Delos

According to mythology, the gods Apollo and Artemis were born here. This made the island of Délos one of the most important places of the cult of Apollo. Not only Apollo was worshipped here, but also Artemis and their mother, Leto. The island became holy ground, which meant that women were not allowed to give birth here, nor were they allowed to die here.

The island of Délos was already inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC, when the Cæsars settled here. They were followed by the Mycenaeans and the Ionians. In the ancient period, Délos was a religious and commercial centre. The importance of the island was also reflected in the construction of important buildings (the Temple of the Naxians, the Terrace of the Lions, the Statue of Apollo, the Colonnade of the Naxians, the Statue of Nikander, etc.).

In 478 BC, Délos became a member of the Maritime Amphictyony, a religious association of Greek states. Later, the island became the centre and treasury of the Athenian Naval Society (otherwise known as the Delos Society). The aim of this association was to fight against the Persians, who were eventually expelled from Greece. Under the rule of the Macedonian kingdom, Délos was a very important trading port. Grain, oil, wine and slaves were traded here.

Under Roman rule, the importance of this place gradually began to decline. Its decline was completed in 88 BC, when the troops of King Mithridates of Pontus invaded the island and destroyed it. In 69 BC it was further sacked by naval raiders. and trade was not resumed thereafter.