Milos Μήλος | |
|---|---|
      From the top to the left:Plaka; view of the island; abandoned sulfur mines;Klima; Church of the Dormination of the Theotokos; street above theArchaeological Museum | |
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  Milos | |
| Coordinates:36°41′N24°25′E / 36.683°N 24.417°E /36.683; 24.417 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | South Aegean |
| Regional unit | Milos |
| Seat | Plaka |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 150.6 km2 (58.1 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 751 m (2,464 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Municipality | 5,302 |
| • Density | 35.21/km2 (91.18/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 848 00, 848 01 |
| Area code | 2287 |
| Vehicle registration | EM |
| Website | www |
Milos orMelos (/ˈmiːlɒs,-loʊs/;Modern Greek:Μήλος,romanized: Mílos,IPA:[ˈmilos];Ancient Greek:Μῆλος,romanized: Mêlos) is a volcanicGreek island in theAegean Sea, just north of theSea of Crete. It is the southwestern-most of theCyclades islands.
Sculptures from Milos include theVenus de Milo (now in theLouvre), thePoseidon of Melos (now in theNAMA), theAsclepius of Milos (now in theBritish Museum),[2] and an archaicApollo now inAthens. Milos is a popular tourist destination during the summer. Themunicipality of Milos also includes the uninhabited offshore islands ofAntimilos andAkradies. The combined land area is 160.147 square kilometres (61.833 sq mi)[3] and at the 2021 census the population was 5,193 inhabitants.
Obsidian (a glass-like volcanic rock) from Milos was a commodity as early as15,000 years ago.[4] Natural glass from Milos was transported over long distances and used for razor-sharp "stone tools" well before farming began and later: "There is no early farming village in theNear East that doesn't get obsidian".[5] The mining of obsidian did not lead to the development of permanent habitation or manufacturing on the island. Instead, those in search of obsidian arrived by boat, beaching it in a suitable cove and cutting pieces of the volcanic glass from the quarries.[6]
The position of Milos, between mainland Greece andCrete, and its possession of obsidian, made it an important centre of earlyAegean civilisation. Milos lost its arms-making importance whenbronze became the preferred material for the manufacture of weapons.[7]
The first settlement atPhylakopi (Greek Φυλακωπή) arose in theBronze Age, flourishing as the extraction of obsidian was in the decline. The first settlers weretuna fishermen.[6] Lying on the north-east coast, 1896 excavations by theBritish School at Athens and later in 1973 by the British archaeologistColin Renfrew,[8][9] revealed a town wall and aMinoan-inspired structure, dubbed the Pillar room, which contained fragments of vivid wall paintings. The famous fresco of the flying fish[10] was found in the ruins of the Pillar room and was executed with delicate colouring and graphic observation of nature in the graceful movement of a fish. Stylistic similarities to Minoanfrescoes are suggested, and it could perhaps have been the work of a Cretan artist.[11] Part of the site has been washed away by the sea.
The antiquities found at the site covered three major periods, from the EarlyCycladic period to theMycenaean period. At the site much pottery was excavated, with several changing styles and influences over the site's long occupation. In the early occupation of the site, there are many similarities and imports from other Cycladic islands and the settlement was very small. During theMiddle Bronze Age however, the site expanded significantly and the expansion of Minoan Crete saw an influx of Minoan pottery into the Cyclades, particularly atAkrotiri onThera, though much found its way to Phylakopi. The quantities found at the Cycladic sites have been taken to suggest a Minoan control over the region, though it could also be the consumptive nature of the islanders adopting Cretan fashions. There is more than just pottery at Phylakopi however, the eruption of the Thera volcano saw a reduction in Minoan presence in the Cyclades and it is at this time that Mycenaean involvement on the islands increases. At Phylakopi (and unknown in the rest of the Cyclades) amegaron structure, which is typically associated with the Mycenaean palaces, such as those atTiryns,Pylos andMycenae has been discovered. This has been taken to suggest that the Mycenaeans conquered the settlement and installed a seat of power for a governor. The evidence is not clear, though again it could be a legacy of the islanders adopting foreign elements into their culture. Particularly unexpected was the discovery in the 1970s of a shrine at the site, which contained many examples ofAegean figurines, including the famous "Lady of Phylakopi". The shrine is unprecedented in the Bronze Age Cyclades and has provided a valuable insight into the beliefs and rituals of the inhabitants of Phylakopi. The site was eventually abandoned and was never reoccupied.
