C. ) one of the most famous ancient Greek poetesses, her poems are distinguished by stylistic elegance, passion and emotional depth , fact that gave her the characterization of the "tenth Muse".

Also, other significant personalities are Theophrastus ( 372B.C. ) philosopher and botanist - known as the father of botany- and Theophanes ( 100B.C. ), a significant historian, who accompanied Pompeii in his Minor Asia expeditions.

During the Roman-Byzantine period the intellectual life in the island continued thriving. Unfortunately during the years of the Turkish occupation, the cultural life declines but during the 15th century the center of spiritual life appears to the Monastery of Lemonas. Before the Greek Revolution of 1821, the personality of Veneamen the Lesvian is distinguished as the Nation's Teacher.

In the recent past- that is the last two centuries- the intellectual life in Lesvos flourishes with the presence of many significant personalities like Miltos Kountouras, Assimakis Panselenos, Stratis Myrivilis, Antonis Protopachis, Ilias Venezis, Argiris Eftaliotis, Stratis Anastassellis, Miltis and Thanassis Paraskevaedis, all of them significant writers, novelists, poets and historians.

We have to notice here that the Nobel-prize winner Greek poet Odysseas Elytis came from a wealthy Lesvian family. Even today - at the beginning of the 21st century- the local intellectual life is characterized by intense cultural activity and creation.