The history and geography of the Cyclade and the Greek Island of Naxos with a section on Naxos Eyes.


INDEX
Architecture, Cycladic style Ariadne Dates Dionysus Geography Herodotus	History of the Cyclades History of Naxos Homer Kapiris Links Naxos Eyes	Minotaur Naxos Eyes Pausanias The Portara Theseus
A tourist's view of Naxos

For an interactive map showing a few of the historical sites on Naxos click HERE. This is located on the Greek cultural web-site - well worth a browse around.

Apart from we tourists, Naxos is known to most people through the myth of Theseus. In the time of the myth, the Mediterranean was dominated by Crete and the Minoan kingdom centred round the historic site of Knossos. Athens was a client city state of Crete and was forced to send tribute of seven maidens and seven youths who were sacrificed to the Minotaur - the result of a mating between Pasiphae, wife of Minos, king of Crete, and a bull. A wooden, cow-like contraption had been constructed by Daedalus for Pasiphae to arrange herself in to satisfy her unusual cravings for the attention of a bull. One such mating resulted in her falling pregnant and, eventually calving the Minotaur, half bull and half man. Judging by his propensity for disguising himself as such a beast the odds are that her inseminator was Zeus. Her husband was a bit ashamed of her offspring and so called on the ubiquitous Daedalus to help him out by building a home for the poor child which he did, creating the labyrinth. Into this the tribute youths and maidens would be released each year and those who did not immediately fall prey to the Minotaur's various appetites, wandered the labyrinth unable to find their way out. Theseus, the king of Athens' son (For a beautiful retelling of this story try Mary Renault's "The King must Die" and "The Bull from the Sea") wanting to put an end to the wanton destruction of the flower of Athens' youth, took the place of one teenager drawn by lot and went off to Knossos. As luck would have it, Ariadne, the beauteous daughter of Pasiphae and Minos - no cow-headed monster, she - immediately fell in love with this tall, clean-limbed, young Greek. Needing no help in slaying the Minotaur, a mighty warrior he, for getting out of the labyrinth he had much need of the "clue" of string she managed to give him. Unraveling it as he went in, he had but reravel it to find his way out. Then she and he embarked on a speedy ship and set sail for Athens. At this point I get this story mixed up with that of Jason, fleeing in a similar fashion. Whose lover cut up their brother and threw the bits astern so that the pursuing father stopped to gather the pieces thus expediting their escape? I've just looked it up and it was Medea, I'm glad to say, who behaved in this way as Ariadne is, otherwise, a very sympathetic character. They escaped from their pursuers, in one version a storm blew them off course but also confounded Minos. They landed on Naxos where Theseus - for some reason - sneaked away leaving Ariadne asleep on the tiny islet of Palatia. She, obviously, was distraught when she awoke but comfort was not far away in the shape of the handsome god, Dionysos. For more click. Theseus sailed home to Athens but, absent-mindedly - give him the benefit, perhaps he was questioning himself over the abandonment of Ariadne - forget the code he had arranged with his father. White sails meant all was well, black - the original colour borne by the tribute ship - meant he had perished. He left up the black sails and his father, in despair, threw himself from the cliffs were he was waiting, watching for the return of his son.

Naxos' first inhabitants are thought to have been Thracians, later joined by the Cares (Karian, Carean) who named the island after their King, Naxo, the son of Endymion (was this the same Endymion who was cup bearer to the gods?). Another suggestion, witness to the wealth of the island throughout most of its history, is that the name came from "nax ae" - the generous sacrifices offered to the gods. Many finds (tools, statues etc.) reveal the remarkable prehistoric civilization of that era. Homer mentions Naxos under the name "Dia" but the island had many other names over the years (Dionysus, Strogili (because of its shape), Tragia etc.). Later Cretans, Phoenicians and lonians settled on the island. Monuments from that era are the ruins of the temple of Apollon (Portara) on the small island (Palatia) at the entrance of the port, as well as the two Kouri (at Apollonas and at Melanes). The Sphinx of Naxos can be seen in Delphi. The Naxiots fought many battles with their arch-rivals, the Miletians from Asia Minor. A few stones from a castle of Delion from this period can be found near The Chora. A story is that a Naxian princess, Polykrites, fled to this fortress when the Miletians attacked Naxos only to have a captain of her enemy fall in love with her. He turned traitor and let her have the movements of his comrades allowing her to triumph in battle - a battle in which he, in fact, was killed. She, then, rapidly pined away, outliving him by but a day. She was proclaimed a heroine of Naxos.

