Samos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is near the coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) close to a piece of land called Trogyllium. The island sits southwest of the city of Ephesus and northwest of the city of Miletus. During the time when the apostle Paul lived, Samos was a wealthy trading center. The Roman Empire allowed Samos to govern itself rather than controlling it directly.
When Paul wanted to avoid going to Ephesus, he stopped his ship near Samos during his journey to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey. The Bible mentions Paul's stop at Samos between his visits to Kios and Miletus (Acts 20:15).