| Delos Δήλος |
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|---|---|
 Archaeological site of Delos |
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Island Chain: | Cyclades |
| Area:[1] | 40 km² (15 sq.mi.) |
| Highest Mountain: | Mt. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Kynthos (112 m (367 ft)) |
| Government | |
 Greece |
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| Periphery: | South Aegean |
| Prefecture: | Cyclades |
| Statistics | |
| Population: | 14 (as of 2001) |
| Density: | 0 /km² (1 /sq. South Aegean is one of the thirteen Peripheries of Greece. It consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese islands in the South Aegean Sea. The CYCLADES Packet switching network was an extremely influential French network system in the early 1970s similar to the ARPANET. mi. ) |
| Postal Code: | 841 xx |
| Area Code: | 22890 |
| License Code: | EM |
The island of Delos (Greek: Δήλος, Dhilos), isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The CYCLADES Packet switching network was an extremely influential French network system in the early 1970s similar to the ARPANET. Mykonos ( Greek: Μύκονος is a Greek island and a mass tourist destination renowned for its cosmopolitan character and its intense nightlife The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean; ongoing work takes place under the direction of the French School at Athens. The French School at Athens ( French: École Française d'Athènes (EfA; Greek: Γαλλική Σχολή Αθηνών) is one of the 17
Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister From its Sacred Harbour, the horizon shows the two conical mounds (image below) that have identified landscapes sacred to a goddess in other sites: one, retaining its archaic name Mount Kynthos,[2] is crowned with a sanctuary of Dionysus. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman
Established as a cult centre, Delos had an importance that its natural resources could never have offered. In this vein Leto, searching for a birthing-place for Apollo, addressed the island:
- Delos, if you would be willing to be the abode of my son Phoebus Apollo and make him a rich temple --; for no other will touch you, as you will find: and I think you will never be rich in oxen and sheep, nor bear vintage nor yet produce plants abundantly. Lētṓ ( Greek:, Λ&alphaτώ, Lato in Dorian Greek etymology and meaning disputed in Greek mythology, is a daughter of But if you have the temple of far-shooting Apollo, all men will bring you hecatombs and gather here, and incessant savour of rich sacrifice will always arise, and you will feed those who dwell in you from the hand of strangers; for truly your own soil is not rich. Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning "to make sacred" from Old French, from Latin sacrificium: sacr, "sacred"
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- —Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo
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History
Investigation of ancient stone huts found on the island indicate that it has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. It represents a period of time in which Imperialism, or the desire to conquer grew to prominence Thucydides identifies the original inhabitants as piratical Carians who were eventually expelled by King Minos of Crete [3] By the time of the Odyssey the island was already famous as the birthplace of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis. Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister Indeed between 900 BC and AD 100, sacred Delos was a major cult centre, where Dionysus is also in evidence as well as the Titaness Leto, mother of the above mentioned twin deities. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Lētṓ ( Greek:, Λ&alphaτώ, Lato in Dorian Greek etymology and meaning disputed in Greek mythology, is a daughter of
A number of "purifications" were executed by the city-state of Athens in an attempt to render the island fit for the proper worship of the Gods. The first took place in the 6th century BC, directed by the tyrant Pisistratus who ordered that all graves within sight of the temple be dug up and the bodies removed to perimeter locations. Peisistratus (sometimes transliterated Peisistratos Psistratus, Peistratus, Pesistratusor or Pisistratus, Greek: In the 5th century, during the 6th year of the Peloponnesian war and under instruction from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was purged of all dead bodies. It was then ordered that no one should be allowed to either die or give birth on the island due to its sacred importance and to preserve its neutrality in commerce, since no one could then claim ownership through inheritance. Immediately after this purification, the first quinquennial festival of the Delian games were celebrated there. [4]
| Delos* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party | Greece |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv, vi |
| Reference | 530 |
| Region† | Europe and North America |
| Coordinates | |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1990 (14th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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After the Persian wars the island became the natural meeting-ground for the Delian League, founded in 478 BC, the congresses being held in the temple (a separate quarter was reserved for foreigners and the sanctuaries of foreign deities. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Delian League was an association of approximately 150 5th-century BC Greek City-states under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue Events By place Greece Despite Spartan opposition Athens is refortified as well as rebuilt after the ) The League's common treasury was kept here as well until 454 BC when Pericles removed it to Athens. Pericles (also spelled Perikles) (c 495 – 429 BC Greek:, meaning "surrounded by glory" was a prominent and influential Statesman, orator [5]
Since 1873 the Ecole Française d'Athenes ("French School of Athens") has been excavating the island, the complex of buildings of which compares with those of Delphi and Olympia.
The island had no productive capacity for food, fiber, or timber, with such being imported. Limited water was exploited with an extensive cistern and aqueduct system, wells, and sanitary drains. Various regions operated agoras (markets). The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states The largest slave market in the larger region was also maintained here. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another
In 1990, UNESCO inscribed Delos on the World Heritage List, citing it as the "exceptionally extensive and rich" archaeological site which "conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port". United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex [1].
Landmarks
- The small Sacred Lake in its circular bowl, now dry, is a topographical feature that determined the placement of later features.
- The Minoan Fountain was a rectangular public well hewn in the rock, with a central column; it formalized the sacred spring in its present 6th century BC form, reconstructed in 166 BC, according to an inscription. The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC. Tightly-laid courses of masonry form the walls; water can still be reached by a flight of steps that fill one side.