In Naxos the Cycladic civilization developed, proof of which are the characteristic Cycladic idols, famous all around the world, which even today inspire artistic creation in jewellery, sculpture etc. The Cycladic civilization was succeeded by the Athenian and the next inhabitants of Naxos were Athenians. During that era Naxos had a great cultural and financial growth. Of course, such a rich and fertile island was bound to have many enemies as well as many conquerors: Persians, Macedonians, Romans - during whose era, St John the Apostle sent a ministry from Patmos to convert the island to Christianity. Later, Naxos joined the Byzantine empire that built many defenses on this rich and strategic island..

During the 13th century, the island was conquered by the Venetian Marcos Sanoudos. He created the Grand Duchy of Naxia, capital of which was Naxos and containing several of the other islands in the area. He built a powerful castle (the Castro) in Naxos town consisting of seven towers. The Venetians were replaced by the Turks, who under the leadership of Barbarossa (I haven't found out if this was the leader of the corsairs operating out of Morocco. Certainly he shouldn't be confused with Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman emperor) conquered and plundered the island. The Turkish sovereignty lasted until 1821 when the island revolted and finally became a member of the Greek state in 1832.

The Archeological Museum is housed in a home where Nikos Kazantakis, the author of Last Temptation of Christ, Zorba the Greek, Freedom or Death, Christ Recrucified, The Fratricides, etc., studied as a child.

Over the last two centuries the men and women of Naxos have played an important part in the history, politics and culture of Greece, including Petros Protopapadakis, the planner of the Corinth canal and Minister of Economics (1922). His statue can be seen near the port.

All I could find was a couple of stanzas referring to the birth of Zeus giving various sites including Naxos but, finally, settling on Crete and that he refers to the island as Dia and the following quote: "Then I saw Phaedra, and Procris, and fair Ariadne daughter of the magician Minos, whom Theseus was carrying off from Crete to Athens, but he did not enjoy her, for before he could do so Diana killed her in the island of Dia on account of what Bacchus had said against her. " Homer, translation by Samuel Butler. So this is yet another version of the conclusion of the Ariadne/Theseus story.

Greeks, clients of the Persian King of Kings, Darius, tried to add the islands in the Aegean Sea to the Persian Empire but they fail to capture the most important and very wealthy island, Naxos. This would have been in the closing years of the 6th century BC. At the start of the offensive that led to the Battle of Marathon, a few years after the above, a Persian fleet of 600 vessels sails into the Aegean. Their first target was Naxos, the island that Artaphernes' father had once tried to occupy. It offered no resistance to the Persian fleet, which soon subdued almost every island in the Aegean Sea. Exiled Naxians then try to retake the island but had to give up after a 4 month siege. Naxos, in classic times had a population near to 120,000 something like ten times what it was in 1970. Its importance and wealth can be seen in that they were able to put an army of 8000 in the field at this time. It was said that "Naxos was an island not indeed large in size, but fair nevertheless and of fertile soil, as well as near to Ionia, and that there was in it much wealth and many slaves."

Just a few mentions in Pausanias. Not much of interest. A king of Ionia and fratricide, Promethos, fled to the island and died there, Athenians were settled there in the 4th century by the admiral, Tolmides, the graves of the children (the giants Otos and Ephialtes of whom Homer says "They were the tallest and best-shaped of all earthly creatures except the famous Orion") of Iphimedia lie there. These beings, it is suggested by Pindar, are the origins of the Kouroi of Naxos.

The Cyclades have been inhabited since at least 7000 BC, and there's evidence that Milos' obsidian (volcanic glass used to create sharp blades) was being collected as early as 7500 BC. The Cycladic seafaring civilisation appeared in around 3000 BC. During the Early Cycladic period (3000-2000 BC) there were settlements on Keros, Syros, Milos, Naxos, Sifnos and Amorgos. It was during this period that the famous Cycladic marble figurines were sculpted.

Many of the islands were occupied by the Minoans in the Middle Cycladic period (2000-1500 BC); a Minoan town has been excavated at Akrotiri on Santorini. The Cyclades were taken by the Mycenaeans at the beginning of the Late Cycladic period (1500-1100 BC), and the Dorians followed in the 8th century BC.