The first Dorian settlement on Melos was established no earlier than the 1st millennium BC.Dorians are the ethnic group to which theSpartans belonged, but the Dorian settlers of Melos made themselves independent. They eventually established a city whose site lies on the eastern shore of the bay, just south-west of the present-day community ofTrypiti.
From the 6th century BC up to the siege of 416 BC, Melos issued its own coinage, struck according to theMilesian weight standard: the base coin was thestater which weighed just over 14 grams.[13][14][15] Melos was the only island in the Aegean Sea to use this standard.[16] Most coins bore the image of an apple, which is a pun because the ancient Greek word for "apple" (mêlon) sounded similar to the name of the island.[17] The coins also often bore the name of its people: ΜΑΛΙΟΝ (Malion) or some abbreviation thereof.[18]
By the 6th century BC, the Melians had also learned to write, and they used an archaic variant of theancient Greek script that exhibitedCretan andTheraic influences. It was discarded after the siege of 416 BC.[19]
| Α | Β | Γ | Δ | Ε | Ϝ | Ζ | Η | Η | Θ | Ι | Κ | Λ | Μ | Ν | Ξ | Ο | Π | Ϻ | Ϙ | Ρ | Σ | Τ | Υ | Φ | Χ | Ψ | Ω | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laconia (Sparta) |  |  |  |  |  |   |  | – |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | – |   |   |  |  |  |   | (φσ) | – | |
| Attica (Athens) |  | |  |  | | | | – | | | | |  |  | | (χσ) | |  | – |  | | | | | | | (φσ) | – |
| Melos |  |  |   | | | – | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | (κϻ) |  | |  | | | – | |  | (πh) | (κh) | (πϻ) | |
From at least as early as 470 BC and ending with the siege of 416 BC, the Melians exportedterracotta reliefs, which were typically used as door or chest ornaments and depicted scenes from mythology.
During thesecond Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC, the Melians refused to submit toPersia and contributed two warships to the Greek war effort, which were used at theBattle of Salamis.[20] After the battle, the Melians returned to their traditional isolationism.[21]
During thePeloponnesian War (431–404 BC) between Athens and Sparta, the Melians made some small donations to the Spartan war effort,[22][23] but remained largely neutral despite sharing the Spartans'Dorian ethnicity. In 426 BC, the Athenians raided the Melian countryside, and the following year demanded tribute,[24] but Melos refused. In the summer of 416 BC, Athens invaded again with 3,400 men, and demanded that Melos ally with them against Sparta, or be destroyed. The Melians rejected this, so the Athenian army laid siege to the city and eventually captured it in the winter. After the city's fall, the Athenians executed all the adult men,[25] and sold the women and children into slavery. They then settled 500 of their own colonists on the island.[26]
In 405 BC, with Athens losing the war, the Spartan generalLysander expelled the Athenian settlers from Melos and repatriated the survivors of the siege.[27][28] Sparta annexed Melos, which would mean that like other liberated islands, it received a military governor (aharmost).[29] The cultural distinctiveness of Melos faded away as it was absorbed into mainstream Greek culture.[30] Their coinage switched to the Rhodian standard[31] (tetradrachms weighing 15.3 g[32]) and ceased bearing the word ΜΑΛΙΟΝ. The production of itsterracotta reliefs also ceased.
In 338 BC,Philip II of Macedon defeated the Greeks at theBattle of Chaeroneia and became theoverlord of Greece and theCyclades. During this time, Melos and the nearby islandKimolos disputed each other over the ownership of the islands ofPolyaigos, Heterea, and Libea (the last two are probably today's uninhabited islands ofAgios Efstathios and Agios Georgios). In the past, this dispute would have been settled by war, but the two communities took their dispute toArgos on the Greek mainland. TheArgives decided the islands belonged toKimolos.[33]
In 197 BC, theRomans forced Philip V to withdraw from Greece, and Melos subsequently came under Roman influence.
During the early 9th century CE theCyclades were harassed byArab raiders, though how Milos fared at this time is unclear. Milos was mentioned in aByzantinechrysobull of 1198, which shows it was still important to the Byzantines.[34]
In the aftermath of theFourth Crusade (1204), theVenetianMarco Sanudo seized control of Milos and a number of other islands in theCyclades. Sanudo declared himself theDuke of Naxos, after the island where he established his capital. Sanudo did not make his duchy a vassal of Venice, but instead declared loyalty to theLatin Emperor.[35] Sanudo's dynasty lasted nine generations, then was succeeded by theCrispos. Both families wereCatholic. The majority of the population was (and still is)Greek Orthodox.
