Delos was the size, first as a religious center and then as a bustling commercial port. In exchange, has been glorified, praised and destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed again, a rich history, which lasted several hundred years.
Archaeological excavations have confirmed that the island was during the second half of third millennium BC, the remains of a prehistoric village of round huts and small, is inhabited by fishermen and pirates, located at the top of Mount Kynthos(112.60 m). Thus, the first residents enjoy the security situation, both at sea and the valley of the investigation. We have no way of knowing with certainty who they were, perhaps, KARES, came from Asia Minor, as indicated, the historian Thucydides, although not scientifically proven. It is also probable that the inhabitants of Minoan Crete visited the island. After the first settlement was abandoned before the Mycenaean period (about 1600 BC),with the other islands of the Cyclades, with no sign of human presence was found on Delos.
Later, during the second half of the second millennium came the Mycenaeans, and passed through the door. After the fall of the Mycenaean world, because of the Dorian invasion (c. 1100 BC), the ions had many Aegean islands and along the east coast of the Aegean, bringing the cult of Apollo at Delos was also presented, and seventh century BC, Delosthe head of all religious sanctuary of the Ionian Sea and religious holidays are wonderful, and observations on a regular basis.
The first ion sought to impose its authority in the sanctuary of Delos, were Naxians in the seventh century BC, built a series of buildings and offers many were consecrated to God are Naxians Oikos of the Colossus of Naxos and the famous terrace Lions, the famous. During the second halfBritish Columbia in the sixth century, Paros, another nearby island has an important role in the affairs of the temple for some time. In the same century, shortly after 540 BC, Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens was also involved in the management of the site because of an oracle, and ordered a "purification", ie removal of all the monuments around the shrine of the tomb . The tyrant of Samos, Polycrates, including himself Delos truly interested and committedRheneia the neighboring island of Apollo, Delos, add the letter with a heavy chain.
During the Persian Wars, Persians respected the Apollo of Delos, the sanctuary and its inhabitants. One year after the war ended in 479, based on the sea of Athens, a league (the Delian League, which later became known as the first Athenian Confederation) was an alliance between Athens, on the one hand, and the Ionian cities and the Aegean islands, on the other sideHead of Delos. The target of this alliance to create a united defense against the Persians, but in fact, WAS the means by which the Athenian hegemony in the Aegean and control of the entire sanctuary of Delos. Alliance members were required to pay annual dues and funds are placed in the temple of Apollo on the island. Athens was then the undisputed champion, so that the operation of the sanctuary was worried that hisManagement in the hands of caregivers of Athens, Amphictiones. As the birthplace of Apollo and the seat of the League of Nations, Delos in a leadership position in the greek world. The faithful in every part of worship in the temple to make offerings and Delia, the party 's 426 years a. C., held every four years to go in honor of Apollo, including sporting events, horse racing and cars, music competitionsended with games and banquets. But in 454 BC BC, the Athenians moved the pool in Athens, the new headquarters of the Alliance, and considerably weaken the role of Delos. In addition, according to Athens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War was the plague, and was considered a sign of the wrath of Apollo, and then (or, as an excuse), Athens has decided in a second phase of cleaning 'Island: the tombs of Delosopen, with the exception of a few who were considered sacred, and the bones and funerary objects were transferred in a common grave near the island Rheneia. A law now prohibits the births and deaths on the island sacred. Therefore, pregnant women and death were made immediately Rheneia. The explanation is simple: if a person is not born in a place, or their ancestors were buried there, if his roomlike home, can still claim as theirs. This is exactly what the Athenians were looking for men of Delos. In 422 s. C., the cleaning is finished when the Athenians expelled all Adramytion Delians cities of Asia Minor, on the pretext that they are "dirty" and where the Persians, many of them killed. The survivors then go to Delos by the Athenians to be guided by the oracle of some alarmDelphi.
After the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC, Delos enjoyed a brief independence until 394 BC when the Athenians recovered possession. Later, with the dominant Macedonians under Philip II, then under Alexander the Great, Delos became part of the Macedonian sphere of influence. In 314 a. C. The island became independent, is not neutral, but as it was once a member of the Alliance a new island again, under the direction of Ptolemy I.Egypt. During its independence until the year 167 a. C. Noble and decided Hieropes local sanctuary of Delos. Round III century BC Confederation dissolved, but Delos had already started to become an important commercial center, particularly in cereals. The sanctuary continues to gain followers, but trade is more important.