Most of the Cyclades joined the Delian League in 478 BC, and by the middle of the 5th century the islands were members of a fully fledged Athenian empire. In the Hellenistic era (323-146 BC) the islands fell under the control of Egypt's Ptolemies and, later, the Macedonians. In 146 BC the islands became a Roman province and trade links were established with many parts of the Mediterranean, bringing prosperity to the Cyclades.

After the division of the Roman Empire into western and eastern entities in 395 AD, the Cyclades were ruled from Constantinople. Following the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, the Franks gave the Cyclades to Venice, which in turn parcelled the islands out to opportunistic aristocrats. The most powerful of these nabobs was Marco Sanudo (self-styled Duke of Naxos), who acquired Naxos, Paros, Ios, Santorini, Anafi, Sifnos, Milos, Amorgos and Folegandros.

The islands came under Turkish rule in 1537 and became neglected backwaters, prone to pirate raids. The labyrinthine, hilltop character of their towns dates from this period, as the mazes of narrow lanes were designed to confuse invaders. The impact of piracy led to massive depopulation; in 1563, only five out of 16 islands were still inhabited.

In 1771 the Cyclades were annexed by the Russians during the Russian-Turkish War, but were reclaimed by the Ottomans a few years later. The Cyclades' participation in the Greek War of Independence was minimal, but they became havens for people fleeing islands where insurrections against the Turks had led to massacres. During WWII the islands were occupied by the Italians.

The fortunes of the Cycladic islands have been hugely revived by the tourism boom that began in the 1970s. Until that time, many islanders lived in abject poverty and many more gave up the battle and headed for the mainland in search of work.

The Cyclades are scattered across the southern Aegean Sea between the Peloponnese and Turkey, trickling down towards Crete and bordered by the Saronic Gulf Islands to the west and the Dodecanese to the east. The group is made up 39 islands and many more islets, but, today, only 33 have a pouletion of any sort. The major destinations are Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Folegandros, Ios, Kythnos, Little Cyclades, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros and Tinos. Santorini is the southernmost island, Andros the furthest north and Amorgos the most easterly, and the Cyclades' historic core is the ancient site of Delos, lying off Mykonos. Naxos and Andros are the largest and most fertile islands, while Anafi and the Little Cyclades are little more than clumps of rock dotted with tiny, depopulated villages.

When looking down over the town, I am always struck by the "Greekness" of it - it is only recently that I've realised what that Greekness consisted of. The difference from Northern townscapes is mainly in the lack of sloping roofs and that there are no curves in the domestic buildings. There are straight lines everywhere, the houses all little white boxes with, typically, blue doors and shutters. Standing out are the churches with their domes of summer-sky blue. And, with luck, the stringent building regulations should keep the islands looking thus for the foreseeable future. Architects, such as Kapiris, build their hotels in this Cycladic style - white-painted, archways, low rise - for example the Proteas or the Nissaki. The law will not allow the growth of high rise, "luxury" hotels that have spoiled so many places around the world; On some islands the rules are even more strict, limiting the maximum height to 4.5 metres and occupying only 150 sqms and proscribing the look of the finished building. Outside of designated areas, the minimum plot size must not be less than, about, 1 acre. Saying that, there are innumerable small hotels being built all over Naxos. Every visit the coast villages have spread a little further. It seems, if you own a plot you can build on it. I fear that the number of rooms available now outnumber the visiting tourists - and they, I think, will get less all the time. For Greece is no longer a cheap option and Naxos, in particular, seems expensive. Prices for most things compare to other European countries and, in fact, eating out can be more expensive than some. Now that the sensible nations in the EEC share the same currency I feel that the number of German tourists, particularly, will drop drastically as they see the real cost of their holiday, paying in Euros and not with fistfuls of drachmas. And what will the Greek answer be to the drop in visitors and the subsequent drop in revenue? Why, exactly the same as a British solution - hike the prices and so start a downwards spiral - less tourists, raise the prices, even less tourists, even higher prices ... and so on.

You may have noticed that new buildings in Greece rarely seemed to be completely finished. one reason for this was that a floor was not built until the sons and daughters were married and needing a place of their own so the house was then finished to accommodate them. The other, more cogent reason, was that (and I'm not sure whether this law is still in place) council tax was not charged on a house while it was still under construction - so reinforcing steel cables were uncut, left sticking out of the roofs, because that meant the house was not finished! Or some other such trick.

