This name, Dia, which means 'heavenly' or 'divine', was applied to several small craggy islands in our [Aegean] sea, all of them lying close to larger islands, such asCrete or Naxos. The name "Dia" was even transferred to the island of Naxos itself, since it was more widely supposed than any other to have been the nuptial isle ofDionysus.[2]
One legend has it that in the Heroic Age before theTrojan War,Theseus abandonedAriadne on this island after she helped him kill theMinotaur and escape from theLabyrinth.Dionysus (god of wine, festivities, and the primal energy of life) who was the protector of the island, met Ariadne and fell in love with her. But eventually Ariadne, unable to bear her separation from Theseus, either killed herself (according to the Athenians), or ascended to heaven (as the older versions had it). The Naxos portion of the Ariadne myth is also told in theRichard Strauss operaAriadne auf Naxos.
Thegiant brothers Otus and Ephialtes figure in at least two Naxos myths: in one,Artemis bought the abandonment of a siege they laid against the gods, by offering to live on Naxos as Otus's lover; in another, the brothers had actually settled Naxos.
It is also said that the sea godPoseidon was passing by Naxos whilst driving his chariot on the sea surface and is where he first laid eyes on his future wife, thenereidAmphitrite as she was dancing there.
Neolithic finds from the Zas cave: jewelry, pottery, tools; archaeological museum of Naxos
Zas Cave, inhabited during theNeolithic era, contained objects of stone fromMelos and copper objects including a dagger and gold sheet. The presence of gold and other objects within the cave indicated to researchers the status of the inhabitant.[7]
Emery was exported to other islands during that time.[8]
Naxos was the first Greekcity-state to attempt to leave theDelian League circa 469 BC; Athens quickly quashed the notion and forcibly removed all military naval vessels from the island's control. Athens then demanded all future payments from Naxos in the form of gold rather than military aid.
Pope Martin I was detained on the island of Naxos for almost a year after he was arrested by Byzantine authorities in Rome due to his holding of a synod that condemnedmonotheletism. He was held on the island prior to being taken to Constantinople for trial. While detained on the island, he wrote to a certain Theodore living in Constantinople.[11]
In Byzantine times, the island's capital was on the southern fortress of Apalyres.[12] During this time, it suffered fromSaracen raids, particular during the existence of theEmirate of Crete (824–961), to which the island occasionally paid tribute. Traces of Muslim artistic influence are visible in frescoes from the 10th century.[12] Nevertheless, as in Antiquity, Naxos was celebrated for its agriculture and animal husbandry; the 12th-century geographeral-Idrisi records extensive cattle raising on the island.[12]
In the late 12th century, it may have been the capital of a short-lived thema of the "Dodekanesos".[10]
The Duchy of Naxos and other Frankish states, carved from theByzantine Empire, as they were in 1265.[13]Sanudo tower, part of the Duchal PalaceBelonia tower
In the aftermath of theFourth Crusade, with aLatin Empire under the influence of the Venetians established atConstantinople, theVenetianMarco Sanudo conquered Naxos and most of the other Cyclades in 1205–1207.[10] Of all the islands, only on Naxos was there any opposition to Sanudo: a group ofGenoese pirates had occupied the castle between the end of Byzantine rule and Sanudo's arrival. To steel his band's resolve, Sanudo burnt his galleys "and bade his companions to conquer or die". The pirates surrendered the castle after a five weeks' siege.[14]
Naxos became the seat of Sanudo's realm, known as the "Duchy of Naxos" or "Duchy of the Archipelago".[10] Twenty-one dukes in two dynasties ruled the Archipelago, until 1566; Venetian rule continued in scattered islands of the Aegean until 1714. Under Venetian rule, the island was called by its Italian name,Nasso.
The Sanudi introduced Western feudal law to the island, based on theAssizes of Romania. However, the native Greek population continued to useByzantine law for civil matters at least until the late 16th century.[10]
In the 13th century, following the capture ofAntalya andAlanya on the southern Anatolian coast by theSeljuk Turks, refugees from these areas settled in Naxos.[12] In the 14th century, the island was once more exposed to raids, this time from theAnatolian Turkish beyliks, chiefly theAydınids. In turn, the Sanudi assisted the Genoese in capturingChios in 1304 and theKnights Hospitaller in theirconquest ofRhodes in 1309, in order to stop these islands being used as Turkish pirate base. Nevertheless, raids against Naxos are recorded in 1324 and 1326, and in 1341,Umur of Aydın carried off 6,000 people from the island and imposed a payment of tribute. Two years later, however, theSmyrniote crusade captured his main port,Smyrna.[12]
TheOttoman administration remained essentially in the hands of the Venetians; the Porte's concern was satisfied by the returns of taxes. Very few Turks ever settled on Naxos, and Turkish influence on the island was insignificant. Under Ottoman rule the island was known inTurkish asNakşa. Ottoman sovereignty lasted until 1821, when the islands revolted; Naxos finally became part of the Greek state in 1832.[citation needed]
Naxos is a populartourist destination, with several places of touristic interest, including beaches, villages and old ruins. Beaches on the island include Agia Anna,Agios Prokopios, Aliko, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka, and Agios Georgios, most of them on the western side of the island, near Chora. Like othercycladic islands, Naxos is considered a windy place perfect forwindsurfing, as well askitesurfing. There are seven sports clubs on the island that offer both of these sports and other water activities.[22]
Naxos is the mostfertile island of the Cyclades. It has a good supply of water in a region where water is usually inadequate. Mount Zeus (1,004 metres or 3,294 feet) is the highest peak in the Cyclades, and tends to trap the clouds, permitting greater rainfall. This has madeagriculture an important economic sector with various vegetable and fruit crops as well as cattle breeding, making Naxos the most self-sufficient island in the Cyclades. Naxos is well known within Greece for its "Arseniko Naxou" cheese, potatoes,Kitron (a local lemon-citrus spirit), and Naxian honey (which is largely derived from the nectar ofthyme).[23]
Agelarakis, A., "The Naxos Island Archaic Period Necropolis: Archaeological-Anthropology Research Report", Hellenic Antiquities Authority,Archival Report, 2005, Naxos.
Ernst Curtius, Naxos.Ein Vortrag im wissenschaftlichen Verein zu Berlin 1846 gehalten, neu herausgegeben vonMartin Biastoch, Göttingen, 2012.
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