port infrastructure was built and the public and private banks have been created. In 166 BC, the Romans,to neutralize not only in retaliation against Rhodes for his positions in favor of the Macedonians, but also a dangerous rival, "said Delos a free port, the withdrawal of all necessary means to pay. The island was higher than that of the Athenians and were all native Delians Achaea exile never to return. The Athenians were masters not only of the sanctuary, but the whole island, which is now regarded as his special field. Thanks for the state of the franchise in developed countries DelosHead of International Centre for Trade Exchange of the eastern Mediterranean. It 'was also the largest slave market in Greece. This, together with the destruction of both Corinth and Carthage in 146 BC, Delos took the arrival of wealthy merchants, bankers and tycoons port of Athens and other parts of Greece, Italy Egypt, Phoenicia, Syria , Palestine and Asia Minor, who have built their businesses and built their luxurious villas here. In its wake are artists, sculptors,Painter, mosaic crafts, etc. Of course, these foreigners are with them all their customs and cultures, and, of course, brought their religions. The first synagogue outside of Palestine, then, was built here. Shrines and temples were dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, Serapis, Anubis, Horus (as Harpocrates). Others were built in the Syrian goddess Atargatis and Hadad, the Semitic god Baal and Sin-Zebul. Delos was truly multiethnic and multicultural societywhere nothing was acceptable. Money is the new God and the people lead a life of luxury in abundance. Most products are imported, including a variety of foods, such as small island. It is said that at its peak in the second century BC Delos was ^ d of 2-50 people. However, no existing data to check for Those Who done and is very likely that this figure is actually very different. However, the fact is thatGreeks, especially Athenians represented one third of the total population, one third were Italian, mostly from the south, and the rest from different parts of the eastern Mediterranean. People of all races and religions coexist in harmony in this paradigm of a community.
However, this was the proverbial paradise is not going to last forever. In 88 a. C. Mithridates, king of Pontus, which is (the reign of the Black Sea), was at war with Rome, and remained faithful to Delosit, increasing its army on the island and sacked. Twenty thousand people were killed by Pausanias, who was prone to exaggeration. He repeated the following year by Silas Delos was returned to Athens. The city was partly rebuilt, but in 69 BC, was destroyed, this time Athenodorus by pirates, who were the allies of Mithridates. After the attack, had left the Roman Gaius Triarius a defensive wall built to resist any new attack, but wasis too late: Delos is no longer a safe haven. Traders, who had fled the sack 's now 88 years running the safest destinations. new ports in Italy (Ostia, pozzolana) and the Middle East Delos. Moreover, the pirates of the Aegean Sea began to frequent attacks The island once thriving community now has a smaller and much less than what was put in place was inhabited the remains of a luxury villas time to do so. An example of how things areDuring the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the first century of the comics, the Athenians put men on Delos, the island for sale, but found no buyers. There was at that time few people left the island.
At the end of the third century a small Christian community, a presence here, and prevailed when Christianity was a diocese in the control of the islands of Delos Kea, Serifos, Kythnos, Mykonos, Syros y. The remains of a Christian basilica of Saint-smallQuirico this period (5th century AD). The last inhabitants left the island in the sixth century and Synekdimos (prayer book) written at the time, is like a mockery Delos Delos (not to mention the apparent "assisted) by the Byzantines, Slavs and Saracens (which is a written in Arabic on the south side of the Stoa of Philip), then in 1207, with all the islands of the Cyclades, Delos fell to the Venetians, after the occupationConstantinople by the crusaders of the Fourth Crusade the Venetians in 1204 has quickly become one of the feudal lords of Mykonos. In 1329, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and a brief visit to the island. In 1566, Delo was captured by Turks, and since then Become a refuge for pirates During the 17th century, many European travelers visited the island, the removal of marble and leave us the stories and drawings of ruins.
FinallyIn 1827, after independence from the domination turkish Delos was established in Greece. For years, it remained uninhabited Delos, Tinos, Mykonos and the people, building materials were available, and created career. The monuments on the sea, as the sanctuary was looted and destroyed, because the transport of materials was much easier, while the tallest buildings have been preserved in a much greater extent.The French school has started the systematic excavations in 1873 and between 1904 and 1914, most of the ancient city uncovered. Work is still ongoing.
All the old town have been excavated in Greece, Delos best preserved and one that was revealed in its entirety, with its ports, markets, theaters, sports hall, stadium, fighting arenas, temples and shrines, and district private dwellings. The ruins of Delos isthe largest archaeological site in Europe, and next to Athens, Olympia and Delphi, which constitute one of the most important archaeological sites of ancient greek world.
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