Up to this point, the population of Melos was overwhelmingly Greek Orthodox Christian, just like the rest of the archipelago. When the Venetians conquered the archipelago, they brought Catholicism with them. The first Catholic bishop of Milos was appointed in 1253.[36]
In 1566 the Venetians handed over the Duchy of Naxos to theOttoman Empire, and its last Catholic duke fled to Venice. The Ottoman sultanSelim II appointed aPortuguese Jew namedJoseph Nasi as its duke. Upon Nasi's death in 1579, the Ottomans formally annexed the territory.[37]
In the early 18th century, the population surpassed 6,000[38] and was almost entirely Greek and Christian. It was ruled by a Turkish judge orkadi, and a Turkish governor orvoivode. Thevoivode was responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing the decisions of thekadi. The day-to-day affairs of the island were managed by three elected magistrates (epitropi), although any of their decisions could be appealed to thekadi. The island had twobishops: one Greek Orthodox and one Latin Catholic. The Greek bishop was wealthier than his Latin counterpart, as he had a larger revenue base. Although the islanders enjoyed a great degree of autonomy, they chafed under the heavy taxation of their Ottoman overlords.[39][40]
In 1771 the island was occupied by theRussian Empire for three years, then retaken by the Ottomans.
In the late 18th century, the population declined considerably for uncertain reasons.[41] By 1798, it had fallen below 500 people.[42] Visitors reported that up to two thirds of the buildings had fallen into ruin. It began growing again in the early 19th century, reaching 5,000 people by 1821.[43] Reliable figures are hard to find as the Ottoman Empire never performed acensus before 1881.
Milos was one of the first islands to join theGreek War of Independence of 1821. The first naval battle of the war took place off the coast of Milos on 11 April 1821.[44] Milos became a refuge for refugees from numerous islands, particularly Crete. The port town ofAdamantas was founded by Cretan refugees from theCretan Revolt in 1841.[45][46]
WhenTheodore Bent toured the island in December 1883, note-taking for his guide to the Cyclades, he found that "There is a lack of energy nowadays in Melos, forSyra monopolises all the trade that once came here, and the Cretan exiles refuse to cultivate as they ought the fertile centre of the island, for they are only awaiting a favourable turn in events to return to their own island…"[47]
During the 19th century, Milos was a major rendezvous point for American and British ships fighting Muslim pirates in the Mediterranean.[citation needed]
In February 1943, 14 male civilians wereexecuted for collecting material owned by theGerman occupation forces that was washed up after the sinking of a cargo ship by Allied aircraft.[citation needed]
The population peaked in 1928 at 6,562 people.[48] In 2011 it was 4,977.
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Milos is the southwestern-most island in the Cyclades, 120 kilometres (75 miles) due east from thecoast of Laconia. From east to west it measures about 23 km (14 mi), from north to south 13 km (8.1 mi), and its area is estimated at 151 square kilometres (58 sq mi). The greater portion is rugged and hilly, culminating in Mount Profitis Elias 748 metres (2,454 feet) in the west. Like the rest of the cluster, the island is ofvolcanic origin, withtuff,trachyte andobsidian among its ordinary rocks. Volcanic activity began 2 to 3 million years ago during thePliocene, and last erupted 90,000 years ago during thePleistocene, and is considered to still be adormant volcano that could erupt again. The naturalharbour is the hollow of the principal crater, which, with a depth diminishing from 70 to 30 fathoms (130–55 m), strikes in from the northwest so as to separate the island into two fairly equal portions (see photo), with an isthmus not more than 18 km (11 mi) broad. In one of the caves on the south coast, the heat from the volcano is still great, and on the eastern shore of the harbour, there are hotsulfurous springs.[49][50][51]
Antimelos or Antimilos, 13 miles (21 km) north-west of Milos, is an uninhabited mass of trachyte, often called Erimomilos (Desert Milos). Kimolos, or Argentiera, 1.6 km (0.99 mi) to the north-east, was famous in antiquity for itsfigs andfuller's earth, and contained a considerable city, the remains of which cover the cliff of St. Andrew's.Polyaigos (also called Polinos, Polybos or Polivo — alternative spelling Polyaegos) lies 2 km (1 mi) south-east of Kimolos. It was the subject of dispute between the Milians and Kimolians. It is now uninhabited.
The harbour town is Adamantas; from this there is an ascent to the plateau above the harbour, on which are situatedPlaka, the chief town, andKastro, rising on a hill above it, and other villages. The ancient town of Milos was nearer to the entrance of the harbour than Adamas, and occupied the slope between the village ofTrypiti and the landing-place atKlima. Here is a theatre ofRoman date and some remains of town walls and other buildings, one with a finemosaic excavated by theBritish school at Athens in 1896. Numerous fine works of art have been found on this site, notably theAphrodite inParis, theAsclepius inLondon, and thePoseidon and the archaicApollo in Athens. Other villages includeTriovasalos,Peran Triovasalos,Pollonia andZefyria (Kampos).
