It would appear that the first settlers came from the Peloponnese around 3500-3000 BC building a suburb in the area of Colona, and the Temple of Aphaea. 

In the Early Bronze Age (2500-2000BC), the Aegean’s, a tribe similar to the Cretans came and settled on Aegina. They developed trading links with Attica, the Peloponnese, the Cycladic islands and Crete. This did not carry on for long as the Greek tribes arrived who were called the Acheans. This new civilisation was utterly wiped out, possibly by an unexpected invasion. 

The first recorded information about Aegina is the island’s conquest by the Doreans of Epidavros in 950 BC. They chose Aegina as their base from which to concentrate on the sea and trading and soon became very rich and powerful. They imported silver from North Africa, which was then used to exchange and to create the first coins, imprinted with the image of a turtle. 

Aegina gradually slipped into decline. The traders turned to money lending, and Aegina became a centre for borrowing, and the seeds of destruction grew.

After the battle of Salamis, Athens emerged as the Greek City-State, competing at all levels with the powerful Spartans and Corinthians. Nearby hostile Aegina, represented a potential threat, which had to be eliminated. When news reached Athens of an alliance between Aegina and the Corinthians, Athens attacked and captured both Aegina’s and the Corinthians’ fleet. After this, Athens decided to empty Aegina of its inhabitants and once again, Aegina fell silent.