Delos Island History: Carians and Phoenicians were most likely the first residents of Rinia island. Traces of a prehistoric settlement (3rd millennium BC) have been found at the top of Mt. Kynthos. Mycenaeans arrived here at the end of 15th century BC and settled in the valley. The mythical king of Delos, Anius, was a Mycenaean, a son of Apollo and the Nymph Rhoeo. Around 700 BC.

Homer described the grand celebrations taking place at the sanctuary of Apollo in Delos, including dances, hymns, athletic and musical competitions which gathered crowds from all Ionian centers. The existence of sanctuaries of Apollo and Artemis, Leto and Hera in Delos is reported as early as the archaic years. Using certain prophesies of the Delphi Oracle for political reasons, the goddess Athena imposed her power on Delos and marginalized Paros and Naxos, which had attempted to do the same due to their geographic affinity with Delos. Athenians even proceeded to “cleanse” the sacred land Delos of tombs around the sanctuary of Apollo.

During the Persian wars Delosremained intact, as even the Persians recognizes the sacredness of the land. After the definitive Persian defeat, Athenians founded the First Athenian Alliance or Delian League, with its treasury on Delos. However, as early as 454 BC, during the Golden Century of Pericles, the treasury was moved to Athens. During the Peloponnesian war, according to Thucydides, Athenians completes the unholy task of “cleansing” Delos, transferring all the remains and burial objects from Delian tombs to a mass grave in neighboring Rinia. As a matter of fact, the entire population of Delos, was banished to the shores of Asia Minor, where most met with tragic deaths. At the same time Athenians established the Delia, grand festivities to honor Apollo every 5 years. Delos was declared independent by Antigonus and Demetrius I of Macedon as a religious center of the Islanders’ Common (314-166 BC). Throughout the Hellenistic period stately buildings were built and decorated with hundreds of statues. After Macedonian defeat the Romans bequeathed Delos to the Athenians who, once again, banished Delians and brought Athenian residents in their place. Delos was deemed and independent, tax-exempt port by the Romans in order to financially eradicate Rhodes. This brought rapid economic growth to Delos; wealthy merchants and businessmen settled, and they built grand buildings and luxurious mansions. It is estimated that in 90 BC more than 30000 people (!) from all corners of the Mediterranean lived on Delos. The invasions of Mithridates (88 BC) and Athenodorus (69 BC) marked the end of prosperity for the sacred island, which was gradually abandoned in the years following the Mithridatic wars.

Delos Mythology

Delos island Mythology: One of the lovliest myths is connected with these two small islands southwest of Mykonos, Delos and Rinia. Zeus turned into a quail to pursue Leto, who had also taken the form of a bird to avoid the harassing god. When Zeus impregnated her with Apollo and Artemis, Leto wandered in search of a safe place to give birth, since the cheated Hera had banned Leto from giving birth abywhere “under the sun”.

Leto’s first stop was the small island of Rinia, west of Delos island, then, according to a version of the myth, she gave birth to Artemis, the goddess of children and animals. Right after she was born, Artemis helped her mother to cross the other island which had just emerged from the depths of the sea. The name of Delos at the time was Ortyghia (island of quails) and, according to myth, it was none other than Asteria, sister of Leto, who was also trying to avoid Zeus by taking the form of a quail. As he pursued her, though, she fell into the sea and became a rock. The floating island of Delos was beyond Hera’s power; in fact , the cheated goddess restricted Eileithya, goddess of childbirth, to Olympus. With the intervention of goddesses Themis, Amphitrite, Rhea and Dione, Eileithya approached the floating island (Delos)and helped Leto give birth to Apollo after laboring for nine days and nine nights, leaning on a palm tree at the banks of the river Inopos. Zeus himself watched the birth of his son from the top of Mt. Kynthos. After the birth it was Zeus or Poseidon, according to another version, who fastened the floating rock to the bottom of the sea, thus “adelos” (invisible) Ortyghia became Delos (visible, manifest). The moment the god was born the earth’s laughter flooded Delos with golden light, a symbol of the cosmic powers coming together in the archipelago to produce one of the most important civilizations in the history of mankind.

Delos Sightseeing

Delos sightseeing: Daily excursion boats often connect the Hora of Mykonos with the sacred island of Delos. Delos is inhabited only by the guards and overnight stays on the island or on boats are not permitted. The entireisland is considered one of the most significant archaeologicalsites in the country, and the world.

The excursion boat will take you to the location of the ancient port, on the west coast of Delos and across from Rinia. Next to the dock, the open slated square is the Agora of Competaliasts of Hermaists (2nd century BC). You will see the commercial Stoas of Philip the 5th and the kings of Pergamum, as well as the Sacred Way leading to the three temples of Apollo, the “treasuries” (buildings housing the offerings of different cities) and the city’s administrative buildings (parliament, prytaneum). Behind the prytaneum is the sanctuary of the Bulls, a peculiar elongated building imparted by Demetrius I of Macedon, built in 300 BC apparently to house a trireme. North of the sanctuary is the only portico (stoa) of non-commercial nature. It is the stoa of Antigonus Gonatas, 120m long, where the votive offerings of Macedonians were housed. Across the eastern exit of this portico is the Archaeological Museum, housing an exceptional collection of statues from the Archaic to the Later Hellenistic era. North of the portico you will see the sanctuary of Leto, the Agora of the famous Avenue of the Lions, a row of Naxian marble lions, the Sacred Lake, where, according to myth, Apollo was born, and the lake district where two palaestras (wrestling arenas) were, a bit further east you will see the hippodrome and the stadium. The wealthiest neighborhood of Delos is south of the port. This is where the dwellings of affluent merchants were, in many of which exceptional floor mosaics have survived and whose depictions are responsible for the names of the dwellings, thus we have the “house of Dionysus”, the “house of Dioskourides and Cleopatra”, the “house of Triaina”, of “the Dolphins”, and the “house of Masks”. The Hellenistic theater is also in this district, on the slope of Mt. Kynthos; last but not least, the templets of non-Greek deities extend to the top of the hill, dedicated to Serapis, Isis, Syrian and Egyptian gods, and some smaller temples dedicated to Kynthios Zeus, Kynthia Athena, Hera, the Cabeiri and Artemis.

How to get to Delos island

Delos & Rhenia Islands