Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DELOS ΔΗΛΟΣ
The Cyclades fulfil their collective name ( kyklos - circle) by encircling the sacred island
of Delos ( 22890 22259; museum & sites adult/concession €5/3; 8.30am-3pm Tue-Sun) .
The mythical birthplace of twins Apollo and Artemis, splendid Ancient Delos was a
shrine turned sacred treasury and commercial centre. This Unesco World Heritage Site is
one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. Cast your imagination wide to
transform this sprawling ruin into the magnificent city it once was.
While many significant finds from Delos are in the National Archaeological Museum
in Athens, the site's museum retains an interesting collection, including lions from the
Terrace of the Lions (those on the terrace itself are plaster-cast replicas).
The island, just 5km long and 1300m wide, has no permanent population, so offers a
soothing contrast to Mykonos (though in highest summer many visitors throng to the is-
land). Overnight stays are forbidden and boat schedules allow a maximum of four hours
at Delos. Bring water and food; wear a hat, sunscreen and walking shoes.
The ticket office sells detailed Delos guidebooks, and Mykonos bookshops sell some
with reconstructions which are helpful for picturing the ruins as they were in their hey-
day.
History
Delos won early acclaim as the mythical birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis and
was first inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC. From the 8th century BC it became a
shrine to Apollo, and the oldest temples on the island date from this era. The dominant
Athenians had full control of Delos - and thus the Aegean - by the 5th century BC.
In 478 BC Athens established an alliance known as the Delian League, which main-
tained its treasury on Delos. A cynical decree ensured that no one could be born or die on
Delos, thus strengthening Athens' control over the island by expelling the native popula-
tion.
Delos reached the height of its power in Hellenistic times, becoming one of the three
most important religious centres in Greece and a flourishing centre of commerce. Many
of its inhabitants were wealthy merchants, mariners and bankers from as far away as
Egypt and Syria. They built temples to their homeland gods, but Apollo remained the
principal deity.
The Romans made Delos a duty-free port in 167 BC. This brought even greater
prosperity, due largely to a lucrative slave market that sold up to 10,000 people a day.
During the following century, as ancient religions diminished and trade routes shifted,
Delos began a long decline. By the 3rd century AD there was only a small Christian set-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search