Milos has aMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification:Csa) with mild, rainy winters and warm to hot dry summers.[52]
| Climate data for Milos | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.6 (70.9) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.6 (78.1) | 28.4 (83.1) | 35.4 (95.7) | 44.0 (111.2) | 41.0 (105.8) | 39.8 (103.6) | 36.3 (97.3) | 32.0 (89.6) | 27.8 (82.0) | 23.4 (74.1) | 44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.8 (58.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 22.8 (73.0) | 27.1 (80.8) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 25.2 (77.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 18.0 (64.4) | 14.6 (58.3) | 20.3 (68.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) | 10.7 (51.3) | 12.1 (53.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 19.3 (66.7) | 23.5 (74.3) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.6 (76.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 18.5 (65.3) | 15.3 (59.5) | 12.3 (54.1) | 17.4 (63.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 9.6 (49.3) | 12.4 (54.3) | 15.9 (60.6) | 19.8 (67.6) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.6 (70.9) | 19.6 (67.3) | 16.1 (61.0) | 13.1 (55.6) | 10.3 (50.5) | 14.8 (58.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) | −2.0 (28.4) | 0.0 (32.0) | 5.4 (41.7) | 8.0 (46.4) | 10.0 (50.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11.6 (52.9) | 8.0 (46.4) | 2.8 (37.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | −2.0 (28.4) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 74.7 (2.94) | 50.6 (1.99) | 47.2 (1.86) | 20.5 (0.81) | 13.1 (0.52) | 3.3 (0.13) | 0.3 (0.01) | 1.4 (0.06) | 5.8 (0.23) | 42.9 (1.69) | 60.7 (2.39) | 90.3 (3.56) | 410.8 (16.17) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.8 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 9.0 | 46.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 73.3 | 72.5 | 72.0 | 67.0 | 63.5 | 58.8 | 60.1 | 63.4 | 66.8 | 71.3 | 73.9 | 73.7 | 68.0 |
| Source: NOAA[53] | |||||||||||||
Bentonite,perlite,pozzolana and small quantities ofkaolin are actively collected viastrip mine oropen-pit mine techniques in Milos and sold all over the world. In the past,baryte,sulfur, millstones andgypsum were also mined;Pliny the Elder notes that Milos was the most abundant source of sulfur in the ancient world.[54] In ancient times thealum of Milos was reckoned next to that ofEgypt (Pliny xxxv. 15 [52]). The Melian earth was employed as apigment by ancient artists. Milos was a source ofobsidian during the Neolithic ages for the Aegean and Mediterranean.
Orange,olive,cypress, tamarisk, juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) andarbutus trees grow throughout the island, which, however, is too dry to have any profusion of vegetation.Vines,cotton, andbarley are the main crops.
Almost all of the uninhabited western region of Milos is aNatura 2000 site and is home to over 800 differenttaxa, including 35 which areendemic to Greece. In anethnobotanical survey of Milos, numerous native and cultivated species were described as being used to treat a variety of conditions and for other purposes such asinsect repellents, disinfectants, and to protect against theevil eye.[55] The most frequently reported species wasGreek sage. Local historical records of medicinal plant use date back to the 16th century.
Shōdoshima,Kagawa,Japan (1989)
| Year | Island population |
|---|---|
| 1798 | 500[42] |
| 1812 | 2,300[56] |
| 1821 | 5,000[43] |
| 1907 | 5,393[57] |
| 1928 | 6,562 |
| 1991 | 4,380 |
| 2001 | 4,771 |
| 2011 | 4,978 |
While a lesser-known island within the extremely popularCycladesarchipelago, Milos has grown in popularity as a vacation destination in the past several decades. With its traditional Greek architecture, slower pace compared toSantorini andMykonos, and varied beaches.[58]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Melos".Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
| Regional unit ofAndros |  | |
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| Regional unit ofKalymnos | ||
| Regional unit ofKarpathos-Kasos | ||
| Regional unit ofKea-Kythnos | ||
| Regional unit ofKos | ||
| Regional unit ofMilos | ||
| Regional unit ofMykonos | ||
| Regional unit ofNaxos | ||
| Regional unit ofParos | ||
| Regional unit ofRhodes | ||
| Regional unit ofSyros | ||
| Regional unit ofThira | ||
| Regional unit ofTinos | ||
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