Delos's history is rich—literally. On virtually every cultural and historical level, this island has been the stage for a notable occurrence. Let's start at the beginning, with the island's name. Delos translates to “seen.” According to Greek mythology, this dollop of land just 40min. from Mykonos by ferry was brought to the surface from Poseidon's underwater kingdom. The god took pity on Leto, Zeus' most recent mortal crush, when she was ready to give birth to Zeus' godly children but could not find land on which to bear them. Supposedly Hera, the archetypal jealous wife, had forbidden all lands from hosting the roaming pregnant beauty. So who else but Zeus' brother to come to Leto's rescue? Bros before hos. Thus, the island, “seen,” is the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, the God of the Sun and Goddess of the Moon, respectively. From 900 BCE to 100 CE the island was the site for cult worship of the two gods, as well as Dionysus.
In commerce, the island was also central. The Delian League—founded in 478 BCE and membered by 173 Greek city-states (Sparta not among them)—was based here, meaning that for about 400 years Delos was the closest thing to NATO or the World Bank until, well, NATO and the World Bank. Politically, the Delian League also had an agenda. Its member states paid a tribute to the league, funds which they could reclaim at any point in time, so long as the money was dedicated to defeating the Persians. Artistically, the island was home to marvelous, painstakingly thorough mosaics, frescoes, and architectural feats that, though now mostly washed away, can be glimpsed in the few remaining patches that have made it through the millenia. In terms of human rights, Delos' record is less stellar; the island was a former port city and had a busy slave trade. Delos had residents of Greek, Egypt, and other civilizations living side by side, and in that sense it was among the first cosmopolitan cities. But like most great things, this island civilization ended, and only one-fifth of the remains have been excavated. Fortunately, that one-fifth was impressive enough for the island to be made a World Heritage site in 1990.
The ruins on Delos are so phenomenal that the island is now a World Heritage Site and has been for over two decades. Only one-fifth of the island is excavated, but that small fraction has unearthed an ...more
Delos is a World Heritage Site, so everything has been done to preserve the island as it stands. Therefore, the island allows no hotels, only one shop behind the ticket booth, and one restaurant. If you're ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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