Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/422

 405 NAXOS. aristocratical party appear to have again got the upper hand ; but they were after a short time ex- pelled by the people, and applied for assistance to Aristagoras of Miletus. The Persians, at the per- suasion of Aristagoras, sent a large force in b. c. 501 to subdue Nasos: the expedition proved a lail- ure; and Aristagoras, fearing the anger of the Per- sian court, persuaded the lonians to revolt from the great king. (Herod, v. 30—34.) At this period the Naxians had 8000 hoplites, many ships of war, and numerous slaves. (Herod, v. 30, 31.) From the 8000 hoplites we may conclude that the free population amounted to 50,000 souls, to which num- ber we may add at least as many slaves. In b. c. 490 the Persians under Datis and Artaphernes landed upon the island, and in revenge for tlieu- former failure laid it waste with fire and sword. Most of the inhabitants took refuge in the mountains, but those who remained were reduced to slavery, and their city set on fire. (Herod, vi. 96.) Naxos became a dependency of Persia ; but their four ships, which were sent to the Persian fleet, deserted the latter and fought on the side of Grecian independence at the battle of Salamis. (Herod, viii. 46.) They also took part in the battle of Plataeae. (Diod. v. 52.) After the Pei-siau wars Naxos became a member of the confederacy of Delos under the headship of Athens; but about B.C. 471 it revolted, and was subdued by the Athenians, who reduced the Naxians to the condition of subjects, and established 500 Athenian Cleruchs in the island. (Thuc. i. 98, 137 ; Plut. Pericl. 11; Pans. i. 27. § 6.) From this time Naxos is seldom mentioned in ancient history. It was off Naxos that Chabrias gained a signal victory over the Lacedaemonian fleet in b. c. 376, which restored to Athens the empire of the sea. (Xen. Hell. v. 4. § 60, seq. ; Diod. xv. 34.) During the civil wars of Rome Naxos was for a short time sub- ject to the Rhodians. (Appian, B. C. v. 7.) After the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204, the Aegaean sea fell to the lot of the Vene- tians ; and Marco Sanudo, in 1207, took possession of Naxos, and founded there a powerful state under the title of the Duchy of the Aegaean Sea (Dux Aegaei Pelagi ). He built the large castle above the town, now in ruins, and fortified it with 12 towers. His dynasty ruled over the greater part of the Cy- clades for 360 years, and was at length overthrown by the Turks in 1566. (Finlay, Medieval Greece, p. 320, seq.) Naxos now belongs to the new king- dom of Greece. Its population does not exceed 12,000, and of the.se 300 or 400 are Latins, the de- scendants of the Venetian settlers, many of whom bear the names of the noblest families of Venice. The ancient capital of the island, also called Naxos, was situated upon the NW. coast. Its site is occupied by the modern capital. On a small de- tached rock, called Paldti, about 50 yards in front of the harbour, are the ruins of a temple, which tra- dition calls a temple of Dionysus. The western portal still remains, consisting of three huge marble blabs, two perpendicular and one laid across, and is of elegant, though simple workmanship. A drawing of it is given by Tournefoi-t. Stephanus B. men- tions another town in Naxos called Tragia or Tra- gaea (s. v. Tfiayia), but which Ross believes to be the small island Mdkares, between Naxos and Do- nussa. Aristotle also (ap. Athen. viii. p. 348) men- tioned a place, named Lestadae (A7)(rTa5ai), of which nothing further is known. In the centre of the island a mountain, now called NAXUANA. Zla, rises to the height of 3000 feet. From its summit 22 islands may be counted ; and in the dis- tance may be seen the outline of the mountains of Asia Minor. This mountain appears to have been called Drius {Apios) in antiquity (Diod. v. 51); its modern name is probably derived from the ancient name of the island (Dia). On it there is a curious Hellenic tower ; and near the bottom, on the road towards Philoti, an inscription, opos Aihs VlriAcocriov. Another mountain is called Koronon (rb Kdpaivov'), which is evidently an ancient name, and reminds one of the Naxian nymph Coronis, who brought up the young Dionysus (Diod. v. 52). The mountains of Naxos consist partly of granite and partly of marble, the latter being scarcely inferior to that of Paros. Good whetstones were also obtained from Naxos. (Hesych. s. v. 'Ha^ia xiBos; Phn. xxxvi. 6. s. 9.) There are several streams in the island, one of which in ancient times was called Biblus (Bi§Aos, Steph. B. s. V. BigAiVT)). The fertility of Naxos has been equally celebrated in ancient and modern times. Herodotus says that it excelled all other islands in prosperity (v. 28). It produces in abundance corn, oil, wine, and fruit of the finest description. In consequence of the ex- cellence of its wine Naxos was celebrated in the legends of Dionysus, particularly those relating to Ariadne. [See Diet of Biogr. art. Ariadne.] Moreover, the priest of Dionysus gave his name to the year, like the Archon Eponymus at Athens. (Bockh, Inscr. 2265.) The finest wine of Naxos is now produced at a place called Aperuthos. It is a superior white wine, and is celebrated in the islands of the Aegaean under the name of Bacchus- Wine. The plant which produces ladanum is found at Naxos; and in Thevenot's time it was collected from the beards of goats, in the manner described by Herodotus (iii. 112). Emery is .also found there, particularly in the southern part of the island, and forms an article of export. The go.ats of Naxos were celebrated in antiquity. (Athen. xii. p. 540.) One of the most remarkable curiosities in the island is an unfinished colossal figure, still lying in an ancient marble quarry near the northern extremity of the island. It is about 34 feet in length, and has always been called by the inhabitants a figure of Apollo. On the side of the hill, at the distance of five minutes from the statue, we still find the in- scription, opos x^p'^ov lepov 'AttSAAwvos. Ross con- jectures that the statue may have been intended as a dedicatory offering to Delos. (Thevenot, Travels, p. 103, PjUgl. transl. ; Tournefort, Voyage, vol. i. p. 163, Engl, transl. ; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 93; Ross, Reisen auf den Griech. Inseln, vol. i. p. 22, seq.; Grliter, De Naxo Insula, Hal. 1833- Curtius, Naxos, Berl. 1846.) COIN OF THE ISLAND OF NAXOS. NAXUA'NA (Na|oi;a!/a, Ptol. v. 13. § 12), a city on the N. bank of the river Araxes, now Nach- dgcvan, a city of some importance in Armenian his-