Salamis is mentioned in Homer's writings. Some sources say it was named after the nymph Salamis, according to legend the mother of Cychreus, the first king of the island. Another theory, that is supported by modern linguistics, considers "Salamis" to come from the root "Sal-" (meaning salty water) and "-amis" (meaning the middle); thus Salamis = (the place) amid salt water. During the Nazi German invasion of Greece in World War II, the harbor was bombed by the Luftwaffe on April 23, 1941, sinking the Greek battleships Kilkis and Lemnos.