An island approx. 12 miles long by 8 wide; the largest of the Cyclades shaped like an elm leaf. Distance from Piraeus variously given as between 94 and 106 nautical miles. We have no opinion, never having measured it but it takes about six and a half hours by ferry with a stop at Paros. Population about 16,000.

There have been few Greek Island I have visited (about 26) that compare scenically with Naxos - Corfu, Tilos, Ios before the 18/30 invasion, perhaps. Naxos has variety, from the kilometres of sandy beaches through the verdant plains of Livadia, to the mountains. There are shady streams and tiny waterfalls, olive groves, plane trees and some lanes that could be in Kent. The island has a coherence that makes it alive. Everywhere there is oleander flowering away in pinks and whites, yellow and red poppies, jasmine, morning glories, scented broom, heather making some of the mountain scenery reminiscent of Scotland. Small fields of vines pop up here and there. The foothills are terraced although many of them have fallen out of cultivation. Other things Naxos produces: Cherries; cheese; nuts; pomegranates; oil; corn; figs; oranges and a variety of vegetables

Winters are never too cold in the Cyclades and snowfalls are rare, though they've been known to happen: Naxos has had snow on the Paralia within the last ten years and Aperanthos quite often sees it. The islands lie right in the path of the July-August meltemi, a strong northerly wind that sweeps across the eastern coast of mainland Greece and the Cyclades. It does provide a welcome respite from the heat, but can mess with everything from ferry schedules to beach umbrellas. Conditions can also be blowy in March and October. Most rainfall is received October-May, and in summer there can be water shortages. Winter lows can average 12°C (51°F), and summer averages are 30°C (85°F) and upwards. In 2002, after a winter of heavy rain, the reservoirs were full, however, so the story goes, someone pressed a wrong button or turned the wrong wheel, thus emptying all that precious water to the sea. Still, when we were there in October, the rain storms over three days must have re-filled them and then some!

Apart from farming the usual olives, lemons and vines and fishing, Naxiots for many years made a living by selling seed potatoes - grown on the fertile Livadi plain - to the rest of Greece. For this reason, Naxos has not been as dependant as other islands on tourism. Of course this is changing now - tourism is perceived as less back-breaking and less risky than farming.

Zas (altitude 1004 metres, if you're interested) is claimed to be either the highest or second highest mountain in the Cyclades - depending on the island you happen to be visiting. Another disputed claim is that the large cave on Zas was the birthplace of Zeus, Crete, for one, quarrels with this. The cave was the centre of the cult worship of Dionysos (Latin, Bacchus). Below the caves are the atmospheric Aria springs. There are several other, smaller caves on Naxos at Kaloritsa; Sangri; Kako Spileo; Koronos; Gennisis; Engares.

Whole sides of mountains have been blasted away to obtain marble which was valued in the ancient world only behind that found on Paros. An interesting short visit should be made to one of the marble factories where you can see the water cooled saws slicing the huge blocks of marble - amongst the heaps of waste outside you should be able to find a slab to take home to use, say, as a cheese board. Nobody seems to mind. Another valuable produce of Naxos, was until very recent times, emery - which is, if my memory serves, the second hardest, naturally occurring mineral after diamond. One of the museums at Aperanthos is dedicated to the variety of minerals and precious and semi-precious stones found on Naxos - just across the road from the bus stop.

There are garden-like regions, centred on running water, that can be found at Engares, Melanes and Potamia.

The eye is part of a seashell found on the beaches of Naxos already shaped and polished by the sea and sand. Takis, a jeweler on the island, had the idea, about twenty years ago, of using them in jewelry. A modern myth grew up that they brought luck but only if given away as a gift. Each year since we heard about them we have, sporadically, searched the beaches but with no luck - until, just the other year. We walked onto one deserted beach, Mikri Vigla, after a storm and I, immediately, found one and then another. In an hour or so, we found, between us, twenty - quite appropriately as that was the number of years we had been going to Naxos.

We had some of them made up into pendants to give to friends and relations. So, If you find one, give it away and may it bring your recipient luck.

~~www.estovest.org/letture/homerbaltic.html~~ a mad site that argues the Odyssey was really set in the Baltic and identifies Naxos with the island of Bornholm, situated between Poland and Sweden, where the town of Neksø still recalls the ancient name of the island. (Sorry, this site is now defunct - pity. One of the search engines might locate it for you if it has been reborn under different address).