"This island possessed great sweetness and tranquility. Everywhere huge piles of melons, peaches and figs surrounded by a calm sea. I looked at the inhabitants. Their faces were kindly as if they had never been frightened by Turks and earthquakes and their eyes were not on fire. As I walked about Naxos security was the islands first gift that I became aware of..." (Report to El Greko, by Kazantzakis, translated by Peter Bien)

Topography: The island is located in the center of the Cyclades and at 416 sq. kilometers it is the largest of the group. Naxos is located opposite the island of Paros, and is a short distance from the island of Mykonos. The landscape is rather mountainous, and if you are lucky enough to arrive on a clear day, the summit of Mt. Za can be seen. It is the tallest peak in the Cyclades at 1,004 meters, and is dedicated to Zeus. Small villages are located at the foothills and in the middle of the valleys, the most well know ones are Apeiranthos on the mountain Chalki in the center of the island, and Melanes, where the statue of Kouros was found.

Naxos is rich in water, unlike many of the other Greek islands.

Geologists think that the mainland of Greece was connected with Asia, with no Aegean sea in between. They have found ancient ruins in the ocean and under the current towns. Millions of years ago, volcanic action made the land sink and the Mediterranean sea moved in, leaving mountain peaks as islands.

History: Naxos has been inhabited since the 4th c BC. The existence of several statuettes found in different sites of the island dating back to the Cycladic period are an indication of the long history of the island. The famous statues called Kouros were also found here and were made of Naxian marble. Emery stones can be found on Naxos, known locally as “smiridi” stone. They are used by marble carvers to smooth the surface of marble.

The Myth: The God Dionysus was said to have been born on Naxos. The god Apollo was also worshipped here as the protector of flocks of sheep. The king of Athens, Theseus, on his mission to kill the Minotaur on the island of Crete, was assisted by Ariadne, who gave him the solution of how to find his way through the labyrinth of the palace of Knossos. On his way to the city he took Ariadne with him. On this journey they had several adventures and stopped in several places, and one was the island of Naxos. It was here Thesius left Ariadne, and the god Dionysus fell in love with her, married her, and made her a god, as he was immortal.

The main products of Naxos are fruits, preserves, potatoes and dairy. Citron is very big on Naxos, and they make a famous citron liqueur. Canes are planted between the fields as wind breaks. There are about 33 white marble quarries on Naxos

Before we went to the Melanes elementary school, and before we had our family hosted lunch, we went to an ancient quarry near Melanes where there are Kouros and an ancient 6th c BC aqueduct.

This area has been inhabited from 4000 BC. Archeologists have found 36 prehistoric settlements. Naxos was very powerful in the 6th & 5th c BC, when it was rules by a Tyrant (a word that means all-powerful, not necessarily bad). The Tyrant of Naxos built a fleet, which made Naxos powerful. He built, or at least started, a temple to Apollo at the port.

Kouros (male) and Koris (female) statues date from the Archaic period 7th-6th c BC. The figures are quite static, their left legs slightly ahead of the right, and arms by their side. This was because they didn’t know how they would distribute the weight of the stone so it would be stable in any less cylindrical form. Details were put on after the Kouros was on the pedestal. All the Kouros were naked, and all the Koris were clothed. The Kouros we saw dates from 570 BC and was left in the ground where it had been quarried, probably because the leg broke as it was being moved.

74. Naxos - Abandoned Kouros
Kerstin Trawick with abandoned Kouros

After going to see the Kouros, we drove back to Melanes for a family hosted lunch. Arthur & Martha went to the home of _ and Maria Xenakis, and their lovely daughter, Anneta. Leonard and Kerstin went to the home of Yiannis & Stavroula Xenakis. Yiannis is the older son of _ and Maria Xenakis. The Greek lunch was fabulous in both places. _ Xenakis raises grapes.

The Aegean Sea is named for Aegis, the father of Theseus.

Ionian Greeks came to settle Naxos in the 10th c BC. In the 7th & 6th c BC Naxos prospered, and Naxions dedicated many statues and sphinx. There was a slow decline in the 5th c BC, and Naxos became more of an area of exile from the mainland.

There are many Venetian remains dating from the 13th c AD, when a Venetian was Duke of Naxos. There are no city walls, but houses form an outside wall, with a few gates that they could close in times of trouble. The corners of houses are rounded at street corners, to allow donkeys to pass more easily. Houses are piled on each other.

In Naxos, land was passed through the female line. You could only own the land your house was on. You could own vertically, and inherit it, but not horizontally unless it was built upon, so houses are vertical and are built one on top of the other.

The Duke and the rich nobilities lived on the heights of the town, while the poor lived lower down. The high lands were guarded by towers.

Martha put her feet in the Aegean, and got some lovely rocks and shells, including a rock with a perfect “e”-shaped worm or snail track.. The Aegean here is very clear!