- There are several market squares. The Hellenistic Agora of the Competaliasts by the Sacred Harbour retains the postholes for market awnings in its stone paving. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. The Agora of the Competaliasts is one of the main markets on the island of Delos, which dates to the last quarter of the 2nd century BC. Two powerful Italic merchant guilds dedicated statues and columns there.
- The Temple of the Delians is a classic example of the Doric order; a pen-and-wash reconstruction of the temple is illustrated at Doric order
- The Terrace of the Lions dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos shortly before 600 BC, had originally nine to twelve squatting, snarling marble guardian lions along the Sacred Way; one is inserted over the main gate to the Venetian Arsenal. The Doric order was one of the three '''orders''' or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or Classical architecture; the other two Canonical Naxos (in Greek, Νάξος) is a Greek island the largest island ( in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. The Venetian Arsenal (Arsenale di Venezia is a Shipyard and naval depot that played a leading role in Venetian empire-building The lions create a monumental avenue comparable to Egyptian avenues of sphinxes. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. A Sphinx is a Zoomorphic mythological figure which is depicted as a recumbent lion with a human head (There is a Greek sphinx in the Delos Museum. )
- The meeting hall of the Poseidoniasts of Beirut housed an association of merchant, warehousemen, shipowners and innkeepers during the early years of Roman hegemony, late 2nd century BC. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. To their protective triad of Baal/Poseidon, Astarte/Aphrodite and Echmoun/Asklepios, they added Roma. Ba'al (pronounced; Hebrew בעל (ordinarily spelled Baal in English is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Astarte (from Greek Ἀστάρτη ( Astártē) is the name of a Goddess as known from Northwestern Semitic regions cognate in name origin Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine In Roman mythology Roma was a Deity personifying the Roman State, or a Personification in Art of the City of
- The platform of the Stoibadeion dedicated to Dionysus bears a statue of the god of wine and the life-force. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman On either side of the platform, a pillar supports a colossal phallus, the symbol of Dionysus. The word phallus can refer to an erect Penis, or to an object shaped like a penis The southern pillar, which is decorated with relief scenes from the Dionysiac circle, was erected ca. 300 BC to celebrate a winning theatrical performance. Events By place Egypt Pyrrhus, the King of Epirus, is taken as a hostage to Egypt after the Battle of Ipsus The statue of Dionysus was originally flanked by those of two actors impersonating Paposilenoi (conserved in the Delos Museum). The marble theatre is a rebuilding of an older one, undertaken shortly after 300 BC.
- The Doric Temple of Isis was built at the beginning of the Roman period to venerate the familiar trinity of Isis, the Alexandrian Serapis and Anubis. The Doric order was one of the three '''orders''' or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or Classical architecture; the other two Canonical Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal mother and wife patron of nature and magic friend of slaves sinners Serapis (Latin spelling or Sarapis in Greek was a syncretic Hellenistic - Egyptian god in Antiquity. Anubis is the Greek name for a Jackal -headed god associated with Mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology.
- The Temple of Hera, ca 500 BC, is a rebuilding of an earlier Heraion on the site.
- The House of Dionysus is a luxurious 2nd century private house named for the floor mosaic of Dionysus riding a panther. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.
- The House of the Dolphins is similarly named from its atrium mosaic, where erotes ride dolphins; its Phoenician owner commissioned a floor mosaic of Tanit in his vestibule. In modern Architecture, an atrium (plural atria is a large open space often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows often situated within an Delphinus (dɛlˈfaɪnəs Dolphin) is a rather small (ranked 69th northern Constellation very close to the Celestial equator. Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun Tanit was a Phoenician lunar Goddess, worshiped as the Patron goddess at Carthage where from the fifth century BCE onwards her name is associated
Current population
The 2001 Greek census reported a population of 14 inhabitants on the island. The island is administratively a part of the municipality of Mýkonos.
Gallery
 The island of Delos, Carl Anton Joseph Rottmann, 1847 |
 The Lions' Terrace in Delos. Carl Rottmann ( January 11 1797 in Handschuhsheim – July 7 1850, Munich) was a German landscape painter and the most |
 House of Dionysus floor mosaic |
 Cyclades islands. The CYCLADES Packet switching network was an extremely influential French network system in the early 1970s similar to the ARPANET. Delos is near the middle |
See also
References
- ^ Basic Characteristics. The Delian League was an association of approximately 150 5th-century BC Greek City-states under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue The French School at Athens ( French: École Française d'Athènes (EfA; Greek: Γαλλική Σχολή Αθηνών) is one of the 17 Ministry of the Interior. www. ypes. gr. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great.
- ^ The combination -nth- is a marker for pre-Greek words: Corinth, menthos, labyrinth, etc. A name Artemis and even Diana retained was Cynthia. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, being associated with wild animals and woodland and also of the Moon.
- ^ Thucydides, I,8.
- ^ Thucydides, III,104.
- ^ Thucydides, I,96.
External links
- Hellenic Ministry of Culture site: Delos
- Perseus site: Delos
- EfA website with history of the Delos Archaelogical site (French)
- Delos Island on WikiMapia
- Official website of Municipality of Mýkonos (Greek)
- Delos is at coordinates Coordinates:
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